Reusable lunchware

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck. ~Emma Goldman



Ah... it's finally summer, no full calender of pre-school activities or homework to worry about... so what am I doing thinking of the Fall already?!?!

I think it has to do with me always being extra prepared with everything I do, especially when it comes to the kids. The day before the infant doctors appts. I had the bags packed with all we'd need so there was no rushing the morning of, months before the birthday parties I already knew what theme to decorate with and most of the time already purchased the essentials, and always try to be ahead of what's on the calendar and make it fun for everyone instead of rushing and forgetting things.

But I think enrolling the boys in a summer camp didn't help either! Pre-school is half day, no need to worry about packing a lunch b/c we get to fix one together so when we get home we can talk about what exciting new things happened during the day. But in signing them up for something only 3 days in June and July to keep the idea of a routine in the back of their minds, their day is a little longer and they have to bring a lunch. Yay! But totally bummed I wasn't able to pre-search for cute lunch boxes for them to bring :) Bagged lunch will probably work out better in the long run, from experience working with little ones I can't expect a 3 and 4yr old to remember to bring home lids to containers!


But it did get me searching info for when Gavin goes into Kindergarten next Fall, yay... more pre-planning!!!

I've always loved the Pottery Barn Kids line, anything from there is great quality and super cute!

And a few yrs ago I saw in their catalog the Spencer Bento Box, awesome for kids portions and not having baggies to buy!

I have a feeling their first lunch box won't be the metal one that I grew up with but a more eco-friendly style that will last longer and won't dent or rust :)

So that got me looking into what is out there for lunches and thought I'd post a few things I found to be really neat!

Reuseit.com has some great stuff like these sandwich bags to replace a ziplock baggie that sits in the landfills for yrs!

These are great for little ones too so they know what's inside each bag. I wish I had the mystery one when I was little, I loved the excitement of opening my lunch to see what Mom packed me that day!

Then there are these SUPER-CUTE lunchies from Skip-Hop! They have a fox lunchbox, really??? Where were they when I was a kid!!!!

Now that preschool is in the picture for both boys this Fall I am so excited to see what new themes will come out for all the school supplies!

Lemon Tree

I was so excited when I purchased my Meyer Lemon tree a few months ago from a local nursery! I bought it a new gorgeous pot and reminisced about picking citrus in Florida with my Grandparents when they lived down there and couldn't wait to pick my own and make good use out of it! That is until a few weeks ago...

One word... squirrels.


The tree had so many little lemons, green and looking more like limes at the time, but tiny capsules of liquid gold to me. But unfortunately it just happens that un-ripe lemons look and kind of smell like un-ripe walnuts, who'da thought? Needless to say I saw some squirrels on the back porch one morning playing kickball with 2 of them and they must have plucked and played basketball with at least 6 more because I saw them scattered all over the property.



I'm sure one bite and they weren't interested, but to pluck them... I was devastated. There goes our homemade summer lemonade and lemon tarts I was so syked about. But those pesky little creatures did leave me one. So I'm nurturing it like I grew it from a seedling and am almost at the point of putting it on display instead of cutting into it when it is ripe because of all the time and money put into protecting the little guy (though I haven't named him yet, guess that's a good sign).

(Hubby's quick fix solution for the tree)


This week I did see more blooms and as of yesterday there are 4 more on the way! Though I have to mention that the seedlings inside the bloom are extremely fragile! I brushed up against them when there were still blooms and knocked the second from the left completely out of the the middle of the flower! The flowers reminds me of honeysuckle when it grows, though DO NOT touch, pick or possibly even blow too hard on the long stems in the middle of the flower when they're growing, they're attached to the base of the lemon and eventually fall off when the baby lemon is a little more established. Found this out the hard way :)

Here's a tidbit of history and cultivating if anyone's interested.



The Meyer Lemon is the most popular of all the citrus. In 1908, Mr. Meyer imported the first Meyer Lemon tree from China, where it is grown as a dooryard tree. Meyer Lemon is compact enough even for urban balconies and limited-space gardens. This lemon tree will begin bearing large, juicy, thick-skinned fruit at an early age! Without any fruit, this evergreen would be attractive enough to grow as an ornamental. The leaves are lush and glossy, the small white flowers often bloom indoors in late winter, just when the house needs some color and scent. The flowers are intensely fragrant, and the tree has a habit that is upright and well-branched. Depending on the size of the container and pruning you give it, this tree could reach 8 feet high and 10 feet wide, but can also be kept smaller. Container size is very important. Choose a container that is ample for the tree. A 10-15 gallon container will allow for a 10-feet-tall tree under perfect conditions. Under average conditions, a tree can reach 7-8 feet in a pot this size.

Carter's 3rd birthday

Well, pulled it off, a combo party for my little muchkin who wanted an Oso party while using all the truck theme partyware my Mother-in-Law purchased a couple of yrs ago.


Needless to say there were a bunch of tots who had a blast and a bunch of adults asking who Oso was! But overall, good food and friends are always a great combination for good times!


I used online cutouts and covered them with laminate paper and they were perfect low cost ways to tie in the Oso theme!


Even used the cutouts to decorate Carter's favorite dessert... donuts!!!

Although we spent most of the gorgeous day outside playing I did have pin the tail on Whirlybird and a construction project for them to do with pretzel sticks and marshmallows and everyone received a paper digi-medal for doing a super job!

Emma's building in progress!

Happy 3rd birthday little stinker! Now slow down so we can all savor this year before number 4 comes!