Last week officially marked a momentous occasion. Not only was it the first day of school for my girls, but both my daughters are enrolled in middle school now!

I printed off the school supply lists for 5th and 8th grade and we loaded up in the car to head to our local Target last Tuesday, the day before school. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, but I knew that Target would have everything we needed to get the school year started off on the right foot. Not only did we find agenda planners, binders, folders, and highlighters, but we also purchased school uniform khakis, skirts and polos. This year I stood back as they browsed the back-to-school aisles with their lists and it was fun to see them load up our shopping cart. Their tastes have changed through the years as far as backpacks and lunch boxes, but they still get excited about fresh and new school supplies. I do, too! I’m so excited to help them have a happy middle school experience.

In addition to the usual pencils and paper, I always like to pick up a few extra items to help my girls get through the school year happy, and equally important, healthy. Cold and flu season will be here before we know it and although hand washing skills are definitely down pat by middle school, I still want to help them stay germ free. To do that when they are unable to access soap and water to wash their hands, I always include PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer in my children’s back-to-school items. I love the handy portable (and colorful) PURELL Advanced JELLY WRAP™ carriers that are perfect for attaching to my girls’ backpacks. Target also currently features a $1 off coupon with purchase of three PURELL® hand sanitizer items, making it the perfect time to stock up!

To make my life even easier, Target is stocked up on PURELL® products and your back-to-school list items – making it a one-stop shop for a busy mom like me to purchase PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer products for our entire family to take part in the PURELL 30-Day Challenge.

Practicing good hand hygiene is one the most important preventive measures you can take to reduce the spread of illness-causing germs, and PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer is committed to helping families stay well during not only during the start of the school year, but all year long. With this commitment in mind, they’ve created the PURELL® 30-Day Challenge. During the PURELL 30-Day Challenge, families can help prepare for the upcoming winter-germ season by using PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer three times a day for 30 days. In fact, a study showed that using PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer three times a day for 30 days can help reduce the risk of getting sick.^[1]