Enjoying the Small Things

Enjoying the Small Things

Everything We Need for Back to School and a Best Backpacks Round-Up

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We are back to school next week, so this week is dedicated to all the preparation for a smooth start. I nest for back to school like a third trimester pregnant woman, stocking the homework cart, the refrigerator, the pantry; organizing the drawers, the backpack closet, the desk space. We choose first day of school outfits (round-ups coming later this week), backpacks and new tennis shoes with passion, and I fuss over silly little details like finding the cutest backpack charms as if it matters because when you’re starting something new and dealing with little fears as a kid, everything matters. On Lainey’s first day of kindergarten, I scoured our entire city–all day long–for the most perfect pair of kindergarten sneakers as an emotional escape to big life transitions. We all have our way of figuring things out–mine tends to involve new shoes.

I’ve been doing the back-to-school thing now for seven years, and it never fails to excite me–the smell of freshly sharpened pencils, the thrill of Meet the Teacher night, the sight of little backpacks lined against the wall on the night before the first day. Seven years in, I’ve also acquired several hacks–tips and tricks to make the school year easier and mornings smoother as well as some products we love that we use every day for school.

1 – Continuous Spray Water Bottle and Wet Brush
This spray bottle is a lifesaver for all the kids’ hair in the morning. It wets it with a continuous spray to smooth out the flyaways and makes doing hair so much easier. I drop a few drops of lice prevention essential oils in ours (I use rosemary and lavender) which also makes it smell good. The wet brush is the best brush for removing tangles. If you do morning hair in the kitchen, store a basket of hair essentials in a kitchen drawer for easy access.
2 – Minted Labels
We buy these every year (unless we have leftover from the year before), and they are wonderful for labeling lunch boxes, water bottles, etc. They stay on in the dishwasher too and peel off easily when you want to switch them out.
3 – Fit & Fresh Soft Ice Packs
These ice packs won’t leak or break and, because they’re soft and flexible, fit into lunch boxes better than the hard bulky ones. Also–sweatproof nylon!
4 – Retro Backpack Charms
Such a cute way to personalize backpacks and add a little fun. This set comes with a bunch to choose from, so you can switch out charms as often as you like.

5 – Best Lunch Box Ever book and Little Bento Box idea book
It’s every school lunch-making mom’s dream–so many creative lunch ideas in one place with inspiring pictures and grocery shopping help!

6 – Squirrel Pocket Hand Sanitizer Holder Clip  or Barking Hot Dog Holder Clip
A cute way to have hand sanitizer close by at school as kids enter the germfest again–backpack clips that hold pocket size hand sanitizers (or “hanitizer” as Dash calls it) from Bath & Body Works. They clip right in. Back to school calls for this Fall Traditions Hand Sanitizer Set.

7 – 6-pack Dance Shorts
Nella loves wearing skirts to school but doesn’t think twice about making sure her undies don’t show. She’s going into third grade and to protect her dignity and make sure we don’t give her an unneeded reason for kids to poke fun, I make sure she has a stash of privacy shorts for skirt days.
8 – Green Savvy Reusable Snack Bags
Great environment-friendly alternative to sandwich bags. They’re durable, cute and can be washed and reused over and over.
9 – Our Fave Hair Accessories
Colorful Ball Hair Ties – I do Nella’s hair in a lot of twosies styles–2 buns, 2 pigtails, 2 braids, etc. These are inexpensive and super cute for finishing it off.
Giddy Up and Grow Felt Barrettes – My favorite girls hair accessory splurge shop. Everything’s handmade with adorable details. We bought these strawberry clips for the school year and to add to our Giddy Up and Grow collection.
10-pack Corduroy Bow Alligator Clips – The cost of bow clips can ADD UP. This set is inexpensive and yet pretty and classic.
10 – Snug Flasks
Nella and Dash take these water bottles to school every day. They last forever, are dishwasher safe, and are easy to keep at their desk.
11 – Family First Day Bracelets
First days of school involve a lot of nerves and the unknown. Each member of our family wears a bracelet the first day to remind our family that we are thinking of each other and that we are supporting each other’s capabilities and confidence. These also work great for test days, interview days, etc. and are just as meaningful to adults as they are for kids. We’ve done cord bracelets and rubber bracelets but this year couldn’t give up our summer camp vibes, so friendship bracelets it is.
This cart has SAVED us in terms of creating a homework space. I’ve designated different areas of our house for study, but nothing really lasted until we made this cart our school headquarters. We keep it right in the middle of our house–between the kitchen and living room–and have it stocked with everything the kids need for studies–electric pencil sharpener, pencils, notebook paper, math manipulative, crayons, glue, educational games, site word cards, etc. The wheels make it portable, so we can move it wherever we want–great for when tutors come over.
And finally, a backpack round-up! This year’s favorites:

1 – College Vintage Backpack
I got these for Nella and Dash this year, and I’m obsessed. They’re so cute, perfectly sized and completely functional for what they bring to and from school.

2 – Zara Monster Backpack
How cute is this? The little zipper eye pockets! This is a little bit smaller than big kid backpacks and perfect for preschool and kindergarten.

3 – J Crew Sequin Shake-up Bag
Every little girl’s dream bag! See through, sparkles and tons of shake-up sequins. J Crew quality, so you know it’s good!

4 – Rockets of Awesome State Bag
State bags have become iconic in the backpack world–classic style and great quality. Love this rainbow stripe version in collaboration with Rockets of Awesome.

5 – Vans Color Block Bag
Great for any age, especially the Vans-loving preteen.

6 – Classic Herschel Retreat Backpack
This is Lainey’s pick for this year. We’ve been Herschel fans for years. Their backpacks last forever and feature red pinstripe waterproof lining.

7 – Adidas National 3-stripe Backpack
Sporty vibes, comfy fit, classic Adidas style.

8 – Dinosaur Backpack 
Cat & Jack has so many cute backpacks this year! I love the fun print on this year and the complementing dinosaur zipper charm.

9 – Fjallraven Kanken
Classic European Style. I bought my first Fjallraven backpack this year, and I’m sold for life. I’ve been carrying mine every day instead of a purse for months now. And SO MANY COLORS.

10 – Jansport White Backpack (to D.I.Y. your own design!)
For the artist. No one will have the same backpack as you if you design your own. Grab some permanent markers and go wild.

11 – Americana Backpack
Another Cat & Jack homerun. Simple unisex design, great for any age.

12 – Emily & Merrit Bunny Backpack
This makes me wish my girls were still in preschool. They would have LOVED this sweet bunny bag.

13 – Deer Mum Penguin Backpack
I’m a sucker for cute penguins. Love the simplicity of this bag and yet still whimsical and fun.

14 – State Kane Backpack
A bit pricey, but amazing quality and classic State style. Also available in so many patterns and color combinations.

15 – Lands End Planet Backpack
Super functional–roomy, comfy, pockets, affordable and yet stylish. I love fun patterns like this that aren’t too “little kiddish.”

10 Favorite Things About our Michigan Summer

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We are home from Michigan–although the older I get, the more I realize home means a lot of different things.

We are home from home, settled back into our routines, comforted by the simplest things we missed–my favorite coffee mug, the way the steering wheel turns in my own car, lighting the candle on my desk when I first wake up, the familiarity of my kitchen and our beds and the whir of the dryer from the laundry room late in the afternoon before Brett comes home. But home is also what we left–where I grew up, where my family will still be enjoying summer for weeks to come–tall pines and scenes of lakes and docks and a sky that stays lit long into the night as if it knows Midwesterners have too much to enjoy in one summer day.

I like loving two places–where we live with the ocean and the palms and the friends and family we couldn’t wait to return to, and where we long to be in the summer and again in the fall when we see pictures of golden tree lines and hear descriptions of what the cider mill smelled like and how the air is just cold enough to wear a sweater. I’m thankful we get to enjoy both.


There are some massive impressive lake houses on my dad’s lake, and yet this little blue cabin tucked in the woods is one of my favorites.

I figured the best way to neatly package a labyrinth of Michigan moments into a blog post would be a wrap-up of ten favorite things I love about a Michigan summer. We do a pretty good job of exploring hidden corners of Michigan, and I can definitely play tour guide when it comes to places we’ve been; but keep in mind Michigan is large, full of so much goodness, we’ve barely scratched the surface. The upper peninsula, for example, is a playground of picturesque beauty we haven’t even begun to explore yet. And there are still so many experiences we haven’t yet enjoyed on our Michigan bucket list (like sleeping in this light house–can you even?!). That said, if you’re considering Michigan for summer travel, DO IT. Head north (although Detroit is fun too!). The Great Lakes are where the spell begins. My dad’s cabin is in Lewiston, Michigan–a very small town with several lakes. It’s great because it offers us a landing spot for the summer where we enjoy calm, quiet lake life away from tourism; and yet it’s drivable for day trips to the most beautiful sightseeing landmarks–Sleeping Bear Dunes, Mackinac Island, Petoskey and Harbor Springs, Leland, etc. With that said, my top 10 Summer Michigan treasures:

1. Sleeping Bear Dunes and Glen Arbor

I haven’t seen a Sleeping Bear Dunes photo yet that really does it justice, but something happens when you’re up there on those dunes looking out on the water. It’s breathtaking, and there’s a reason Good Morning America awarded it THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE IN AMERICA a few years back.

We stay for hours, and no one gets bored. We drive the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive up to Overlook #9 where we set out a blanket and snacks and drinks, and the kids climb and jump and explore. There’s also a Dune Climb entrance where you can start at the base of a dune and then walk trails through the dunes all day.

Whatever the case, you cannot explore Northern Michigan without visiting the dunes. The sistering town Glen Arbor complements the dunes with its northern charm and unique location gift of being snuggled between two of Michigan’s most beautiful lakes–Lake Michigan and Glen Lake (turquoise waters!). The whole town feels like a summer movie–the shops, the bookstore (it’s a log cabin), the little bars, the kayakers on the river, the ice cream shack, the art galleries, the side streets. It’s all glorious in that this-belongs-in-a-coffee-table-book kind of way.

Some Glen Arbor favorites: The M22 store (and outdoor bar), Riverfront Pizza (so good! and super cheap soft serve ice cream with toppings), The Totem Shop, Andersons IGA (upscale little grocery with good wine), Cherry Republic (go to the Wine Tasting room!), The Cottage Book Shop, Boonedocks, Imagine That, Cottonseed Apparel, Bay Lavender Trading Company.


Our view from the Riverside Pizza dock where we ate dinner and watched the kayakers.

2. Ocqueoc Falls

New to our Michigan trip this year, we were completely charmed. “Don’t tell anybody about this,” my niece instructed, “This is too good to be shared–needs to stay a secret.”

The falls are the perfect height for climbing and exploring, and yet there are pools throughout deep enough to wade waist-deep through and a small little pool even deeper to jump. We brought wine flasks and snacks and wished we would have arrived earlier so we could have stayed longer. And it’s in the middle of NOWHERE (we drove an hour through mostly empty roads to it), so it feels like a good summer secret.

3. A Rainy Day

Because we do so much adventuring in the summer, I welcome the rainy days that invite us to dive into some of the quieter things on our summer bucket list–doing puzzles, writing post cards, reading books, watching Parent Trap, baking cookies. There’s something enchanting about rainy days in Northern Michigan–all the trees that soften the sound of the rain, the smell of a storm on a lake, how quickly it gets cold, giving us a chance to wear the sweatshirts we packed.

Or we’ll head to the small town theater a half hour away, coming back after a few hours to my dad’s grilled cheese and tomato soup and our pajamas laid out (warmed in the dryer, of course). Every summer, I’ve been fortunate to tuck away at least one middle-of-the-night storm when I wake up in the bunkhouse, alert just enough to make note of the blessed fact that I am sleeping in a tiny cabin in the woods and it’s pouring outside.

4. “The Other Lakes”

Michigan is, of course, known for its Great Lakes which are truly impressive, but I love all the little lakes in between. You can’t swing a stick in Northern Michigan and not hit a lake–any lake–and the smaller lakes are better for swimming and fishing and independent kid exploration. In just my dad’s tiny little town–population 1,392–there’s West Twin Lake, East Twin Lake, Tee Lake, Snyder Lake, Big Bear Lake, Little Bear Lake, Wolf Lake and Spectacle Lakes.

Smaller lakes can also offer cheaper places to stay and are great locations for quiet summer lake days.

I love our memories on this lake. Like Pontoon Breakfast Day where my dad prepares and packs up the most amazing breakfast right down to the coffee carafe and whipped cream topping, and gives the kids all chances to wear the captain’s hat while they drive the boat in their pajamas.

5. Traverse City

We’ve always stopped in Traverse City as a midpoint to some of our other destinations, but this year is the first year I went beyond the tourist Front Street and beach area, although we did really enjoy Little Fleet, a family friendly food truck park, for lunch. This year, we drove toward Old Mission, down the strip of land between the arms of Grand Traverse Bay, and Traverse City charm exponentially increased. The view! The wineries! The produce stands! The farms!

We found a little lavender farm, wandered through its barn full of dried lavender bouquets, picked cherries straight from the trees, ate lavender ice cream, brought home lavender tea and candles and handmade soaps and promised we’d never visit Traverse City again without driving this stretch of heaven.

6. Lake Parks

Where there is a lake, there’s a park; and we’ve made it our mission to swing on as many swings we can find overlooking a lake.

7. Mackinac Island

We’ve been singing the island’s praises for years now and wrote a whole post dedicated to it last week, but I can’t make a Top 10 List without including it. There’s something to be said about making the effort to get on a fairy and leaving everything behind to enter a place with no cars, stunning views and true summer cottage living. Summer magic.

8. Inhaling Nature

Yes, we have beautiful nature in Florida too, but Michigan’s summer nature is simply intoxicating, an irresistible invitation to slow down and enjoy it. The wildflowers (they’re everywhere!), the birch trees, the birds, the dirt roads, the water, the rocks… Lake Michigan’s shores are covered with the smoothest stones you’ve ever seen. I collect so many to bring home.

There are so many hidden roads and faraway highways up north lined by forests like I’ve never seen anywhere else. The tallest trees, all lined up–rows and rows of them–with sunshine seeping through and spilling out in a way that is so enchanting. I always want to pull over, walk in and get lost but also I don’t want to be a national headline.

9. Familiarity

Perhaps this is my favorite of all–that we’ve come back to this same place summer after summer, and all its magic is now part of my kids’ childhood, part of them. I’ve offered other summer explorations to them, but they get upset just at the suggestion. It’s like coming home to them, and they’re perfectly content to repeat the same experiences in the same place.

They’re subconsciously stockpiling goodness that will cushion, comfort and guide their future experiences. These night swims, these bonfires, these cold sweatshirt mornings with Poppa’s pancake breakfasts. They’ll tell their kids about them someday, and there will be generations of Michigan lovers to come–I am sure of it.

10. Coming Home

It’s sad to leave a place you love, especially after a month of so many wonderful experiences…

…but I love the reflection that comes in the closure and the excitement of returning to our home and our life here. We cannot have Michigan summers without real life the rest of the year. The juxtaposition is what makes it so good.

Now it’s time to tuck our new souvenir mugs in the cabinet, drop our favorite summer photos in our family album, break out the cherry preserves and lavender lotion we brought home, and move forward toward all the good that is in store.

Back to School posts coming!

Back to School Style: Bold, Fun and Colorful

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This post is sponsored by Old Navy.

Our claws are still sunk into the goodness of summer, but we have arrived to the intersecting circle of the Venn diagram–where we cannot deny the fact that Back to School is sharing space with our Carpe Diem summer. Yes, we’d love summer to last forever, but we know change is good and the new schedule will bring its own perks–new creative inspiration, organization, much needed discipline and…new clothes! Ah, the rite of passage of Back to School shopping! It’s one thing that helps perk the kids up a bit when they’re bummed summer’s over.

Our entire family wardrobe has always been about color, creativity and vibrancy, and we can always find that vibe at Old Navy. We’ve always loved mixing fun prints and bold graphics, and this year’s Back to School looks at Old Navy have tons of fun mix-and-match opportunities.

Old Navy denim has always been one of our favorites, and it’s one of the only places I can find jeans that fit my kids perfectly. Lainey and Dash both need super slim fits, and Old Navy offers so many fit varieties. Their ballerina jeggings are favorites of ours (and I love their current high rise styles!).

Their high-rise denim skirts are staples, and they go with anything.

Dash loves their Karate denim (and I love that they’re not falling off his waist).

Lainey has always been into expressive graphic tees, and there are so many cute prints to choose from this fall.

 

And so many animal prints! I love mixing a little leopard print with other bold colors…

…and all the tigers in their boys’ prints this fall fit Dash’s personality to a tee!

Even the accessories have bold details–camo lunch boxes, leopard print hair ties…

…and since we’re doing all the hard work of getting our kids ready for back to school, we deserve to pick up something for ourselves too. The yellow pulled me in. And my sister’s been raving about Old Navy’s rockstar jeggings for women. I finally got a pair, and they are the most flattering jeans ever.

This year, Old Navy’s hosting an in-store fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $1 million to benefit Boys & Girls Clubs. From August 1-14, Old Navy will match in-store customer donations up to $300,000. Customers can donate at the register at all U.S. and Canada stores. To celebrate, Old Navy is launching their first-ever kid-designed ONward! capsule collection–original artwork from Boys & Girls of America members featuring empowering phrases that promote empowerment, individuality and inclusion.

We are all about that.

Old Navy is donating $50,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs in honor of the special collection. Tees are available for sale in kid and toddler siing in all U.S. and Canada stores and online at OldNavy.com.

We’re excited to keep the color and fun of summer alive this fall. Check out Old Navy’s Back to School Promo for Kids & Babies (their biggest sale of the year!)