feeling a little lunchy: review

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feeling a little PlanetBox envy

I finally got a PlanetBox!! They were so generous to send me a PlanetBox Shuttle to review. It's a really cool addition to our lunchbox collection! This is a smaller box, good for small lunches or snacks, or in this case, breakfast. This meal contains grapes, pineapples in the small circular container (which comes with a lid), and a chocolate rice cake topped with strawberry cream cheese and some candy eyes. A mustache ring completes the fun!

The box is stainless steel, dishwasher safe and came with a really cool set of magnets and a matching thermal bag. The magnets are not dishwasher safe, so don't forget to remove them when you're cleaning your shuttle! This box is deeper than I had expected and could definitely hold more food than I used. I love the smaller bag, which will also be good to hold a few bottles of water and a flat mat ice pack for trips to the park or pool.

I love the designs on this set. They have many to choose from, but this one is perfect for my older kids...and myself!

I've been coveting my lunchy friends PlanetBox lunch boxes for a long time...I plan on getting the larger Rover and maybe the Launch sometime soon. Check out some very amazing PlanetBox creations:

http://www.mamabelly.com/2013/07/planetbox-shuttle-review.html

http://www.organizedbites.com/theres-gonna-be-fireworks/

http://www.organizedbites.com/review-planetbox-shuttle/

http://www.dianarambles.com/2013/06/planetbox-shuttle-review.html

http://www.ladybug-lunches.com/2013/07/planetbox-shuttle-review.html

http://www.becomingabentoholic.com/2013/06/planetbox-shuttle-review.html

http://theroxxbox.com/2013/06/20/planetbox-shuttle-a-review-bento-105/

http://www.bentolunch.net/2013/07/elephant-camp-snack-bento.html

http://www.bentolunch.net/2013/06/planetbox-shuttle-review.html

http://keeleymcguire.blogspot.com/2013/07/lunch-made-easy-new-planetbox-shuttle.html

http://ourlunchbags.com/post/56270552094/my-little-pony-in-new-planetbox-shuttle (holy crap...this one is amazing. Not that the others aren't...but what she can do with food markers is unbelievable!)

http://www.tinyprincesslunchbox.com/2013/07/planetbox-shuttle-review-4-lunches-that.html

http://www.lunchboxdad.com/2013/06/planetbox-shuttle-product-review.html

If you are interested in any of the products I use, click the affiliate links below, please! Anytime you purchase through one of my links, regardless of what you purchase, I get a small percentage of the sale. It's how lunchy gets paid! Thanks!

feeling a little EasyLunchboxes love {GIVEAWAY}

Have I not told you how much I LOVE EasyLunchboxes? Perhaps I've mentioned it before...considering almost all of the lunches I post on this blog are contained within one. Maybe you didn't notice? Well, EasyLunchboxes has been so kind as to offer one my followers a set of four boxes, either Classic or Brights, and a cooler bag in your color of choice for FREE. Yes, free.

Last school year, I made over 300 lunches for my girls. Most of which were done using EasyLunchboxes. I cannot toot their horn enough! They're not only practical, they're durable, dishwasher, freezer and microwave safe. They're not leak-proof, though, and that's never really an issue for us. If you plan on packing soup or yogurt, you'll have to use a different container. They sell a separate product called Mini Dippers that are leak proof and fantastic too. They have held up to the test of two tweenies and a husband dragging them to and from school and work and they barely show any signs of wear and tear. If you don't have any yet, I've got to beg you "Why not?!" Maybe you should try and win some!

I bought our first set of four boxes back in September or October 2010. They're still in use. Only one has had to be tossed out and only because someone fed the dog with it and she gnawed the thing to bits. So, sadly, EasyLunchboxes are not able to withstand the jaws of a hungry dog. We've had our cooler sets just as long and they're great too! They're large enough to hold three EasyLunchboxes. We usually pack the cooler with one box and a water bottle. They've been through the washing machine and dryer many, many times and they, too, have withstood many a beating.

These lunch boxes are very popular on Amazon.com and even come with free shipping if you have Amazon Prime. I'd highly recommend you start the school year off right and get some. Your lunches don't have to be creative...but they'll look like they are in your EasyLunchboxes! The EasyLunchboxes make you want to pack healthier lunches too. For some reason, filling each section with good foods is a side effect of using them.

All you have to do to enter is visit www.easylunchboxes.com and then leave a blog post comment about something you saw there below. You can get additional entries by liking EasyLunchboxes, the Bento Bloggers and Friends and me on Facebook too. It's that easy...just like your lunches will be with your new lunch boxes! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

feeling a little green pouch-y

I sooo wish they had these Little Green Pouch food pouches when my girls were younger. They're fantastic! I can only imagine the amount of applesauce and yogurt that could have been eaten instead of smeared on the table...

Even though my girls are 10 and 12 now, they still like the pouch foods. The 12 year old will eat them at home but I'd probably regret sending it to school with her for lunch. The 10 year old? She loves them and has even requested them for lunch.

We have used them for a variety of foods. Applesauce and yogurt, smoothies and ice cream. These pouches are high quality. They've stood up to the fridge, the freezer and the dishwasher. I was concerned about the bag popping open if the kids squeezed it. Never once has that been an issue. The seal is perfect, provided you don't over fill the pouch.

They work well in the freezer, too. Perfect for doubling as an ice pack in those lunches!

feeling a little upcycled {GIVEAWAY}

Yes!! A GIVEAWAY! Just in time for the final days of summer and back to school! These bags are seriously awesome. The ThrifTee Gear lady was so generous to provide me with bags to review and one to giveaway to you...my loyal fans. First, the review.

There's a new style of bag that's being offered by ThrifTee Gear. It's a string back pack and its so versatile. It's great for the older kids because its different, but not weird. It is great for packing waste free lunches, but it can also moonlight as a bag for all your stuff. In fact, theres one on my kitchen counter right now containing make-up for a day pretending to be at the spa. My girls LOVE the bags. Not only because they're comfortable to wear, but because they're made from one of our very own, well-loved shirts. They tie dyed one of my husbands shirts a few years ago and have been taking turns wearing it to bed. It was looking a little rough, the collar had become threadbaren and there were holes cropping up in various places.

See? I was ready brave their pleas of "NooOooOoO!" to chuck it in the trash when I thought that maybe ThrifTee Gear could work with it and give it a new life. Well, I was amazed at how the awful shirt was transformed! It gave life to two new bags...it was a huge shirt, though and ThrifTee said it was very close...so don't expect two bags from your shirt unless you've got a XXXL laying around...and maybe not even then!

Now it's a string bag, lined with food safe fabric inside. There's a small pocket that closes with Velcro, and a divider in the middle. Which was perfect for keeping our Yumbox lunchbox separated from our water bottles, bug spray and sunblock.

I love the little tabs on the bag that hold the strings:

These bags are not only cool, they're durable. They've been through our washer and dryer several times and still look great. I would expect them to last for a great long while. The holey tshirt is no more! My girls are excited to use them for school too. We love that the bag folds up easily and compacts into their backpacks. They're sure to be a hit with my tween daughters and their friends. Upcycled, recycled, repurposed and ecofriendly...who could ask for more?

From ThrifTee Gear:

ThrifTee Gear Cool Reusable Lunchbags are made from an upcycled product, they are machine washable, reusable, water resistant, bully resistant, and mom made. The bags are lined with a food safe lining, they are soft and conform to the size of the contents creating a casual, comfortable bag, minimal in size.

The price for a ThrifTee Gear Original Lunchbag is $19.95, the Back Pack Lunchbag is $25.95 and includes shipping anywhere in the USA. International shipping is available. Custom bags made from a customer’s own t-shirt are also available and a popular choice. The Custom ThrifTee Gear Cool Original Lunchbag is $24.95, the Custom Back Pack is $29.95 and includes two way shipping, meaning that once an order is placed customers will receive a postage paid mailer in which to send in their own t-shirt. This makes it simple for busy families to have their t-shirts transformed quickly and easily. No need to find a shipping envelope, no need to go to the post office. Just place your t-shirt in the envelope with the submission form and drop it into any mailbox including the one in front of your home. Once submissions are received, bags are on their way back home within one week.

For the giveaway:

Follow the instructions below to enter. Please mind the terms and conditions.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

feeling a little yumbox-ed

Oh how I coveted my bento friends Yumboxes. The little sections with cute pictures on the bottom of the clear compartment...the way the food looked so appetizing when presented within it. The colorful green, leak resistant lid. The people at Yumbox were generous enough to send me one to try out and review for this post.

We grabbed our new bento-style box and headed for the pool today. The wild child helped make her lunch. She was adamant that we put the correct foods within each cup. I love the images on each section that help me to balance the meal. They really make you want to be sure there's dairy, fruit, protein, grain and vegetables loaded up in there. There's also a small dip or treat cup in the middle of the box. I was concerned when I filled it with ranch dressing that it may drip into the other sections...it did not. And my cooler even tipped over on the way down to the pool. The ranch did get on the lid of the box, but that would be expected.

The lunch is simple but fairly balanced thanks to the Yumbox. A slice of cheese, strawberries, carrots, homemade ranch dressing, saltines, and turkey slices rolled up.

I love the images on each section that help me to balance the meal. They really make you want to be sure there's dairy, fruit, protein, grain and vegetables loaded up in there. There's also a small dip or treat cup in the middle of the box.

The lid has a great rubber seal that makes it quite leak resistant. I filled it with water to check it out...a little bit leaked out, but thicker foods have stayed put. Yogurt and ranch dressing have been tossed around in this box and they don't contaminate the other compartments. If you'd like to maintain that seal, they recommend hand washing the box.

The tray separates from the box as well. I have been hand washing the box and putting the clear tray into the dishwasher with no issues at all. The clear tray nests quite nicely within the box, but not so loose that it falls out or shifts within. Once it's in there, it stays put. I like that its removable, but that it takes a little effort...that way if you have a younger child or a toddler, they can't toss the tray about. They could, of course, throw the whole thing on the ground...don't miss those days!

My 10 year old loves this box. The latch was easy to snap on and off, the colorful tray and the pictures on the bottom of it were all a hit. This box really helped her want to pack a great, healthier lunch. She is a petite 10 year old so the portion sizes for this box were spot on. They might be a little light for a bigger kid. We really do love this box and will be using it again and again, I'm sure.

feeling like I may like Lunchbox Love after all.

When I first saw these little lunchbox love notes, I will be honest...I kind of thought why the heck would I use those? How impersonal...I'll just write my own notes. Then I kept seeing them all over the lunchysphere. And I began to think that they were kind of cute and sweet. And that I'd like a set of my own...so www.sayplease.com sent me a few sets to use and enjoy. I especially like the "Did you know" factoids printed on the back of each little card. The girls and I went through all of the cards and learned quite a bit! What's fun is that there's a fact for nearly everything! There are 12 cards in each set and some of them are blank so you can write your own notes. I'm sure that you'll be seeing these all over our lunches from here on out. They're fun, educational and inspiring. And there are a ton of different sets out there to choose from. And as far as the love part...the notes are sweet and loving and quite honestly, something I'd say to my precious little lunchies anyways...I just don't have to muck it up with my crappy handwriting!

Leftover chicken is always a hit for lunch around here.

A little unsolicited review

I won a case of Chobani Champions Greek yogurt from one of my Bento Bloggers and Friends. Sadly, I have racked my brain and I can't remember who it was! ((Edit: it was from Rachel's Random Ramblings!!))But it arrived and the girls loved almost every flavor. They had orange vanilla, vanilla chocolate chunk, very berry and banana honey flavors to choose from. The wild child was so excited about the yogurts, she began labeling them with her name and when she wanted them.

The only flavor that was not a huge hit was the banana honey. They tried one and didn't care for it, so I gave it to a customer of mine over at the Apple Store. He liked it, a lot.

I've rekindled my relationship with my bread machine as of late and this lunch has a homemade bread ham and cheese sandwich with snowflake cheese cut outs, Veggie Stix, a fortune cookie from one of our weekly take out adventures, roasted garlic pumpkin seeds from our Naturebox subscription and a cup of Chobani Champions orange vanilla Greek yogurt. I was intrigued by the Chobani NPR radio topic one day (I think it was on NPR)...they are one of the few companies that use the original method of making Greek yogurt...some of the newer Greek yogurts on the market, like Oikos, are made using a cheat method to produce the signature Greek yogurt flavor. They're really Greek yogurt, but it takes them a lot less time to produce, thereby flooding the market. Very interesting stuff, huh?

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