Back To School Reset

I thought I had a tight plan for back-to-school shopping, then a good sale turned it into a one-day spree that actually worked out. I also share how I’m setting up routines, classroom supports, and my own schedule so this school year starts calmer than last year. 

• finishing school shopping in one day and why the price point wins 
• clearance rules, trying things on, and avoiding no-return mistakes 
• planning seven outfits and buying more shirts for real life messes 
• using Monday through Friday outfit bins to build independence 
• adding breakfast at home so school meals do not decide hunger 
• prepping an ADHD and IEP-friendly classroom toolkit with timers and seat bands 
• tightening my morning routine and prioritizing parent health 
• visiting the Lincoln Memorial and seeing the USAA military names display 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 4:29

Hey guys, welcome back to Coffee with a Twist. You're here with Madam Belou. I hope you guys had a great week, a great weekend, and looking forward to the upcoming week. Guys, so my last episode, I thought I had a whole plan for this school shopping thing. The ones that listened to last episode, I seemed like I had it all together. Oh, I'm gonna do this. I'm not gonna overshop. I'm gonna shop at this point. Blah blah blah blah blah. Let me tell y'all. Nope. I did not do what I thought I was gonna do. So I actually ended up doing school shopping about two weeks ago. And I pretty much knocked it out in one day. Um again, I don't sponsor any stores, I don't sponsor anything, so even though I'm saying a name, I'm not saying to go shop there or not to shop there. I don't sponsor anything, I'm just telling you what I did. So I ended up going to Old Navy. Um, something happened, like I got an email, I don't even really remember what happened, and I was like, oh, you know, my son's uh the jeans from old navy do look good on him. And I saw they had a sale, so I went there, and the sales were pretty good, and clothing that my son liked. My son was with me, he picked out stuff, so I'm like, you know what? I'm here, I'm not gonna do these different store things because I think I told you guys he wanted Lacoste, he wants Ralph Lauren, he which is fine, but I'm like, I'm here, these clothes are good, they look good on him, and the price point is pretty good. So, literally, guys, I ended up doing all his school shopping, clothes and some shoes, tops, bottoms. Um, I did not buy him underwear from there, but I brought his socks from there, and um my older son, same thing, like the deals were good, and my older son, he's pretty much wearing fucking men's clothes, it's ridiculous. Um, and they had a couple of things on clearance, and I'm glad that my sons were with me because like some of the things on clearance you can't return. So, like if it ends in a seven, you can't return. So, they had some to me some really inexpensive clothes, especially like jeans, shorts, etc. So um I had him try his on. Eli's I know his size pretty well, even though he did try him on, etc. So fit it was to me was a good deal. So I ended up doing all the school shopping, and I probably did overbuy, guys, um, about two weekends ago, and then um got a couple of pairs of shoes from there. They had, you know, like some still some summer shoes, like my son needs a new needed additional pair of slides, and then like they had a couple of nice casual um shoes that went with some of the outfits we brought there, and then um I brought him some other shoes via Amazon name brand, but I just brought them via Amazon, and um, yeah, it says I think I told you guys I was like, I'm gonna wait till school starts, and then I'm gonna go. No, y'all, I didn't do nothing I said. Um, and I was like, I'm not gonna overbuy. I don't feel I overbrought though, in all honesty. I did buy a good bit of stuff, but at the end of the day, I kind of pretty much brought like seven outfits. Always try to buy like seven pairs of pants and maybe two pairs of shorts for school because you know when he goes back to school, it's still like summer going into fall, you can still wear shorts. So, and then I buy, I always buy more shirts than the bottoms, mainly because sometimes my son has to change his shirt in the day, like he spills something on it, then you gotta send, you know, you also gotta send a pair of clothing to school, stuff like that. So I account for that as well. Um

Welcome Back And Real Talk

SPEAKER_00 8:58

like piece of day or something, and it's you know, messy or whatever, you know, or art class. So I always buy more shirts and stuff, and then like I have a couple of friends that have older boys, so I'm always telling them, like, please pass that

The School Shopping Plan Collapses

SPEAKER_00 9:15

down to me. Even if my son can't fit it right now, what I do is I store it away and I pull it out as needed, and the way my son is growing, a lot of times he's we're dipping into it midway through the school year, depending on what sizes were given to us. So, yeah, guys, like I did not do what I thought I was gonna do, but I'm not up, I'm not mad at it. It it worked out. Um, so I think in my last episode, I think I told you guys like I'm trying to do things different this year. So I did get the bins. So if you guys haven't realized, this episode is still like on back to school. Um, I did buy these bins that's Monday through Friday because I want him, you know. I told you guys the independency, he's already independent, but I enable his independencies and he hates it. And I'm trying to do better because the way it goes, if you're rushing in the morning because you're tired or whatever, um, you know, you don't get up one time, you kind of sometimes just do the action for them because it's quicker, easier, less mess sometimes. But I'm trying not to stand in my own way. Um, so I've been doing little things and it's been helpful. So, anyways, I got the bins. So every Sunday, sticking to that where we pack his, you know, uh clothes and give him that independency of packing it too, like him picking out what he thinks he wants to wear. Of course, I'll tweak where it needs to be tweaked, but for the most part, he typically picks out pretty well. And what I tweak is more so he might pick jeans on a day that it's 80 degrees, and I'm like, no, let's swap that for shorts, type of thing, you know. So um, I'm gonna do that. Um, also being better, I want to, even though yes, he eats school breakfast, lunch, but what I noticed I've been to school with him a few times, he doesn't really like their breakfast. All the kids, they kind of just throw it away, so they're probably hungry by the time you know lunch really comes. So at home, I want to us to get up a little bit earlier so he can eat rather if it's a fruit or toast or you know what I mean, something in the morning. So that's something else I want to incorporate. Him eating some breakfast at home. That way, if he doesn't like what they have for breakfast, he's not starving. And of course, I always send snacks. Um, but you never know how the teacher is. Like, can you only eat snack at snack time? You know what I'm saying? If you're hungry, you're hungry. So I at least know going out, he had something on his belly. I'm just trying to make this school year more productive. I think I told you guys last year was a struggle. Um, behaviors, some new new behaviors like that I've never had before, negative behaviors. Um, so I'm just trying to do do better. Also, where I live, like you don't have to really worry about school supplies, but this year I'm buying school supplies. Um, I'm buying uh school supplies specifically for my son, um, to help maybe with ADHD, um, adaptive um uh tools as well, timers. Like, I'm just instead of it becoming a problem, then like, well, maybe we can try this. I'm literally in the beginning of school year taking everything there, and it's like it's already there, you know what I mean? It will be up to the teacher to use it. I brought the bands for the seat for them to like kick their feet back and forth, just something that you I'm just trying to have everything already ready instead of trial and error type of thing, if that makes sense. And I feel like last year, even though his IEP had everything in there, they didn't they weren't prepared, so I'm preparing it. So on back to school night, I plan to take everything there. That's his a bin with his name on it. Discuss it with the teacher. Like, hey, I have everything here. All you have to do is actually implement it, and I want to give it to them early so they can go ahead and set a seat up, already have the bands on it, have the timers, the you know, I'm just trying everything, um, more comfortable pencils, just I'm just really trying something different. Um, and I hope this will help. Um, you know, in prayer. Um, I just you know, and this summer he has done really good. Um even with us at home, you know, some of it is maturity, he's gonna be eight soon. So I'm hoping, you know, the maturity will kick in to where the want to just because his negative behavior, it's negative, but

Outfit Bins And Morning Independence

SPEAKER_00 14:18

to him it's funny, so that's the issue. So I'm hoping we are slowly getting him out of it. Um, there's been a big difference, but I am just trying everything. I also did go to Walmart again. I don't sponsor anything. Walmart had a very good selection on um school supplies, so I did buy stuff from Walmart, I did buy stuff on Amazon. Um, anything that I saw at like Walmart or even the dollar store that were cheaper, I canceled on Amazon or returned. But um, yeah, I'm just trying to do something different this year, if that makes sense. Um just you know, I'm like, maybe I'm the issue. Let me make sure he has what he needs instead of me relying on the school to have what they're supposed to have. I'd rather just have it. And if he if they supplied it to, great. I'd rather have too much of that stuff to keep him engaged in the classroom than not having it at all. And then because with him, like once the behavior starts, and if you let it go on too long, it's it's almost a habit, it's harder to break it. So even for myself, I'm trying to put myself also into a a better what do you want to call like schedule and things like that. So it can also don't get me wrong, I'm always up with him. But there are some mornings where I'm sleeping also until the time he's supposed to get up. I typically, the way I'm supposed to do it, I like to get up 20 to 30 minutes before him, and that gives me like my time to get situated too. Because pretty much after I get him on the bus, I'm working. I work from home, but I'm working, so I'm I'm trying to get myself better too because there's I want us I work out, yes, in the evenings, things like that, but I'm trying to get into a better schedule, even in the morning. I'm trying to take um better care of me as well through this process. Um, I'm good when he's good, but I need to be good regardless. So that used to be my measurement. My son's good, I'm good. But I'm getting older. I really need to start focusing in on me, my

Building A Classroom Toolkit For ADHD

SPEAKER_00 16:44

health. Nothing's wrong, guys. I'm just I I want it to stay nothing wrong. Let me say that. I want that to continue. I know as you get older, things happen, and some things, you know, with just diet and exercise, you can avoid certain things. So I'm just trying to do better. So, with trying to get my son to do better, I want to do the same. If anything, I need to eat and stuff, just like my son. My eat, my son eats so good, he eats such a great diet. Um, but um, and it's by choice, his is definitely it's by choice. Um, but yeah, so I'm just trying this school year. I want to, I want my whole household to be better. Um, it cuts down the chaos when you're not rushing in the mornings, you know, have a better schedule. I know it'll be some days where we're just all tired. Some days, you know, we won't get up one time. I'm okay with that, but I want the norm to be more flowy, you know. Um, I want that time. Like I said, the main thing we are we were typically always up one time and stuff, but I never did have enough time for him to like eat, and that's the part I want to start incorporating. So by me getting up that 30 minutes beforehand will be really good because if I want to make him eggs and toast, I can do that, you know what I mean? And it helps me too because that means I'm eating eggs, toast, and a fruit as well. So there's some things, and even if I'm making it the night before and warming it up while he's taking, you know, I like him to get his full rest. Um, but I'm just trying to find ways to make his days better, and I think you guys are grasping that with making his days better. I want my days better. So I want to be able to, I want to use that time, you know. I work, but I want to use like my breaks a little bit more productive, not sitting watching TV eating. Um, rather if it's taking a walk, going in my basement, working out. Um, more than likely, while he's since he's going to school, I will probably be outside taking walks. I love taking walks, and then I go to the gym in the evenings now, especially since it's child care there, which it's nice, but I really miss going to my Monday Wednesday class with the rec department. Um, but it's okay. I'm pivoting. But you know, once it gets winter, I'll use the basement and then the gym. Because I did finally get my basement set up. Um the it's it's useful, the stuff was always down there, but it's in a more inviting way. Um, because we did fix up the basement, you know, and it's pretty much done now. Um, we got the countertops up in my little beverage area. We just have to put in a couple of shelves, and I think that's it, and then get that all set up. So I already have like my coffee area set up down there and drinks and stuff. So once my husband gets the shelving up, it's done, and I've already been down there using it, sitting and things

Better Schedules And Parent Self Care

SPEAKER_00 19:59

like that. Um, for you guys that don't know, my basement, we have redone it. Um, if you listen back to a couple of episodes, you'll my dog passed away of 19 years. We used to let her just stay in the basement, arthritis, things like that. Backyard's there was like her own little apartment. We didn't mess in her apartment, we didn't, it was just like hers. Um, so with her gone now, fortunately, unfortunately, we have made it into livable space, got flooring done, you know, all the things, painted, new rails, new this, redid the bathroom, just kind of overhauled it, which I needed to do because um that's just how I work, especially with something that was in my home. I have to redo the area. So the area has never looked the way it looks right now, so it doesn't put me in a sad space about my dog. Um, I do think of her, but it's not the same. The place looks so different that she's never been in this particular space the way it looks. So, anyways, I don't really want to get into that, but you can listen to the last couple of episodes and you'll kind of hear that story. But yeah, so in the winter, my plan is to use you know those machinery, and my son uses it too, so which is good because it helps get some energy out. So there's some things I'm thinking about doing. I even thought about in the morning him walking on the treadmill for just like five minutes, get that burst of energy out, you know, while waiting for the food to be done or something. You know, I'm just I'm still figuring it out. I have about 10 days till he goes back. So um, I have a little bit of time. I have like one more weekend that I can get things in place, but um, I'm excited for it, and I just pray it works out. I'm not saying it's gonna be zero incident free, but I'm hoping it's way better than last year. Um so to move on really quickly, so we went over the weekend, we went down to the Lincoln Monument Memorial. Um, and uh for you all that may not know, USAA teamed up and they have like 41 million military names, people rather for veteran, uh active duty, what have you, anyone that's ever served in the military that they have record of, they have um created this like digital monument within the flags of the Lincoln Memorial. So we went there this weekend with um my good friend, I call her my sister, um, and her family. Both of both families of ours are military, so it was really nice to go down there. And it was nice. Um, my husband has never been to these monuments either. He went to the George Washington, went to Lincoln, um, and walked around and stuff. So he's never seen so either way, it was like good for him to go. But yeah, they have all the names and stuff up and the flag, and you can also go to like a concierge and they'll pull your loved one's name up and you can take pictures and things like that. We did not do that part, the lines were just incredibly long, and my husband was like, no, thank you. And my sister's husband was like, No, thank you. We know we served, we're good. Um, but we still got great pictures, you know, things like that. So um still glad we went. I mean, we had a great time. We haven't seen my sister and her family for ye like a year, and then afterwards, after we left out of DC, like we were just like once we were done, we're done. And then we met up at like Dave and Busters to eat, the kids could play, etc. etc. So we had a really good weekend. Um, it was hot, it's been hotter, so I won't complain, but we were hot and we had to park kind of far. Our walk was like 25 minutes, and you know, when you're not used to that, you're like, oh. So another reason why I need to like get my stamina up, my mom went with us um and things. It was it was just really nice to get out and see family, um, especially before the school year starts and the hustle and bustle. But yeah, DC was really nice. Um, if you guys don't know about it, look it up. You can look it, like, look up like USAA, um, 250th uh celebration and like what they're doing. It's a whole like thing on it, and it's beautiful. It it it's probably really beautiful at night. We were out with the kids, so we didn't do anything, you know, we didn't want to stay late like that, but even in the daylight, it was really nice. Um we we had a good time, we really did. So um, I actually need to share a couple of pictures with them, you know, that we took. So I'll do that sometime today or this week and get that out to them. But but yeah, so I wanted to get on here and let you guys know that I did not do school shopping the way I thought it was, um, but it's at least it's done. School shopping is done for me now. Um only thing I have to do, like I said, is like put everything together, all the school supplies, put them in a bin and stuff before back to school night so I can take it to the school and um that way they can go ahead and get his stuff set up and it's ready for both classrooms. He's in general ed and special ed. So I'm just trying to find ways to what do you call him? I'm trying to find ways to start the year off productive, you know, instead of oh, this is happening, oh we need this, you know. I'm trying to make sure we have everything we need, our little toolkit for him in a sense, and go from there. But I'm gonna end it here. Um I just wanted to check in. Uh and hopefully, you know, I know some people have already gone back to school, so the weeks are already hectic. But I hope you guys have a great week and looking forward to the weekend, even though it's already Monday. I'm already ready for the weekend, even though I have no

A Family Day At The Lincoln Memorial

SPEAKER_00 26:32

plans. But um, yeah, thank you for listening. You're here with Madam Balloo, Coffee with a Twist.