Tips for Saving Money on Yearly School Expenses

September 15, 2017 by Kathryn 2 Comments

Where has the time gone? We’re already in the middle of September, the leaves are slowly changing, the days are cooling down and the kids are back in school. The start of a new school year is a hectic time for any parent, and it can be even harder than usual to keep track of your finances during the back-to-school shopping season and beyond.

I’ve already shared some of my top tips for saving on school supplies and clothes, but a lot can be done to cut down on yearly school expenses even after the initial shopping is done! These are the top tips and tricks that I find help keep my school-related spending in check:

Keep Track of School Supplies

We all know that buying school supplies at the start of the year can be a costly ordeal. Depending on what grade your little one is going into and how many children you have, the expenses add up quickly. So, now that school is started, make sure to keep an eye on how your child is using their school supplies so you can make plans about what will be good for next year. My boys needed dictionaries for the first time this year, so I’m making sure to remind them to take care of their books! [Read more…]

Stick 2 Me Personalized Labels are Ones Kids and Adults Both Love-Giveaway

August 29, 2017 by Kathryn 74 Comments

If there’s one absolute must that I’ve always emphasised for the back-to-school season, it’s personalized labels. Since my oldest son headed to school for his first day of Kindergarten six years ago, I’ve been obsessed with ensuring that any school gear is sporting a colourful and durable label.

Over the years, I’ve had the chance to test out a few different brands of personalized labels, and they’ve all done a pretty good job of doing what I wanted. But until this year, I’d never heard of Stick 2 Me. So, when I was given the chance to review a Super Pack of the company’s personalized labels perfect for back-to-school, I couldn’t wait to put them to the test.

As soon as I checked out the website to order labels for my oldest son’s new school year, I knew that these labels were going to be something special. The variety was fantastic and even though my oldest is starting to prefer more understated and mature designs, there were plenty of options he loved. After a little deliberation, he chose the Graffiti Sports pack with the Script font for his labels.

The labels arrived in just a few days (a definite plus for those last-minute back-to-school shoppers), and I was thrilled when I looked through the different designs. The quantity and variety of labels in the package immediately set Stick 2 Me apart from the competition. I loved that there were two different large labels for bigger items: the fun shaped label and the large rectangle label. And small rectangle labels came in three different designs as well for lots of variety on smaller items!

I could tell as I was peeling off the labels and sticking them onto school gear that they were going to have great durability. The labels are waterproof and safe for the dishwasher, washing machine and microwave. I liked that the clothing labels were designed to go onto clothing tags so that they could still be removed in the future, since my boys often pass their clothes down to each other. And I was so impressed with how the labels stayed in place wash after wash.

To help you get your little ones off to school in style, Stick 2 Me is very generously offering one lucky Mommy Kat and Kids reader their own Super Label Pack, a $40 value! To enter to win, just leave a blog comment about what design you would choose for your label package if you won.

The Stick 2 Me labels I received offered everything I want in personalized labels. The labels were durable, the package had more than enough labels for all my son’s school supplies for a great price and, best of all, the company had fun, colourful designs perfect for little and big kids alike. I can’t wait to hear what Zackary’s new classmates think of his labels, and I’m confident that all his gear will make it back home safely thanks to Stick 2 Me!

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Help Your Family Enjoy an Organized School Year with 4 Simple Tips

August 11, 2017 by Kathryn 26 Comments

Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and Mabel’s Labels/ Bear Paws and have received compensation for this post. All opinions in the post are my own.

The new school year is almost here and that means it’s time for me to stock up on my must-haves for keeping my house and my boys organized throughout the coming months. For the first time, Zackary and Benjamin won’t be going to the same school, which means that ensuring their supplies and homework are in order will be more important than ever before.

Luckily, keeping my scatterbrained boys at least somewhat orderly is something that I’ve been practicing for years. And if you’re trying to prepare for an organized school year as well, these four tips are the ones that have helped me the most over the years!

Label All The Things

If your child walks out the door with it, make sure that you’ve labelled it! From ski pants to water bottles, I’m often amazed (and annoyed) by the items my boys have misplaced over the years. Near the end of last school year, Zackary even managed to lose his prescription glasses! [Read more…]

4 Ways to Make Busy School Mornings Easier on the Whole Family

October 26, 2016 by Kathryn 32 Comments

There’s so much that can sidetrack a family on a busy morning. From picky kids to forgotten homework to unpacked lunches, getting kids fed, clothed and out the door on their way to school can feel downright impossible sometimes. Luckily, I’ve done quite well at setting a morning routine this year and for the most part, even a busy morning goes quite smoothly. But some days, it seems like the morning brings nothing but challenges. So, when Quaker Canada offered to send me a special package to help manage those busy mornings and share my experience, I was thrilled. Here’s what I learned after a week:

1) A Little Nighttime Preparation Makes Mornings Easier

My oldest son loves oatmeal for breakfast and usually there’s enough time to put the kettle on, boil water and make him a couple packages of his favourite Quaker Instant Oatmeal. But some mornings, even that few extra minutes of breakfast preparation can make the morning feel rushed. So, for the first time last week, I tried Overnight Oats. I’d heard a lot about the concept in the last few months. Just mix equal parts oats and liquid, and then add toppings, sweetener and flavouring as desired. I used milk as the liquid and added blueberries and maple syrup for flavour, then refrigerated the mixture overnight. The next morning, Zackary sat down to a delicious, creamy and hearty breakfast…no extra time required! [Read more…]

Try These 4 Kid-Approved Snacks for a School Lunch that’s Sure to Please

September 21, 2016 by Kathryn 25 Comments

In my opinion, the true secret to making great school lunches is making sure to pack items that are both kid and mom approved. I have my own criteria for lunchbox food and my sons have theirs. That’s why I always check their lunches for items that come home uneaten more than a few days in a row and ask for my boys’ input regularly. Looking for kid-approved ideas for your child’s meals? Here are four foods my boys are always happy to find when they open up their lunchbox!

1) Real Cheese

cheese and crackers

So much more delicious than processed cheese slices and great either on a sandwich or as a snack, my boys love finding different types of cheese in their lunch. As soon as I started adding it to their sandwiches with the deli meat, they started eating more of their main course. And many varieties are available already sliced and ready to serve to help save me time in the morning! [Read more…]

Pack Lunches Even Picky Kids Will Love With These 3 Easy Tricks

September 7, 2016 by Kathryn 22 Comments

When it comes to school lunches, having some tips and tricks to keep meals interesting is a must. For about two years, I was lucky enough to have boys that liked the exact same lunch every day, but suddenly those days ended and Zackary and Benjamin decided variety was the spice of life as far as school lunches were concerned. That means that with a new school year quickly approaching, the time has come for me to start making plans and coming up with fun lunch ideas that will ensure my boys are fueled for the day ahead.

Luckily, making a fun lunch doesn’t have to be time consuming! Simple switches can make a big difference when it comes to the overall appeal of a child’s lunch. Looking for some ideas to help you make those meals fun and interesting? These are my favourite three easy tricks for making mom-approved and kid-friendly lunches!

Ditch the Bread

When my boys suddenly stopped eating the meat sandwiches that they had loved for so long, I wasn’t sure why. I asked them if they wanted different condiments or toppings on their sandwiches and they both requested custom sandwiches that they were sure they’d like…yet the sandwiches still came back with just a few bites missing. Then one day I ran out of sandwich bread and used multigrain tortillas to make wraps instead. Both boys devoured the wraps and requested them again. That’s when I realized that sometimes all it takes to make lunch more fun is putting the bread away. Since then, I’ve also sent the boys with flatbread or with whole-grain crackers, meat and cheese, and every time they eat their entire main course. [Read more…]

Get Ready for the New School Year with the DYMO LabelManager 160P from Staples Canada

September 7, 2016 by Kathryn

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Newell Rubbermaid®. The opinions and texts are all mine.

Most years, I’m a pro at getting my boys back to school with as little fuss and bother as possible. But this year I have to admit that I’m feeling a little unprepared. My boys are attending a new school for the first time in their lives. A month of back to back vacations meant I never got the chance to buy school supplies in advance as I usually do. And now, school registration is just a week away and I’m frantically stocking up on the supplies my boys will need for a successful year of learning.

As usual, every item my boys will be using this year needs to be labelled with their names and most years, that’s no problem at all. I love ordering printed personalized labels every year to save me the time of individually writing their names on each item they use at school. But this year, the constant bustle meant I never had a chance to order labels for the new school year. So what’s a mom that’s short on time to do? Head to Staples for the DYMO® LabelManager™ 160P label maker!

This sleek little handheld label maker is so easy to use and looked like the perfect solution for my back-to-school labeling needs. The QWERTY keyboard let me quickly enter the words I wanted to print, while formatting buttons gave me options including font size, bold text, italics and adding symbols. Then, with the push of a button, a crisp black and white label was printed, ready to be applied to school gear. But best of all, the reprint feature meant that I just had to keep pressing the print button to make multiples of the same label! [Read more…]

Save on Back-to-School Shopping with 5 Tips from RetailMeNot.ca-Giveaway

September 8, 2015 by Kathryn 213 Comments

For some parents, back-to-school season is one that tugs the heartstrings and has them wiping away tears. For others, it’s a time to finally relax and take some time for themselves after a busy summer entertaining kids. But if there’s one thing that every parent knows about the new school year, it’s that it can be expensive! From school supplies to new fall fashions, I know I’m not the only mom that’s digging deep into her purse come September!

This year, RetailMeNot.ca has some great ideas to help make back-to-school more economical without compromising on the fun. If you want to save more this autumn, check out these five useful tips to help you save!

Hold Off On Trendier Gear

Thirty-four per cent of Canadian parents feel the pressure to purchase trendy items to help their child fit in at school. The problem is, trends come and go – and often very quickly! Kids may love a certain lunch box or pencil case they find in August, but once school starts and they see that their friends are all using another kind they’ll beg you to upgrade. Hold off on the more trendy purchases until school starts rather than spending double… it will pay to wait! [Read more…]