Back To School with Office Max and Peter Walsh

We all like to try and save money where we can and back to school shopping can get dreadfully expensive if we let it. Running around from one store to another to get the best deals can be exhausting.

There's one place that you can go though, to get all you need, at reasonable prices and in the styles your kids want. Office Max.

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the Office Max Back To School Webcast yesterday, starring Peter Walsh, blogging mom Anna, teacher Heather along with a couple of students, live from a school in Chicago. I'm sure if you were on Twitter yesterday afternoon, you were made aware of it!

I know a lot of you wouldn't go to an office supply store for school supplies because of a number of perceptions:

1. I can't find everything at an office supply store that is on the back to school list.

* Well, I honestly can't tell you that you'll find the athletic shoes there, but I'm pretty sure that the other 99% of the items you can. From pencils to backpacks, Office Max is sure to have what you need.

2. Office supply stores don't have reasonable prices.

* I so want you to check out the weekly circulars in your paper this weekend. Have you seen the fabulous 1¢ sales Office Max has? You can literally get supplies you need for pennies!

3. Office supply stores only carry boring, bland, basic supplies. My kids want the latest styles.

* Office Max's Schoolio Von Hoolio line has some of the hippest, trendiest supplies out there this year. Hibiscus flowers in pink, yellow and orange tones. Cupcakes and owls on composition books and memo pads. According to my 13 year old, cupcakes are awesome sauce. You heard it here folks! Check out this poly expanding file folder and clipboard from the line.

Your kids may have trouble picking out what they want, and you may want to grab a file folder or two for yourself! (That owl is just too cute isn't he?)

One of the most important things to do when planning for Back to School though is starting routines right away. Whether your children are in Kindergarten or are Seniors, homeschooled or attend public/private school, make sure they have designated spots for where school work and supplies belong at home. And that they are organized. Peter Walsh, who has so had to literally dig through people's clutter, shared in the webcast that when clutter becomes overwhelming then it's hard to get out from under it. This brings about stress and of course then your children's education starts to suffer too.

If you are a homeschool parent or teacher make sure you stop in at Office Max on August 9th, as they are offering educators a 15% discount that day.

If you would like to view a recorded version of the webcast with Peter Walsh and get ideas to get organized for Back to School, visit http://www.officemaxsolutions.com/btsblogcast/. (You will need to have or download Silverlight to view it.) I'm almost certain you will come out at least with one idea to get your Back to School plans rolling ☺.

I received samples of the Schoolio Von Hoolio line courtesy of Office Max, prior to writing this blog post.