Friday Fun: Back to School Shopping

There were about 8 million things I wanted to write about in today’s fun post. I’ve been reading a lot lately, and I thought about writing about the book I just finished today. It was awesome, and I’ll write about it soon. I also thought about writing about authors I like or things I’ve done recently. And then I realized that it’s almost time to go back to school (instert either excitement or disappointment here) and part of going back to school is back to school shopping.

This might not be a fun post for everyone.

Anf if it’s not, that’s ok. I’m sure that there are other posts I’ve written and will write that you’ve liked and will like better.

But today’s post is about back to school shopping. For me this breaks down into two parts: school supply shopping and school clothing shopping. I actually like both parts of this shopping equally.

My love of school supplies is no secret here on this blog. I’ve written entire posts about school supplies, about my planner, about my current favorite pen. I love school supplies. I love pens – especially colored pens. I love binders and how they come in fun colors and with fun patterns. I love looking at planners and finding the perfect one. I love looking at the packages of highlighters and sharpies.

Beyond loving the actual school supplies I love how these giant displays of supplies appear when it’s back to school season. I love how suddenly there are supplies that aren’t always there necessarily, or how the prices are better. I love everything about school supplies and their appearance when it’s time to get ready to go back to school.

I have to admit though, that this year I haven’t bought a lot of school supplies. I accumulated A LOT of school supplies in four years of college, and I realized that I really don’t need anything right now. I have binders and pens and post-its and really everything. It’s time to use what I have and replace on an as-needed basis. Right now there is no need. There’s a lot of want but I have to look at how much space I have, and right now there’s not a lot of space.

The other part of back to school shopping, for me at least, is shopping for clothes. It’s great to get to get new jeans and sweaters and dresses and skirts and shoes. (And no, typically I don’t get all of that at once. But some years I have gotten all of that.) It’s exciting to pick new clothes and look forward to wearing them and figure out where I’m going to wear them to.

This year is even more exciting because I’ve been shopping for “grown up clothing.” I’ve wanted (and I need) clothes more appropriate for an internship/the real world. So I’ve been shopping for skirts and nice pants and blouses and just really awesome clothing that’s a little different from what I normally own and wear. Mom and I have been having a really good time going places like TJ Maxx and Marshalls and Target to find great clothes at great prices.

All in all back to school shopping – both parts – have been great this year. What are all of you doing to prepare for school or just for September?

BrittanyM

Why I’m (Sometimes) a Giant Dork

For the most part I like to think that I’m at least somewhat normal. I like to hang out with my family and friends, read books, write A LOT, watch too much TV, etc. And to me that sounds pretty normal. I’ve also just started grad school, am busy with schoolwork, love going to the beach in the summer and so on. But I do have one major weakness that, at least in my opinion, makes me a giant dork.

I love school supplies.

I am sure that there are plenty of people out there who love school supplies. But I REALLY love school supplies. I get really excited when the school supply displays get put up in Walmart and Target. (It’s happening NOW, by the way.) I have to restrain myself from buying supplies in excess because, well, how many packages of Post-It tabs does one person really need? (Colored pens are also a problem for me.)

Recently I did a happy dance in Target. This isn’t as weird as it sounds, not really. But I wasn’t doing a happy dance because I saw someone I knew or because there were mint Oreos or anything like that. It wasn’t even a happy dance over nail polish (another weakness) which I have been known to do before. This was a happy dance, right in a main aisle, because I found my planner for the upcoming school year.

Yes. You read that correctly. I did a happy dance because I found my planner.

Now, before you start to really wonder if I’ve gone crazy, I assure you that I haven’t. But I realized that with grad school and my internship and life in general I was going to need a bigger planner than I’ve been buying. (I needed more lines to write things, OK?) And since I’ve already started grad school, I started looking for planners earlier than normal. And planners are hard to find in July. The ones I was finding were too small, or didn’t have lines, or just weren’t pretty. And pretty is a requirement because my planner is a HUGE part of my life. So when I found my planner, and decided that it was my planner, I did a happy dance. In front of my family. In the middle of Target.

And if that doesn’t make me a giant dork then what does?

BrittanyM

So Many Things

I’m not sure how it happened, but I seem to have accumulated a lot of things over the years, especially since going to college. I have Rubbermaid upon rubbermaid of papers and folders and school supplies (so much school supplies) and I’m not entirely sure where it all came from. I know where the notebooks of me from, I write so much that I’m always buying new ones. And I guess if I thought of it all in the same logical way, I could come up with an explanation for all of it. But if I think if it in the abstract, it’s amazing how much stuff I have and that I manage to make it all fit in less than an entire dorm room.

BrittanyM

Preparing for New Adventures

After three years in college one would think that I have about everything I need to go off for the year. One would think that I would have all the necessary school supplies and toiletries and that I wouldn’t need to do a major shopping trip every summer. Those assumptions would be wrong.

Tonight my dad and I went out armed with my long list of things I need (and want) to buy and began to tackle it. We didn’t get everything on the list but we made a significant dent, and we’ll go out again once I inventory what I actually still have.

Personally I really like school supply shopping, especially at this time of year when everything that can possibly be imagined it out. I try hard to stick to the list that I have, but tonight at Target there were just so many things that I wanted to buy because they were cool or I might use them or they just looked really exciting. And maybe all of that makes me a little weird (because not a lot of people I know like school supply shopping) but I really genuinely do. I love getting new pens and paper, but I also love getting things like wipe board calenders or the paper lantern lights I got to hang in my room.

So at the end of the day, I’m really looking forward to going back to school. I might feel differently when I’m swamped with work, but for now, the start of senior year seems like a great fun adventure and I can’t wait.

BrittanyM

Acquisition of New Items

Today I came into possession of a fridge and a microwave. Because, in case you weren’t aware, the season of acquiring new appliances (and other items) is upon us. Why, you might ask? Because stores are beginning to stock their back to school items. And so far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the most wonderful times of the year.

It might make me a little odd to say it, but I love back to school season. In part because I love going back to school, but that’s only developed since I’ve gone to college. I just really love back to school supplies. I love notebooks and pens and binders. I love getting a new planner. I love looking at the bedding and carpets and all the little items that come out specifically this time of year. And I love picking out the ones I’m going to buy. (This is why I currently own entirely too many things and never seem to entirely unpack during the summer.)

Today my new acquisitions were the fridge and microwave. They’re pretty big acquisitions in the grand scheme of things, but not as big as they could be. But in terms of back to school items, fridge and microwave are kind of as big as it’s going to get for me. After all, tis the season.

BrittanyM

Finally Feeling Like Summer

Today the weather was warm and humid and lovely. It’s not that I’m the biggest fan of humidity or super hot temperatures, but it was SUCH a nice change from the gray gloom and doom we’ve been having. Finally it made sense to wear a T-shirt, shorts and sandals. And as much as I love blue jeans (and I really really do) spring and summer are SUPPOSED to be the time of year where you get to wear cute warm weather clothing. So to be able to do that today was lovely. And luckily the weather over the next few days is supposed to be similar. Hip hip horray!

As excited as I am for summer, I went shopping for what most would consider “back to school stuff.” On my Wal*Mart run today I bought planners, folders, post-it labels and a new wipeboard. I promise I’m not trying to make summer go away before it really has a chance to start. I LOVE summer. But I also love back to school supplies, and today I saw things that either I needed now or would need when school starts up again, and I didn’t see the harm in buying it today. (Plus, I REALLY love back to school supplies.)

So today has been a lovely blend of summer and back to school thoughts for me. I love both seasons equally and for different reasons, and I love school supplies always. It’s actually a little bit of a problem. I tend to end up with WAY more than I need. But eventually I’ll use it, and it makes me happy, so there’s no REAL harm there, right?

BrittanyM