Some people go to the store this time of year and groan when they see school supplies already on display. Not me! I see those shiny pencils and stacks of paper, and I am as giddy as an eight-year-old on Christmas morning. Because I am so excited, I thought I would share some of my favorite school supplies with you today.
Let’s start with pens. Oodles of pens. I am a lover of felt pens; I can never have enough. My absolute favorites are PaperMate Flair. They come in a nice variety of colors. In fact, they currently have a special set of 12 limited time colors called Tropical Vacation. They are certainly fun during the summer, and they will add a nice pop of color in the winter too.
Not that I need an excuse to buy more colored pens, but research studies show that using color improves memory retention and recall. In other words, if you write your grocery list or today’s appointments in color as opposed to black you are more likely to remember the items or appointments faster and retain the information for longer periods of time.
I also own every Sharpie in almost every color and tip ever made. You can never go wrong with a Sharpie. However, because Sharpies tend to bleed through regular paper, they are best paired with index cards. And while the wonderful assortment of Sharpie colors will liven up even the plainest of index cards, I think it is fun to own a variety of index cards. My favorites are the ones with the colored strip at the top. If students need to make a note card for a speech or a test, the extra bit of color can boost confidence and possibly improve performance.
It is also important to have a great pencil. While Ticonderoga pencils are the best wooden pencils, I am partial to mechanical pencils; I love to always have a sharp tip.
There are a lot of great pencils on the market, and what is best for any individual depends on what features are most important to them. My first criteria is lead weight; I am 0.5 all the way.
The next important criteria is the feel of the pencil in my hand. I prefer a narrow pencil with a smooth sturdy barrel. For the best feel, I choose Write Dudes GL530. This pencil is almost velvety feeling and has a subtle triangle finger grip for comfortable writing.
If I have a lot of writing to do, I choose the Pentel Twist Erase GT. It has extra padding in the grip area, and it has a substantial eraser that easily advances with a twist. And there is no need to fuss with an eraser cover.
The other school supply that is essential to me at this stage in life is a good spiral. I like to have one or two for home (for my journal, to-do lists, recipes, craft ideas, etc.) and one for work (to keep notes from all my meetings in one place).
My favorite is by greenroom. It is a compact size (6″ x 8″), easily fits in my purse for convenient travel, but it is also big enough to hold a lot of information. It comes with a spiral or without. It is soft to the touch and has a great “presence” in my hand. I want it to feel like my favorite novel, well-worn but in good condition. This spiral moves easily and feels like it has been well-loved, yet it still holds up to being stuffed into and pulled out of my purse multiple times a day.
Another great notebook is Moleskin. I love the narrow lines, soft cover, and how it lays flat no matter where you open it. I am also a fan of the ribbon bookmark and the elastic band to hold it closed, not to mention it comes in numerous colors.
While I could talk about my favorite school supplies all day, I will wrap up with one final item: post-it notes. They come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, and I believe in having plenty of each. They are great for jotting a quick note, leaving reminders in visible places, and they also move with you. In addition, post-its serve as dividers in my spiral, flags for marking coveted items in a magazine or catalog, and they’re easy to share with others when someone needs to write themselves a reminder.
Maybe you’re like me and love browsing every school supply in the store, but if not, you might try out one of my favorite items. They can all be found at Target and many other local stores. It just might bring a smile to your face.
What is one of your favorite school supply products?
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