back to school hacks
It seems like only yesterday that you were marking days off the calendar until summer vacation — and all the splish-splashing, sand, and sun that came with it. Now, the back-to-school countdown is on — and you’re busy stocking up on all the gear to make your child’s backpack and lunch box the coolest around.
There are things that are givens — they’ll need plenty of new No 2s, cool locker decorations, and a rockin’ lunch box — but it’s easy to forget those more obscure items on the checklist like cold packs for lunches or ways to make their notebooks distinct from one another. With all the tasks to keep track of before the first bell rings, December isn’t the only time you’ll need to make your list and check it twice!
But as you wander the aisles of inspiration at H-E-B, you won’t have to wonder what you can do to leave your personal mark on their supplies or packed lunches. These easy back-to-school tips can help your student shine like a star, while giving you a whole new outlook for when those SOS moments strike. Don’t have an icepack to keep lunch cool? Don’t sweat it -- freeze yogurt ahead of time or a pop a sponge in the freezer.
Here, we’ve laid out our favorite DIY back-to-school life hacks to make the transition from lazy hours spent in the sun to school days as easy as possible. Look for supplies around your neighborhood H-E-B to make this your kiddo’s best year yet!
Design Your Notebooks
At H-E-B, you’ll find all sorts of notebooks with pizzazz from your favorite new on-screen characters like Doc McStuffins and Avengers to tried-and-true staples like Hello Kitty and Snoopy. But this school year, the most coveted notebooks of all are those you handcraft yourself.
Decorate Your Locker
A good locker is equal parts inspiration and organization — and while school is in session, you might as well call it your kiddo’s home-sweet-home, too. These A+ ideas take little time and can pay off big time as your star student makes their way through the school year.
How to Pack a Lunch
Brown bags begone! Hello, bento boxes, snazzy salads, and wraps. This school year, it’s out with the old and in with the new. We know that packing a lunch can be a daunting task (even with the old do-it-the-night-before adage), so we’ve put together a few ways to bring a packed lunch up to speed.
How to Keep Your Lunch Cold
When you’re a parent to a star student, there’s plenty of stuff to keep you up at night. Did they do their homework? Are their soccer cleats in their gym bag? Is their lunch packed for in the morning? Luckily, even if it’s not ready to go, there are a few easy hacks to make sure that whatever you pack in your student’s lunch stays cold until they’re ready to dig in.
Take Breakfast To Go
From the minute the alarm sounds, mornings are a mad dash out the door. Anything that doesn’t have to be accomplished gets postponed until later (except those few extra ZZZs you catch by hitting snooze, of course) and sometimes that even means eating breakfast. These no-fail morning meal ideas, however, are quick and simple and will make sure you start out the morning on the right foot.
School Survival Kits
Ninety-nine percent of the time, things go off without a hitch. But for those sticky moments when something goes awry, it’s a smart idea to be prepared. At H-E-B, we’ve got everything you’ll need to pack an survival kit for your middle or high school student -- be it band-aids or beauty products.