Bully Free......the way to be!

Happy Friday to you, Friends! Can you believe that March is just about over? I have one more very special lunch to share with you before March slips away. Many of you already are aware that the month of October in the U.S. is National Bullying Prevention Month...a month set aside to increase awareness of bullying of children of all ages. In recent months, there have been several heartbreaking and tragic incidents in the news involving severe bullying, some to the point of suicide. To help draw attention to this growing problem that our young people face, the Bento Bloggers & Friends are hosting a Anti-Bullying blog hop, and I am privileged to be a part of it.

 

What is bullying?

Bullying can be verbal, physical, social, or via the Internet. It can severely affect the victim's self-image, social interactions, and school performance―often leading to loneliness, low self-esteem, depression and anxiety disorders, post traumatic stress, eating disorders, and other long-lasting harmful emotional effects in the adult years.

Did you know?
**  Every 7 minutes a child is bullied.
**  More than 160,000 U.S. students stay home
      each day from fear of being bullied.
**  35% of kids have been threatened online.
**  1 out of 4 school students is bullied.
**  32% of high school bully victims have
      considered suicide.



Bullying is indeed no trivial matter. Bullying is very serious, and we must all work together to fight against this horrific tormenting behavior against our young people today. As a parent, it is my responsibility to teach my children that bullying is unacceptable. Through my own example, I'm trying to teach my children that it is wrong to ridicule differences (i.e., race, religion, appearance, special needs, gender, economic status), and I'm trying to instill in them a sense of empathy for those who are different. Respect, kindness, compassion, and acceptance are qualities I want my kids to be known for.

If you are interested in learning more about bullying or want to know how to help your kids avoid becoming a victim of bullying, here are 2 very good sites to visit: What if I'm being bullied? and Pacer....Kids Against Bullying.

Here is a great YouTube video that young people will appreciate, as well.... Beat a Bully Without Using Your Fist. Both of my kids (6 and 14) have watched this video and have asked repeatedly to see it again. I hope you will take the time to watch it.


Well, I told you at the beginning of this post that I was participating in an Anti-Bullying blog hop, so let's get to the lunch.

This lunch is packed in EasyLunchBoxes.
*peanut butter and all-fruit spread sandwich cut into a shape of a stop sign- I cut a tortilla with the stop sign cutter and sprayed it with red Wilton Color Mist and then, placed it on top of the sandwich. The words "Bully free...the way to be" are cut from Swiss cheese. The peace sign is a candy cupcake icing decoration.
*pretzels
*black seedless grapes with candy peace sign (There is a wedge of apple under the grapes.)
*sweet corn with homemade "Be a buddy...not a bully" pick

As I said above, though, this is an Anti-Bullying blog hop. So, hop on over to Chaos and Confections to see Jessie's great anti-bullying themed lunch. Just click the button below, and you know you have completed the hop when you arrive back here. Enjoy the hop Friends!!
         
                                               

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Welcome Spring!

Welcome Spring!!!! Today is the first official day of spring, and that makes me a happy girl! I love winter, but I look forward to the warmer weather so that I can work in my flower beds and garden. I'll be planting some colorful annuals very soon. Gardening is a favorite pastime of mine in the spring. What are some of your favorite things to do in spring?

Today's spring inspired lunch is packed in the Yumbox. We really like this lunchbox. You can read my Yumbox review HERE.

This lunch is packed in the Yumbox.

*sliced Natural Selects hotdog with daisy picks
*black seedless grapes and blackberries with ladybug pick
*Italian green beans with bee pick
*green and black olives in a flower shaped cup
*white cheddar cheese Nips
*Yoplait yogurt with a butterfly cupcake decoration
*a few Sixlets in the treat cup


Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Butterfly Fairy Bread sandwich

Well, spring break is over, and the kidlets are back in school. Yay!!...back to lunch making. The weather this week is forecasted to be quite springlike, and I have to admit, I am ready for it. This winter has been grueling, and I'm so looking forward to the beautiful spring flowers in my garden. My daffodils are already sprouting, and my tulips and hyacinths are not far behind. Not looking forward to my springtime allergies, but we take the good with the bad, right? Zyrtec is my friend!

The first day of spring is actually on Thursday, but were kicking off spring a bit early today with a butterfly fairy bread sandwich.

Fairy bread sandwiches are very easy to make. To make a "Fairy bread sandwich", cut out any shape of your choosing from the top slice of bread. A cookie cutter works great for this. Then, fill the cavity with any sprinkles you like. I used Wilton nonpareil sprinkles.  Simple as that! 

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.
*peanut butter and all-fruit spread fairy bread sandwich with butterfly cutout
*pretzel snaps
*red cherry tomatoes, carrot rounds (I cut the centers out with a mini butterfly cutter.), and sugar snap peas...I fully expect the peas to come home this afternoon.
*blackberries and black seedless grapes
*linked to: Funky Polkadot Giraffe/ Too Cute Tuesday
                  BentoLunch.net/ What's for lunch Wednesday
                  Sun Scholars/ For the Kids Friday


Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

Bear-y fun DIY Lunchable

My kids are on spring break this week (insert huge smiley face here!), so there will probably not be much time for fun lunches (insert frowny face here!). I love it when my kids are off of school, though. I try to spend as much time with them as possible, and our weather is going to be fabulous this week. We will definitely be spending some time at the park and zoo.

Today's post is actually Friday's lunch. My kids love those store bought Lunchables. So, pretty often I will make them homemade Lunchables for their lunch. Homemade versions of the Lunchables are so much healthier and tastier than the store bought ones. I gave my DIY Lunchable a little personality by cutting the meat and cheese into cute bear shapes. My little guy really liked this lunch.

This lunch is packed in EasyLunchBoxes.

*Natural Selects ham cut into a bear shape 

*Colby Jack cheese cut into a bear shape 

*Ritz crackers 

*green olives 

*baby carrot sticks with Ranch dressing in the star container

 *strawberries and red seedless grapes

*linked to: Eats Amazing/ Fun Food Friday

I added a couple of fun bear picks for maximum cuteness.

Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch:

We are ready for Spring...

This has been such a crazy week. We got hit by a snow and ice storm on Sunday night, and it sent our entire city into a state of panic. We rarely get bad weather here, so any amount of ice or snow sends us all into a frenzy. My kids have been off school since Monday. I've enjoyed spending the time with them, so lunches this week have been very simple. No blogging!! But, school is back in session today, and I have to admit, I'm ready for spring. Mr. Groundhog, whatever deal you made with winter, you need to reconsider it, PLEEEEEEZE!!

Hopefully channeling a little spring with today's lunch.
I'm using the Munchkin Mealtime Bento box for this lunch. I really like this box because it has 2 containers with lids that fit snugly together. I like that tiny little section between the 2 containers, too. It's the perfect size for a few M&M's or other small treat. The rest of the box holds plenty of food, as well.

This lunch is packed in the Munchkin Mealtime Bento box.
*Natural Selects honey ham cut into flower shapes
*cheddar cheese Ritz Bitz
*red seedless grapes
*carrot rounds
*sweet corn
*Yoplait dye-free vanilla yogurt
*a few Skittles
*linked to: Following in my Shoes/ I Heart Lunch
I added a couple of cute and fun flower picks to "springify" the lunch.



Some of the things, or similar things, that I used to make this lunch: