Monday, August 19, 2013

8/19/13: Proctor and Gamble Everyday BTS and Giveaway!

CONTEST CLOSED:  CONGRATULATIONS JODY M. FOR WINNING!
Back to School, do these words alone invoke stress and anxiety for both children and parents?  I know when I was a kid I could feel my stomach in knots the night before I started school with thoughts of: Will I like my teacher? Will I have any friends in my class? Will it be harder?  Now as a parent it is all about getting backpacks, new clothes for the kids, and getting the kids back in to the routine.  I was lucky enough to be invited by Proctor & Gamble to MiniLuxe in Boston, MA to talk stress free back to school and get a pedicure!  What time for Mom in all the craziness?  I never thought of that, but happily went.  Read on and you can win a $50 gift certificate to the Proctor and Gamble eStore with great brands like Tide, Pampers, Duracell, Gillette, Oral-B, Pantene, Charmin and so many more.  You can check out the full list here.
We walked in to a beautiful area ready to have our pedicure and talk Back to School with Audrey McLelland of MomGenerations as our gracious host with the most adorable baby and beautiful Mom.
I am the President of our elementary school's PTO which brings a lot of responsibility for the beginning of the year.  I am preparing documents, making photocopies and getting my officers together to plan for the year in addition to getting the family ready.  I know without organization I would never be ready.  Proctor & Gamble has some great resources on their P&G Everyday Back to School Tips page to get you prepared.  This list not only helps with preparation for the back to school season, but it also provides some ideas on how to get a little "me" time.  I was happy to see some of my favorite Boston Bloggers and get some time to chat and relax with them.
Here are some of my favorites:
Preparing Your Home – Clean out closets, remove clothes that the kids have outgrown and replace with new school clothes 
Tackling Nutrition and Meal Planning – Answer the inevitable “what’s for dinner” question before it’s even asked, and remove one more thing from your daily to-do list by planning out and shopping for meals in advance. 
Getting a Jump on Your Family’s Health & Wellness – Schedule appointments for annual check-ups and make visits to the dentist, orthodontist, and optometrist.
Create New Student Care Packages – To help ease kids back into the school year, create small care packages to hide in your child’s backpack, coat pocket, or desk/locker. Notes, drawings and photos are always a hit, but you can also consider including: 
Choose to Celebrate! – Instead of facing the new school year with a sense of dread, plan something fun and active for your kids in the last days of summer to celebrate the coming school year. 
Uncover Moments for Mom 
Pack lunches the night before and schedule a quick morning walk with a neighbor to start your day 
Sneak away for a pedicure or manicure after you drop your child at an after-school activity 
Slide an e-reader in your purse and lose yourself in the latest bestseller during those idle minutes waiting for your kids 
I always loved Proctor & Gamble products but now I love them a little bit more as they show how to make Mom's life easier!  Enter the giveaway below to win $50 to the P&G eStore!
Disclosure:  I was given a pedicure and P&G Products in exchange for this post.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

53 comments:

Unknown said...

Get in a routine a couple weeks before school and stick to it!

Susan W said...

Unfortunately I have no best tip - back to school is not stress free for me in any way, shape or form.

Dave said...

have a routine!

Mom Knows Best said...

buy lunches at school

Stacy McBrayer said...

Lay everything out the night before so kids aren't hunting for clothes last minute.

Sarah Rainwater said...

Start preparing early!

Sarah Rainwater said...

Start preparing early!

Alvina Castro said...

I dont have any tips for back to schol yet. this is my first time doing all this first time to school

Mysharona said...

we shop early.

sweepmom said...

I like to take my son to school the week before it starts to meet his teacher and see his new classroom. I find this helps to ease first day jitters.

Edge Of Insanity said...

Have them start an early bedtime routine at least a week before school starts so they can get used to it.

kim h said...

Stay calm and carry on

kim h said...

Stay calm and carry on...literally

April said...

i start planning early, getting kids hair cut, new shoes, supplies, outfits, etc. I want my kids ready

ssgsweeps @hotmail.com

kim h said...

stay calm and carry on

d schmidt said...

My best tip is to get enough sleep, plan ahead and take a deep breath!

Sherrie said...

SHERRIE C.

Purchase all school supplies well ahead of time, pack lunches the night before, and layout clothes to wear for the morning.

callawishes(at)hotmail(dot)com

guettel78 said...

My best tip is to start prepping early! Start going to bed and waking up earlier a few weeks before the first day, limit evening TV time and internet time and read instead, and take a visit to the school to figure out your routine ahead of time.

Geoff K
gkaufmanss at yahoo dot com

Katie said...

start holding school sleep schedules a week in advance

John Zukowski said...

Start planning early.

Julia said...

Start talking about school routine early so the kids know what to expect

sksweeps said...

I shop sale items all year and stock up so back to school isn't quite so much of a budget buster

sksweeps (at) earthlink (dot) net

ellen b said...

shop early

clc408 said...

Start about a week ahead to adjust to bedtimes and wakeup times.

cowboyswife said...

lay out clothes the night before and pack lunches at night.

cowboyswife said...

lay out clothes the night before and pack lunches at night.

Tamar said...

Buy supplies throughout the year on sale instead of waiting for the mad rush before school starts.

angel heaps said...

make a list and stick to it

Jessica Morrison said...

Get all of your school supplies early and make sure they are organized

Emaisgr8 said...

Get your routine set a week before.

Ashley B. said...

My best tip for having a stress-free back to school is to not wait until the last minute to get your kids back on a school schedule.

mogrill said...

I put everything out the night before.
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill12@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

pack lunches the night before and have a dinner schedule

name on rafflecopter: Amanda Sakovitz

Unknown said...

Get lots of sleep and plan ahead.

rounder9834 @yahoo.com

Ellen said...

Plan everything you need the night before.

Unknown said...

Have things ready the night before, so you're not rushing in the morning.

Sonia said...

Plan ahead

frugalmommy99@yahoo.com

♡♥♬ Carolsue ♡♥♬ said...

Make sure everything is written down that you need so you don't have to keep going back!
Digicats {at} Sbcglobal {dot} Net

Unknown said...

After you've got everything ready for the first day... go out for a celebration night to the kid's favorite restaurant. It caps off the summer and turns their mind from any anxiety about the new school year.

Jill Myrick (jsc123) said...

We get everything done ahead of schedule.
The night before school starts we lay out clothing for the next day, ready lunches, pack backpacks and sit out shoes.

jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com

Sam Stamp said...

Start preparing early and get them back into a routine before school starts so they know what to expect and there's less stress.

Anonymous said...

My best tip to make it less stressful at back to school time is even when your kids complain, start the new sleep routine at least 1 week early to get their sleep schedule set before school starts.

Leenburke said...

My best tip is to be organized!

Eileen Burke

Sonya said...

Get the kids back on their school sleep schedules a couple weeks in advance, that way they won't be struggling to sleep the night before school starts.

notlikeacat said...

Practicing our mornings before school starts!
Today was our best yet. Now we have just over a week to shave 20 minutes off our time! ;)

Lisa Garner said...

My tip for stress free back to school is shop early to avoid the crowds and the stress and have children start getting used to the back to school schedule early so they won't be tired and stressed the first day of school.

jules mcnubbin (buttmuffin) said...

i like to shop online- no crowds!

tavernie said...

Get everything ready the night before!

susan1215 said...

I started shopping early and bought a little bit each week.

Unknown said...

My best tip is to start prepping early!

Kari @ Mommy's Fabulous Finds said...

Start getting into the back to school routine early, Ive been waking my kids up early for the past 2 weeks, the first couple of days were rough, but now they're used to getting up at 7.

Unknown said...

I start getting the kids up earlier before school starts so that they are ready for it again KairaWolfie@aol.com

Tabathia B said...

plan a breakfast menu for the school week and start kids bedtimes at least two weeks before school starts

tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com