August Gift Guide – Welcome Back to School Suggestions*

I can’t believe that it is August already! So to start – Here’s a big Welcome Back to School!

[Ad-gifted] Are you the more organised parent who has already purchased your children’s uniforms, school shoes and have them all ready or are you more the last-minute parent who has not done a single shopping yet and don’t know where to start?  Over the years, we have often shared some great buys and must-have ‘back to school’ items in our guides (links to these at the bottom of the post) and this year is no different.

We start off by sharing about Rio Mare Insalatissime Tuna Salads, the perfect snack to grab and go for university or college students. Next, Tock the Learning Clock® from Learning Resources is such a great robot gift ideas to help little ones learn about time. If you are looking for a healthy, vegan, gluten and dairy free chocolates as a pick me up snack or lunch box treat then our NOMO Selections will catch your eyes.

We share more gift ideas from Rex London this month and this time, it is a selection of space themed items ranging from lunch box, water bottle as well as lunch bag.  Finally, for LEGO enthusiasts, we share some cool LEGO Themed Pens, Pencils and Stationery Set which will get your friends talking.

Rio Mare Insalatissime Tuna Salads

These little packs of tuna salads are perfect for kids lunch box, university students who generally have long days filled with lectures and seminars as well as adults who need a quick healthy lunch meal whilst at work. The Rio Mare Insalatissime is Italy’s Favourite ready-to-eat tuna salad which has just arrived in the UK.

Priced at £1.50 per salad bowl, these these ready to eat and tasty travel-friendly meals are easily recognisable from its distinctive pink colour tin and available from Costco, Ocado, Morrisons and Waitrose.  The tuna salads come in fully recyclable bowls hence no washing up needed after and the portion size is substantial as well. Priced at £1.50 to £3.80 per box.  These long life ready meals are also great pick-me-ups when you head out on family picnics or as a post-gym snack.

Made from MSC-certified tuna, there are currently six flavours available but we have just featured the following three flavours ie Tuna Salad with Couscous,  Tuna Salad Mexican Style and Tuna Salad Sweetcorn.  These are ready to eat on its own or you can also make them into a delicious meal such as pizza toppings, wrap fillings or salads using the recipes which are available on their website.

Rio Mare also sells high quality tuna and they are slightly more expensive compared to the normal brands due to its consistent high quality and the brand’s guarantee of stringent controls and extremely thorough cleaning processes.

NOMO Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolates

Having a sneaky treat especially after a long day at college/university or after a workout feels right sometimes especially since it releases “feel-good” chemicals in the brain such as endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. If you are vegan, have a nut allergy, dairy intolerant or are gluten-free then finding such a treat can be difficult hence NOMO is a life saver. 

Today we are featuring a variety of NOMO plant-powered chocolates starting with the NOMO Mini Bars (£6.50), an assortment of caramel, mint, orange and chocolate flavours which is the perfect size for children’s lunch box. Next, NOMO’s Salted Popcorn Bars (£1.50) are perfect to slip into backpacks and handbags to keep energy levels high especially after doing sports activities. Lastly, NOMO has a variety of chocolate bars such as Cookie Dough, Choc Fudge, Caramel and Birthday Cake bars priced at £3.90 each which can be broken into smaller pieces, wrapped in foil and added into the children’s lunch box as a treat.

Not only are NOMO‘s chocolates gluten-free, but they are nut free, vegan , dairy free and egg free. These bars also contain no palm oil and they taste good enough for the whole family to enjoy especially at parties so no one with a dietary restrictions or intolerance will feel left out again.

Kid’s Lunch box Collection from Rex London

I loved getting matching lunch boxes and water bottles sets for my children when they were little and enjoyed the process of picking them in time for the September start of school. I also found that by getting my kids to pick their favourite characters, this made them drink more water as well as eat their packed lunch.

Today, we are featuring three fabulous lunch accessories for children from Rex London which has a Space Age theme to it. The first is a children’s 260ml stainless steel water bottle which is the perfect size for little hands. This reusable Space Age Water Bottle (priced at £3.95) will keep drinks cool for 24 hours or hot/warm for 12 hours, hence perfect to keep little ones hydrated during the summer as well as winter months.

Space Age Lunch Box with Tray is priced at £6.95 and is perfect to keep veggies/fruits as well as sandwiches fresh during lunch time. The 3cm deep lunch box  has a removable tray with two handy compartments to keep foods separate especially if you have a child which does not like their food touching each other. The lunch box is fitted with a lid which has an easy to use clip, perfect for little fingers, to keep contents secure.

Lastly, the Space Age Insulated Lunch Bag is not only lovely to look at but it is also made from recycled materials. The bag is foil-lined and easily folds flat after usage. It also can be cleaned easily with a damp cloth. The bag can easily fit the lunch box and other snacks inside as well as an apple. Priced at £4.95, the lunch bag is available from Rex London’s Lunch Accessories range.

Tock the Learning Clock® from Learning Resources

Getting little ones up and ready for nursery or school can sometimes be a chore, especially at the start of the school term. Tock the Learning Clock® from Learning Resources is such a fabulous gift for little ones to not only help them learn about time but also when it is okay to get out of bed and get ready for nursery/school. The bright blue robot themed clock names “Tock” measures 23cm tall and has two learning modes to it. The first, a Quiz Mode, where kids can press the question mark to answer three time questions or the Music Mode, where they can press the music button and turn the clock hands to any time for a silly song surprise.

Kids can also turn the clock hands and Tock will announce the time or alternatively there is a working digital clock on the foot of the robot. The learning clock also comes with a night light function which lets little learners know when it’s ok to get out of bed. Priced at £32.95, the learning clock is suitable for children aged 3 and above. The clock also requires 3 AA batteries which is not included. The clock makes a fabulous birthday gift or as a great motivation for kids to get out of bed in the morning for school or home learning activities and days out.

LEGO Themed Pens, Pencils and Stationery Set

If you have little ones or college aged kids who love playing with LEGO or are fans of the LEGO movie then these items will make a great addition to their stationery collection. Lets start with the LEGO Gel Pens for older children/adults which consists of a pack of 10 pens costing £22.  These pens are not only bright and colourful but each pen features a LEGO 1×4 plate for easy customization. The square shape keeps them from rolling, and the smooth gel ink and comfort grip make writing effortless. Each pen is fitted with the matching colour ink hence perfect for middle school/high school or college aged kids.

Looking for the perfect birthday gift to give a LEGO loving child? Well, look no further as these LEGO themed colouring pencils priced at £12 will help unleash your child’s creativity by offering a rich palette of shades for all their artistic needs. Each pencil is equipped with a 3mm colour core, ensuring bold, smooth, and long-lasting colour application and the set includes a diverse range of hues such as Violet, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Dark Green, Medium Azur, Blue, Lavender, Brown, Black, and Grey. Perfect for LEGO enthusiasts, the set also comes with a one-of-a-kind pencil topper featuring a 2×2 LEGO plate.

Finally the LEGO Buildable Two in One Ruler with Minifigure is such a fun ruler which transforms from 15 cm to 30 cm and includes 28 colourful LEGO pieces, plus an authentic LEGO Minifigure to makes learning measurements exciting for those 6 and above.

You can purchase these LEGO themed stationery items from Pen Haven or browse around their website for more personalised and luxury pens as well as leather journals. They also offer free delivery for orders above £30, same day despatch as well as gift wrapping services.

You may also want to read this:

Back to School/College/University Guide

August – Back to School Gift Guide

Get Ready to Go Back to School Guide

Back to School and College Guide

September Back to School Guide

September Guide – Back to School in Style

* We were sent these products in return for a feature. All opinions are our own.