Back to School Supplies: Our Must Haves and a Shopping Hack

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Hover over the image above to shop back to school essentials at Walmart!

Summer deserves a speeding ticket, right?!

We’ve been enjoying our summer to the fullest but before we know it, Bryce will be back to school. I’m a big-time planner, so I like to be prepared in advance since there always seems to be so much going on in the weeks right before school: stocking up on lunch items & snacks, shopping for clothes/shoes, doctor/dentist appointments, haircuts, and back to school events. That said, I like to tackle his school supply list earlier on in the summer so we are stocked and ready to go!

Today I’m sharing our school supply must haves, along with my favorite mom hack to save some serious time (and money) on getting all the things on your school supply list.

These are my favorite products that I keep on hand not only in our home for our own projects and daily use, but also for Bryce’s school supply list. Plus, I always buy extras of these items as donations for the classroom since they are always in need of them.

Here are our staple school supply must haves:

Kleenex® Brand Ultra Soft™ Facial Tissue // Our go to 3-ply super soft tissues. We’ve tried other brands, and you can’t beat Kleenex for runny noses and the like. Definitely dependable strength with ultimate softness* (among national brands) you can get!

Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes // A staple on our school supply lists (and in my cleaning cabinet), and no wonder: it kills 99.9% of germs. (On hard, non-pourous surfaces when used as directed.)

BAND-AID® Brand SKIN-FLEX™ Bandages // These bandages expand and contract for the ultimate skin-like fit. They have a 24-hour hold that lasts through handwashing and withstands damage and frays, ideal for busy little boys! (Use product as directed.)

Elmer’s® Disappearing Purple School Glue Sticks // Highly popular in the younger grade levels, these are always on our list because the glue is purple when first applied, so it’s easy to see, then it dries clear. It’s also washable, non-toxic, and acid-free. It is smooth and clump-free and perfect for projects at school and home!

Elmer’s® Washable School Glue // Also a staple, it’s washable, non-toxic and easy to use…and the perfect liquid glue to create glue slime!

Paper Mate® Inkjoy Gel Pens // More for me versus Bryce as this point. (Hey, this Mama needs her back to school supplies too!) I usually grab a new set of pens to accompany my new academic planner. These pens dry quickly to prevent smearing, have soft grip and retract into the barrel (so there is no lid to worry about). And there are lots of colors so I can color code the boys activities, to do’s and more!

Paper Mate® Clear Point Mechanical Pencil Starter Set // Also more for me since Bryce is so young. I use them to pencil in various activities and lists, which are always changing. Then for each week ahead, I sit down and prep my planner in pen and color code our official schedule for the week! These include cap and eraser refills, and has a jumbo twist up eraser and has #2 lead, which is perfect for standardized tests if you have older kiddos.

And I get it– back to school supplies shopping can be super overwhelming. You end up at the store with kids in tow, trying to hunt down the exact brand of glue stick, or the right quantity of tissues, to find that the store doesn’t carry it, or is out of stock. Frustrating right?!

But here’s my back to school shopping hack that will save you SO much time and stress: Walmart Online Grocery Service. It’s a mom’s dream! It is incredibly convenient, plus you can’t beat Walmart’s prices and value.

All you do is shop on their app, and select a pickup time and have your items delivered to your car. There is no charge for this service (just place a minimum order of $30) AND you don’t even have to get our of your car! Here is a screenshot of the items I shopped for:

It was perfect when I was running errands with Bryce and Blake on this rainy day…we just stayed in the car listening to music, Blake napped, and I got all of our must haves loaded into my trunk for me. From grocery food items to non-food items, you can add it to your online order for pickup! So so easy and convenient.