toddler

Hey there – it’s Monica, Gugu Guru’s founder. It’s that time of year {sigh} summer is really coming to an end, people. This means it’s time to finish up all the prep for going back to preschool and I’m sharing a few product discovery picks that have made life a little easier in our home this year.

Stasher

Disclaimer: I received Stasher bags for review but all opinions are my own.

I would not describe myself as an “eco mama” by any means, my cupboards are a good mix of organic and the not so organic stuff. However, I would say that my family is really good about recycling.  One item that we use a lot and that does make me feel guilty is ziplock bags. We use a TON of them to store just about everything – from leftovers to crayons and more – leaving me constantly rinsing them out in an effort to re-use them and do my part to save our planet from all this trash.  Well, my worries have come to an end folks. Enter Stasher – the world’s first—and only—self-sealing, airtight, non-plastic bag!

Why am I loving on Stasher for Back to School? It’s just genius in terms of not being wasteful.  I don’t only mean for the environment but also for all the leftovers your picky baby or toddler or kid will be generating over his or her childhood.  I cannot tell you how many times, I have had food on the tray of the high chair and pondered, “Is this ziplock worthy?” Now the answer can always be “yes” with Stasher.

These bags are super functional; easily going from the freezer, to the microwave, and to the dishwasher.  Also, you’re not limited to storing food, they make great travel bags, organizers and more.

skip*hop Zoo Lunchie Insulated Lunch Bag, Owl

I just love skip*hop; it’s a classic brand with iconic designs. You’ll be met with a lot of choices when you go back to school shopping – especially when it comes to backpacks and lunch boxes. Don’t be fooled into grabbing that cartoon character lunch bag. Smart, high-quality design like skip*hop is always a good investment for parents.

This roomy, insulated PVC-free lunch bag keeps food and drinks cold. The large main compartment is big enough to hold a sandwich, fruit and juice box and it also has an interior mesh pocket for utensils (or snack!) The top handle attaches onto another bag – which is great for kiddos that are new to handling backpacks.

Rockets of Awesome

Full disclosure here: Rockets of Awesome used to be a baby registry site called Cricket’s Circle and I guess you could say Cricket’s Circle was a competitor to Gugu Guru of sorts.  So, needless to say I was very intrigued when the company evolved into a kids’ clothing subscription service called Rockets of Awesome and I signed up for my boxes the day the site launched. The first thing I thought was, “Who needs another clothing subscription service?” I am here to say, I do – and you probably do too!

Fiona rocking her first day of school outfit: a striped dress with tulle skirt and matching crown headband from Rockets of Awesome.

To get started with Rockets of Awesome, you take a style quiz for your kid(s). The more information, you give about your child’s style, the better. Then you get a note that the stylist is working on your box and you should receive it within the next few days.

Here’s what I liked:

• There is NO FEE to try this subscription. Just pay for what you keep.  There are so many subscription boxes out there that charge you a fee just to get a box – even if you don’t keep anything. When I saw this, I felt like Rockets of Awesome did their legwork when it came to researching what parents would appreciate from a box service.
• My kids were thrilled to open their boxes and see what was selected for their style. That was the highlight of the experience – the element of surprise.
• The clothes are all unique & stylish, mostly well constructed and a very reasonable price.
• Very easy to return what we didn’t want to keep, as well as provide feedback to the stylists on why we kept what we did.

Some minor things to be improved:

• A few of the items – just a few – seemed a little lower on the quality side.
• My son is very tall but very skinny; some of the pants sent to us fit his waist but looked like floods.  Sizing with kids is a tough nut to crack sometimes. We’ll see how it’s handled with the next box.
• A glitch with billing that was resolved relatively quickly, but I had to contact Customer Service to point it out.

Could you just hit Old Navy and shop for clothes there? Yes, but this is more fun.  However, the real deciding factor of whether I will continue with RoA will be the upcoming boxes.  Will update you all in October. In the meantime, if you want to try it out, you can use this link to receive a free item with your first purchase.

How did Rockets of Awesome know that Rory is camouflage-crazed? Not sure. But this outfit in his box was a total winner.

Photography: Sinnerman Photography

Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. If you make a purchase through an affiliate link, you help to support Gugu Guru as we receive a commission on the sale. Thank you in advance!