I forgot.

I forgot how hard it is to make lunches every.single.day.

It is pretty fun the first morning, and then by day two, I am so done.

Well not really, because then the next day comes and I have to do it all over again.

I thought I would put my kids in charge this year with them starting back at a new school.

Then I reminded myself that that would not help my chaotic mornings or evenings, where I spend hours (or what seems like hours) loading, unloading, cleaning, cooking, sweeping, and digging through my pantry for food items.

Instead, I decided to make my life as easy as possible and worked hard to set up some simple systems that would help me to get the most bang for my buck during the rushed morning hours.

I put two bins in my fridge that hold lunch and snack items.

(I always keep plastic spoons on hand for the yogurts, fruits, and for when I don’t want to do the dishes…)

The side door holds more yogurt for lunches,…you may not recognize all the brands, I am shopping in Portugal.  If you are like, where?  Don’t worry, most people thought we were moving to South America when we said Portugal.  Ha! Fun fact – they have aisles and aisles of yogurt here, like five, it is yogurt lovers paradise!

 These two drawers also work overtime as the snack go to place for my three sillies.

When I get back from the grocery store I package up cookies and crackers in either small snack size Ziploc bags or snack cups.  This makes for quick grabs in the morning and keeps the portions sizes healthy for the kids.

All the pre-packaged ready to go crackers and bars make their home here, although they don’t end up staying around very long, as comfortable as I try to make them.

I am going to start making up sandwiches ahead of time.  A new friend here showed me her freezer drawer of pre-made sandwiches – don’t think for a second that I didn’t have  a twinge of “why didn’t I think of that!”  But, seriously I was so excited to see a new trick of the trade!  I am not able to use any nuts in our lunches so I stick to cream cheese/jelly and turkey/cheese.  A girls got to do what a girls got to do!

I bought small-sized water bottles for my kids at the Container Store, they are a great size and they each have their own color.  I will need to replace soon and I am thinking I like the looks of these.   I try to avoid getting juice and opt for water in their lunches.  I fill them up in the afternoon when I am unpacking their lunch bags and put them in the fridge so they are ready to go first thing in the morning.

Our Sip N’ Go™ Water Bottle combines the convenient portability of bottled water with the eco-friendly concept of reusable containers. Unlike traditional reusable drink containers, this one is completely flexible, so you can collapse or roll it up when empty for easy, space-saving transport. A snap closure keeps the rolled bottle secure and compact. Once filled with water, it stands upright so you can keep it handy on a desk or in a car’s cup holder. It features a carabiner clip so you can clip it to a backpack, diaper bag or work tote.

I bought their lunch bags at Target and I just looked for styles that would wear well and that had a good handle and zipper.  I don’t usually spend very much because I tend to replace them after a year.  To keep them better maintained I usually run them through the washing machine about once a month as they tend to get kind of gross from day-to-day use.

My hubby loves leftovers and so do my kids.  I try to use them as much as I can and even when we get take out I will order extra for lunch the next day.

*****

The only really good part about making lunches every day is that my kitchen stays clean at lunch time.  For that I am very, very grateful.

Can I get a high-five?

So, tell me, do you pack lunches at night or in the morning?

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