......back to school with Stuck on You.......

.....the preparation for school is so exciting.....I remember it clearly when I was younger and it may be even more fun for me now that I have my own children....the difference is that in this day and age, you electronically purchase the school supplies months before the first day and they go directly to the classroom....so it is less shopping for rulers, glue sticks and pencils and more shopping for trendy and fun gear.....

......this is my third round of partnering with Stuck on You and I am thrilled each season we have come together because I love their products!.......my children tear open the bag of goodies and every time we receive incredible items that also become great ideas for gifts, favors, stocking stuffers or birthdays......

.....With my oldest child just beginning first grade, I have learned that there is a certain "cool" element to having bag tags for your backpack......all of the girls have a multitude of souvenirs dangling off their bags and Elsa loves her new keychain style bag tag......

.....she also loves that it is personalized because for the past several months, her name has been a popular ice breaker......(and if you don't know why the name Elsa is a hit, go see the movie Frozen).......

......Callie loves her junior messenger bag, which is a nice break from the oversized backpacks......this is perfect for Kindergarten because it is large enough to hold her folder and snack, but is still small enough to be portable on the bus and easy to carry......

.....it also has a front pocket for emergency cards, sunglasses, a sunblock stick, a favorite bracelet, a random coin, a half eaten bagel, a rock, a broken Barbie or whatever other knick knack carry items your little likes to cart around......

.....there is also a great selection of icons to choose from, so these bags can be personalized in several different styles.....

......nursery school still has another two weeks to go until Brody has his first day.....there has been a lot of hustle and bustle around here as we have been getting the girls ready for elementary school; and he has been anxious to have his turn......

.....my little man typically will not pose without bribes for pictures; however I think he was so excited it was his turn to break out the school gear that he made the exception......not to mention, this junior backpack is amazing.......it's made well, it's stylish and Brody loves the design......

.....the best part about it is the insulated snack compartment.......it is easily accessible for them and it lightens the load in my purse since he can carry his own snacks and water bottle........

......every mama has to love a product that fosters independence.......

.....Stuck on You has fantastic products that are unique and made to last.....many of their back to school items are on sale and they are also generously offering two readers a $25 gift certificate to use for purchase toward their products........

......good luck and happy back to school shopping.......

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......back to school and a Stuck on You giveaway.......

.....the first week of school passed by without a hitch.....it really could not have gone any better and my girl enthusiastically hopped out of bed at the crack of dawn each morning dressed, smiling and announcing if it was a gym, library, music, art or language day......she even scotch taped her rotation schedule to the inside of her closet so she could dress according to her assigned activity......dress, skort, sneakers, sandals etc......she wanted to be prepared each day and she did it with so much enthusiasm......she is a carbon copy of the typical people pleasing, success striving, goal oriented first born personality description and she brings a smile to my face each morning as she gleefully prepares for school.....it makes it hard to wallow in my own self pity on how much I miss her throughout the day because she is thriving and loving her new routine......

.....her first soccer practice on Friday evening?......well, that did not go as well as school, but we were certainly excited about the idea of it......

.....with Callie and Brody as my only babes at home this week, it has been a great opportunity for us to prep for nursery school......this is our last week of summer before our fall schedule is in full swing and we have carved out fun and lazy to balance the back to school projects that will ease us into fall.......we have been working on our family books that Brody and Callie will take with them to school......they'll keep them in their cubbies and refer to them during free play or anytime they may feel like they need to sneak a peek of some of their favorite photos......I am hoping that the books will not be needed to deal with transition or separation anxiety, but I am bracing for that too......

.....I am thrilled to partner with Stuck on You again this fall, as their amazing products have us fully equipped for back to school......Callie remained glue and marker free during the creation of her book thanks to her new art smock......

.....she loves the personalization of her name, the fact that her smock is pink and the special front pocket where she carried her glue with her every time she wanted a new spot at our work table......

....I am not sure that at 2.5 years old he understands what it means to start school, but Brody does recognize his name and enjoys participating in the same projects as his sisters......he loved preparing his book and I organized all of his supplies for his project in his new pencil case......

.....it is the perfect size for a toddler to manage a few things, yet it is small enough for me to throw in my purse and carry for him......

.....Stuck on You is also offering two winners a $20 voucher to use for back to school purchases.......their products also make great gifts for all ages......

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.....Brody is still looking for more items to take to school.....

.....if you are in full fall swing, enjoy the new routine......if you are savoring the last days of summer, enjoy your slow and lazy as you prep for school to begin......

....back to school.....

....it feels like yesterday when we were gearing up for nursery school during this time last year.....Elsie was just two and a half and nursery school was an unknown for both of us.....we spent countless conversations talking about being a big girl and going to school for a little while until Momma comes to pick her back up......we discussed meeting new friends, playing with new toys and practiced our new teacher's names so we had it right on day one.....fast forward a year and it's Callie who I'm having these chats with....

....except this go around, Callie knew exactly what to expect....she has been gearing up for her turn at nursery school and she knew exactly what to expect since she helped me do Elsie's drop off last year.....last year when I had to drag her out of the classroom every afternoon we waved goodbye because she wanted to stay and play.....until finally at the end of the semester, Miss Lauren invited Callie to join in on circle time and tell the class what the weather was that day.....and if Callie wasn't already hooked on classroom fun before that, all it took was telling 12 children one year older than she was that it was a bery, bery sunny day.....

.....this year, Callie was ready for her turn.....

....and as brave as she was, once we got there she wanted to make sure I stayed jus fur a wittle bit....so I joined a group of parents who had cornered themselves at the far end of a classroom giving reassuring smiles, over exaggerated waves and quietly shuffled around their backpacks and oversized purses for their cameras.....

....I did not take my eyes off of Callie for a moment because I did not want to miss one of her glances to ensure I was there.....I wanted to confirm I was watching her interact in her new setting because she was so proud.....

....and Elsa was so good about letting Callie have her big day.....she quietly sat in the corner of her old classroom and read books......

.....until the class got a little closer to where she was reading and then she wanted to participate......and her old teacher kindly let her join the new students for story

time......

.....and as class dismissed, Elsie was the first one to point out to the 2s students where the door was, where their cubbies were so they could retrieve their backpacks, what buttons in the elevator to push and when to push them.....this missy knew her way around school.....she is big time this year because she is upstairs in the 3s class and loving it......

.....she's got old friends she is reunited with and loves going every morning......

.....me on the other hand.....let's just say that getting three kids out the door and looking presentable by 8:30am has been a challenge....I can't just throw my other two in the stroller with pjs on because we have to park the stroller and walk to the classroom, so it's a good thing we get a few months of practice before having to do this in 20 degree weather when I have three sets of winter gear to suit up......

....but just as it hit me last year when I realized my oldest was off to nursery school, I am having the same nostalgia with Callie, but differently.....it's not so much that she is off to school because she is a very independent 2 year old and practically made herself as part of Elsa's classroom last year.....but she is changing.....our conversations are more complex.....I am able to reason with her and she understands my explanations......she is becoming more empathetic, she can answer questions thoughtfully, her observations surprise me because she notices minute details, she engages more with her brother......and she genuinely loves the time she gets with him when Elsie is at school because it's her time to be the big sister.......she is blooming and her radiance is beautiful......

....however, after we get home from school, wash up and prepare for some quiet time; she nestles up next to me, sticks her thumb in her mouth and I am reassured that she is still my baby.....and always will be.....