Monthly Musings: Back To School/Fall Planning

Since it's the last Thursday of the month, it's once again time to link up with Holly and Patty for Monthly Musings. I love linking up with these women and they always have the greatest questions

1) Do you meal plan and prep? Any favourite back to school recipes to share?

Yes, I almost always meal plan a month at a time. I started when Sam was a baby so I've been doing that for at least twelve years! Last weekend, we planned all the way through the first week of September so for the first week of school we're having easy recipes and family favourites -- tacos, tuna noodle casserole, and ending the week with a "Fast Food Festival of Friday." Hahaha!

You can see the "recipe" I wrote up for Tuna Noodle Casserole here.

2) How do you buy and organize school supplies?

Well, for the past two years, thanks to Covid, we haven't had to buy school supplies. The schools are providing everything the kids need. I'm actually kind of sad about not being able to buy the supplies ourselves because I love school supplies, even if they're not for me.

When we do need to buy them, we usually try to go sometime in August and then label them all right away and put them in the backpacks so everything is ready to go for the first day.

3) Any back to school traditions?

We take a "first day of school" picture with our sign.

Sam's first day of JK, 2013 and first day of Grade 6, 2020

Rachel's first day of JK, 2015 and first day of Grade 4, 2020

 

I didn't realize how fully the kids had embraced the "first day of school" sign until I got hired to work in a school and they made ME a "first day of school" sign! It was the sweetest thing! 

Additionally, I always bake a lot of muffins leading up to the first weeks of school -- they're so easy to grab for a quick breakfast, to add to a lunch box, or as a good after school snack.

4) Bring lunch? Buy lunch? Favourite lunchbox item?

We all take our lunches. The kids used to have Pizza Days on Fridays but that didn't happen last year due to Covid. However, I have heard that they might be coming back this year and I would be sooooo excited about that. Usually the Pizza Days are a fundraiser and we love not having to pack lunch one day a week!

In case you didn't read my blog post yesterday, I'm so excited to finally get a more adult lunch bag to take to work this year. Last year I used Sam's Kindermusik cooler all year but now I get to carry one with flowers! 

Probably the favourite lunchbox item is muffins or anything else baked and homemade.

5) Favourite thing about back to school then and now?

My favourite thing about back to school is it feels like a reset for new routines and rhythms. I love how fresh everything feels in September! It's like a new year and I just LOVE it. Plus, after the non-routine of summer, I just love getting back into a more predictable daily (and weekly) schedule.

6) Pumpkin spice... love or hate?

Hate. Blargh -- I don't understand the excitement about pumpkin spice.

7) Do you decorate for fall?

Yes, I put up our fall wreath and replace my pots of annuals with chrysanthemums. I am getting soooo excited to switch my pots out next week. I usually wait until the beginning of September to do all that.

8) How do you transition your wardrobe to fall?

I usually start to wear slightly darker clothes. And I have some nice shirts with darker oranges and reds and navy that I wear more in the fall. I also put away the summer skirts. I don't have any great fall skirts and I should work on that...

9) Favourite fall fashion staples?

My slippers! And cardigans for work.

10) When does school start where you live?

School hasn't started for us yet. It almost always starts the Tuesday after Labour Day Monday so the first day of school this year is September 7th -- we still have almost two weeks left to go.

As always, thank you to Holly and Patty for hosting such a fun link up.