hayden’s jacket  ||  blue lunchbox + gray lunch box + food containers

We are already heading back to school and I can’t believe it is already here! While we’ve done our best to live up every minute of summer, and I love having more structure in our days, I’m going to miss my bigger people being gone all day!! But with Back to School on the mind of everyone, I’ve been getting a lot of questions on how we do the kids lunches and if we have any kind of system. So today I am sharing my 5 tips to simplify your kids lunches and help it be more their responsibility!

hudson’s jacket/top  ||  hayden’s jacket  ||  blue lunchbox + gray lunch box + food containers

:: ORDER YOUR GROCERIES ONLINE

If there is one thing in the world I want every busy mom and really person in the world to know about, it is Walmart’s Online Grocery ordering. I’ve been using it consistently since we moved to Utah, and I don’t know how I functioned without it! They have two options and I am obsessed with both of them. The first one is the grocery pickup. You can order everything you need from the comfort of your bed, pick a time you can go pick it up and you are done. They bring it right to your car and load it up for you! It is a game changer!! I recently started doing their delivery option and am loving it even more. We even ordered the kids school supplies and lunchboxes using it! I love that I no longer have to worry about running out of bread or other lunch necessities and having to make a late night run to the store.

:: ASK THEM WHAT SOUNDS GOOD TO THEM WHEN PICKING OUT YOUR GROCERIES

Save yourself the drama in the morning by letting them help pick out what you are going to put in their lunch, especially when it comes to the snacks and sides. If they don’t get to have a say in what they are eating, chances are it is going to go to waste, because you won’t be there to stop them from throwing it away. Or worse…the dreaded full untouched lunch when they come home because it was “gross”. I love to have the kids sit down with me when I am ordering our groceries and pick out the things they want in their lunches. Walmart has some awesome options in bulk individual servings, perfect for quick packing. We avoid fighting over getting all the cookies in the store, but still get what they will enjoy eating. Any drama you can save yourself in the morning is worth it!

. . . SHOP OUR LUNCH FAVORITES . . .

:: PREP WHAT YOU CAN THE NIGHT BEFORE

I’ll be honest, we are not perfect and this tip doesn’t happen every day for us. But when it does our mornings go so much smoother. We don’t prep sandwiches in advance, but we will get all the sides that don’t need to be refrigerated, and put them in each lunch box in the pantry. Fill up their water bottles and have them nearby as well. Before bed we will set out all the tools needed to make their sandwiches, so it saves a few more minutes in our prep time. Taking the time to do what you can the night before when things are calm, frees up the much needed minutes during the morning rush.

:: GIVE EVERYONE A JOB

One thing I try to teach my kids is that jobs around the house are always a team effort. We work as a team and everything is not just my responsibility. The same goes for lunches. Everyone has a job. Someone is on sandwich duty and makes all the sandwiches so we aren’t in each others way and it gets done quicker. Another job is to pack all the sides the night before. Someone else is on water fill up. We work as a team to make it as efficient as possible!

. . . SHOP OUR FAVORITE LUNCH BOXES + ACCESSORIES . . .

:: HAVE A LUNCH DRAWER OR AREA

Last but not least is probably the biggest game changer tip to help simplify your kids lunches. Set aside a designated area in your pantry or kitchen as your kids lunches station. Make sure things are within their reach so you aren’t having to micro-manage anything. As you will see in our pantry, we have a couple of drawers that serve this purpose for us. I will order in bulk from Walmart, and instead of putting away the big boxes, we separate. The granola bars go in a drawer for easy access. Things like goldfish crackers are individually bagged in lunch size servings so they can just grab a baggie and put it in their lunchbox. Taking the time to stock this area after each grocery trip and have it ready to go save sooooo much time in the lunch making process.

. . .

I hope these tips to simplify your kids lunches was helpful for you! Remember as much as we want to do it all for them, this is such a good learning opportunity for our kids to take on more responsibility. So I wanna know, what are you lunch prep hacks that simplify your mornings?

in partnership with Walmart

photos : aubrey taiese 

hunter’s backpack  ||  hayden’s backpack

in partnership with Kipling + ShopStyle

You guys?! How is Summer already ending?? I am not one bit ready for it. We are just trying so hard to soak in every last second of having the big kids home with us even if it means busy chaos! While my heart wants summer to last forever, I am still attempting to be a responsible mom and prep for Back to School. At our house, we try to make the Back to School checklist a little more exciting. We do that by adding in a few traditions we all love! So today I thought I’d share some of those with you!

:: BACK TO SCHOOL DATE

When it comes to Back to School shopping, I have found it is a lot easier if I try and tackle most of it myself. I can find pieces that are timeless, transitional, and versatile without too many distractions. And I can spread it out throughout the summer instead of taking one big monster trip.

While I tend to do most of the shopping myself, one of our very favorite Back to School Traditions is our one on one shopping dates. Each of the little people gets to plan a date, just the two of us. They pick where we go to eat and where we shop. They get to pick out one outfit they love that is totally their personality.

This year they were all SO EXCITED to get to pick out their Kipling Backpacks too! They have all been begging for turns to look through the website and try and narrow down their favorites. New backpacks are not a yearly thing for us, because it is something I make sure we really look for quality in, and that is what you get with Kipling.

I love that their bags are amazing quality, lightweight, super functional with lots of pockets for everything, and of course stylish. They honestly had something unique and different that fit each of my little people’s personalities perfectly, and they cannot wait to use them. Hunter went with a super cute olive (that I definitely want to steal) and Hayden went with a totally bright and happy option! They even have diaper bags for us parents too! I’m just as excited as them because I know they will last for years and not something we constantly have to replace. And bonus! Now through August 23 you can save 15% off Kipling backpacks with the code BACKPACK15!

Of course, we finish the date with a treat too! It has been so special  just to have that time talking with them one on one. They feel more open to talk about all the excitement they have for the upcoming school year and even worries too. It is something I really look forward to all year, and I know they do too!

:: BACK TO SCHOOL DINNER

I would still consider this one a “work in progress” tradition, but something we all love! We started the tradition last year and it was a hit!  I love that you can make it as big or as simple as you want. So, if life is crazy, maybe your back to school dinner tradition is takeout. You do you and what works. You are basically just taking your dinner the night before school starts and adding a little flare.

If you want to decorate, I’ve seen quite a few dollar sections that have some adorable school supply banners + die cuts for simple decorations. Or you could tie some balloons to their chair. One friend just put their new backpacks on the back of their chairs with little name strips at each plate. So easy with things you already have but it means so much to them. You can make their favorite meal, or even get takeout from their favorite place. I love how simple it is but will be such a fun memory and something for them to look forward to.

:: FINISH UP THE BUCKET LIST

Another “back to school” tradition we have is to finish up our bucket list. That might mean it is a tradition for us to be a little bit of procrastinators. But we take full advantage of these last couple of weeks and finish up alllll the things! That may mean riding our bikes to get ice cream and taking it to the park so we can cross off 3 things in one night, but we are making it happen!! We really have loved having this bucket list! My little people are set on doing it for every season now!

I hope these little Back to School traditions help you think of some fun ideas for your people too! Just being able to spend that extra time with them and remind them how much we love them is all that matters to me. We are so excited for what the new school year has in store for us! What are some of your favorite back to school traditions?

photos : aubrey taiese 

hudson’s jacket/top + similar shorts (and here) + shoes + backpack

I don’t know about you, but we are over her trying to cram in everything on our Summer Bucket List and enjoy every last second of it before the little people are back in school! One of our favorite things about summer is our summer birthday boys! We celebrated Houston in July and now we are celebrating Hudson turning 10!! If you know him, you love him! He is so full of energy, our resident baby whisperer, and just the sweetest kid you’ll ever meet. So today I thought it would be fun to share 10 things about him so you can get to know him a little better!

hunter’s caridigan  ||  joe’s tee (simliar) + hat + shorts + sandals  ||  my tee + similar shorts + hat

:: HE IS SO FOCUSED, DETERMINED, AND GOAL ORIENTED

If you’ve been around here for very long, or follow along on Instagram, you know Hudson is our baseball star. He literally lives for baseball and you can see it in the way he plays. His heart is completely in every game, and he is determined to always give his very best. You can often find him out in the batting cage hitting for hours, or challenging himself to be able to do more pullups or pushups to keep himself in the best shape he can be. This is all completely on his own because he wants to give his best and I love that about him.

:: HE IS SUPER ATHLETIC + COMPETITIVE

On that same note, I swear he was born an athlete. He is just turning 10 and already has a 6 pack and just so naturally fit. But even though a lot of things come naturally to him, he pushes himself and never accepts better than his very best. He is also very competitive like his dad (which of course has its challenges) even when it comes to board games, but I honestly think mixed with his sweet/tender personality it just makes him strive to be a better version of himself and not focus on being better than others.

hudson’s hoodie (similar) + joggers + shoes  ||  my tank + leggings + hat + shoes

:: HE IS SUCH A HARD WORKER

On that same note, he is such a hard worker when it comes to chores and helping around the house too. He is the first to wake up and work through his chore chart so he can go have fun. When he is done, he always asks if there is anything extra he can help me do before he goes, and seems to always be aware when I could use an extra hand with the babies or other things around the house. He very rarely complains about any of the work we ask him to do too, which if you have kids around that age, you know is HUGE. I just love that he is always willing to do his part in our family team.

:: HE EATS LIKE A TEENAGE BOY ALREADY

Heaven help me! This boy can eat! For example, when we have French Toast, he will down like 8-10 pieces of french toast. And that is on normal occasion, not him trying to prove anything. He can drink a gallon of chocolate milk in one day if we let him. It is so crazy and makes me nervous for the teen years to come!

similar joggers  |  similar tee  |  shoes  ||  harper’s leggings (similar) + shoes + bow

:: HE IS THE BABY WHISPERER

One of my very favorite things to watch is Hudson’s bond with Harper. He honestly loves her so much and it such a sweet thing to see and soak in as a mom. I feel like girls always get all the credit for being the best babysitters, but Hudson is incredible. I know I can completely trust him to help with her when I’m busy whether it is a diaper change, putting her down for a nap, or just keeping her happy.  He loves to take the time to just snuggle with her, and the same goes for my sisters babies too. There is just something about him that is so sweet and gentle, that the babies are so calm and happy around him.

:: HE WAS SUCH A HARD BABY, BUT ONE OF MY EASIEST KIDS SO FAR

Speaking of babies, Hudson himself was SUCH a hard baby. He was so so colicky. Like constant uncomfortable pained crying. It was the saddest thing and SO hard on my mom heart. I really didn’t know if we were going to get through it all and kind of gives me anxiety to even think back on. But as soon as he hit about 6 months, he was an angel baby and we could not get enough of him and it has been that way ever since. In fact, we were so obsessed, we couldn’t wait to have another one…hence why Hudson and Hayden are only 2 years apart!

hayden’s jacket + shorts + shoes + backpack  ||  hunter’s top + jeans + similar sandals + backpack  || hudson’s jacket/top + shorts + shoes + backpack

:: HE IS THE BEST FRIEND + INCLUDES EVERYONE

One thing I really look up to Hudson for, is his ability to be such an incredible friend. He really makes it his goal to keep an eye out and make sure everyone is included. There have been times when other moms or teachers have told me that he will leave his group of friends to go see if someone that looks lonely wants to join them. When there is a new kid in class or the neighborhood, he is the first one to jump over and introduce himself and be their friend. He is always the first to stand up for the under dog or the outcast and just sees people as their very best. I wish I was as brave and aware as him when it comes to including everyone and being that person that makes sure everyone feels loved and like they have a friend.

:: HE IS HILARIOUS + SO MUCH FUN

When I look at Hudson, I see so much of Joe! And I’m sure some of you do too when you see the amazing faces (like the picture above) he pulls in our Sunday pictures. He doesn’t love the social media spotlight, just like his Joe, but he is honestly one of the funniest and fun people you will ever meet. He loves for people to be happy and will go out of his way to be crazy and crack jokes to get a smile.

houston’s top (similar) + pants  ||  joe’s shorts + top  ||  hudson’s pants + shirt

:: HE HAS SUCH A TENDER HEART

One thing about Hudson that I’ve always noticed, is for being such a tough athlete kid, he has such a tender heart. He hates for people to feel sad, hurt, or lonely, and has a very sensitive spirit about him. Even since he was little, he has felt all his emotions bigger. He will still come and snuggle or lay with me when he knows I’ve had a harder day or if he has. I just love that he knows its ok to feel and has never been “too cool” to have emotions too.

:: HE QUIETLY SERVES THOSE AROUND HIM

Hudson always has his focus on those around him. Whether it is looking out for his friends and classmates like I mentioned, or just helping out around the house, he is always quietly serving those around him without looking for extra recognition or anything. Somehow he always knows when I could just use an extra hand or a break with the babies and will come and take them to play. He takes the time to ask how my day is and what he can do to help, even when I know there are things with his friends he would rather be doing. I just always see him doing the smallest things to make another persons day a little brighter and I love that about him.

hayden’s sweater + jeans  ||  hudson’s jacket + shorts

As you can see, we are pretty big fans of our sweet Hudson. He is as good as they come and we feel so lucky and blessed to have him as part of our crew.

hayden’s jacket + shorts + shoes + backpack  ||  hunter’s top + jeans + similar sandals + backpack

hudson’s jacket/top + shorts + shoes + backpack

Tis the season for Back to School Shopping!! Call me crazy, but the when the school supplies come out, I can’t wait to shop through them. I mean is there anything better than a fresh new notebook, never before used crayons, or nice new pens and pencils?! I swear I could go through and stock up on so much stuff.  Something about the idea of a fresh new start.

As much as I love shopping for school supplies, actually gathering up my people and taking them to the store is another story. So this year I’ve got a new plan in mind and I think it is going to be a game changer! You all know how much I LOVE Walmart Pickup and Walmart Delivery. I talk about at least once a week because it is a dream come true for a busy mom. I’m going to sit down with each of my people and go through what they want/need and then have it sent straight to me! School supplies all taken care of without leaving the comfort of my bed?! Yes please!

We already started looking through the site and the little people are so excited because Walmart has some cute stuff this year! Like you can bet I’ll be stocking up for myself too with all the cute notebooks and binders! So check out all of our favorites for your kids as well as your tweens/teens below!

. . . FAVORITE SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR KIDS . . .

01. notebook  |  02. pencils  |  03. pencil case  |  04. backpack  |  05. crayons  |  06. lunchbox

. . . FAVORITE SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR TWEENS + TEENS . . .

01. planner  |  02. folders  |  03. sharpie pens  |  04. backpack  |  05. pencils  |  06. notebook

I hope our little roundup helps you prep for all your school supply needs! And don’t forget to take advantage of Walmart’s quick delivery or free pickup options to save yourself some time + stress!

in partnership with Walmart

photos : aubrey taiese