Meet The Mom Version of Back-To-School Shopping

We're smack in the middle of summer, but I can feel it: Back-to-school time is coming.

I know this because I was in a store the other day and ran right smack into a huge display of school supplies. School supplies! In July! I mean, is it just me, or does everything seem to come earlier and earlier each year? Stores start displaying the Halloween costumes in September and Christmas decorations the day after trick-or-treating, and now back-to-school is suddenly getting the early-bird treatment, too. 

It seems crazy, I know, but when I saw the display of pencils and notebooks, I realized that it might not be that nuts to start thinking about this stuff early. We're basically halfway through summer right now (sad face), which means school will be here before we know it. And shopping early means you get the best selection, but it also means that you (kind of, sort of) have your life in order, right? Being prepared with all your school stuff at the ready means fewer last-minute scrambles. It also gives almost a sense of calm and order to this little corner of your world. Basically, it allows you to have one area of your busy life where you can feel confidant saying, "I got this."

So as I threw a few notebooks and packs of pencils into my cart, I realized that it might not be such a bad idea to expand this sense of preparedness and do some "back to school" shopping for other areas of my life, a little stocking up of basic items that will set my family up for success (or at least set us up for a life of not constantly hearing "Mom! We're out of [fill in the blank]!"). Let's call it back-to-basics shopping.

This year, I'm vowing to be prepared by stocking up on the things we're seemingly always running out of. I don't need to be rushing to get ready for school drop-off and realizing I'm out of shower stuff, or trying to tend to a cut on my finger and discovering I only have Spider-Man Band-Aids. So for me, that meant stocking up on those daily essentials you never really think about until you're out of them.

And as I've told you guys before, BJ's Wholesale Club is the perfect place to do just that. They have a surprisingly large health and beauty section with all of your favorite brands in bulk, which means no more running out of the stuff you need. I scooped up a big ol' jar of NatureMade multivitamins, Olay Fresh Outlast Body Wash in three fun scents, and jumbo packages of Band-Aids and Neosporin, Secret deodorant, Crest toothpaste, and my favorite Oral-B Glide dental floss. 

Now my kids are set for school--and I'm set for life. (Ha--I wish! But I'm definitely set for Band-Aids and body wash, okay?) ;)

Thank you to BJ's for partnering with me on this post. Are you a BJ's member? If not, here's a cool deal: You can get a $25 gift card just for signing up! Click here for details.