PB&J bread rollups and a few snowmen...

If you tuned in to the last post, then you know that we were super duper excited over the prospect of snow. Well, we didn't wake up to the winter wonderland like we had hoped. Nope! Nada! None! I guess I really should be glad that we don't live in a place where a foot of snow every week is the norm. But, a nice healthy snowfall here in the M-town sure would be welcome. My little guy has never even had the chance to build a snowman. Now ice....that's a different story! We get several good icings every winter. Doesn't really garner the same amount of excitement from the kiddos, though. So, there's a few snowmen in the lunch today to perhaps help Mother Nature along.

I love these cute bread rollups. They are super simple to do. I cut the crusts off a slice of bread. (Don't throw them out. Turn them into bread crumbs and use them to make meatballs or meatloaf.) Then, using the heel of your hand, flatten the bread as much as possible. Yep, pound the dippidy doo out of the bread. Spread the peanut butter (or nut butter of choice) from edge to edge, and then spread the jelly (or fruit spread of choice) leaving about a half inch on one edge free of the jelly. Then roll the bread toward the jelly free edge. Easy peasy lemon squeezey!!

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• Peanut butter and strawberry all-fruit spread bread rollups
• Ritz Bitz cheese crackers
• Babybel cheese- I cut a snowman shape from the cheese wax with a small snowman shaped cutter.
• baby carrots with Ranch dressing in the green cup
• strawberries
• 3 holiday yogurt covered pretzels

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

We want some snow....

Well, I am a happy, happy girl!! Looks like we might be getting some snow here in the M-town tomorrow. My family LOVES snow. We will bundle up in 5 layers of clothes if it means we get to build a snowman and have snowball fights. And you can't have snow without hot cocoa, right? Memphis is not a place that gets a great deal of snowfall, so when we do get snow, it's a big deal. A big snowfall here amounts to 2 or 3 inches, and of course, the entire city shuts down and schools close. Tomorrow's prediction is only about an inch. But, weathermen can be wrong, right?  So, tonight we're going to flush 3 ice cubes down the toilet, wear our pajamas inside out, and sleep with spoons under our pillows. All in hopes that we will wake up to a winter wonderland. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• peanut butter and strawberry all-fruit spread sandwich cut into the shape of a snowflake
• Pirate's Booty cheese puffs
• baby carrots
• strawberries
• Yoplait yogurt
• 2 candy snowflakes for decoration

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

Welcome December...

Hi Friends! Welcome to December. I hope you all were able to spend some special time with your loved ones last week. The kidlets are back in school today. We enjoyed our Thanksgiving break very much. Now, we are ready to start that downhill slide to the end of the year and winter break. WooHoo!! We can't wait for winter break. December is the month that I like to make winter themed lunches, too. The cold weather has set in, and it's time for some fun snowman lunches. Today's lunch, though, is pretty simple. This lunch took me less than 15 minutes to make. Coming off the long holiday weekend, my lunch making mojo was pretty defunct, so simple was the name of the game last night. Look at these fun scalloped silicone cups. I bought them at TJ Maxx over the weekend, and I love them. They are really thick and sturdy and super cute, too. The same ones are available at Amazon, so I placed a link to them below. Have a great week everybody!!

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• Natural Selects turkey hotdog slices
• Monterrey Jack cheese cubes
• Pirate's Booty puffed cheese snacks
• sliced peaches and blueberries
• baby carrots and Ranch dressing for dipping in the green cup

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

Daddy-made lunch

This has to be one of my favorite lunches ever!! Why you ask? There is nothing special about it...it's a simple, basic, and unassuming lunch with no cute picks, no fancy cutters used. Well, this is a Daddy-made lunch! Yep!! Mama was feeling quite under the weather last night (insert frowny face here), and the hubs noticed my puniness as soon as he got home from work. So, he sent me off to bed at 7:30 (insert smiley face here), taking on lunch making and kitchen cleaning duty himself. And a fabulous job he did on both I have to admit. He even chose a background and took the picture in case I wanted to blog it. Well, of course I'm going to blog this!!! It would have been so much easier for him to just make the sandwich and bag up the puffs and apple. But, he took the time to follow my lunchmaking footsteps. You've got to love a man who puts as much care and effort into something as you do. Hmmmm!! Maybe I need to get sick more often! *wink* *wink*

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• peanut butter and strawberry all-fruit sandwich
• Pirate's Booty cheese puffs
• Honeycrisp Apple wedges
• carrot rounds and black olives
• Babybel cheese

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

Goodbyn Animal Friends

We are really enjoying our Goodbyn Bynto lunchbox. We've been using it for a few weeks now, and I can honestly say that this is a great lunchbox. The only "con" about the Bynto is that it is not leakproof. My little guy normally carries all of his lunchboxes flat so leaking is not a major concern for me most of the time. But, just to be cautious, I always put foods like yogurt and applesauce in a lidded container when using the Bynto. However, wouldn't a leakproof Bynto be ever so awesome? HELLO......Goodbyn Bynto  people....are you listening?? LOL  Well, we love the Bynto so much, we'll certainly keep on using it leakproof or not. It was just announced, too, that the Goodbyn Bento will be coming out in a purple color soon.....can't wait to see that!

This lunch is packed in the Goodbyn Bynto.

• Natural Selects Bologna roll ups 
• Rold Gold honey wheat pretzel sticks
• Babybel cheese
• baby carrot sticks and Sungold cherry tomatoes
• red seedless grapes
• natural applesauce in the yellow cup

I added a few cute animal picks for fun.

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

Ham and Cheese Sandwich bites...

When I head to the grocery, I'm always on the lookout for new things to put in Z's lunch. I try to only send him foods for lunch that I'm positive he will eat (I save the unfamiliar foods for other times.). Lunch is such an important meal in the middle of the day for kids, and I don't want him suffering from that mid-afternoon energy crash from not having eaten his lunch. Yep...school is not the place for that! I found these cute mini ham and cheese sandwich bites at the grocery the other day and decided to give them a try. Since we had not tried them before, I gave him a few for his after school snack yesterday. WooHoo....thumbs up!! These little bites are really good at room temp, too. There were several varieties of these mini sandwich bites, so I think I'll try out the other ones soon.

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• ham and cheese sandwich bites
• Rold Gold mini pretzels
• Honeycrisp apple wedges
• sweet peas with balsamic vinegrette in the froggy bottle
• Yoplait yogurt with blueberries

Linked to: Eats Amazing/ Fun Food Friday

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

Crescent Roll Pizza Puffs

Hi Friends! WOW!! I can't believe its November 3rd. It seems like forever since I've posted a lunch. We have been crazy busy since we got home from the mountains. This time of the year is always hectic for us, it seems. Dinnertime has been especially chaotic as my hubby has been working late the last couple of weeks. The hubs had to work this Saturday, too, so I decided to make these crescent roll pizza puffs for the kidlets and me for dinner. We LOVE these things! I go a bit crazy for the crescent rolls alone, but fill those crispy, flaky rolls with gooey, melted mozzarella cheese and pepperoni, and you have an undescribable foodie match. Oh Yeah!!

I paired these with a salad and applesauce, and I let the kids have a picnic in the den while watching How To Train Your Dragon 2. They were some happy boys! Added bonus....these little gems are tailgating fare at its finest, and they are great appetizers for that big game day party. They are very easy to make, too. The recipe for these is all over Pinterest. They are very popular. So, I'm not gonna reinvent the wheel and repost the recipe, but if you want a quickie recipe link, click HERE.

The only change that I make to the Pillsbury recipe is that I use block mozzerella cheese. Some recipes for these call for the wrapped mozzerella sticks, but we are not a fan of those. Shredded mozzarella will work, too. One of the great things about this recipe is that you can mix it up any way you like. I make these crescent puffs with ham and cheddar cheese, and they are delish! Turkey and Swiss cheese would be great, too. The possibilities are endless with these, so pick up a couple of cans of crescent rolls at your next grocery visit, and create some yumminess.

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• Pillsbury crescent roll pizza puffs with marinara sauce for dipping
• black olives
• cantaloupe cubes
• red and orange cherry tomatoes with Ranch dressing for dipping
• square of brownie brittle

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

Cute can be quick...

Giving the Goodbyn Bynto a go again today. It was quite a hit the other day. The little guy really likes this lunchbox....he requested it today. I like that my jumbo silicone cups fit nicely in the Goodbyn, too. I love the jumbo cups....I can find so many great uses for them. I put this lunch together in about 15 minutes....no special tools or cutters needed. Just goes to show cute can be quick!

This lunch is packed in the Goodbyn Bynto .

• Natural Selects bologna spirals- I cut a round slice of bologna into three pieces and rolled each piece into a spiral. I then cut a stick of string cheese into thirds and placed the pieces between the bologna. 
• cantaloupe chunks
• Rold Gold mini pretzels
• Chobani yogurt
• Sungold cherry tomatoes with ranch dressing in the orange cup
• green olives
• Hershey's cookies and cream square

Linked to: Eats Amazing/ Fun Food Friday

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

Ladybug Goodbyn Bynto

Eeeeeeek!! Isn't this a super cute lunchbox?! This is a Goodbyn Bynto. I have looked at this lunchbox a dozen times at my local Target and passed it up. I love my Easy Lunch Boxes and the Yumbox, but I have been looking for a lunchbox with a different interior design. So, on a whim, I decided to pick one up. WOW!! I love this lunchbox! As you can tell, it is very roomy, and I like having the 3 different sized compartments. There's a lot of room for creativity with the Goodbyn Bynto, too. At first, I thought it would be too big to fit flat in the lunchbags that I use for Z's lunches. But, to my surprise, it fits in every bag that I have for him. It fits well in the EasyLunchboxes Cooler Bag. I also have the Target Embark Personal lunchbag, and it fits great in this bag. The lid snaps on very easily, too, which is great for little hands. And, it comes in several fun colors...red, blue, green, and pink. Best of all, it can go in the dishwasher...and I LOVE that! So, I'm looking forward to making some super cute Goodbyn Bynto lunches.

This lunch is packed in the Goodbyn Bynto .

• Natural Selects ham sandwich cut into the shape of a ladybug- I cut a slice of cheddar cheese in the ladybug shape and placed it on top of the sandwich and added candy icing eyes.
• white cheddar cheese Nips
• baby carrots with ranch dressing in the green oval cup- I added a cute ladybug pick.
• red seedless grapes and strawberries in the ladybug cup
• rainbow popcorn- We picked this up when we were in Gatlinburg last week. It is delish! Each color is a different flavor. Not the healthiest choice, but oh, so gooood!

Linked to: Bentolunch.net/ What's for lunch Wednesday
                Beneficial Bento/ Fancy Sandwich Friday
                Eats Amazing/ Fun Food Friday



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

Post-vacay blues lunch...

Hi Friends! I hope last week was a great one for you. My kiddos were on fall break last week, so we headed to the Smoky Mountains for the week for some R&R. It was a gorgeous time to be there, and we had a blast. Dollywood was waaaay cooler than we thought it was going to be. And the Ripley's Aquarium was awesome. A big shout out of thanks to my niece for dog sitting the Spoo for us. You rock, Alyssa!!! We didn't get home until Sunday afternoon, and we were all suffering from post-vacay blues (post-vacation blues....yeah, it's a real thing). My exhausted post vacay scrambled brain couldn't hardly fathom making a Monday lunch for the little guy...especially with 5 unpacked suitcases and that mountain of laundry staring me in the face. However, I persevered. This lunch turned out pretty cute seeing my lunch making mojo was somewhere between non-existent and defunct. Z requested pepperoni for lunch, so I skewered the pepperoni, the hotdogs, and the black olives....cute lunch making prevailed.

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• pepperoni, Natural Selects hotdog, and black olive skewers- The remaining hotdog pieces are hiding under the napkin.
• Rold Gold mini pretzels
• cheddar cheese cubes
• 4 bean salad
• Red Delicious apple and Craisins
• Hershey's chocolate square

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

Turkey Rolls

Ahhhhh!!! It's feeling very fallish today in the M-town. A huge cold front came through last night bringing with it heavy thunderstorms, tornadoes, wind, and lightning, but, in its wake....a beautiful sunny fall day. It's cool and crisp out....I love it! Just in time too, because my kidlet's are on fall break next week, and we are heading to the mountains for a little R&R. I can't believe they have been in school for 9 weeks already. So, there won't be any lunches posted next week, but I'll try to pop in and post a lunch from the backlog of lunches I made in the summer.

Simple turkey rolls are for lunch today....very simple to do. My little guy loves these. I cut a round slice of Natural Selects turkey into thirds and then tightly rolled each piece. These little appetizer picks make great mini skewers. I snipped the pointy end off with kitchen shears to make them more kidlet and school friendly.

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• Natural Selects turkey rolls
• white cheddar Babybel cheese- I used small heart cutter in the center of the wax.
• red seedless grapes
• Snyder's pretzel Spoonz
• baby carrots with ranch dressing for dipping
• Hershey's chocolate square

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

Let's Do Some Dipping...

My little guy loves peanut butter. He loves the smooth and the crunchy and will eat just about anything with peanut butter in it. Thankfully, he does not have any allergies with peanut butter and he does not attend a "nut free" school. So, he requests the 'ole PB&J quite often. We've tried some of the other nut butters out there like cashew and almond, and he will eat the almond butter (cashew, not so much). But, peanut butter always reigns supreme. One of his favorite snacks at home is apples with peanut butter for dipping, so when I found these peanut butter Jif To-Go cups at the grocery, I just had to get them. So, today's lunch is all about peanut butter dipping...apples, pretzels, and veggies. Yum!!! I might have to duplicate this lunch for myself!!

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• Jif To-Go with Granny Smith apples, celery and carrots, and Snyder's Pretzel Spoonz for dipping
• cheddar cheese cubes
• Natural Selects hotdog slices

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

Happy Fall Y'all...

Happy fall y'all!!! WooHoo!! Fall has finally arrived in the M-town! I am one happy girl. Fall is my favorite time of the year. Bring on the fleece sweatshirts, fuzzy socks, chili, and the beautiful fall foliage. I have to admit, we really did not have a very harsh summer, but I am just so ready for the cool to set in. Fall break is right around the corner, too, and the Hubs, the kidlets, and I are headed to the mountains for a little R&R. And I am super ready for that!

So, this lunch is a little ode to fall. I have this tiny squirrel cutter that is super cute, but it doesn't get much use because it's really too small to make sandwiches. But, it just cried out to me today and said, "Cut the cheese with me please." So, not only did I cut the cheese, but I cut the bologna, too. My little guy would be giggling uncontrollably right about now if he was reading this. You know..."cut the cheese". Anyway, I thought my little squirrel meat and cheese would be perfect for a DIY Fall Lunchable. They are the perfect size to stack on top of a Ritz cracker.

This lunch is packed in Easy Lunch Boxes.

• Natural Selects bologna cut into the shape of a squirrel.....yes, that's supposed to be a squirrel
• Monterrey Jack cheese cut into the squirrel shape
• Ritz crackers
• green olives
• green and black seedless grapes
• baby carrots with ranch dressing for dipping in the green cup

I added a fun squirrel and acorn pick for additional cuteness.
Linked to: Bentolunch.net/ What's for lunch Wednesday


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

Applegate & Yumbox....Win-Win!

Last week, I reviewed the Applegate HALF TIME lunch kit. The lovely people over at Applegate sent me 3 different types of the kit for us to try out and review, and I chose the bologna kit for Z's first lunch since bologna is his favorite deli meat. Today's lunch features the HALF TIME turkey kit packed in the Yumbox. This was a Win-Win all around as Z loved the turkey kit, too, and he loves the Yumbox. You can see my Applegate HALF TIME lunch kit review HERE.

This lunch is packed in the Yumbox. You can see my Yumbox review HERE.

• Applegate turkey slices
• Applegate American cheese 
• Annie's Buttery Rich crackers
• Stonyfield strawberry YoKids Squeezers
• four bean salad
• strawberries and blueberries
• green olives
• Annie's fruit snacks

I add a few fun transportation theme picks for a bit of cuteness.


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

Applegate HALF TIME Lunch Kit Review

Here at The Lucky Lunchbox, I have a goal to provide nutritious and healthy lunches for my son that are packed with a little creative flair. I make his lunches with a variety of fruit (which he eats heartily) and veggies (which he eats not so heartily), and I prefer organic products, although that's not always possible for my budget. I try to make his lunches nutritionally balanced. I miss the mark with this quite often, I admit, but when it comes to deli meats, hotdogs, and such, I always choose products that are of a healthier variety.....meaning they are nitrate free, preservative free, with no hormones or artificial ingredients. 

So often, I think, as parents, we are in such a hurry to come up with lunches for our children that we forego nutrition for convenience. I am definitely guilty of this. But, as a busy parent, I love convenience foods. So, I was very excited to see that Applegate has just launched the first nationally available pre-packed lunch kit, HALF TIME, that features natural and organic ingredients. Let's all say it together....YAY FOR CONVENIENCE!! And, I was even more excited to have the opportunity to review the HALF TIME kit. Look for a fun Applegate HALF TIME kit giveaway soon. 

What is HALF TIME?
HALF TIME is similar in concept to the Lunchables product line. You know.....that meat, cheese, cracker product loaded with nitrates, fillers, and artificial stuff that is packaged in a box. Kids clamor for these, don't they? Well, Applegate HALF TIME combines three of the leading brands in the natural and organic circle...Applegate, Stonyfield, and Annie’s...into one convenient kit. I really like this idea. While I choose to pack my son's lunch every day so that I have control over the quality of the ingredients, there are times that I’d just like to grab a box out of the refrigerator, toss it in his lunch box, and send him on his way. We love Applegate and Annie's products! And I use both of these brands in Z's lunches all the time. Stonyfield is new to us, but, as I expected, very well received by the little guy. 

HALF TIME is designed with kids in mind. There are jokes and games for kids to play on the inside and outside of the box. All of the little plastic packages peel open easily so you do not need scissors or a knife to open them. This is great for older kids that get their lunch ready on their own. Also, the box opens in such a way that it can serve as a makeshift plate. 



The Applegate HALF TIME kit comes in three varieties: Turkey & Cheese, Ham & Cheese, and Bologna & Cheese (see above). All three kits include: Applegate Naturals meats, which have no artificial ingredients or preservatives and are antibiotic free; Applegate American cheese made with no added hormones; Stonyfield YoKids Squeezers Strawberry Organic Lowfat Yogurt, and Annie’s Homegrown Buttery Rich Crackers. Each kit also includes either Annie’s Bunny Graham Friends or Annie's Organic Berry Patch Fruit Snacks.

Bologna is Z's favorite deli meat, so I chose the bologna kit to try first. The HALF TIME kit contained 5 slices of bologna, 5 slices of American cheese, 5 buttery crackers, a pack of fruit snacks, and a strawberry YoKids yogurt tube each in its own individual package. Yes, there is a lot of packaging with these kits. Here are all of the contents of the kit laid out (below) and ready for me to assemble Z's lunch. 

Here is the lunch that I made for Z. I included the additional carrots (with ranch dip in the small box), apples, blueberries, and olives to round out his lunch as Z has a very hearty appetite at lunchtime, and the HALF TIME kit was not quite enough food for him. I only gave him half of the Annie's fruit snacks as I limit the amount of sweet treat in his lunch. This kit could easily be tossed into a lunch box unopened though...add an apple and a veggie juice drink with it and you have a nice well-rounded lunch. Z gobbled this lunch up!!! There was one cracker and half a piece of the cheese left. While he ate all of the Stonyfield yogurt Squeezers and said it tasted good, Z told me that he thought it was a bit runny (he is used to Yoplait yogurts that are a much thicker consistency).

FINAL VERDICT.... 

We really like the Applegate HALF TIME kit. As a parent, I appreciate that I don’t have to compromise between convenience and quality because this kit combines trusted brands that are that are already in my refrigerator and pantry. While I would not send this lunch kit with my son to school every day, I think it's a great option for a field trip day, a day at the zoo, or a day when Mama isn't feeling the lunch packing thing. I think we've all been there.

Here is an overview of the things we like about the Applegate HALF TIME kit and some of the points to keep in mind before purchasing: 

Things we like:

• The HALF TIME kit contains foods that are organic, and are hormone, nitrate, and preservative free.
• The HALF TIME kit has no artificial colors or flavors.
• The HALF TIME kit is fun to eat.
• The HALF TIME box and individual packages are easily opened.
• The HALF TIME kit is healthy and delicious.
• The HALF TIME kit is a convenient and healthy lunch option for parents.

Things to consider before purchasing:

• Price- The HALF TIME kit has a suggested retail price of $4.99....quite pricey for those more budget minded. I found them at my local Target for $4.39. There are many Applegate coupons available on the web, so these would make the kit more affordable.
• Packaging waste- The HALF TIME kit has a lot of packaging waste.....the box, the individual plastic wrappers, the yogurt tube. I pack my son's lunches in reusable containers so as to eliminate packaging waste, so this was a consideration for me. I did, however, recycle the HALF TIME box and all the wrappers. 
• Portions- The HALF TIME kit may not be enough food on its own for older kids or kids with larger appetites. More food may need to be included for lunch. I had to include veggies and fruit to round out Z's lunch.

Thank you to Applegate for providing me free samples of the products mentioned in this post. All opinions expressed are my own and not influenced by any form of compensation.

PB&J on a Stick

Well, the new school year has been rolling along now for a couple of weeks for most of us. Have you hit a lunch packing rut yet, Mamas? You know....another day, another sandwich. Sandwiches are usually that go-to, easy to fix lunch option that moms turn to quite often. And sandwiches are a great lunch choice. But, let's face it, they can be BORING!! Sandwich cutters and stamps can really liven the 'ole sammy up a bit, but have you ever tried putting a sandwich on a stick? It’s a scientific fact, you know, that food is more fun to eat when it’s served on a stick. And a sandwich on a stick is no exception. This is really a fun school lunch idea. I think kids eat first with their eyes. Presentation is everything. If something looks fun, they are a lot more likely to try it out. This skewer is a simple plastic swizzle stick that I bought at Party City. SAFETY ALERT!!!! You might want to clip the pointy end of your skewer or swizzle stick off to make it more kid and school friendly, especially if you have a kidlet that's a fan of knights and pirates. Receiving a midday phone call from your kidlet's teacher that an accidental stabbing incident has occurred at the lunch table would definitely not increase your chances of being the room parent. Oh Boy!!

This lunch is packed in a Easy Lunch Boxes.
*peanut butter and strawberry all-fruit spread sandwich- I used a few round cereal pieces to separate each sandwich square just for cuteness.
*Snyder's butter pretzel Snaps
*black seedless grapes
*four bean salad
*Yoplait vanilla yogurt with strawberries and blackberries

Linked to:Beneficial Bento/ Fancy Sandwich Friday


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