School Lunch Favs
We are officially on week 2 of back to school and we are finally in a good rhythm, knock on wood! Last week was a little rough as we battled the fatigue that comes with a full schedule after a leisurely summer but we fought through and it feels like we are making it to the other side. Still a little tired but we are making it!
One thing that I did not miss was making lunches. Ya’ll it is so nice during summer for the kids to eat lunch when they want and make it themselves. Can I get an amen? Gesh, school lunches just about do me in year after year. Honestly, I think it is because they eat so early (Paisley eats lunch at 10:30 am and she doesn’t even start school until 8:45 am) that I sometimes just don’t know what to pack and then everything becomes so monotonous that it gets boring to pack day after day. I have tried to switch up what I pack but they pretty much like the same thing everyday which is my literal nightmare, lol.
I have tried to switch it up and have the girls make their lunches which didn’t work because they either packed too little or too much or, it was full of junk and having to remake it after them was worse than just making it myself. I have also tried to make it the night before but, it always works time and schedule wise for us to just make it in the morning. Usually, I will sip my coffee while I make lunch and the girls get ready. It took me a long time to just be okay with that rhythm because there are so many suggestions on what to do and when to do it so we let those ideas go and just do what works for us. And I share that because, ya’ll being a mom is hard enough without the added pressure of Pinterest so just a little reminder and empowerment to do what works best for your family!
Anyways, I wanted to share today my favorite Amazon finds for back to school lunches. They are simple and easy to use in your routine and won’t break the bank which is a win-win to me. As a reminder, my girls are in 5th and 7th grade (so ages 10 and 12) so what they need may look different than what your 5 year old needs but hopefully these suggestions help! Let’s jump in…
Savannah’s Lunchbox - Savannah is in 7th grade and wanted a Stony Clover dupe. She knew I would not spend $$$ on a lunchbox that will probably be lost at some point so she found this on Amazon and it’s super cute. I was shocked by how much room it has and how good of quality it is. She took the long strap off and just puts it in her backpack.
Paisley’s Lunchbox - Paisley is in 5th grade and still has snack time so she wanted a bit bigger of a lunchbox. She also likes to take an ice pack where Savannah does not so she wanted more space and to leave her strap on. She found this cute pattern and refused to look at anything else. Lol. I think it’s a little big but she loves it and is the one carrying it so I roll with it.
Lunchbox Notes - I don’t use these everyday but I love to stick one in every now and again. Savannah even in 7th grade loves these and usually I will just write a note on the back of the cute print so they know I am thinking of them and love them. If they are having a big test or are having trouble with something I will mention it so that they know I remember. I think doing it everyday they wouldn’t think they are as special so I like doing every so often.
Large Bento Boxes // Large Bento Boxes - We have used these for years and years and I love them so much. Especially if you have younger kids its nice to be able to open all the packages and put things inside so they don’t have to have help at lunch opening 10 different items. We will still use these for the girls too but usually when they want a charcuterie style lunch mostly.
Small Bento Boxes- These may be my fav! I love these small bento boxes and love that they are small. We use these for snack time because it lets me send in a little bit more for them and it’s easier than them navigating a bunch of trash in the classroom for snack.
Hydroflask Water Bottle - All 3 of my kids love these, even Cam in college. They are a great size to put in your backpack and carry all day and they don’t leak. We have a handful of these that they rotate and I couldn’t recommend them enough.
Alright, there you have it, some of my fav back to school lunch essentials. What would you add to this list?
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