Prepping for Back-to-School with The Container Store & Me!
No matter how hard I try, the Summer days are not slowing down, and the kids will be returning to school in a few short weeks. I can either sit in denial, or start preparing for a smooth transition. Without a doubt, mornings are happier when we’re organized and planned ahead.
I’m thrilled to partner with one of my go-to spots for organizing, The Container Store, and host an afternoon event of Back-to-School Inspiration! I’ll be sharing my tips for getting your little ones ready, and making school days run smoothly.
We’ll be chatting all things back-to-school…from getting dressed and packing lunches, to homework stations and family command centers. There’s even ideas for making lockers efficient, yet cool, for the older kids.
The come-and-go event will be chock-full of prizes, surprises, exciting new products, tasty nibbles, and delightful drinks! Plus, when you RSVP here, you’ll receive 20% off your in-store purchasesthat day (including the Summer Sale items we’ll be using in the demonstrations!), and a free gift when you arrive (while supplies last)!
So if you’re in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, stop by the Stonebriar Store on August 8th, to say ‘Hi’ and get inspired! I’d love to meet you, and hear your tips and ideas, too! I volunteered to travel to each Container Store in the country (anything for travel!), but they decided to keep me local. 😉
I can’t wait to meet all the DFW readers and bloggers…so who’s coming?!? #pleeeeeeease
EEK! I'm so excited I can go – no plans that day!!! I've already RSVP'd too! And bonus, I needed to make a Container Store trip anyway!! Can't wait to meet you Cassie!
This sounds fun! I wish I were a little closer than 3 hours away 🙁 Btw- the beautiful shirt tail skirt showed up in stock again… I'd so love to see the post on styling it. Also do you have a favorite brand of tights to wear under skirts and dresses in cool/cold weather?
Hi friends!! How was your weekend? And how fun were all those {20 Questions} posts last week?! I told you I had some doozies lined up! Thank you to Megan, Carmel, Jen, Chelsea, and Sherry for playing along!
We made it home from the beach late Saturday night, and spent all day yesterday shaking sand out of unseen body crevices. We had the best week spending time together, and it was so hard to go our separate ways this morning. I hope we are able to maintain this closeness once the craziness of school starts again.
That will be a lot easier if we take the craziness out of our morning routine. For my final Command Brand project, they challenged me with using their new products to create organized areas in the Kitchen, to help school mornings run a little smoother.
First thing’s first, is having easy and quick access to caffeine…so that means a tidy, organized Coffee Corner. Since I’ve already got my Coffee Station set, I borrowed my aunt’s gorgeous Kitchen for demonstration.
I know you’re drooling over her tumbled marble herringbone backsplash with mosaic glass, but let’s focus on the cool Command products I used for this set-up….Slate Terrace Hooks(I chose the darker finish so they’d blend in with the wall color), and two sizes of the Clear Caddies.
If your cabinet and counter space is limited, look for a nearby wall (even a smooth backsplash) as an alternative for organizing your coffee essentials.
K-Cups are tucked in the small caddy, while spoons and tea bags are kept tidy in labeled glass jars in the medium caddy. Just like all Command products, pulling the clear tab removes the caddy with no damage to the wall. (The tabs aren’t really noticeable in person.)
Coffee mugs are held snugly in place on hooks….I mean really, are those hooks the handiest things ever invented?!
These glass jars are only $1 at Michaels, and are so handy for corralling smaller items.
Now that mama has her caffeine fix taken care of, it’s time to make sure the kids know where to find their essentials. We hang backpacks in the Mudroom by the backdoor, but lunchboxes always seem to get left behind, and snacks forgotten. The backside of a pantry door is the perfect spot to create a Lunchbox Station for them.
I created name plates from small wooden plaques (found at Michaels), and attached them to the door with Command Strips. Each person has a hook for their lunch bag, and a small labeled caddy with snacks for the day.
Most days my kids actually prefer to buy their lunches at school, but if they decide to bring, the rule is they must tell me the night before! I make their lunches and keep in the fridge, then in the morning, hang them on the hooks. After school, they are responsible for cleaning out the bag, and hanging it back on the hook (no more yelling, “Where’s your lunchbox, and what is this funky smell?!?!”)
By laying out the snacks, too, I can better control what and how much they are eating in between meals. I don’t refill the caddy until all the snacks have been eaten (or else that banana would sit there a really long time!).
What tips do you have for keeping your school morning routine running smoothly? Please share them in the comments, I need all the help I can get!
I’m thrilled to be working with Command Brand from 3M to share this project I created. They provided me with product, but as always, the ideas and opinions are all me! You can check out all their products, along with many project ideas, on the Command website, the Command Twitter page (@CommandBrand), Command Facebook page, and Command Pinterest page.
I love the lunch box idea. If I kick my kids' lunch box across the kitchen floor on the way in the door, I'm gonna scream. And school just started. Thanks for saving me.
Hi Maggie! If your strips aren't sticking well, it's probably one of two things:
1) The surface isn't clean, make sure to wipe it with alcohol first and let it dry completely 2) You aren't pressing them on firmly enough, and holding them in place the allotted time. I find that when I don't follow the instructions exactly, they don't stick as well.
They should stick to your fridge, as long as you press the strip down firmly and smooth it in all the ridges first. Also, make sure you don't put too much weight on it once it's in place.
I have a daughter who is passionate about organizing. Sounds like a fun event we would both enjoy! See you next Saturday!
Yay!! Looking forward to meeting you!!
This is SO FUN!!!!! Cute invite and I know the event will be a blast!
I wish I lived closer! This sounds like a great event…although as a teacher I remain in denial for just a little while longer!!
Dang it! If I was in Austin that week I would love to come. Love your blog Cassie.
EEK! I'm so excited I can go – no plans that day!!! I've already RSVP'd too! And bonus, I needed to make a Container Store trip anyway!! Can't wait to meet you Cassie!
Yay…excited to see you Courtney!
This sounds fun! I wish I were a little closer than 3 hours away 🙁
Btw- the beautiful shirt tail skirt showed up in stock again… I'd so love to see the post on styling it. Also do you have a favorite brand of tights to wear under skirts and dresses in cool/cold weather?
Darn…it's sold out again!! I wish you were closer, too! I love the Spanx tights…but I prefer a really opaque tight so the skin doesn't show through!
Thanks– I'll check out the spanx tights. I ordered the skirt. Waiting for a shipping confirmation to know that I actually got it.
So fun! Have the best time in my very favorite store!
xo,
Sam
So excited about this! I have plans on Saturday, but this may call for rearraganements to my schedule! 😉
oh man! I wish they would let you travel to all the container stores!