a lot less lunches for the limbo.

After a week off of school for Thanksgiving break, I forgot to make lunch last night.  So, this morning I threw a bunch of stuff into the lunchbag.   My son went to school with a 'regular lunch' (as he calls it).  He had a pb&J in a plastic baggie, a prepackaged organic applesauce, annies bunnies in a bag, and some cheese and crackers thrown into a plastic baggie.

He likes the regular lunch.  I've known this all along... I've just tried to fight it. 

With his laptop lunchbox still missing (and most likely gone for good), I find myself at a crossroads.  Who knew I would put so much thought into lunchboxes.  really.  who stresses over this?

I declared not long ago that I was going to buy a new laptop lunchbox, but I am not so sure.  The kids go straight out to recess after lunch, with many other classes and a few grade overlaps.  He still seems to think someone else picked his up by mistake - really?  I highly doubt someone else has an electric blue/green alien lunchbox, and if so, wouldn't there have been a duplicate remaining in the lunchbox pile by the door? 

Knowing he prefers 'regular lunches' over the laptop, I flat out asked the accusatory question - "did you lose it on purpose?"  he swears up and down he did not.  I do believe him.  He has always been a kid who is super easy to break.  He would have cracked by now if he had anything to do with the mysterious disappearance.  

So, that brings me to this super tiny in the grand scheme of things, yet stressful to my little life, decision.  Shell out $50 for a new system  (lost the silverware, the water bottle, a few containers including one of our  killer awesome large inner containers that is only sold in the separate 'buddy' kit which tacks another $12 onto the system total)
OR, knowing he likes a 'regular lunch', meet him in the middle and just use some of the remaining laptop lunch containers mixed with whateverr tupperware and the occasional baggie or prepackaged item and hodgepodge it into his old (current) lunchbag.



Considering we've had his laptop lunchbox for about three months, I just can't see shelling out that much money when he could possibly lose it again.

so.... that is where I am at:  He is going to still be getting healthy lunches with minimal packaging, but they will just be more 'regular' in format.  I won't use all prepackaged, processed or so much plastic baggies as I did for today's lunch, but they just are not going to be as fancy, creative or decorative since I am limited to use random containers and will have to use some plastic bags just to be able to fit it all into the lunchbag as the bulky containers make arranging enough food, plus a drink difficult!  Being that I have to cram it all together, it just doesn't make sense that I spend so much time on making them look 'pretty'. 



My daughter on the other hand is at a preschool where there is pretty much no possible way her lunch could get lost in the shuffle.  So, you most likely will only be seeing her lunches from here on out.   It will be less often as she only goes to school two days a week.

Here is her lunch for tomorrow...

 A spinach salad with raisins and seeds, cheddar bunnies, small orange, black and orange carrots slices. 
After the picture, I added salad dressing and cut into the orange so she can peel it easily.

grocery shopping but not for us.

School is out this week - there are a lot of children who attend our local elementary school whose main meal of the day is lunch.  With school being out an entire week that can really have an affect on grocery budgets, especially if extra daycare costs or lost work days come into play.
I spoke with the Community in Schools liaison for our elementary school and she referred me to the local food pantry.  There are a large number of students at the school who qualify for services that the food pantry provides.  Between school being out and it being thanksgiving week, they are expecting an influx of need at the food pantry.

I offered to purchase some fresh fruits and vegetables.  I was shocked at how much I could get with so little.
I filled a grocery cart with 45 apples, 45 oranges, 30 lbs. of potatoes, 12 lbs of bananas, 16 lbs of mini peeled carrots, 9 cucumbers, 17 bags of lettuce/spinach.  My main thought was grab and go items for any kids left at home while parent worked, and of course healthy and fresh foods. The food pantry normally wants non perishables, but this week is an exception and they were so thrilled with the donation.

It is eating at me that I purchased conventional produce and not organic, but I knew I could help many more people and that the fresh fruit and veggies were better than alternative foods.

total spent - $115

Ironically, I moved some term CD's around whose time was up and sure enough, the interest made was right around $115.  This means this trip has no impact on our grocery budget!

I took a picture of the groceries in the back of the car using my cell phone, but it turns out it was really a video and I can't figure out how to just add a still from it on here...

Pom Wonderful giveaway winners

Thanks you to all who entered!!
CONGRATS to Astrid, Jill and Christa (#'s 4, 16, 28) in the comments. Those numbers were chosen using random.org for the pom wonderful giveway! All are CONFIRMED!  your coupons should arrive soon! enjoy.

red celery

I teach 3 year olds part time.   Last week was our farm unit.   Most of the week is spent talking about farm animals; we sing animal songs, play animal games, make animal noises, pattern with animals, work with animal related manipulative items - even 'milk' a cow (our easel transformed into a cow with a rubber glove filled with water as the udders).
  We do however throw in a little talk about food grown on farms.  We read books about plants needing water, soil and sunlight to grow.  We pretend to be farmers and pretend to plant, water, etc.  Our science experiment for the week is to take a leafy stalk of celery and place it in water with red food coloring.  By the end of the day, the stalk and leaves have a tinge of red to them and the kids can see how a plant needs water.

I've done this lesson in the past and didn't even give it much thought.  This year, it really struck a chord.  The red dye is was in the water, the plant 'ingested' that dye.  I am sure there is a lot of higher level science involved = size of the particulates, temperature and evaporation rates, blah blah blah.  But the basic, preschool level thought of the day...
If chemicals are sprayed or added to the soil -  The plant will 'ingest' it.
Maybe we should add funky colored dyes to any chemical put on or around conventionally grown plants so people can SEE that those things are actually there in the 'final product'. Oh wait - that would just be marketed as fun, exciting, and would have a character endorsement.
*eye roll*

POM wonderful giveaway ends tonight!

click the link on the right sidebar to enter!

My Pom wonderful juice arrived today.  Good timing!  I am off of work all next week - time to get creative!!

I can't take it anymore!

I am ordering a new laptop lunchbox for the boy.  Wow, I made it how long - only a week before breaking down?!?!

I sent the LL bean one the other day with some rubbermaid containers and a lid did not get tightened before being returned home.  I can't just quickly wash and dry like I can with the hard box of the laptop lunch.  Nope, It needs a date with the washing machine.  What can I say, it has been a busy week and that date has yet to happen... (don't worry, I did wipe the funk out... just needs a deep clean still).
He brown bagged it today and will tomorrow as well.

squinty corn

You kinda have to squint a little, maybe use your imagination....
It is a piece of corn made out of a tortilla pb&j.  It is on top of a cut apple, lettuce, and noodles with parmesan.

I miss his laptop lunchbox.....   We'll see how long I go without buying a replacement.  I'm still holding out hope that it will appear.  Although...  not sure how funky it will be if it does.