Tag: kmart

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School

Back to School Organising

School goes back for my twins at the end of January. Part of me is excited that they will be starting a new year of learning, and part of me is realising that time is flying.

The girls starting school last year. I’m sure they will be this excited this year.
The girls starting school last year. I’m sure they will be this excited this year.

There is also another part of me that likes the fact that they will be at school so that mummy might be able to get a few things done….. I know many parents do rejoice when school goes back so I might not be the only one doing a happy dance.

Although with school going back the routine returns. Lunches have to be made, bags packed, school uniforms washed and folded, kids dropped and picked up from school, and then after school activities return and therefore means that I need to take everyone to the required place for the required amount of time.

School holidays do tend to wear me out, but I do love the fact that you can just stay home and do nothing. You don’t have to be anywhere and no one needs a lunch box to stay home.

This was the twins last day of pre-school. 
They were super excited to be going to Kindy. Now they are in grade four, how time flies.
This was the twins last day of pre-school. 
They were super excited to be going to Kindy. Now they are in grade four, how time flies.

Soon the girls will be done with their primary education and move on to high school.

Not only have I been a little down about the fact that they are growing up so quickly, I have been thinking about all the items that I need to organise for the kids before they get to their first day of term 1 this year.

Are your kids starting school this year? If they are I bet they are very excited. 

What do you need for the first day of school?

  • Depending on what year you are in you have different things to bring to school. Your school gives you a breakdown of all items that you need to for your child.
  • If you have attended Kindy Orientation the year before, you would have received an info pack. In the info pack you get told all about the school, bell times, teachers, where rooms are, snow and bushfire policies (Yes our school has both snow & a bushfire policy), what the kids need for their first day and so much more.

    COST SAVING TIPS: 

    TIP 1:  Look at the uniform and see how you can cut costs. If the school wears a single colour polo shirt, this same top an be purchased cheaply at Target, BigW or Kmart.  If the school has a crest on their shirts buy a few of these and get the rest in the plain colour. This way your child has the fancy one for school functions, photos and excursions.

    TIP 2: The same is for other items, like shorts, skorts (a cross between a skirt and shorts) and so on.  I purchased skorts for the twins for $8 at BigW and from the school, they are $30 each. Shopping around for school uniform items is a good idea. Oh, and if your kids are like mine and love wearing shorts, buy the boys shorts and you will save a bundle. Who cares if they are boys or girls shorts. It really doesn’t matter.

    TIP 3: If your child is at the stage you need to purchase stationery and other supplies for school, it is a good idea to see what you already have at home. I’m sure that you might already have textas, pencils, sharpener, pencil case and more already. This will save you a bit of money at the shops.

     

For Kindy kids, the following is basically all you need:

  • Full uniform, school shoes, hat (wide-brimmed is ideal), sunblock, spare clothes if needed (In case of an accident. Pack undies, socks, pants, skirt or skort in a plastic bag).
  • Bag or backpack that is not too big for your child. Something that they can carry without any help.
  • Lunch box packed with a yummy lunch. Give the kids some snacks, finger food, a sandwich and a treat here and there. If your school has a canteen or possibly a tuck shop maybe put a $2 coin in their lunch box so they might get a treat once a week.
  • Water Bottle
  • Smock for creative tasks like painting.
  • Jumper & rain jacket in case the weather changes. If your weather is like mine it can change without notice. You don’t want your little one to be at school and freezing.
  • Make sure to label everything. Kids lose so many things and you want to be able to claim your item in the lost property box.
  • Library Bag ( I made one for the twins so that it is different from the other kids. This way it is easily recognised as theirs)

  • If you are concerned that you have not packed or supplied what is needed, it is always a good idea to check with your child’s teacher.

NOTE: Normally you have a two-week window to get everything organised for the start of the school year. This gives you ample time to source all items.

 

  • Download my FREE Guide to Make a Book Bag

    There are many ways to add your names to items. You can write them on the items with pen or texta, or get actual labels.

Labels can be for clothes, bags, books and more.

One website that we have used and love is called, Stuck On You.  We liked that the labels are unique to each child, and were so fast to arrive.

Just google labels for kids and you get so many choices that I’m sure you will find something that suits your needs.

The above list for Kindy kids was fine until my girls got to third grade. Once we reached this level in primary school we needed to provide more for the kids.

Each grade gets sent a list via the school newsletter and it is also available for purchase from the local newsagency.

If your school uses SkoolBag  (SkoolBag is an app the school uses for all communication, some school use it) then you can download the equipment list from there.

 

What the twins need for grade four: 

  • 2 x 30 cm ruler, clearly labelled with centimetre and millimetre markings (no metal or floppy rulers, please)
  • Scissors
  • Highlighters – at least two different colours
  • 2 glue sticks – 35g
  • 8 lead pencils, HB.
  • Sharpener with container
  • 2 rubbers for lead pencils
  • Coloured pencils
  • Gel pens and textas are optional
  • Pencil case large enough to hold the above items (1 pencil case only, please!)
  • Library bag
  • 4 plastic document wallets A4
  • 2 x 0.4 or 0.5 fine point black pens for map work, labelling and artwork
  • Large sheet of cardboard for Art folder
  • 3 x Lined A4 exercise books for homework/classwork
  • 2 x Boxes of tissues (this helps the classroom if each kid contributes)
  • 1 x packet whiteboard markers
  • USB 4-6GB
  • Drink bottle with water only for drinking during class
  • Please remember a hat each day

For example, grade five will be getting extras like pens as they will have their pen licence (yes this is a thing!), extra workbooks, cardboard for folders and also a calculator for maths.

 

 

This should give you a good idea of what to pack for your child who is starting school this year.

One of the things I do dread is packing the kids lunches, the dread is fuelled by the fact that the twins are so fussy that it is hard to know what to pack.

I want to give the twins something that I know that they will eat, but also try to expose them to new and yummy foods.

Did you know that you can put in tasty, yummy and healthy snacks that will make your job as the chief lunch packer easier.

A simple lunch box.
A simple lunch box.

There is a place called School Snack Box and they can send you a box of snacks that you don’t need to think about.

All you need to do is to pick how many snacks you wish to add to your child’s lunch box and then order the box that is right for you. You can choose from a box with 22 snacks for $40/month, with $15 shipping fee. Or you can get 44 snacks for $80/month and also with an extra $15 shipping fee.

This is a great option if you wish to have different snacks delivered each month. Add something different to the lunch box each day.

Starting big school is a major milestone. I hope your child has a great time.

It’s a massive step when kids start Kindy. You will be emotional even if you have told yourself it won’t happen.

Let it happen and it is all normal.  Trust me, I was happy and still crying.

If you are able to help out at the school, do it. It’s so amazing to see your child thrive and be more confident in their new school.

I volunteered to help with reading when the twins were younger and will do so for Alexander as well when he starts school.

Good luck with term one. I hope your kids have a great time and you do as well.

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Categories
4 years and beyond

Bloggers who Brunch

Me with Norm and his twins - Choosi
Me with Norm and his twins – Choosi

I planned to write this post on Friday night and then I was too tired and not being able to keep my eyes open was a sign that sleep was needed. I was then going to have it all organised for Saturday, however one of my girls picked up a bug and was unwell and had a temperature. Due to this child being unwell it resulted with mummy having to have constant cuddles with her all day. This unforeseen event meant that the post was not online. So here it is the update from the bloggers brunch that has been promised.

Getting there

As you all know last Friday I attended the bloggers brunch, I took the kids with me as they had babysitting which was a great idea. It was an early start to the day and I was up at 5.30am to get ready and got the kids up at 6am. I figured out that we needed to leave at roughly 8am or earlier as I wanted to get the car washed.

The twins were good sports and got up without a fuss when I woke them. I hate waking up kids to go somewhere. It is always the way, you want to sleep in and they get up early. When you need to go somewhere you have to wake them up. I am sure this does not just happen to me.

We all had our breakfast and I was organised the night before and had all our clothes laid out so that we could just shower and get dressed. We managed to get ready and the twins were even on time to have a television show before we left the house.

All bags were packed, kids were in the car and we were off. I must say that I made both kids go to the toilet before we left and I did also. We had a long drive to the city. Although it was long, I love the trip and the adventure of going somewhere for the day.

As we were making good time, I stopped to get the car washed to make it look a bit nicer than it was. I fueled up as well and while inside paying I thought I should go to the toilet again as I felt that I needed to go, I brushed it off and thought, NO I can wait until I get there. Now readers, remember this.

Car cleaned and now we are all off to the city. As I approached the city, I was wanting to find a bathroom more and more. I know I should have gone before at the petrol station but as I was on the highway I could not just turn off the road. I had nowhere to go! I just powered on and held on. We got closer and closer to the venue and were nearly there.

During one stage I was taking deep breaths and trying not to think on what I really wanted to do, find a bathroom! I was bracing myself for the girls to then tell me that they needed to go to the toilet, but that was not to happen. Thank god for that.

During this whole episode my GPS that is run on my iPhone was draining my battery and I had very little power left. Do I hang on or risk it to get to the function or do I turn off to then find a bathroom and then get lost.  This was the dilemma.

I did know where the venue was, however I had never driven there myself and knew that there were some roads that were turn left only or maybe turn right only, and did not want to get stuck in a constant problem of being on the wrong street and just around the corner. This has happened before.

To make a long story short, I could not take it anymore. I turned off the road and then turned left, left and left again. I parked in a no parking place. Told the kids to get out of the car, and found a church that had toilets. To my great relief they were open and all of us managed to use their facilities. However during this my phone battery was on its last legs and when we managed to get back to the car, it had 1% battery power left. When I started to resume the map on the GPS it was starting to shut down. Typical and other words that are not fit to print were uttered!

Great, this is just what I needed! Oh well, I knew we were around the corner just a matter of getting on the right road and lane. I saw two ladies talking and said where we were off to and that my phone GPS had died. They told me to turn left, then right and then left and we would be there. They were right and we got there with 30 mins to spare. Thank you ladies, whoever you are, you were a lifesaver.

What was the brunch like?

Kids were successfully dropped off at the childcare that was provided by Dial an Angel, which was a great idea. It was nice to walk kid free for a bit and talk to other adults and network with other bloggers.

At first I did not know where to start. There were a lot people milling about and stalls for the brands that were showcasing their products and services at the brunch. I decided to make my way to all the stalls to get an idea of what they were offering and find out about all their products/services.

The brands at the brunch were: Kmart, Choosi, Mamee, Brauer, Medela, Naty and Optus.

I made my way to Choosi and Mamee before the welcome to all bloggers. We were then seated to listen to the talks by the guest speakers. There were three guest speakers:

  • Ingrid Poulson from Steadfast Training, spoke about resilience and being positive
  • Tracie Walker, Kmart General Manager of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, and mum of seven year old twins.
  • Elizabeth from Fitted for Work

The talks were inspiring and made me think that more people needed to give back. Ingrid had suffered tragedy and has managed to rebuild her life, Tracie has built a great corporate career and helps others through programs at schools and overseas, and Elizabeth works at a great company that helps women with corporate attire to gain a job.

I was very taken with the Fitted for Work business. I think helping women in need to get the job is a great idea to support. Fitted for Work help women how are suffering disadvantage get work and keep it. They fit women with appropriate business wear so that women can present well at an interview, also interview coaching is part of the deal.

Since they are a non for profit business they are always looking for money, clothes and anything that you can spare. Do you have a business outfit and accessories that you are not using or don’t want anymore. Is it good quality and in need of a good home? Why not donate it to Fitted for Work.

After the talks, I mingled with other bloggers and saw the other brands, Brauer, Medela, Naty and Optus. I handed out my business cards that magically were delivered by the post man the day before the event, even though they were supposed to come the first week of August. The post man must have known I needed them. Just worked out well.

Lunch was delicious however I thought the kids would be served an appropriate meal for them but they shared what we ate. Since my kids are fussy, it was mini chocolate muffins and the like that got eaten. Mamee had a nice gift bag with their rice treats and the girls nibbled on them after the brunch at the park.

I even got inspired and shared an idea for an existing product of KMart’s. You never know it might be in the works soon and at your shop soon! If it happens will take pictures and let you know it was my idea! J  Well you never know, right?

One thing that was rather sad about the brunch was that my battery on my phone had died. I had no charger on me and of course no iPad or other device. Many stalls were running competitions that required you to take a picture and post to twitter. As I was minus technology I missed out on all this. It made me think that I need to be prepared for Problogger and have all devices charged and ready to go, have my charger with me just in case.

I am also thinking of a better bag to take to the conference at the gold coast as things got lost on the bottom of my hand bag and it was hard to get things out in a hurry. Need to be better organised for next time. What bag do you take to conferences? Do you find it hard to find things in a hurry? Do you have business card holders and if so do they come in handy? I was going to get one but have not had the chance as yet.

Three dial an angel ladies came up to me on separate occasions to say how well behaved my girls were and if we ever needed a babysitter they would love to help me out. That was great news, and they even service the Blue Mountains, so that was good to know.

As this was my first bloggers brunch it was nice to meet bloggers face to face rather than in the virtual world. It was also a bonus to be introduced to such lovely brands and have the opportunity to be considered for brand ambassador or similar.

Things I would do differently: Maybe not have a coffee before a big drive to the city, better bag to find things in, and take my iPhone charger to ensure I might be able to do more at the event.

If you went to the brunch, what were your thoughts? Did you have a good time? Have you been to events like this, and if so what are your tips to make it a successful day?

I am keen to see what the outcome of the brunch will be. If nothing arises, it was nice to be included, have a day out and have fun with my girls.

Categories
3 years and beyond

Junk Room No More!

Do you have a room that is not really the junk room but ends up becoming one? Well we did, we spent some long needed hours to get it fixed up today.  Our so called junk room was the computer/spare room. We need to create more room and get the bed organised for guests.

My Mum and step dad were able to take the kids for the day and this allowed us to get busy on the house and especially the spare room. Hubby and I moved book cases out of the room to give us more space. We have chucked, some are off to charity, and we tidied, all in all a very productive and positive day.

So now the room is not a dumping ground for things we have no idea what to do with, and we are left with tidy work desks, a place where you can walk on both sides of the bed (I know this is normal in other places, but we needed the space for storage before, now it is all clear – it is going to be so easy now to make this spare bed), and the part that I am very pleased about is we purchased a light shade for the room. It looks lovely and just works so well in the room.

Hubby wanted to go to the hardware shop, but upon arrival we realised it was closed. We arrived at 3.30pm and it closed at 3pm. He thought it closed at 4pm so he was annoyed about this, until I thought lets go and see if there is a light shade we like at K-Mart. Bingo, K-Mart had the light shade we loved and only for $10, $14 for the bulbs and we were off home.

It was a blessing that Nana and Opa could take the girls today; we never would have gotten all the things done today if the kids were in the house. It was nice to focus and spend time doing it rather than getting interrupted constantly. I do love the kids, but you do get more done sometimes if they are elsewhere. The girls had a big day out with Nana and Opa, they went on a long bush walk (rated as easy but it was not that easy – a lot of stairs so girls were good to walk it all), then off to a park, then on to Nana and Opa’s for lunch and some films. I must say they were very sleepy when we came home.

I will post a picture of the light shade tomorrow when it is better to take a picture. Currently it is 9.40pm at night so hard to do, and while I am writing this post hubby is playing his shooting computer game, so turning on the light will cause angst I guess.

Do you have a room where stuff goes to rest and never sees the light of day again? It is easy to do; you get busy, need to clean up. You move whatever it is to another part so it is out of the way and it gets forgotten about. The problem lies when you have to go through all the mess to have a functional room again. What room was your issue and how did you fix it. Send in your stories.

P.S. Now we are ready for Grandma and Granddad to come and visit. Currently I have not made the bed, as I want the sheets to be fresh for their arrival in a week or so. They are coming before the girl’s birthday and party. It will be nice to see them, and the girls are so excited. Hope they like the new room.