Vera Bradley backpacks hold up very well. My middle schooler had hers for 3 years without it getting too beat up.

We have taken first day of school and last day of school pics on the front step with each kid holding their own sign. It's the same every year. My high schooler isn't too thrilled with the idea of doing it this year but will have to suffer through it. I plan to make them each a printed photo book of each year's pics when they graduate high school as a keepsake.

Our district handles all of the supplies and charges each family a supply fee that is included in the book/curriculum fee for the year. It makes it super easy not having to shop, but my kids usually don't like some of the supplies provided so we end up picking up special pencils, pens, etc anyway.

We have a weekly dry erase calendar hanging by the door so everyone can easily check for after school activities, practices, social plans, appointments, etc each day as they come and go- everyone in the family is color coded so they can see their specific obligations easily.

We have a designated spot in the house for school library books to be kept so they don't get lost when they are at home. When the kids are finished reading the book, they go back to the spot and are ready for their weekly return date.

I wipe down the baseboards then go over them with a dryer sheet - this keeps dust and pet hair from collecting on them. Only need to wipe them down every couple months.

I usually only share wish lists when family and friends ask. I'm always one to ask - especially for my children's friend's birthday parties...because I want to get them something they will enjoy versus something they'll have to go through the hassle of exchanging/returning or not end up using.

My daughter started needing it when being active around 10 years old and needing it daily around her 11th birthday.

We did the same with both of our kids - my daughter was 2 and my son was 3. We used a full size mattress and pushed one side against a wall and had a collapsible rail on the other side that slid between the mattress and box springs so it was not permanent. Worked great for both of our kiddos!

Lucky! I wish mine were better eaters - my oldest is getting more adventurous with vegetables so there's hope yet :)

We wait until October 1 to put up Halloween specific decorations but start putting up fall themed decor in mid September.

Both of my kids help pack their own lunches on days they choose not to buy hot lunch at school. I often help them with "smarter" food choices but for the most part, they both do a great job of packing their own lunch.

We get our kids separate year books because their schools have a big yearbook signing party on the last day of school. I also want them to have their own as a keepsake - I still have all of mine from elementary through high school and we all get a kick out of looking through them together!

We did the same years ago...a little bit of everything but Milicon was our #1 go to!

That is so cute! You should post pictures if you do so we can see!

My oldest packs her own lunch most mornings - unless she's running late, then I help out. My youngest is just starting to pack his own, but he usually prefers to buy school lunch than pack.

We learned the hard way how interactive some of the games and apps for kids can be with both my daughter and son's recent downloads. We now have it set to approve any apps they try to download - and we are sure to look into each thoroughly before approving. It's been eye opening to see just how many games have live chat/comment options with strangers, etc.

I felt confident letting my kids swim independently in a pool around age 6 as well. They both took lessons starting as toddlers and have always been comfortable in and around water. We spend a lot of our summers on a lake and even though I feel they are confident swimmers in a pool - I still have them wear life jackets if they are swimming in water that is over their heads at the lake because it's a more unpredictable environment.

I loathe going to the grocery store so I try to plan meals for a few days at a time so I don't have to go shopping too often during the week.

I always see such cute ideas for this on Pinterest and think to myself, this summer, we are going to do this...of course, it never seems to happen. We tend to plan activities more spur of the moment but think implementing a bucket list would help make sure we get more special activities in.