This Back to School Giveaway offering a $100 Target Gift Card plus a SignUpGenius Prize Pack is part of a promotional campaign with SignUpGenius, but as always, our writer’s opinions are her own.
The back-to-school season is full of mixed emotions. You might be sending your oldest or your youngest to school for the first time, or perhaps looking at the big step of a child starting middle school or high school. Those changes are scary but always exciting too. Our children face different challenges each year, but can I be honest and admit to what challenges me as a mom?
It’s all the papers and forms and sign-up sheets. Throughout the year, these will continue to come home stuffed in the backpack. I’m lucky if I see some of them. When I get those forms, this is my internal dialogue: Do I have time to sign up? Have I already signed up? Maybe I did, haven’t I seen this form before? Who else is working at that time? Maybe I could work with a friend. That would make it more fun.
Are you involved in groups where you get stuck with endless email loops or pieces of paper begging for help? Have you ever tried SignUpGenius? I love it. I’ve never organized a sign up, but I’ve signed up for many different things using this great tool.
- Teacher conference times
- Food items for parties and potlucks
- Notify volunteers in my daughter’s community service club of needs
- A community service group I follow uses it to organize volunteers
- Donations of food items (for Teacher Appreciation, a banquet etc)
- Book Sale at school
Why do I like signing up for things using SignUpGenius?
- I can easily see all options and choose the ones that work for me
- I can see who else has signed up when and choose to work with a friend
- When I register, I can automatically add it to certain calendar apps
- If I need to change my time, I can do that myself
If you are the organizer of an event that needs help in the way of donations or time, you receive the benefit of these things as well:
- Imagine not having to plug willing volunteers into spots (and then move them around when it doesn’t work for some people)
- Imagine not having to waste time and paper sending out announcements and reminders.
- Imagine not having to field questions about what items are needed or what other times are available, because you are empowering the volunteers to do this themselves.
In their own words:
The SignUpGenius mission is “To empower people to change the world by making it simple to organize groups.”
Dan Rutledge, CEO, says this, “We consider it an honor to be able to serve the families, schools, churches, nonprofits, and other significant organizations that use our tool.â€
Find out how SignUpGenius works.
Enter to win a SignUpGenius Prize Pack worth over $100
One of you (U.S. only) will win:
- $100 Target Gift Card (to get back-to-school organizing “on targetâ€)
- SignUpGenius goodies (t-shirt, stress ball, highlighter and more)
Enter More Back to School 2014 Giveaways
Here’s the list of Back to School 2014 Giveaways we’ve published so far… Check here daily for updates.
- Set of Captain No Beard Books
- Gloves for Every Job – Clean Ones & $75 Walmart Gift Card
- Razor Kick Scooter
- Middle School: The Inside Story
- Carry and Organize Almost Anything with Caboodles
- Truly Scrumptious by Heidi Klum
- Trapper Keeper
- Fellowes Neptuneâ„¢3 125 Laminator
- Star Wars To-Men and Kendama Pro
- $100 Target Gift Card from SignUpGenius
- Windows Laptop/Tablet & Office 365 Home Edition
- Baby’s Brilliant App – $50 Visa Gift Card
- The Orb Factory Combines Science and Art
- Win a LivingPlug Prize Pack
- Dragon Speech Recognition Software
Don’t miss any of these giveaways. We’ll be updating our Back to School Giveaway Event 2014 post daily with new giveaways.
>>> Don’t Miss Any… Click Here to Get A Reminder
Back to School Shopping Guide
We’ve pulled together an awesome collection of shopping suggestions to get your kids ready to head back to school… check out our Shopping Guide now!
My biggest struggle is getting my kids in bed at a decent time.
My biggest struggle is getting back in a routine.
I don’t have kids, but whenever I plan on going back to school (college) and it’s hard getting into the groove of being in school for me 😉
Getting into a routine is very difficult
Getting all kids ready– watching out for traffic–trying to get everyone going in the am !!!!
my biggest struggle is keeping stuff organized and kids on schedule.
Having so many things to buy and getting back into a routine.
getting up early!
My son went off to college, and my biggest struggle is missing him…..he is my only and I am now an empty-nester, like it or not!
I am a college student, so getting myself prepared is very stressful.
My biggest struggle with back to school is getting everyones school , sport and games schedules synchronized again.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
My biggest struggle is getting used to being on a schedule.
We homeschool, so my biggest struggle is actually getting myself organized so I can be a good instructor!
My biggest problem is getting the kids back into the routine…my daughter has bad anxiety now…once we get in the swing of things it will be better.
My biggest struggle is getting all the paper work for the schools filled out and returning the right papers to the right schools and not forgetting any of them.
my biggest problem with back to school was affording everything with five children
The biggest struggle is getting up early
My biggest struggle with back to school is getting the kids back into their routine
we are homeschoolers, so its so much extra work for me
My daughter isn’t old enough for school yet but I imagine the hardest part for me is going to be waking up early. lol
getting all the school supplies together
Getting back on schedule and the BTS shopping!
My biggest struggle is coping with the busy schedules and early wake up times! Ugh.
Getting my children to wake up in the morning.
Affording the clothes and supplies.
Getting up in the morning!
getting back into bedtime routines
Our biggest struggle with back to school is going to bed early. As a teacher I am just as guilty as my daughters with staying up late all summer. August rolls around and we are all struggling to go to bed early.
Getting the kids used to the early wake ups…
Biggest struggle is probably getting up on time!
Getting back into the routine.
Getting everything on the list in time.
Getting back to our routine, and homework. I enjoy the lazy days of summer a little too much!
My biggest struggle is with getting back into the routine…summer is such a free spirited, no hassle with schedules and homework time…we all miss it!
We’re homeschooling so our biggest struggle right now is trying to get our oldest to resist the urge to want to play all day. She’s coming around to it.
Getting everyone used to a schedule again and homework
My biggest struggle is getting everyone up in the morning.
I would have to say readjusting to sleep schedules.
Thanks for the giveaway! =)
It’s a toss-up between affording all that is needed for it and getting the right sleep & routine to be able to be organized & on time.
Getting ready in the morning is a struggle.
I find it hard to get lunches made in the morning.
My biggest challenge is getting everyone back on a good sleep schedule. We try to start a week ahead, but then Labor Day is “the last weekend of summer!” so we’re at the pool late, having sleepovers, etc.
getting everyone’s homework done and fed so they can run to all their after school activities
My older son just started Kindergarten so it’s all new to us. Not too much of a struggle yet.
Getting everyone up early!
Getting into the school year routine was always the hardest part. My girls are older now and my grandson isn’t there yet, but I know he is going to miss the other kids being around when they are in school.
Our biggest challenge is adjusting out of a summer sleep schedule.
My biggest struggle is the morning routine. My daughter is definitely not a morning person.
We struggle with earlier bedtimes before back to school time.
Keeping up with the schedules and routines without getting worn out! 😛 And btw, Sign Up Genius has helped us out greatly, we are in several groups that use it and it’s awesome!!!!
Helping my daughter doing “core” homework
Getting ready an being on time.
Getting everything organized and preparing our plan to stay that way.
just sticking to it and getting things. done.
need this.
thanks.
My biggest struggle is being able to afford everything needed.
Homework and getting the kids out the door on time!
Good time management is my biggest struggle.
The waking up early is hard
Getting into the rhythm-remembering to look at my calander
my biggest struggle is getting them up in the mornings
Our biggest struggle with BTS is getting everyone back into a school schedule.
Definitely the schedule. I have a hard time getting my boys used to an earlier bedtime again.
Bedtime and getting back on schedule!
My biggest struggle is juggling everyone’s schedule and being there for everyone.
My biggest struggle is keeping my kids excited and happy to go to school!
cost and missing my g-kids
Our biggest struggle is getting back into the early bedtime routine, and getting up early.
Getting up at the buttcrackofdawn every morning =/
getting the kids to bed on time
My biggest struggle is coming up with the money for all the things they need for school.
Getting back to the routine. I’ll miss my oldest while he is in school.
Getting used to getting up early again, and eating breakfast early instead of mid morning!
For us it’s homework.
Sometimes it takes 5 min and others it’s over an hour.
We both get tired of it.
Shopping for clothes. Well actually it is getting them out the door because they whine about leaving to go shopping. Ha!
I am expecting my first child, so I have no challenges yet! But for my sister, the biggest challenge is the financial aspect of it. Thanks!
It’s not a challenge for me since I have no kids.
Bedtime! It’s a constant battle because he’s a really active kid. Sleep is so important!
getting my son to be confident in a new class
We homeschool so switching our mindset from play to school is tough….especially for mommy. 🙂
making sure all the supplies get bought!
Getting the kids up and going early, homework and getting organized.
I graduated long ago…but just getting back into the routine was the hardest part!
My biggest struggle is getting back into routine.
The kids are grown up now.
I’m going back to school!
The biggest issue is finding time to study.
thank you
Biggest struggle is finding the money to buy all the supplies and clothes they need!
I think for me it’s having to reorganize my evenings to fit everything in.
getting up early.
My biggest struggle with back to school is getting the kids back into a sleep routine.
my biggest struggle is getting him up for school.
Organization is always our issue. Takes work work to keep thing running smooth.
My biggest struggle is getting back to school sleep routine
mine is finding the time to clean out the old to make room for the new
My biggest struggle is getting the homeschool area ready for the kids!
I have to find time and buy all the supplies for school. And clothes too!
Getting up early again.
My biggest struggle was always getting my kids to eat breakfast before walking out the door.
getting back in to doing homework routine. son hates taking time at home to do it
My biggest struggle with back to school is getting the kids to go to sleep early so they can wake up early.
My biggest struggle is driving an hour to pick up my son several times a week since I have two other kids to take with me & one is a newborn on a feeding schedule.
MY biggest struggle was having 4 kids with 3 different starting times for school …. what a pain!
Traffic is the biggest struggle for my family especially when school is in session!
My biggest struggle is getting into the routine of going to bed early so the whole family can get up early together!
andysavi.mom@gmail.com
Yup have to agree with almost everyone else getting back into the routine and waking up earlier.
Getting everyone up and out the door!
The biggest struggle for me is getting my kids into the early morning schedule in order to get the school bus on time.
My biggest struggle is getting the family back into the “school” routine!
Anything that helps with keeping on track is a blessing!
our biggest struggle is that there are so many unknowns and new routines to adjust to each year!
Getting him to eat breakfast.
I returned to school for myself at (let’s just say 40-something) 🙂 – and my back to school struggle is the cost of getting what I need for supplies and books, etc.
Buying uniforms and school supplies.
My biggest struggle with school is organization.
Getting everyone up in the morning
Getting my kid to go to sleep earlier and waking up earlier!
Getting my kid to sleep earlier and waking up earlier!
Our biggest struggle is getting back into a routine. Even though we both work, we go in a bit later during the summer since summer camp doesn’t start as early as school.
motivation to get back into rutine
transportation, the bus is not very reliable the first few weeks of school
My biggest struggle right now…is trying to make Carter feel comfortable going to school! First year for him…and he is so nervous to go!
Getting organized and back into the routine!
Getting organized and getting up early.
getting myself organized and staying organized
My biggest struggle is getting my daughter to bed at a decent time and also waking her up in the morning. She sleeps through her alarm clock and is a bit of a bear in the morning.
Waking up early 🙂
Keeping track of all the meetings and practices along with organizing lunches/dinners.
Readjusting to the schedule is the hardest part.
No kids. No school. Learning to live with shorter days.
Thanks for the contest.
My biggest struggle is the expense. I have three children and one is in college.
Would have to say that it would be the schedule
My biggest struggle is getting everyone back into a routine!
My biggest struggle is with getting back into the school day routine….getting up early, homework, etc.
Getting back to early rising, eating breakfast and catching the bus on time is the hardest for the first few weeks.
my biggest struggle is adapting to waking up at 630 am especially in the winter when it is pitch black out
Getting up early is always a struggle!
Getting my girls to eat their breakfast before 9am. They aren’t early morning eaters.
Waking up early.
dealing with schedule changes
My biggest struggle is the expense involved with going back to school.
Getting everyone used to falling asleep earlier, and waking up earlier
Getting used to waking up early after sleeping in all summer.
I don’t have to deal with this . But it use to be getting up in the morning.
Finding clothes & shoes that are in our budget range that all the kiddos will like.
Getting back into the routine and waking up earlier.
My biggest struggle is getting the kids back to a normal bedtime routine so they wake up for school without being grumpy. Thanks.
Getting back into a routine.
Getting back into the nightime routine is the hardest part of going back to school
LO isn’t in school yet, but now I can plan early 🙂
Getting back into a routine.
Getting back on a school night schedule is always a struggle.
My problem is emotional, my baby is going to kindergarten! 🙁
TRAFFIC! It’s ridiculous!
Our biggest struggle is getting back into an evening routine for sports practice, homework, band practice, and bedtime…whew!
i would say get my kids back on their Sleep Schedule.
getting back on sleeping schedule its my biggest struggle with my kids.
Getting back to normal schedules is very hard in our house!
Waking up on time for the school bus!
our biggest struggle is just getting back in the groove of the school year…the stricter schedules, bedtimes, and rushing around.
Just getting back into a normal routine. Summertime we try to just have fun and not worry about schedules.
the waking up early again, cooking dinner 3 or more times a week, and helping with homework
Making lunches!!! Ugh.
Getting the kids back on a schedule , getting up early and going to bed early is our biggest struggle
getting everyone back on an early morning schedule
Our biggest struggle is getting used to the new routine and expectations of the new teacher.
The biggest issue with back to school is 4 schedules, 4 directions and time management.
Getting back on a schedule, my kids have gotten used to staying up late and sleeping in.
Getting the kids back on a school schedule and out of the summer schedule.
My biggest struggle with back to school is getting my children back into the routine of school
getting the ready in time
My biggest struggle is dropping them off!
Just getting back into the routine of getting everything together before they play. This year I have 4 going off to school, should be interesting. Thanks for the giveaway! We love Sign up genius around here.
Getting my sleepy headed kids to wake up in the morning!
When my children were young the getting up early was our struggle.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
Letting my kids go after a nice summer with them :-/
Back to school brought anxiety due to the rush to get so many things done within a short amount of time.
Planning the curriculum. I am a homeschooler so it is just a busy time right now.
It is a struggle to get everyone back in to routine. The kids going to bed earlier, up earlier. Lunches made, etc. I also struggle with having to budget for all the school supplies, not really struggle, but surprises me EVERY year.
The biggest struggle is keeping the schedules for three children in school.
having to buy so much at one time,,its hard with several children in school
managing schedules and time is a challenge
My biggest struggle is getting everything ready the night before—lunch, books, etc—so I can be on time in the morning! I’m a teacher 🙂
My biggest struggle is making lunches.
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 at gmail dot com
I don’t have any back to school struggles.
My biggest struggle is getting them back on to a sleeping schedule and getting them up in the mornings.
i struggle with worry about how my kids school life really is.. i have a 7th grader and a kindergartner and i just worry that they will make friends and not be bullied.
Food, figuring out what they will actually eat for lunch and breakfast
WIth five kids, just buying the back to school basics is expensive!
My biggest struggle with back to school is financially being able to buy everything my five grandchildren need for school.
the routine of going to bed earlier.. less TV and video games.. earlier dinner.
Getting motivated to get back into the swing of school.
Since my oldest will be starting kindergarten this year, my struggle is trying to explain why she has to go to school and her brother gets to stay home with mommy.
Getting everything on time is a struggle for back to school.
Get kids back to the school routine is a challenge.
Getting everyone on a routine again seems to be the biggest struggle.
Going to back to the routine (waking up earlier and going to bed earlier ) ;(
We are struggling with getting to bed on time.
The biggest struggle is waking up early
The biggest struggle is dealing with back to school germs/viruses.
My biggest challenge is falling back into a routine… mornings are especially difficult.
We unschool, so our biggest struggle with “back to school” is that we get lots of questions such as “what curriculum are you using?” even though we don’t do what traditional homeschoolers do. It’s difficult to explain unschooling to people who have no experience with it.
Getting back to an early schedule is hard
Getting sleep schedules on track, that’s a huge struggle
I hate when summer is over and i lose my kids to school
My biggest struggle is getting used to the kid’s schedule again.
LOVE THE SCHOOL IDEAS!
Getting into the routine….and getting the kids up early!
One word: Homework
Beginning a new school year and the schedule and adjustment.
Mine right now is just sticking to it all.
mine is just that my daughter is getting older, going to a higher grade. we keep a pretty steady schedule all year because my husband and I both work.
Just getting back in the routine of school is hard.