Back to School!

Its that time again, time to get ready to go back to school.  Some people are thinking ugh! please don't remind me! Others of you are thinking summer was fun but I am ready to get back to school and have that extra structure to your days.  Me, I am excited to go back to school for many reasons. 

First, I love school supplies - pens, notebooks, calendars/planners, labels - I love picking out school supplies and organizing!

Second, this year I am going to a new school and I will be taking only classes that relate to my career choice.  Even if you are not going to a new school, going back to school means new classes with new teachers and new classmates.  Its nice to have a change of pace.

Third, I like being organized and having structure in my life and for me school forces me to keep my things organized and creates order in my days.

Finally, going back to school makes me feel good because I tend to get lazy and feel unproductive a lot of the summer.  Going to school makes me feel good because I am being productive and accomplishing things everyday.

Below are my latest posts which are all related to going back to school including: Back to School Supplies, Back to School Organization, Back to School Lunch ideas, Back to School Safety, and Back to College Commuting Ideas!!!! ENJOY!

Back to School Supplies

What supplies I picked up for going back to school?

To start off I have two backpacks for school

Things to consider when getting a backpack:

• Are you using it to carry a laptop
• Is there plenty of room for binders, notebooks, books, and supplies.
• Durablity - will it last you the whole year, is the material strong enough to hold all your stuff
• Color - pick something that suits you, if you are messy or put your back pack in places where it can get dirty then off white probably isn't a good idea, and a darker color would be better.
• Style - pick one that you can see yourself using all year and hopefully over the next couple years because some backpacks can be expensive.
• Are there any special features you would like? Such as a special place to put your ipod that has a hole for your headphones to come out or a special pocket made to hold your ipad.

This one is from IKEA and it is an off white color.  It is kind of small but holds enough for me.  Inside I carry two 1.5 inch binders, a big 4 subject notebook, one regular notebook, two pencil cases, and my glasses case which is in a side pocket. This backpack has a spot to hold my laptop but with everything else inside there is no room left for it.

My other back pack is a Targus backpack that I found at Best Buy and it is much bigger than the IKEA backpack above.  It holds everything the other one holds plus I can fit my laptop and a book or two.  I have a lot of stuff to carry with me and my books are pretty big so this backpack is better for me.

School Supplies

PENCIL CASES: I have 3 pencil cases to keep me organized.

1. My Poka-dot pencil case holds all my pens, pencils, markers, and all writting tools

2. My Bunny pencil case holds ONLY black pens for doing assignments that way I don't have to dig through my poka-dot pencil case just to find one black ink pen.

3. My DOMO pencil case holds everything else I may need - stapler, mini hole punch, scissors, and post its

Bling!

Inside my Poka-dot pecil case I have:

5 Pilot precise V5 extra fine pens in different colors (purple, light blue, pink, green, dark blue)

2 Black Pilot precise V5 exrra fine pens

5 Paper mate felt tip markers in different colors (pink, blue, orange, purple, green)

3 Sharpies in different colors (bubble gum pink, black, and raspberry pink)

1 King size sharpie

2 Paper mate 0.7 lead mechanical pencils

2 yellow highlighters

3 Hello Kitty pencils

These are all the things I love to have each year to add some fun to going to school! Having bright colors to write notes in helps separate topics.  I love sharpies for labeling and they come in handy a lot throughout the semester. 

Back to School Keeping Organized

To stay organized throughout the semester I make an organization binder.

 

Inside my organization binder:

• My Schedule
• Monthly Calendars
• Day by Day planner/tracker
• Homework tracker
• Grade tracker/recorder
• Folders/pockets for holding important papers
• A pencil case/pouch for holding extra supplies

Below are pictures of my organization binder and what is inside!

The tab dividers I use I got from Office Max and the brand name is In Place.  [In] Place

The Calendars I use shown in these pictures I got from another blog:

http://mandicresswell.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-life-binder-printables-updated.html

On my calendar pages I like to use tiny sticky notes that fit in the boxes to write myself little reminders Ü

Also on my calendars I like to put stickers.  I use cupcake stickers for birthdays! Ü

Cupcake Stickers on Birthdays!!

Day by Day Planner/Tracker below found on another blog:  http://mandicresswell.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-life-binder-printables-updated.html

I love these Calendars and Day by Day Trackers I hope Mandi keeps making them so I can use them again next year.  The link to her page where I got these Calendars and Trackers is below.

http://mandicresswell.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-life-binder-printables-updated.html

This Homework Tracker I made using Microsoft OneNote

It has 3 columns: Class, Assignment, & Due date

These are the sheets I use to keep track of my grades

Each sheet has the name of my class in the upper left corner

Each sheet also has 3 columns: Assignment, Grade recieved, and Total points for class

The tab dividers I use are made by post it and I use these to separate each class under

the grade tracking section of my binder.



Besides my organization binder I also use these other things to keep me organized:

This is my dry erase board that helps me to keep track of my appointments

and things.  I also like to draw cheerful reminders on my dry erase board like

Keep Calm and Carry On!

These blank labels I found at Staples and I use them to label binder and notebooks

and anything else to help me organize my things. These are Martha Stewart Labels and

I just think they are so cute!

That is pretty much it for my organization stuff.  Having an organization binder really helps me and labeling things helps me to put thing in there proper place so that I dont misplace anything important.  My dry erase board is an extra reminder to me for things coming up.

Back to School Lunches and Snacks!

What is the one thing you look forward to each school day?

LUNCH BREAK!

LOL I am kidding but lunch time is a nice break and you need food to refule your mind and body to keep you going the rest of the day so lunch is important.

My lunch boxes and bags, containers to hold my snacks and foods, and ideas for packing your lunch! NOM NOM NOM!

The dark blue square lunch box I use holds a lot!

The poka-dot lunch bag is round which sometimes bothers me because my containers are square

 

My Lunch containers: Salad container, sandwich box, and Hello Kitty snack container

Why I love this Salad Container: 

it has compartments on the top to separate my salad toppings

It has a removable ice pack that keeps my salads fresh!

It has a small container for me to put my salad dressing in! Perfect!

 

I always use to use sandwich bags to carry my sandwiches to school but by the time

lunch came my sandwich would be smashed in the plastic bag Gross! Now I use this so my sandwich won't be smashed and messy when I go to eat it! No more messy sandwiches!

It is important to bring something to drink with you if you are in school all day. 

Keeping well hydrated helps you stay focused and feeling good. 

I usually just bring water in a water bottle because it is the best thing you can drink.  During late fall and winter I like to bring things like coffee, hot coco, and apple cider in a thermus.

Whats for Lunch?

Things I like to bring:

• Sandwiches: Turkey, Ham, Peanut butter and Jelly, Tuna, Egg salad (yes i like egg salad!), or anything I can find to make up a quick sandwich. Also, sometimes I like to use pita bread!
• Wraps:  Basically any of the same stuff for sandwiches but put into a wrap!
• Soups: I love bringing soup for lunch when its cold out and there are so many to pick from.  My favorite is Wild Rice Soup.  Just pick any soup you like and put it into a thermus!
• Salads:  Salads are pretty quick and easy but make sure you have a good container to keep them cool so they stay fresh. 
• Microwave Meals:  If you have access to a microwave these are great cause they are grab and go!
• Left overs! When there are left overs I like to throw them into a  container quick and done! Pastas, Pizza, Stew, Casseroles, whatever is leftover is quick and easy plus yummy!

Tips:

• I like to make my lunches on the weekend for the whole week that way I don't have to make one everyday of the week.
• Plan dinners with your lunches in mind. If you want left-overs then make extra so you can put some into your lunches.
• Make sure when you are packing your lunch to use only serving sizes! If you don't bring too much then you won't be eating too much. You don't bring it, You don't eat it.
• Make sure you have snacks in your lunch too just in case you need a little something before its time for lunch.
• Don't forget to pack utensils. A lot of my lunches I just pack a sandwich with some pretzels and a fruit which don't require utensils and then when I go pack lunches with a salad or soup I forget to pack my eating utensils.

Snack Ideas:

• Yogurt
• Apple sauce
• Fruit cups
• Granola bars
• Fruits
• Veggies and dip
• Pita chips and hummus
• Gram crackers
• Make your own trail mix:  I like to mix dark chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, and nuts together.
• Cheese string

Back to School Safety

This post is going to be short and sweet because I really don't have that much to say here but just a few things I think are important.

• Walk with a friend or classroom buddy when leaving school.  Even if I don't have any close friends in a class I usually can find someone to walk out with.

• If you are in college have some buddies you can walk from class to class with or from place to place in between classes.

• I carry pepper spray on me because I have some classes that go late and even though I don't really plan on having to use it, it just makes me feel good to have it with me just in case.

• If your school has a phone number to call in case of an emergency on campus like mine does or an escort service to walk with you to your car or class I recommend saving it to your phone AND writing it down somewhere you can find it if you need it.

• If you commute to school like I do I think there are a few things that you should have in your car just in case:  a cell phone charger you can use in your car in case your phone dies and you have an emergency, jumper cables in case your car battery dies, flashlight in case you are like me and may be driving at night and have some car trouble, and finally pepper spray just in case.

These are just a few precausions I like to take hopefully will be helpful to you too.

Where have you been!?!?

Ok so I have been very very busy lately and have not found any time to blog =(
I feel bad that I was gone for so long but I am going to be posting tomorrow! YAY!
My new post will be on back to school supplies, organization, tips, lunch, and snack ideas, keeping safe, and for people commuting to a college like I am ideas for making the trip more pleasant! Its going to be a lot of stuff and maybe will make up for me being MIA for so long! Also, I have some ideas for other blog posts that I plan to do like at home gel manicures and a post all about journaling because I love journals and have so many I thought I would share that so a lot of ideas and hopefully they will be coming soon! I will try! Check twitter for updates @Raesinsblog!!

Mother's Day Ideas

Looking for Mother's Day Ideas?

Here is a short list of gift ideas for mom...

1. Purse Organizer
    A lot of mom's carry a lot of stuff with them in their purses because the like to be prepared.
    I love my purse organizer and think it would be a great mother's day gift!
    I found mine on EBay for just $6 and free shipping
    You can fill it with things for mom too.
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

2. Nail polishes
    Many mom's enjoy doing things like getting their hair or nails done. 
    * Give her a gift card to her favorite nail salon and some nail polishes
    * Give her a gift card to her favorite hair salon along with a few of her favorite hair products
    * Fill a cute basket with anything for mom to pamper herself.
       -nail polishes, hair products, lotion, bubble bath, makeup, anything your mom enjoys

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY FAVE POLISHES

3. E-reader (Nook) or E-reader cases
    My mother loves to read.  She has a Nook and loves it.  If your mom likes to read a lot this is a great gift!

    If your mom already has an E-reader that she loves there are a lot of really cute cases you can get her.

    *E-reader

    *Gift card for purchasing books

    *Cute Case

 

4. Magazine subscriptions

    I think this is a good idea because some moms will pick up magazines at the store but don't subscribe.

    Also, mom gets a new magazine each month with a subscription so this is a gift she will enjoy each month!

    Magazine subscriptions don't cost much so you could even get your mom more than one.

Two Magazines that I love

Whole living

Fitness

5. Double walled Water Cup (Aladdin)

    Another gift idea that I think is simple but nice.  Everyone knows that drinking plenty of water each day is good for you but a lot of people don't get enough. 

These cool cups are a great reminder to get plenty of water.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

6. Ipod shuffle or itunes gift card

    If your mom likes to listen to music or into fitness this may be a good gift for her.  The ipod shuffle

    is small and has a clip so it's nice for working out with. 

7. Books or Movies

8. Custom calendar or other custom gifts
      Remember when you were little and you would make things for your mom for Mother's Day?
      Being older doesn't mean you can't make something for mom...

      *Custom Calendars on Mixbook.com
        (I made one for my grandma for Christmas. CLICK HERE to see it)
      *Custom Picture Books also on Mixbook.com
      *If you are a Costco member there photo center offers many custom gifts:
        -Custom throw blankets, mugs, mouse pads, books, canvas pictures, etc.

9. The usual flowers and/or chocolates