3 Tips to Get Your Home Ready For "Back to School"

It's my favorite time of the year!– Back to school. Anybody else? I just love the feeling of a fresh start. It's also when I can take some time to get the home back in order from the chaos of summer, so I thought I would share a few ideas on how to get the home reset for the new school year.

1. Declutter

First things first, let's declutter like there's no tomorrow. Go through those closets, drawers, and shelves with a discerning eye. Donate, toss, or repurpose items that no longer serve a purpose. We're talking about creating an environment where everything has a home, and chaos becomes a thing of the past. Everything in life just feels more manageable when there's less... stuff! Here are some posts to inspire you to let go.

5 Decluttering Tips
How to decide what to sell, donate, or keep

2. Create a Homework Station

Lantern Pendant | Grey Vase | French Double Wall Sconce | Chairs (vintage) | Red Framed Art (vintage) | Brass Shelf Bracket | File Folders | Copper Planter

Create a dedicated area where your kids can tackle their schoolwork. For us, this usually takes place in the bonus room, but sometimes we handle it at the dinner table. Then again, I'm sure we'll have a few evenings spent in the study, which doubles as our home office.

Plaid Rug | Wallpaper | Leather Chairs | Wire Basket | Paper Drawers | Gold Knobs

In our last house, the girls had quite the setup in their own office, which I definitely miss!

3. Designate a Command Center

We don't have a designated command center in our home, but I'm certainly not opposed to one. We have plans to turn our former laundry room into a mudroom, and I would love to set up a central hub where we can corral all the backpacks, school papers, calendars, incoming mail, and such. It's like creating a launchpad for your family's daily activities, ensuring everyone is on the same page. I've got my eyes on a few cute command centers in the round-up below! And if you're still in the market, check out these fun backpacks.

Shop Backpacks

1. Acrylic File Organizer $49
2. Eldridge Mail Holder $87 Currently on sale, down from $220!
3. Trenton File Organizer $99 I feel like this could work on the back of a door. Maybe in a coat closet even?
4. Acrylic Wall Calendar Desk Set $106
5. Canvas Letter Tray Organization $15 For all those random, pesky, school papers that no one seems to know what to do with.
6. Acrylic Monthly and Weekly Wall Calendar $24
7. 3 Piece Wall Command Center Set $139
8. Full Command Center $519 Isn't this gorgeous?
9. Jaela Solid Wood Wall Mirror $176 Perfect for right inside the door.
10. Echo Show 15 $279 Not only does it work like a standard Alexa device, it can also display the family calendar, keeping everyone on the same page!
11. Acrylic Monthly Wall Calendar $148 Is it just me or does it seem to be fun to write out the calendar each month??
12. Wall Hanging Note Role $89 Use this to write notes or memos to each other!

In addition to getting the home set up for back-to-school, I gathered some pieces to make your life and your home feel ready.

Back to School Around the Home

1. Welcome Doormat $90 I'm a sucker for a classy doormat, and this is so... welcoming!
2. Polaroid Picture Printer $129 Print off those first-day-of-school pictures with this Polaroid printer instantly and hang them on the fridge.
3. Scalloped Ceramic Catchall $49 Such a cute little catchall dish for those paper clips, rubber bands, hair ties, you know.
4. Lunchbox Notes Book $4 My girls would get a kick out of a good joke in their lunchbox every day.
5. Golden Shears $35 Every home office or desk space needs a good, sturdy pair of scissors. In love with this pair.
6. Canvas Wall Banner $24 Nothing says back-to-school quite like a cute banner on the wall. Reminds me of the one we had in the girl's office.
7. Meal Planner and Grocery List Magnetic Notepad $9 Such a pretty, practical thing to keep on your refrigerator.
8. Sonix Airpod Case $25 Have you ever seen a cuter AirPods case?
9. Brass Dinner Bell $68 One of my favorite rituals is ringing the dinner bell every night when dinner's ready.
10. After School Snack Tray $6 Such a cute little tray for all the upcoming after-school snacks.
11. Checklist Notepad $12 Lots of things to remember, so jot them all down!
12. Hatch Restore 2 $199 This gentle wake-up alarm is perfect for all the upcoming early mornings.