I can hardly believe that some of you have already started school!  Emma Claire starts next week…if I can even handle being separated from her.  Seriously.  I’m still deciding.

I have decided I’m one of those people that naturally likes chalk boards, school uniforms, drop down maps, and vintage school desks.  I pepper my home with books, globes, and cork boards.  I even find cute school uniform clothes at yard sales and thrift stores and mix them and match them on my girls all year long.   Maybe it’s because I was home schooled that I think education should weazle its’ way in everywhere.  Or maybe I’m just quirky?  Either way, I thought I would share some scholarly finds with you below.

Whether you are homeschooling this year, doing public or private, or don’t have school kids at home, may you be inspired…

 :: learning utensils…

 1./ Anthropologie chalk board…great for keeping little ones occupied if you are a homeschooling mom or a mom who needs a “babysitter” at your doctor’s appointment.  I love the easy black board strip for practicing letters.

2./ I’ve mentioned before Old Try {a southern print company} and my unwavering love for this manners print.  I believe we are making progress this year with our yes ma’ams here at the main ship.  Although, the schooners still get confused between men for sirs and women for ma’ams…we kinda bust our jeans laughing so hard…especially if they do it in public.

3./ Handwriting is so important.  I remember my parents teaching me at a young age that it doesn’t matter how smart you are, if you can’t write well to express your ideas and if you’re handwriting is sloppy, people will not take you seriously.  And when you’re looking for a job someday schooners, that’s kinda important. I love these customizable name tablets by Trio.  They’re real paper, so no more stains from using a dry erase marker.  Been there.  Done that.  Don’t ask me how many clothes we ruined.

:: fashion for itty students…

1./ I don’t know what it is with me, but I dig clothes for boys that say, “I’m a little man.”  Maybe I think it will keep them from being a weanie.  Maybe I like people viewing my boy like a man in the making, so things don’t get dumbed down.  Or maybe I’m just shallow and have a thing for mini sports coats and elbow patches.  Yeah, it’s probably that.  Either way, if I ever start my clothing line it’ll be full of stuff like that.  You watch.

{Keller will probably be 32 by then, a real man, and I’ll still make him squeeze into my newly-designed clothes.:)}

2./ I promise on my life I’m either making or purchasing gray tulle skirts for the girls to wear this winter.  They can wear them with their wellies and cotton leggings.  And I’ll take pictures.  It’s a plan.

3./ Gray, how I love you!  I would be in heaven living in a place with rainy days and gray mornings where wearing seascaping sweaters and knee socks tucked into rain boots was a weekly thing.  Call me melancholy, but that’s how I roll.  We had rain here last week and last night…it was the highlight of the year.  By the time I got the girls dressed in their rain boots and out the door for our church community group, it had stopped.  Oh well.  We tried.  Rain, you were lovely while you lasted.

:: healthy food for growing schooners…

1./ This blog has some fun faces going on in her kiddos’ lunch boxes.  I want to be that kind of mom.  Check it out for some cute inspiration that’ll get your creative juices going for an otherwise boring mom task.

2./ Leave it to parents.com to give us some ideas for healthy and easy lunches {my cup of tea!} for the schooners of America.  They didn’t call kids “schooners” in their article, but they wanted to.  They just didn’t have the guts.

3./ This link is a great resource for healthy snack ideas…85 to be exact.  Can we just give her a round of applause please?  I could really use some switcheroos to our boring and oft times ecletic mix of snacks going on around here.  {Think awful things like marshmallows one day and then hummus and carrots the next.  I know…bad parenting confession.}

:: the educational home…

1./ Drop down with painted days of the week.  Love that look!  2./ Simply organized entry way for back packs and shoes.  3./ Polaroid  chore chart.  Great idea for schooners who aren’t reading yet to get involved in the house work.  4./ Chalk board in the kitchen.  That’s my kind of kitchen!  5./ Fabulous use of space for multiple students.  Even if you are not homeschooling, this space would work great for homework time.  6./ The learning kitchen.  Mulititasking it up in the kitchy kitch.

School, ready or not, here we come!

love,

annapolis

Do you all have favorite school traditions or tips and tricks to share with the rest of us?  I would love to hear!

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