Do you have a weakness for absolutely unnecessary school supplies?
What about office supplies, in general?
Then, you’re in good company.
I love office supplies.
As in, I looooooooooove them.
I committed several hours to poring over one site after another and narrowed my selections down to 7 items.
If you are new to The Pioneer Woman’s Homeschooling blog, this post is an ongoing series. If nothing in this list tickles your fancy, take a gander at Part I and Part II.
Via Koh-l-Noor: Small Hedgehog With Half-Length Pencils
Koh-l-Noor: Small Hedgehog With Half-Length Pencils
There is no way you can look at this little hedgehog and not grin ear to ear.
Okay, maybe you can, but I can’t, which is why it’s on the list.
This little guy comes with 24 half-length colored pencils, but you can also use full-length pencils of your own as long as they don’t exceed 7mm in diameter.
I think full-length pencils might make your hedgehog resemble a sea urchin, but to each their own.
This hedgehog serves a dual purpose; part utilitarian and part decoration.
I want one.
I’m not getting one because, after all, it really is an unnecessary school supply choice; it’s also exceedingly expensive. Ouch!
But, oh so adorable.
Via Perpetual Kid
New and Improved Personal Library Kit
Did you grow up playing library?
I was into it in a big way.
I wanted to BE a librarian.
Except for the part about being quiet; I wasn’t fond of that.
My dad brought home a bunch of old time cards and a stamp/stamp pad from his workplace. I cut out sleeves from manilla folders, attached them with tape to the back of all my books, tucking a time card in each one.
When my friends came over, we took turns being the librarian, the stylish chic, or the momma who was helping her kids check-out books.
The stylish chic preferred the Highlights and Avon catalogs; who knew?
The boys didn’t like playing library.
I had a wide variety of choices, from children’s books to The Baby-Sitter’s Club, Little House on the Prairie, and the Nancy Drew series. There were authors like Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, and C.S. Lewis.
This Personal Library Kit has everything I had but fancier with self-adhesive pockets, and actual checkout cards.
It’s fun.
It stirs up memories of the Saturdays and Summers of my childhood.
Plus, it’s a fun way to keep a record of who has borrowed your books.
Sidenote: If you borrowed our copy of Maze Runner, please return it; or, y’know, let us know you have it. We’ve looked for two years now, thankyouverymuch.
Via Cata Pencil
Cata Pencil
I have a feeling I may get a lot of grief over this one, but seriously…a Cata Pencil?
Ultimate coolness.
Let’s be honest, regardless of what lengths you go to make your homeschool exciting, it isn’t always.
When it gets boring, a little bit of target practice, or a mini midday battle can get the fidgets out of everyone’s system so they can get back to reading, writing and arithmetic.
Naturally, you’ll need to implement a few guidelines.
You don’t want your kids slinging thumb tacks across the room at each other.
I suggest wadded-up paper (though not spitballs; those are just gross).
Oh hey, use Sour Patch Kids! Then, no one cries when they get hit because it’s its own special reward!
Via Tiki Tissue Box
Tiki Tissue Box
My favorite part of the description of the Tiki Tissue Box at ThinkGeek is “Provide your own tissues and mucus.”
Eeew. I’m glad they clarified.
Studying Polynesian culture? This carving may count as a need versus a want. There are so few of those, take them when you can get them.
When school kicks back in it’ll be only a few more months before the sniffles do too. Consider this preparatory supplies.
Plus, there is something satisfying about the idea of pulling tissues through a textured resin face with a big honkin’ nose.
Just drop in your standard tissue box and you’re ready.
Flu season just got interesting.
Via Now You May Speak Coffee Mug
Now You May Speak Coffee Mug
I need to get this for Jeff, my husband.
In our budget, it could go in the Marriage Enrichment category along with date nights and red wine.
While I jump from the bed with my head in full gear, he needs a minute. Scratch that, he needs a solid half-hour.
And that’s hard for me because I’m already up by the time he gets up. That means my brain isn’t just in full gear, but I’ve had time to make a list of the things I need to do. As much as I hate to bug the man in the morning, lists usually mean I need to talk to him about a few things before he leaves for work.
And he’s in slow motion.
Sloooooooooooooow-moooooooo.
So, this mug would be a physical reminder for me to be quiet for just a bit, so he doesn’t have to tell me to be quiet.
He’s a man of few words, and in the mornings the words sound more like growling.
How does this count as school supplies?
Emotional support.
Kids need their parents to get along.
I’m just sayin’.
Via A Head of the Class Container
A Head of the Class Container
Whether you think Phrenology is a pseudoscience or not, when it comes bearing candy, it’s much easier to digest.
Heh heh.
Developed by a German physician named Franz Joseph Gall in the late 1700s, Phrenology asserted that mental faculties are located in brain ‘organs’ on the surface of the brain. He believed a visible inspection of the skull, a cranioscopy, revealed a person’s character and mental capacity.
Personally, I don’t believe the bumps on my head offer clues to my inner personality other than the fact I can be clumsy at times.
But hey, the idea behind Phrenology is interesting, much like reading one’s fortune from a cookie.
I like this head container.
It’s cool looking.
It’s a bit of history.
It’d kick off an interesting research paper and presentation.
Plus, it could hide my new favorite candy, Peanut Butter M&Ms. (Tip: Don’t eat them, they are addictive, and they WILL make your jeans shrink. It’s an anomaly.)
Via Redbook
Spice Storage Rack
I’ve included this as an idea more than a product. There are many different kinds of spice racks of this rotating nature, so take your pick.
But, oh my goodness, THIS IDEA IS SO SMART.
I love organization.
I love glass jars.
I love seeing things I want to organize PLACED IN glass jars.
You can put paper clips, staples, thumb tacks (though not to use with the Cata Pencil, which we already established), rubber bands, mini colored pencils for your hedgehog, stickers,…the sky is the limit, in these jars!
I don’t have a lot of drawers, and even less counter space, so vertical, visual storage is wonderful.
Well, that’s that.
Another wish list of supplies, I don’t necessarily need but love and thought you would as well.
Now it’s time for you to go out and find a few ways to bring some absolutely unnecessary fun into your kids’ school days.
And why not?
Or maybe, like with a few of these examples, something to make your day move along a little easier.
Either way, it counts as supplies, right?
Heather Sanders helps moms pursue their passions and earn an income while staying home with their kids. If you want to raise your children while contributing to your family financially and following your dreams, subscribe to her blog now.