Summer almost over!? Say it ain't so!!

Wow! Hard to believe we are almost done with summer here! Well the weather might go on....it seems like our hot, dry weather just goes on and on these days.

Personally I am kind of ready for that to be over, though I promise come January I will be longing for warmer weather, I'm so fickle that way-he he.

The clincher of the end of summer....our family school starts August 21st!! A near three weeks from now!! Holy Cow!!

The supply shopping is almost done, so that is off my list. What's next you ask!?

Time to think about school lunches!! Planning = ease of executing for me, so I have to start to jump on this now.

For those who have never seen these I highly suggest getting some...

This one is from Ziploc; they are easy to pick up at Target (I'm sure other stores have them too, I just know this is where I can find them!) and clean up is great. There are tons of other kinds like this from other companies; this is just what I use. This container make packing lunch easy, keeps your sandwich from getting soggy and keeps fruit and other things from getting smashed! This is what often happens with things in baggies for us. Smashed food = kids not eating it because somehow something is wrong with a smashed sandwich in my child’s mind.

This year I have a new challenge, I will have two lunches to make, and if you read my blog you know I have a food dye sensitive child. I hate to chance hot lunch at school, it makes me all kind of worried just thinking about it now.

To be honest we are pretty lucky here in dist 41 Lake Villa. The lunches are by no means perfect, but they are better than a lot of other places, and they are on top of trying to trend to the healthy end of things. So much however is left up to the kids, and I'm not dumb! My kids are going to choose a hot dog over a healthier alternative if he has a choice any day! Fruit cocktail in heavy syrup, of course that's a good choice right? I can't be with them, maybe I'm a control freak but I have to do what will let me sleep at night.

So I pack lunches 90% of the time and let my oldest choose once or twice a month (or when my morning is so crazy I didn't get things together as I planned!) How I will handle Will's stuff with school lunches, I am not sure yet. It might just be out of the question for him. Maybe it will just be that we are more on top of the lunch listings and picking out before school and writing it down. We shall see.

I will try to get some good pictures this fall to inspire lunch ideas! And I would love to see and hear your ideas on lunch! So if you have something e-mail me (mickeymom75@gmail.com) and we'll share it here on Food to dye for!!

I have come to the conclusion that presentation is one of the biggest things for kids. After all how exciting are a regular old PMB&J carrots and an apple? Let’s face it; it's the box with the cartoon character that will grab them long before they know what is actually in the box! So get creative along with getting healthy!! Make it fun! It may take a little more time and planning but you will reap the rewards of a fully eaten lunch and no lunch trades if you do!!