Prepping For Back To School With A Permanent Impact

 


 


Everyone that knows me also knows that I hate back to school, I miss my kids way too much to get excited about the whole thing and my anxiety almost always takes over this time of year. I like to find ways to communicate with them and remind my boys that I am with them even when I am not because the truth is, it makes a mama feel better – selfish I know but it gets me through those long school days. You name it, I have tried it -the lipstick kiss on a piece of paper to put in their pockets, special bracelets and even a family photo so that they could feel the security of knowing I love them always but it seems I always feel like I haven’t been a part of their day but rather an accessory.

This year I have thought of something different for my very ambitious back to school project – as I like to call it. I am attempting to make dialogue for the boys to reciprocate so that I can keep them as a keepsake rather than just an ornament that they take with them to school. I have cut to size a bunch of papers and found a notebook that fits them for each child. Inside the notebook I will store all of the lunchtime notes I make throughout the year complete with their replies – having a year long memory of grade 3 and 5!

The task is simple:

  • Create a series of designed papers with questions for the children to answer
  • Make sure that they answer each one by end of day even if it isn’t during school hours
  • Place the papers inside of the folder/notebook for safe keeping

Since I mentioned before that this task seems very ambitious of me, I am pre-making a lot of the notes to save on time. I really enjoy the PaperMate InkJoy Pens for the fine print because I am able to write quickly without smearing the whole page, time is of the essence my friends and one simple smear could ruin the entire note! I also have limited myself to making these tiny notes surprises with no timeline so some weeks the children may get 5 and others only 1 or 2 notes in their lunch bag. As well, even though I have an art background I am not focusing too much on the esthetics of the finished products – after all there are 2 kids and mama has almost NO time on her hands! The simplest way to make the pages appear colourful and fun is through the use of Sharpie Markers. Both the Fine and Ultra Fine work great for this, and once again….NO smears! Since they are also fade and water resistant, I can rest assured that the notes will last for years to come too! Perfect for this little keepsake idea.

What’s Needed:

It’s that time again! Seems summer (if you can call it that) has come to a closing and parents everywhere are searching for their back to school must-have items- however, a lot of us forget about the little things that make the transition easier and fun. Since shifting my own personal focus to assist in this, I feel like I am prepared for most of the school days ahead.

…A little preparation for the kids too…

While back to school also remains one of the most expensive times of the year in our household, I have tried to shift the children’s focus on ‘creating’ instead of wanting items that they essentially don’t need. While searching online for fun DIY’s and ways to reuse clothing and supplies we came across a really fun project – Sharpie Marker T’shirts!! Let me tell you, the results were fabulous and the kiddos LOVED doing them too – by far one of the quietest hours of my life!

Check them out:

Cool right? They loved playing around with colours and really enjoyed the part that makes the colours all slew and spill. My oldest has even asked to wear it for the first day of school – extra points for being a ‘cool’ mom. Add some simple designs to a plain white t-shirt with Sharpie Markers (endless colour options), hang on a hanger and spray rubbing alcohol to get the tie-dyed effect you see above.

**Note** The color stays perfectly if hung to dry after applying rubbing alcohol and then washed in cold water**

Sharpie and PaperMate Back to School Giveaway

Disclosure: I have partnered with YMC and Sharpie/Paper Mate and have received compensation for this post. All opinions in the post are my own.

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35 Thoughts to “Prepping For Back To School With A Permanent Impact”

  1. Amy Heffernan

    I know my son would use them to decorate his books and more!

  2. ivy pluchinsky

    We would use them to write our names on our labels

  3. Jonnie

    We would use Sharpie and Papermate to label items and color code our organizers then store them in the backpacks so everything is prepped for the first day.

  4. michelle matta

    we’d write our subjects on books and binders and get organized in advance

  5. Stephanie

    We would use them to make lists of what we need for back to school and to organize all of our supplies!

  6. Kim Tanti

    The sharpies are great to write names on everything. They don’t run or rub off. They write fine so you can read what you write not like other markers that are fat and bleed.

  7. Cheryl H

    I would use the sharpie to label clothes

  8. Bobbijo pentney

    As a teacher I use Sharpies to label everything.

  9. Laurie P

    Sharpie and papermate would be fantastic and reliable brands for labeling!

  10. Jenn

    We would use the Sharpie and Papermate pens to keep organized by using it to colour coordinate events on our big family calendar.

  11. Jenny Major

    We would use Sharpie and Papermate to label items

  12. Judy Cowan

    I would use them to label and they would be fun to help decorate binders.

  13. Julie bolduc

    My teenagers could use them in high school to do projects

  14. Kathleen B

    I would get the kids to use them to personalize and label their stuff

  15. rachael grover

    id use them to write on my sons items and tags but would LOVE to make him cute little personalized notes each day <3
    thanks for the chance!! my fingers are crossed!

  16. Pam

    I would use them for labeling the kids bins in the classrooms and for special art projects.

  17. Lynda Cook

    My granddaughter would use these for her art projects and to decorate her binders!

  18. Sunshine G

    We use them to label the kids’ things so they don’t wander off! (The belongings, obviously, not the kids themselves).

  19. Piroska

    I’d use the Sharpies to label everything, from clothes to school supplies.

  20. Juliee Fitze

    Looks like lots of fun for the kids.

  21. Jenness M

    We would use sharpies to colour coordinate school items.

  22. Kim G.

    I would use them to label supplies.

  23. Monique L.S.

    We would use Sharpies for my daughter’s art work.

  24. Dianne G.

    A couple years ago my daughter had her children make a little poster to hold in their back to school photos. It said what grade they were going into, what they wanted to be when they grow up and any other things they wanted to say about the school year. It is fun to compare from year to year and is documented in those photos. She gave them Sharpie Markers to decorate and write on their signs. Sharpies permanent markers are also great to write their names on their belongings.

  25. Jackie M

    Paper Mate and Sharpies products are the most reliable! Great for everyday use for regular note taking and fun art projects!

  26. Paul A

    I would use Papermate and Sharpie products for everyday use! From taking notes to just some fun doodling.

  27. Jennifer P.

    One of my children is starting kindergarten, and although she is excited, she also has anxiety and I am a little worried about how she will handle what will likely be a fun but also a stressful experience for her. I would love to use the Sharpie and PaperMate products to make her daily drawings of love and happiness to put into her lunch bag, so that each day she has something from me to make her smile mid-day. I’d also love to help her create a “first year of school” picture where she can use all the bright colours to draw how she is feeling about going to school.

  28. summer plewes

    We use them to label our items , like our shoe tongues and notebooks. Sharpies are my favorite. I use them in crafts as well.

  29. Jenny B

    We would use Sharpie and PaperMate products to help us label things like notebooks, backpacks, lunchbags, and storage bins. And I would use them to plan ahead in our family planner.

  30. Jennifer Lo

    we use them for labeling school supplies

  31. Rosanne Robinson

    We use Sharpies to label binders, books, storage bins, shoes, boots, etc.
    PaperMate pens are excellent quality and the only ones we’ll use.

  32. Suzie B

    I would use them to label my items and decorate binders

  33. l p

    colour coding for each child, making labels, just having fun a home before school started. thanks

  34. kcf

    labelling books, files, notebooks, clothing. thx

  35. Dave S

    My kids would use these to spruce up their projects with colourful headings and drawings.

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