Celebrate, Encourage and Cherish Going Back To School with Hallmark {Review & Gift Pack Giveaway}

While there is no perfect way to prepare for the start of a school year, it is truly important to take the time to pause and capture the special moments before they are swept away in the whirlwind of new teachers, old friends, packing backpacks and more.

After all, with how quickly time seems to be flying by lately, I have no doubt that I'm going to blink and both of my girls will be graduating and heading off to college. Where did my babies go?

Although I have attempted to do my own record-keeping and photographing to document the start and end of each school year, I haven't been very happy with the results... not to mention that I usually falter when it comes to the follow-through aspect. Is there any wonder that Big Sister E's baby book stops when she was around one year and Little Sister B's doesn't have a single thing in it except for her newborn footprints?

Fortunately, this year Hallmark, one of my favorite companies, has made it extremely easy and stylish to celebrate kids as they head back to class with new gift and greetings designed to create lasting memories and share an extra boost of encouragement throughout the school year.

After having spent the last 100 years helping people stay connected and best express their feelings, it isn't hard to see that there is so much more available than just classic greeting cards that are most commonly associated with Hallmark (although those are always amazing).

Whether you're shopping in a Hallmark Gold Crown Store or searching their easy-to-browse website, finding the next gift, wrapping paper, ornament, album, card and more couldn't be easier and you'll always love the new products as well as the old.

As I have always been in awe of all of the new and innovative items that Hallmark debuts, I had no doubt that their new gifts and lines of cards for heading back to school would be just the thing to brighten the day of kids everywhere.

Sure enough, these items brought a smile to my face that hasn't left and have made me even more excited for school to begin!

Hallmark's three new lines of greetings all focus on encouragement, positivity, acceptance, love, inspiration and more — all attributes that are great for kiddos to hear but are especially important during the school year.

• SO SO Happy Greetings: These greetings help moms connect with their kids in a way they understand and appreciate. From Taco to Tribe, a variety of quirky characters embrace individuality, build self-confidence and feature upbeat back-to-school messages. As a fun bonus, these cards even include fun surprises for kids like shoelaces, key chains and more!

• Kids Encouragement Greetings: Whether it's a new social situation, a test, first game of the year or any day of the week, sometimes kids need a confidence boost. These cards are perfect for dealing with apprehension and excitement when you stick one inside your child's backpack or textbook so that they can find it later and hold onto your words (and remember that they are awesome).

• Back-to-School Greetings: The newest back-to-school greetings this fall feature furry friends and adorable photos to help you send a written "Go get 'em!" or "I love you!" to your kids as they head out the door. Even the youngest of recipients will surely get a kick out of these cute critters!

No matter if you typically reach for cards that are sentimental and moving or ones that are lighthearted and funny, Hallmark always manages to find just the right touch to make the results special. I love the small details that they always include, from the bright colors to the touches of glitter...

...and what kids wouldn't be impressed with a card that includes a cheery necklace, cute button or sparkly shoelaces? So darn cute!

As much as I love the Back-to-School greetings that Hallmark offers for kids of all ages, I completely adore their new Pics 'n' Props School Days Activity Kit for me!

Coming complete with all of the tools that parents need to document and remember first-day-of-school memories in a quick, easy, creative and utterly adorable way, the only things missing from this kit are the camera and your child!

Right inside the box you'll find predesigned signs for kids to hold (preschool through 12th grade), chalk for kids to decorate or create their own sign, journaling cards with questions for each school year, and an album to store each year's photo and journaling card.

I am head-over-heels with the way that the signs are so artistically done yet are so easy to slide right into the chic frame...

...and the simple and sweet design of the "My First Day!" photo album.

For someone like me who always has aspirations to come up with crafty projects but never tends to get around to actually doing it, Hallmark has made it a snap for me to have lasting memories stylishly bound that can be admired throughout the years.

With the first day of school just around the corner, we're all excited to embark on another year of learning, laughing and fun!

Making my own 4K sign only took a few minutes and I think it turned out pretty professional!

Whether you are shopping for cards and gifts that are simple and classic or elaborate and modern, Hallmark's huge variety of designs, styles and colors are sure to supply you with just the right words to convey to your recipient how much they are loved... and they'll surely want to hang onto your kindness for years to come.

This school year, give your kids something new and different that shows how much you care by heading to your nearest Hallmark Gold Crown store to pick up a gift or card that is nearly guaranteed to surprise and delight.

Or, thanks to their generosity, one person will have just the right presents delivered right to their door, because...

One lucky person will win a "Making Memories & Encouraging Kids" Gift Pack* from Hallmark!

*Gift Pack includes a Pics 'n' Props School Days Activity Kit and a selection of Hallmark's Back-to-School greeting cards. Total ARV $70.

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A big thank you to Hallmark for providing a Gift Pack of these items for me to review as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.