We are starting to get into back to school mode around here as I am sure so many of you are as well. We start cheer back tomorrow which for us, always means that summer break is essentially coming to an end and then, we start school on July 12th!

Savannah is headed to her last year in middle school (8th grade here) and Paisley is headed to her first year in middle school (6th grade here) which means two middle school girls and whew, not sure if I am ready. Lol. Middle school years are the hardest years in my opinion but we are ready to start and excited for a good year ahead.

Of course like every other family we are doing back to school shopping for supplies, shoes and clothes but, I wanted to share other things that we do to get back to school ready in the Rogers house. I shared last year some of our back to school routines and how we make it a smooth transition in our home from summer to school and I feel like I can jump into those routines easier when we do a few other things to get us all ready to head into a busy back to school season.

Here are 3 Ways We Get Ready for Back to School -

1. Declutter and Clean Rooms // We try to do this a few times a year (usually Christmas break and then the beginning of summer break) but with the kids home all summer long, their rooms are usually in need of a little declutter before we start school again. We will take a day and go through their rooms, usually rearranging a bit so they feel fresh and new, throw out papers and crafts they did all summer and just make sure their rooms are as organized and clean as possible. We do this because fall with back to school and cheer is so busy for us and cleaning their rooms isn’t always priority so we try to start with as clean a slate as possible before that happens.

2. Stock up on snacks and grab and go options // We have been really trying to break all the snacking habits we have in this house (Joe and I are just as guilty as the kids at snacking constantly) but, the grocery budget doesn’t love it (plus, we know it isn’t healthy). However, back to school and back to sports means we are on the go a lot and we need easy grab and go items when those busy days strike or when we are running behind and need to grab breakfast quick. Because the first weeks of school and cheer get so busy we try to think ahead and stock up before school starts. This makes the day to day easier. Usually I unpack them all, add to baskets so that we can easily see what is available and restock as needed.

3. Go Thru Our Clothes and Reorganize // Before we go back to school shopping I have the girls clean out and reorganize their dressers and closets. We donate what no longer fits and make a list of what they truly need. Going back to school clothes shopping can be a pain and really expensive when they are just picking whatever they like and not thinking through what they actually need. Undergarments, school clothes, church clothes, shoes, we make a list and try to stick to it the best we can with some fun things thrown in too. This helps keep us on budget but, it helps us see what clothes they have for home/fun, school and church without guessing.

What do you do to get ready for the busy back to school season? Any tips/tricks you can share with other Moms that help make the transition a little easier on the whole family? Leave them in the comments below, we would love to hear!