Preparing Lunches {well, really me} for Kindergarten

Healthy, Bento-Style Kids School Lunches

A Not-So-Prepared {for Kindergarten} Mom Preparing a Fun
{for Kindergarten} Lunch

No matter what the circumstances, I don't think I would ever be prepared for my baby to start kindergarten. I remember when B1 was an actual baby, and I would hear people talk about their kids starting kindergarten, and I saw those kids as being so old. Funny to look back on that now. Because today my own baby started school... and she probably looks old to a lot of other new parents. And as I walked her to her classroom, new backpack and lunchbox on hand, I hoped for the best for her... but I knew at least she'd be covered in the food department :)

Last year I heard an interview on NPR with Debra Samuels, the author of the book My Japanese Table. In it, she described her experience making school lunches as an ex-patriot mom living in Japan. My favorite quote in that interview: "After her young son started complaining that the peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches she was packing for him weren't 'cute enough' for kindergarten, Samuels embraced the Japanese food aesthetic." Listening, I was captivated by the interview... maybe it was the simultaneous ridiculousness but cuteness of the baloney bangs that did me in. And while I don't think I'll ever be able to cut a carrot into a flower (or adorn my kids' sandwiches with baloney bangs, for that matter), something about the Japanese food concept really stuck with me. Samuels described food in Japan as being a very visual experience, and she soon adapted her son's school lunches to follow that theme.

Thus, my inspiration for B1's lunches and snacks this week. I'm trying to emulate the Japanese kids-lunch style, and I've started off with the bento-like containers. Since I've had good success with Sistema products in the past, I'm still using those, but I decided to give these Rubbermaid Lunch Blox (they're cheaper at Target: $14.99) a try. I really like this concept, because the individual containers AND ice blocks all click together (two birds with one stone here). So I'm {very hopefully} giving them a shot, and I'll keep you posted on how they hold up with every day use.

The other new addition to her lunches? With molds straight from Japan (via Amazon: Kotobuki Mold), I made hardboiled eggs shaped like bunnies and bears, utilized these cute little reusable animal forks (via Amazon: Bento Decoration) for some ham and cheese rolls. She hasn't seen those yet; I can't wait to hear about her reaction when she sees them :)

And so here I am, preparing my daughter's lunches for kindergarten. And while I'm not quite emotionally prepared for the fact that my little girl is growing up so fast, I'd like to think that, nutritionally, I'm heading in a positive direction, just like those clever Japanese moms. And most importantly, I got good reviews about lunch from my little kindergartener today! 

But, please, I'm still looking for more... any bento-style kid lunch success stories out there? I'm hungry (yup, pun intended) for more ideas!

 

Sources for some of the other stuff in the pics:

Lunchbox: Dabbawalla Bags Flower Power II Lunchbox
Dress: Tea Collection (post here)
Boots: Nina Cowgirl Boots ($24.99 from Marshalls)
Backpack: Mini Boden (promotion from a couple years ago. I saved it. Yea, I'm a bit of a planner)

No Frills, Space-Saver Boo-Boo Kit

DIY Kids Boo-Boo Kit 

Easy, Compact, and Inexpensive First Aid Kit 

So here's my epiphany of the week: when you have little kids, there is no where you can go that you might not need a band-aid.  I don't know why it took me so long to realize this, but I've stopped trying to fight it.  

Picture this: you're running out to Starbucks on a Saturday morning to grab a quick coffee.  One of the kids wants to come, too.  Sure, you think, now that she can buckle her own seat belt, bringing her along is easy!  Well, it is easy, and fun... up until the point where she trips on a curb while she's getting out of the car and scrapes her knee.  And, BAM!  That's where it stops being easy.  Because you can see that it's only a little scrape, and really, it will be fine until you get home and wash it.  But she doesn't share your opinion.  She is crying.  And the more you reassure her, the more she cries, and the louder she becomes.  And you're right outside Starbucks... you can SMELL the coffee.  You can practically taste the coffee.  But you can't, in good conscience, drag your screaming, suffering child into Starbucks just because you need your coffee.  So what do you do?????  EASY. You whip out your simple DIY Boo-Boo Kit. Because any caregiver knows what a difference a band-aid can make. And how a scrape or cut can strike at any time: in the middle of Old Navy, walking out of church, playing Monopoly (those paper cuts can come out of nowhere)!

I've gone through several iterations of boo-boo kits, and somehow I never seem to adopt one of those versions permanently. For example, having an ice pack on hand to help with the bumps and bruises is great, but it takes up prime real estate in the purse.  Ditto with gauze and medical tape.  And what ends up happening?  Well, I take out out the kit when I need to make room for something else.  And then, inevitably, someone falls down, becomes inconsolable, and needs a band-aid.  And I don't have one.

So here's my new version.  Some is for me, some is for the kids, but this new kit includes all of the most frequently-used ailment-fixers in our household.  I'm going to try it out for a little longer, but so far, it's served me well.

DIY Boo-Boo Kit For Anyone Who Takes Care of Kids 

• Zippered Case: I like the clear ones, that way I can see what's in there without having to pull everything out each time. I got mine in the dollar bin at Target.
• Neosporin Wound Cleanser: This stuff is awesome. It cleans out the cuts/scrapes and applies an antiseptic
• Band-aids: Target has really inexpensive up&up band-aids (only sold in stores) that come in cute designs. They're less expensive than the "character" versions, and I actually like the designs much better. I throw in a few different designs so the kids can pick which one they want. Getting them involved usually helps cut down on the tears and nervousness, too!
• Benadryl: I grew up with a sister with severe food allergies, so I know how important it is to have Benadryl on hand in case of an emergency. Unfortunately, they keep changing their products and/or having recalls, so it's hard to make a good recommendation about what version to use. The regular liquid container is a little large for my tastes, so right now I carry the Fastmelt Tabs in my kit (although when I looked for the link, it says the product is discontinued... hard to believe since I only bought it a month ago). Sometimes they offer the smaller, "Perfect Measure" spoons, which are also easy to throw into a kit. So, do your research, and get what you're comfortable with.
• Small Tweezers: Those wooden playgrounds great for splinters :)
• Pain Reliever Tablets (these are only for adults!): I keep a travel-sized container with Advil and Excedrin. Because I get headaches at the most inopportune times.
• Tums: They make them in small rolls that take up very little space.
• Lollipops: Next to a band-aid, this is the best boo-boo distraction.  I put a few Dum-Dums (also tiny) in mine because I know there will likely be a supportive sibling or friend nearby.

 
The other great thing about having one of these kits on you is that you can share. Kids are always getting hurt, and having this may help out another mom or dad who recently (now regrettably) abandoned their over-sized boo-boo kit for more space. And how great does it feel to help someone out who got an unexpected headache in the first act of the Five-act Elementary Holiday Pageant?

Easy enough! What other small items do you keep in your essential kits?

How to Buy Name Brand Kids Clothes & Still Stick to Your Budget

Love An Expensive Clothing Brand But Don't Love the Price?

Just a little compromise can still give you a lotta look!

I love the Tea Collection clothing lines. I love the styles, and I love the way the fabrics hold up. Even after going through a lot of wear with both girls, the shape and colors of the pieces still look great. Which is why I always like to have one or two Tea Collection dresses in my girls' wardrobes for back-to-school time.

Tea Collection
Great Wall Striped Dress

And even though it's a bit pricey, I'm comfortable spending around $30 for a dress that I know is going to last (especially when it can be handed down to B2!), but I just can't rationalize spending $24 on a pair of leggings to go with it.  Hey, call me cheap, but to spend almost $60 on a single outfit for a little kid is just too much for me.  So, I fake it.

I always buy from Tea when there is a promo code (currently, there's a 10% code right on their site, but the code bejing15 will save you 15% for a limited time, although I think it may only be for first-time Tea buyers).  Then, I stock up on inexpensive leggings to pair with the adorable dresses, and, VOILA! No one knows the difference. Don't get me wrong, the "generic" leggings are quite as adorable as the originals, but I can stand that. I'd also consider the Tea quality to be a little better than the "generic", but again, it's not enough to get me to spend over four times the price for a pair of leggings that will most certainly get abused.

Tea Collection
Yangzi Floral Shirtdress

So where do I get these "generic" leggings? Well, Walmart's leggings are actually my number one source because you can get toddler sizes (Granimals: to 5T) for $3.88 or girls sizes (Faded Glory) for $4.97. I have to admit, I'm not the biggest Walmart fan, but in this case, it really helps me save money on my back-to-school shopping, so I go with it.  Target also has them pretty cheap; I think they're regularly $7.00 for the Circo leggings (although right now they're on sale for $6.00, and you can catch them on clearance for even less than that sometimes). H&M has a lot of colors and styles, but in my experience, the quality of H&M's kids leggings is lacking (last year B1 got a huge hole in hers after one wear).

Walmart
Faded Glory Leggings

And, really, that's it. My little secret. And it's just tricks like that that help me keep my kids looks stylish without breaking the bank. Hence the whole "thrifter in disguise" thing.

And no, the Tea dresses aren't as inexpensive as my go-to H&M play dresses (which is why I call them play dresses), but they're so much more versatile (and much better made). They girls will wear them for school, birthday parties, and even holidays (perfect for Thanksgiving dinner; I've never liked buying entirely new outfits for one day). Throw a cardigan over the dress or a long-sleeved tee-shirt under it and they can even wear them through the winter months. 

Well, maybe I'm not emotionally ready for back-to-school, but at least I've got two less wardrobes to worry about!

Tea Collection
Modern Dot Bubble Dress