Am I alone in thinking back to school prep is waaay more exciting than it was when we were little?
It’s that time of year again, and as I write parents – and kids – up and down the country are getting back to school ready. Us included.
When I was small getting back to school ready involved a trip to Clarks, where I would feel mightily hard done by because my feet were so big there was only one style of shoe that would fit me, and choosing wool so my Granny could knit me a new cardigan. It wasn’t a shopping trip to be relished: it was a trip that needed to be done.
Fast forward 30 years and getting back to school ready is something BB looks forward to the entire summer holiday. It’s a day out she marks on her calendar and plans in intricate detail, and always includes lunch. And who can blame her when these days school shoes come with light-up heels, checked dresses now come as jump suits and stationery is covered in flip sequins? Even I find myself getting just a teeny tiny bit excited.
This year she’s leaving infants behind her and going into year three as a junior. When she started reception three years ago all she wanted was to fit in: with identical school uniforms and book bags and water bottles you were hard pushed telling who was who in a crowd.
Now she’s seven it’s a different story – she wants to stamp her personality on everything and loves nothing more than standing out from the crowd. So when Smiggle got in touch to see if we’d like to try out some of the items in their back to school range of course I said yes, because along with the aforementioned light-up shoes and jump suits, bags and stationery are the perfect way to express yourself within the confines of school uniform. So what’s in their back to school range this year?
Getting back to school ready with Smiggle®
Dreamy Ally backpack | £28
After three years at the school gate one of things I’ve discovered they don’t warn you about school is that you can never have too many bags. What with swimming, gymnastics, Brownies and whatever other after school clubs they’re signed up to, don’t be fooled into thinking one bag will suffice. It won’t, unless you want to be constantly packing and unpacking it.
This Dreamy Ally backpack comes in two colours – pink or purple – with their beloved flip sequins on the flap, an adjustable drawstring closure, magnetic fastening and adjustable shoulder straps. Just the job for her gymnastics kit.
Now You See Me Headphones | £20
With increasing amounts of homework now online (BB gets both maths and reading tasks to do online) I find headphones help her concentrate and mean her homework doesn’t end up taking over the whole room.
Smiggle’s Now You See Me headphones feature soft ear pads, an adjustable headband and a tangle free cord, plus they fold down into a handy carry case. They can plug into any device with a 3.5mm audio jack, meaning you don’t have to listen to them when they’re on their tablets either!
Scented colour pencils | £10
Scented pencils have come a long way since I was little. This pack of 12 scented colour pencils features scents including donut and watermelon and instead of vaguely smelling like the flavour written on the side, they actually do.
You rub the pencil to activate the scent, and the colours themselves are really vibrant on paper too. These will certainly come in handy for BB’s next art project.
Ice-Cream Highlighter | £5
If you thought highlighters were boring, think again. These stackable ice cream highlighters come in six different shades one on top of the other, with an ice cream cone for a lid.
Simply choose the colour you want, pull the stack apart, and replace it when you’re finished. I *might* be stealing this one next time I need a highlighter!
If you’re getting back to school ready too Smiggle is currently offering up to 40% off selected back to school items, and mix & match 3 for £5 deals on selected stationery essentials.
Do you think back to school prep is more exciting now than it was when you were little? How’s it all going in your house? I’d love to know!
We were sent a Smiggle back to school bundle in exchange for this post. As always all opinions are my own and based on my own honest experience, and I would never recommend products I don’t truly love myself.
I love that ice cream highlighter!! Smiggle has some great stuff and so colourful. I can’t get over how brown BB is!!! Thanks for sharing with #bloggersbest x
That ice cream highlighter is super cute!
If only back to school prep were this exciting when we were little!
#BloggersBest
We are in full swing of getting back to school. My boys have grown two foot in the summer holidays…at least, so it’s new trousers all round and everything in between too:)
Mainy
#bloggersbest
I’m certainly loving the bright colours available today and the funky designs. #mmbc
Totally agree with you on the it was exciting going back to school with all the new stationery, bag and uniform. As a parent who also worked as a registered child minder and had extra children during the holidays, I used to dread them all going back, as I loved having a busy house #kcacols@_karendenbid199@gmail is
Super cute products. I have never heard of this brand. I will have to check it out! #kcacols
Scented pencils are a new one on me! How cute are they. So many new things to choose from, very exciting to be a kid these days:)
Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time.
Mainy
Our 8yo loves Smiggle, almost as much as me!! I only recently discovered it means Smile and Giggle merged into one. Genius! I’d have been in my element with this lot to choose from. #kcacols
My stepdaughter is obsessed with Smiggle! I just go in there to smell the pens 😛 Great review #KCACOLS
That backpack is so cute. Booey is in year 9 now and her school is very strict about what they can take. They are only allowed plain black bags, Booey and all her friends have massive handbags for school bags! They are only aloowed 30cm clear pencil cases and can only have “normal” writing pens and pencils. Booey and I are big fans of Smiggle, but her school’s rules spoil our fun.
#KCACOLS
Ooooo scented colour pencils! I could get so into those with my collection of notebooks! #KCACOLS