Back To School Without Looking Back

We’re in the home-stretch for back-to-school and fall preparedness. Typical me – I’m definitely a planner and over-prepare for everything, so it’s no surprise that I’ve got the majority of my back-to-school shopping complete. Still, I’ve noticed that the stores aren’t jam-packed with stressed parents in these last few weeks of August, which tells me that many are still enjoying the beautiful summer weather and are delaying “the big shop” until the long-weekend, at least here in Saskatchewan.

But have no fear, fellow parents – I’ve got you covered. Here are a few simple tips to help you embrace the back-to-school shopping rush and #ShopLikeAMother at Real Canadian Superstore like I do!

(1) Bring Your List – But It’s Not The Law
My teacher-friends might disagree with me here, but the frugal mom in me believes that when the list says “12-pack of markers” but the packages in front of you say 10 markers, you get the package of 10 and call it a day. This is something that moms of older kids likely do, because we adhered to the lists like they were law back when our precious babies were first off to school. In the years that followed, we
learned that they lose 3 markers in the first month so really? We get what we get.

(2) Shop Smart
The stores are stocked and ready for you, parents, and they know that you’re busy and bleary-eyed with lists in hand and need to get in and out as quickly as you can, without making unnecessary stops. This is just one of many great reasons to shop (early, if you can) at Real Canadian Superstore.
Not only can you get all the school supplies your kids need, you can pick up everything else your household needs for back-to-school. From hair colour to razors, bandaids to laundry detergent and more – all at a great price.

(3) Create a Zen Homework Space
While you’re out shopping for school supplies, consider what else you’ll need at home to help the kids succeed in their homework and projects this school year. In a recent Instagram post, I shared our new homework space that the kids will be using this year – complete with some great new additions from Real Canadian Superstore! Check out my post to see the laptop desk, Sherpa blanket, and reusable water tumbler we picked up.
Real Canadian Superstore also has these gorgeous, fluffy study pillows, stylish clocks, and shelving to help add to your home décor, without breaking the budget.

(4) Make Choice A Challenge
It can be risky taking the kids with you when you go shopping for back-to-school items. Beyond the basics of pens and pencils, kids can be distracted by add-on items like pencil cases, backpacks, and jackets. In order to keep your shopping trip smooth, pick two items from the selection of pencil cases, for example, and let your child pick from those options. Otherwise, a
shelf full of fun and exciting colours and textures can be overwhelming and take you longer than planned! (By the way, can we just celebrate how awesome it is that I can buy jackets at the same place I pick up glue sticks and pencil crayons for back-to-school? #SLAM indeed!)

(5) Make Packing Lunches a Breeze
Now is the time to stock up on all the lunchtime essentials as well, and Real Canadian Superstore has a bunch of fun and innovation products in stock to help. If you set up your pantry with the basics at the start of the school year, it will help you keep things flowing month to month (even as the days get shorter & all those extracurricular activities start to pile up). Bento Boxes, like these ones from Real Canadian Superstore help to keep all food items separated, while offering kids a mini-buffet of snacks to choose from – all in one handy washable container. There are a ton of great bento box lunch ideas online that can help inspire you too!

Once we’re all back into the routine of fall, everything just falls into place, don’t you think? I thrive on routine, so I know that while the back-to-school season can feel chaotic, some well-thought out planning will pay off later!

But if you barely have time to drive past the store, let alone pop in to shop, Real Canadian Superstore’s PC Express service is a great option to #ShopLikeAMother and get everything in one go! If you’re a first time PC Express shopper, use code RCSSTENILLE to get $10 off your first 2 PC Express orders of $50+ and take advantage of getting your haul delivered right to your car! Visit http://www.superstore.ca/about-influencerwww.superstore.ca/about-influencer for more information & make sure to place your orders before December 31st.

To help your household get back to routine and ease that back-to-school budget, I’ve got a $100.00 gift card to Real Canadian Superstore for one lucky reader! Use it for groceries for school lunches, home-cooked comfort meals for the family, fall decor, or even beauty essentials. Real Canadian Superstore has it all

To enter to win, just fill your name & email address in the form below and click BEGIN! Then, leave a comment on this post telling me what you think you’d use your gift card for if YOU won!