Still 2kool4skool.. A follow up review from www.2kool4skool.com.au

A little under a year ago, I was approached by a local up and coming company who sought to put the 'cool' back into school.   Kathy and her team from 2kool4skool.com.au launched their fantastic online store that was filled to the brim with funky stationary products promising to 'rock your pencil case'  right down to the uber kool pencil case that you could fit all the goodies in.  With kids who regularly harassed me for Smiggle products I was more than a little excited to have a look see at their product range and happily road tested some of their products for back to school 2013. 

For those of you that didn't get to read the review, feel free to catch up here; http://www.severalkindsofcrazy.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/heading-back-to-school-with.html

Fast forward 11 months and I was happy to accept a follow up review to let you guys know how I found their products throughout the past year & if they were holding up. 

I am happy to report that I have so far been impressed with the products I was given for the review and the additional products that I purchased from 2Kool4Skool.com.au.  

One of the BEST products that I cannot recommend highly enough is the 2kool4skool book covers.. Available in exercise, A4 & Scrapbook size, they were an absolute winner for back to school 2013.  One year, no word of a lie I covered 120 books for the kids & at the end of it, I wished for such a product... Kathy made that wish come true! Not only was book covering 'effortless' I was proud of the books I sent in to school with the kids & still to this day I am proud when I see their books at school or when they come home, because they are still so neat & tidy. Check out my Stepdaughter's Music book and my Son's Homework Book (my personal fave design ~ peace).  These are two books that travel back & forth weekly & they still look fab! Imagine how shiny the ones that sit in their desks still look, top notch! The spines are still in great condition and with no rips or tears in the PVC I could easily reuse these next year if I wished.

The kids said the covers were great because their books were easily recognisable & lots of their friends commented on the cool designs and searched for the ice-block (the built in game on every cover). 

Their pencil cases withstood the test of time, albeit a zipper tag has fallen off, but that's not bad going for an item that's used daily.  When they bought them home over the last school holidays, I did a quick inventory of their supplies, gave the case a wipe over with a chux (so handy they are all PVC) and refilled them ready for 4th term (a red pencil & red felt pen are a necessity for term 4!) 

Their pencils, erasers & sharpeners were all well loved or pinched by the end of term 2, they were just that popular. Mr 8 often complained of his funky smart phone sharpener going walkabout & would always find it on a neighbouring desk.. He stopped taking his gym boot pencil case to school a few weeks into term 1 because he was getting too many girls stopping by his desk to check out his kool stuff, too much female attention.. I'm sure he won't be complaining about that in a few years.. 

I didn't complain though because I scored that pencil case for my teaching bag, where it gets tons of positive comments & stores all of the cool products I snaffled for myself including my favourite scented pens (strawberry is divine) and a stock of the double ended scented markers (yes I like smelly stuff ~ who doesn't!?) And with scents like Choc Chip Cookie & even Pizza, you won't be able to stop sniffing your pencil case.. {warning might result in odd looks LOL} 

I was absolutely devastated when our school announced that they were supplying the books for 2014 & along with that, slip covers for the books... How bummed was I?! Thankfully the school is allowing us to cover the kids books as I wasn't going to miss out on the exciting new range of covers that 2kool4skool has released for back to school 2014.  No way! And I highly doubt with our Principals taste that his covers will be half as cool.. :) 

So with all that in mind, I'd happily shop & continue to shop www.2kool4skool.com.au the staff are lovely, they still have a great presence on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest & really, who doesn't want to make back to school shopping easier... Pop over to their website & start checking them out.. You will not be disappointed & have many hours to gain NOT covering books!

 

You can find 2Kool4Skool here or follow them on Facebook to find out about all their cool upcoming products & stationary lines for cool stocking fillers and back to school 2014 here!  

For those that want to try out a fantastic pencil case from www.2kool4skool.com.au enter my giveaway below as I have 5 fab pencil cases to give away to my lucky readers. *Please note those that don't have Facebook, please just leave a blog post comment to enter :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linking up with Jess from 'Essentially Jess' for IBOT. 

 

School Lunches! Back to school Today!

 

School goes back today. The kids are very excited.. Iv already had Mr 7 & 9 wake up countless times each throughout the night. I half expect to see them awake and dressed by 5am at this rate! Let's hope not..

So each year I'm a bit of a sucker for new bags & lunch boxes. Quite possibly the kids could have recycled their old school bag this year, but when I saw the Mambo bags at Big W I decided I'd get them some new ones anyway. Mr 7 nearly took his old one though as he was rather miffed the new one didn't have any room for bag-tags! {oh the injustice of it all!}

I'm pretty happy with their lunchbox choice. Miss 11 got her lunchbox from Smiggle ($15), Mr 9's came from Big W as part of a larger 'Smash' back to school pack for $10 & Mr 7 found his comical bargain buy for only $7 at K-Mart. 3 different shops, but sometimes you JUST HAVE TO to find the perfect one.. {Mr 7 will tell you so everytime}

Their old bags I donate to Lifeline as they are still in good condition & I'd like to think that someone got use of them that needed them.

So now to filling them..

I usually pack 2 things for morning tea/first break a piece of fruit & something else such as an LCM, Cheese & Crackers, Corn chips & salsa, muffins, biscuits, lamingtons etc. as well as a juice/popper. For big lunch I will pack 3 things plus they have their water bottles. 4 years ago I found these handy containers with 3 compartments. So useful for putting big lunch into. I have used them for many combo's over the years but usually I stick to the pattern of entree, main & desert LOL. Which can be as simple as crackers, sandwich & lamington finger! Or as complex as you like too! Mr 7 is loving cheese & crackers at the moment so this is his lunchbox. In the morning I will add olives & cherry tomatoes also, but won't add them at night or the cheese tends to go soggy overnight. I usually try to make the lunches the night prior so I'm more organised in the morning.

I always try to be as creative and generous as possible where lunches are concerned because knowing how fussy & hungry they get when their at home I don't want them feeling empty or bored with their lunchbox choices at school. However, I don't think the lunchbox should be the place to experiment with new foods.. When teaching I saw far too many children throwing food away they claimed not to like.

A couple of hints Iv found that seem to work well. Pack 2 lunch boxes, 1 for first break & 1 for second break that way your child will be less likely to eat all their food on the one break. My eldest is terrible at this, Mr 12 will devour all of his lunch in one sitting then come home ravenous at afternoon tea time..

Make sure you wash the kids fruit before you pack it.

Wrap cutlery in a piece of paper towel or add a serviette to the lunchbox. Iv had far too many yoghurt explosions in Mr 7's lunchbox to realise they need it at school to clean themselves up :)

The kids also get Tuckshop once a week on 'Tuckshop Tuesday' which when they were younger and at home (or even now when they are on holidays) is 'Subway Tuesday' I don't remember where this started, but it stuck! Lol. Our school Tuckshop only does big lunch so on a Tuesday I am happy for them to order what they'd like. And on a Friday I send along 50c each for them to spend at the Tuckshop.

So that is school lunches in our home.. They take forever to make some nights and are devoured in seconds or bought home wasted, but I like to think while I'm making them they think of me {probably not} while they're eating them LOL.

My Hopes For The New School Year

 

 

So we're all organised for back to school! The supplies have been purchased, covered & packed. Lunch boxes & drink bottles labelled & uniforms washed, labelled, ironed & hung.. It is with sadness the school holidays draw to a close, I looked forward to them for so long & now they're over, it's just gone way too quick for my liking. I'm not one of these Mums who count down the days till school goes back because I enjoy the freedom of no routine, I enjoy spending time with the kids and it takes 1 million worries off your mind when their close by rather than out in the big wide world. So no, I'm not really looking forward to them going back at all. However, I know they love it.. They thrive on learning and the interaction and they have become bored of the holidays.. 7 weeks to them must feel like forever.

I didn't enjoy the kids school last year, not at all. I didn't like the kids Teachers nor the overall atmosphere of the school or the way it conducted many of its program's & events. I bit my lip through assemblies where I felt like bursting into laughter or yelling back at the Principal at times out of the sheer frustration of how useless I felt the school had become. I gritted my teeth when I paid the fee's each term as I felt it was money better spent elsewhere.. But we will still be returning.. Why? Because my kids love it & I wonder if I missed something?

So it is my hope that this year I can find some joy in the school. Staff left in droves at the end of last year & I wonder if this will freshen things up? I hope that I will love my kids Teacher's this year & that they will seem excited to be there {the Teacher's that is} I hope we as parents will be made to feel comfortable within the school as I felt far from welcome last year. I hope that the School has tweaked their motivation, behaviour & rewards program so that it will be more inclusive of the whole school population & that kids who do the right thing all the time won't be ignored as I felt they were last year. And at the same time I hope those kids who struggle to achieve & do the right thing are given the opportunity to shine. I'm going back this year with an open mind but have decided if I am still not happy by the end of this year I will change schools. I'm not looking forward to that so I hope my faith is restored in the school during 2013. These are my hopes for the kids this year;

I hope that Mr 12 has a smooth transition into high school & that he makes new friends quickly, that he stays safe in his new found independence & makes the most of his new Highshool despite not wanting to go there. I hope that others are kind to him & that he works hard to achieve. I hope that he is able to find himself this year & make the most of every opportunity that arises.

I hope that Miss 12 enjoys year 7 and the leadership that comes with being the highest grade in the school. I hope we are able to find some peace with her ADHD this year & find a happy balance for her medication & an end to the tumultuous behaviour that seems to have emerged of late. I hope that she can tell the truth & that she regains the trust and respect of her peers. I hope her Teacher is firm but fair & that she finds her work easier to understand than in the previous year. No one likes to see their child struggle and success would be fantastic for her self esteem. I hope that she finds a hobby she loves and that she takes many happy memories away from her last year at Primary School.

I hope that Mr 9 starts to mature this year & that he loses the 'class clown' facade that he puts on. The sooner he realises he is worth far more than everyone laughing at his expense the better. He has friends that are no good for him, yet he plays with them despite knowing they are bad news. I hope in 2013 he has the courage to break out of his comfort zone and find new friends. I hope he experiences many great things & enjoys his first school camp later year.

I hope that Mr 7 continues to grow in confidence & that he continues to try new things. In the past, shy and unsure he has been unwilling to 'have a go' and easily embarrasses when trialling new things. I'd love for him to feel courageous in all that he does. I hope the Teacher's don't continue to 'tar' him with the same brush as my Step kids as each is an individual & should be treated as such. Thankfully the teacher he has this year hasn't taught any of my Stepchildren so he may be on a fairer wicket. I hope he stays connected with his friends even though they have been dispersed throughout different classes & I hope the emotional roller coaster he has been riding of late (school holiday boredom I hope?) will soon come to an end & he will feel excited to be going back to school once more.

On the whole I hope that their school year is fun, exciting & filled with many memories that will last them a lifetime. I hope they are eager to go to school each day & have a look of contentment & inspired awe when I collect them each afternoon. I hope they get every opportunity to learn, share, express themselves & succeed. I wish them a fantastic year of school in 2013 because school is meant to be exciting & memorable for all the right reasons.

 

Linking up with Jess @ http://essentiallyjess.com/

Heading Back to School with 2Kool4Skool.com.au + Exciting Giveaway!!

To celebrate the launch of 2Kool4Skool's '26 Days of Kool Giveaways' I would like to introduce my readers to their great range of back to school products.  Please feel free to read my first ever review post below & be sure to enter my fantastic giveaway to win yourself some of these fantastic products!

I can hardly believe we are already over the half way mark in the kids school holidays and it's at about this time that the mind wanders to the dreaded impending 'back to school'. But unlike previous years I am more than happy with my back to school preparations thus far. 

Not only have I organised the kids uniforms and shoes, but I've also bought everything on their book lists and ordered some personalised labels from Stuck on You.  I thought this was pretty impressive in itself, BUT it's already all covered, labelled and ready to go!!! Super keen or what??

I must admit, I did have a little bit of motivation this year as I couldn't wait to try out the new products from 2kool4skool.com.au!  2Kool4Skool is an online business that specialises in reusable PVC Book Covers and cool coordinating stationery. I was first introduced to 2Kool4Skool late last year prior to the launch of their website and ever since I must say I have been very impressed. Impressed not only with their products, but also their friendly service, their dedication in getting a new business launched and their presence on social media. 

 

Some of the funky book covers and accessories for Mr 7's books.

 

So when it came to ordering supplies for back to school 2013 I didn't hesitate! I actually looked forward to jumping online and picking from their extensive range. The kids helped too, because I know they love stationery shopping (who doesn't!) and I loved the fact the website was so easy to use, stock was readily available,  postage was lightening fast, packaged perfectly and the order was spot on!

With 4 kids at school (3 Primary and 1 High school) back to school shopping is never a walk in the park for us but I found many of the back to school basics such as pencil cases, lead pencils, crayons, erasers, rulers and pens through 2Kool4Skool. The kids all chose their favourite designs which they were very excited about and we found there was something for everyone (which is usually pretty hard as I have fussy kids!)
 

Miss 11 loving her 2kool4skool stuff!

 

Each of the kids loved their pencil cases and were able to choose a design that reflected their personality well. They are using the Satchel style pencil case for their coloured pencils, pens and crayons and their Gym Boot pencil case for everyday items such as pencils, erasers and sharpeners etc. I found this way of organising pencil cases has worked perfectly in the past and helps the kids to be more organised and minimises loss!



Miss 11's Pencil Case - Cool Chick

   

Mr 12's Pencil Case - Danger!

 One of the kids favourite things was all the smelly stationery, they absolutely loved the Scratch n Sniff labels and went label crazy on all of their items! The labels were great not only for the books, but also for their folders, calculators and even their glue sticks!

The Scratch n Sniff labels are great for naming folders, glue sticks, calculators, etc.

 

The stickers look great even on large A3 Art Blocks.

 

Miss 11 went scented stationery crazy and found the scented markers, highlighters, Fun in the Sun Eraser and scented ruler right up her alley.. her pencil case smells divine!

 

Miss 11's array of pretty and smelly stationary

I road tested some of the stationery items myself and was impressed with the writing quality of the pens, the erasers rubbed out neatly and cleanly and the pencils and sharpener, sharpened easily and well. The crayons and markers were a big hit, were nice and colourful and would be great for smaller children as they are nice, chunky and easy to hold.

Testing out the rubber!

BUT The product I am most excited about is the 2Kool4Skool Book Covers!  WOW.. The amount of hours I have wasted over the past 7 years using contact, brown paper and gift wrap all flashed before my eyes and if I had $1 for every air bubble I got in the kids books  in the past I'd be a rich woman! Sooo I was a little more than excited over the prospect of never having to use contact ever again!!! We had 51 books to cover this year of various sizes, but predominantly A4 and Scrapbook and once again I was able to buy designs that would appeal to each of the kids, some of them even matched their pencil cases!

 

Miss 11's Book cover's.. Exercise, A4 and Scrapbook Size.

 

Mr 7's Scrapbooks from the Gobble & Google Eyes Sets.

 

 

Mr 9's Exercise Books with funky cover's.. His favourite was the Lego 'Lil Dude' pack.

 

I actually covered the books last night and even the kids were able to help, they got a kick out of, because it's something they haven't been able to help with in the past.  It only took 1 and 1/2 hours to cover and label all of the kids books from start to finish and the part that took the longest was deciding on the designs that each of the kids wanted!  But because we had a few different packs we were able to mix and match the designs so they had a great variety. I even found some of the packs were unisex and would be great for people with 2 kids because you could share packs easily amongst the kids even if you had a boy and a girl. 

 

Overall my experience with the brand as a whole has been a positive one and I would thoroughly recommend them to all of my readers.. So much so that I have an awesome prize pack on offer to share;

 

 

 

To be in the draw to win, please follow the Rafflecopter below.. if something isn't working with it please leave a blog post comment with the answer to the following question; What 2Kool4Skool book cover design do you like the best?

The Prize Pack Contains

1 x Satchel Pencil Case/ID Holder

1 x Packet of Bubblegum & Chocolate Scratch N Sniff Labels

1 x Packet of Colour Appeal Crayons

1 x Pack of Exercise Book Covers

1 x Pack of A4 Book Covers

1 x Pack of Scrapbook Covers
1 x Fun in the Sun Eraser
1 x Valentines Pencils
 

All brought to you by the great people at 2Kool4Skool.com.au.  I am sure they will be able to make your back to school 2013 experience as fantastic as mine has been this year!

You can find the full range of 2Kool4Skool.com.au products here:
http://www.2kool4skool.com.au/index.php


* This has been a review post for 2Kool4Skool.com.au however, all opinions expressed above are that of my own & I was not paid to write this post
a Rafflecopter giveaway )