Kindergarten Lunches Week 1

If you have been reading any of my posts this week, I'm sure you already know it was my daughter's first week of kindergarten. To make it extra special for her I packed her lunch with some extra care. I tried to pack her favorite foods, so she would be sure to eat her lunch.

MONDAY

I packed her a grilled cheese sandwich cut with the square FunBites* and ketchup, some grapes, carrots, raisins, chocolate covered raisins, and a Capri Sun.

This lunch was a fail. Whether it is because it was her first day or she just ran out of time, all she ate was the chocolate covered raisins and 2 bites of the grilled cheese.

The pink container is from Pottery Barn Kids and the little green container is the Rubbermaid LunchBlox sauce container*.

TUESDAY

I packed her a Nutella sandwich cut with a mickey cookie cutter*, some Cheddar Chex Mix, raisins, mini oreos, apple slices, and a Hello Kitty Funtainer* of water.

I soaked the apples in ginger ale for 10 minutes to prevent browning.

The container is the Rubbermaid LunchBlox entree with trays*. The pink and green silicone cups are Wilton pastel cupcake liners*.

Thankfully, this lunch was a tad more successful. She ate the apple slices and some of the oreos.

WEDNESDAY

I packed her some cubed chicken tenderloin cut with the square FunBites*, Greek yogurt, tomatoes, shredded cheese, cucumbers, animal cookies, and a Capri Sun.   

The pink container is from Pottery Barn Kids, the silicone cups are Wilton pastel cupcake liners*, the silicone flower cup* is also Wilton. The little container is the Rubbermaid LunchBlox sauce container*.

She ate almost everything!

THURSDAY

I packed her a Nutella sandwich cut with the heart FunBites*, organic pretzels, a Z bar cut into bite sized pieces, grapes, cucumbers cut with a flower fondant cutter*, and a Hello Kitty Funtainer* of water.

The container is the Rubbermaid LunchBlox entree with trays*. The silicone cups are Wilton pastel cupcake liners*.

This lunch was a complete success! The only things left were a few grapes and pretzels.

FRIDAY

No School
 
Overall I think week 1 was a success. Throughout the week the amount of food she ate increased. I think it is because she is getting more comfortable with eating at school.

If you would like to learn more about the FunBites cutters I used, please check out my reviews on them (heart, square).

*Affiliate Link

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FunBites Square Cutter Review

FunBites was amazing enough to allow me to review their other product, the square cutter.

If you would like to check out my review on their heart shaped cutter, you can click here.

I was thrilled with their heart shaped cutter and was so happy to try the other style (and so were my kids). 

The instructions for both styles can be found here.

It's Square-a-licious!!!!

The FunBites cutter is made of BPA free plastic and is a good quality product. It will stand up to everyday use and won't crack easily.

The FunBites cutter is curved on the bottom. This allows you to "rock" the cutter when using it (if you would like to see a video of it in action go here.) This makes cutting through the food a lot easier than the average sandwich cutter on the market. I was able to cut through every food I tested and it made every cut every time.

The instructions say that the FunBites cutter can be hand washed or washed in the dishwasher on the top shelf. I personally don't place plastic items in the dishwasher or microwave so when I talk about how easy it was to clean, please keep in mind that this is with hand washing.

As with my previous review, I decided the best way to try it out was to experiment with different foods.

Test 1 - Pancakes

The FunBites cut all the way through the pancake with ease. The pancake was easy to release, and clean-up was easy. (Please note that I didn't add toppings to the pancake until after it was cut.)

Test 2 - Chicken Tenderloin

The FunBites cut all the way through the chicken with a little more effort than the pancake, but still pretty easy. The chicken was easy to release, and clean-up was easy. (Please note that I did cut the chicken while it was still warm.)

Test 3 -Rice Krispie Treats

 The FunBites cut all the way through the rice krispie treat with very little effort. The rice krispie treat was easy to release, and clean-up was easy. 

Test 4,5,6 & 7 - Cheese, Turkey, Bread, & Watermelon

 The FunBites cut all the way through the bread, turkey, and watermelon with ease. They were all easy to release, and clean-up was easy. 

The cheese was a block and was a little more difficult to cut through, but I was still successful and all the squares came out nicely. The FunBites was easy to clean.

Pros: 

~No additional crust trimming.

~ The shapes look like they are supposed to.

~ They are the perfect bite sized pieces.

~ Heavy duty, good quality product.

~ Easy to use.

~ BPA Free.

Cons:

~ Depending on what you cut it can be difficult to clean, if you don't rinse it immediately after use. (but this only happened once to me) **Look here for the other items I tried the FunBites cutters on.

Square vs. Heart

~The heart shaped cutter does have a few narrower(more difficult) spots to clean than the square cutter.

~The heart can be made into more objects. (Heart, Ice Cream Cone, Boat, etc.)

 My vote, get both!!! I will be continuing to use both FunBites cutters in my food preparation. I totally recommend these products to anyone that makes bento style meals, needs to cut food up for toddlers, or just wants to make mealtime a little more fun.

I was provided with free product to review for this post. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions, good or bad, are my own.


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DIY Tea Tree Oil Shampoo - Lice Prevention

I don't know about you, but ever since my daughter started preschool I've been afraid she is going to get head lice. I am afraid for no other reason than I have heard they can be hard to get rid of, and I really don't want to deal with them.

I must start by saying the having lice is NOT a sign of uncleanliness. Lice affect people of all socioeconomic levels and all levels of hygiene.

I spent quit a bit of time online and questioned our pediatrician about lice prevention before my daughter went to preschool. Lice prevention came down to one basic principle: The best defense is a good offense. While these methods won't guarantee your child won't get head lice, they can reduce the likelihood of it.

1. I know we all spend a lot of time telling our kids to share, but not everything is meant to be shared. Tell your kids not to share brushes/combs, hats, scarves, hair accessories, towels, helmets, etc. with other people. It doesn't matter if you think they have lice or not, symptoms my not show up until an infestation is in full swing (sometimes that can take 4 weeks).

 2. Tell your kids not to lie on bedding, pillows, stuffed animals, or carpets that someone with lice has recently used. Lice can live up to 48 hours with no human contact.

3. Tell your kids to try to avoid head-to-head contact with other people.

  4. Use a tea tree oil infused shampoo, or make your own (recipe below). Tea tree oil is naturally non-toxic, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. It is commonly used in the treatment and prevention of lice and dandruff. My hair dresser recommends a leave-in conditioner. The conditioner says it keeps lice and other insects away. It is called Fairy Tails Repel Leave-In Conditioning Spray*.  

 

DIY Tea Tree Oil Shampoo

1 bottle Shampoo, preferably dye and fragrance free (We use Rainbow Research Unscented Shampoo*)
1 bottle of Tea Tree Oil (I purchased mine in the organic section at my local grocery store, but it can also be found here*.)

1. Using an eye dropper, add 2 drops of tea tree oil per ounce of shampoo. 

2. Replace the shampoo bottle lid and shake to mix. 

3. Shake shampoo before each use.

4. Use shampoo as you normally would.

NOTES:

-Do not ingest tea tree oil.

-Do not use tea tree oil undiluted.

-Watch for allergic reactions, especially if it is your first time using tea tree oil.

-Do not use tea tree oil if pregnant and breast feeding.

Do you have any lice prevention tips you could share?

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Back-To-School Teacher Gift

Yesterday was my daughter's first day of kindergarten. She was a little nervous, so I knew I had to send her on a mission to distract her from me leaving. She loves giving people gifts, so I decided that if she had a gift to give her teacher she would forget about me. In addition, it would show the teacher how much we appreciate her.

While we were shopping for my daughter's school supplies, I let her pick out a few items that she thought her teacher would like. 

 We decided on:

                     ~ Candy                        

                     ~ Hand Sanitizer                 

                     ~ BandAids                     

                     ~ WetOnes                      

                     ~ A Magnetic Tablet              

                     ~ Calculator                    
                     ~ Stickers                      

                     ~ Pencils                       

                     ~ Dry Erase Markers              

                     ~ Sharpies                      

                     ~ Pencil Sharpener              

                     ~ Nail File                      

                     ~ Ruler                        

                     ~ Post-Its                      

                     ~ Tissues                       

                     ~ Tape                         

                     ~ Glue Sticks                    

To wrap everything I started with a basket from the Target Dollar section and added her teacher's name with vinyl that I cut with my Silhouette SD. 

Then I added some tissue paper and helped my daughter stick everything in the basket. We had to take some of the items out of their packages to make everything fit in the basket.

Lastly, I made a gift tag and printed it out on cardstock. Then I laminated it and tied it on the basket with ribbon.

 

Sending my daughter on a 1st day of school mission was a success! She was very excited to go and give her teacher the gift, and no tears were shed.

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First Day of School {Backpack Tag}

Today was my daughter's first day of kindergarten. 

I have been worrying about this day since she started preschool.

Tons of things have run through my mind, but one that kept nagging at me is that when she is nervous she whispers or doesn't talk. I kept thinking, "what if she won't tell someone where she belongs" or "that she is a car pick-up". I kept envisioning my 31 pound, 5-year-old getting lost amongst the morning or afternoon shuffle. 

To make myself feel a little better, I made a tag for her backpack. The tag lists her homeroom teacher's name and that she is a car pick-up kid. This way any teacher who helps her knows where she belongs.

I just used an old luggage tag we had on hand, and used my Silhouette SD to cut vinyl to apply to it. I then attached it to her backpack. At the very least, I know that when she has her backpack they will know where to send her. 

Amazingly, there were no tears when I dropped her off at school in the morning. Lunch time and quiet time were tough here at home for my son. He missed her so much, he even took his nap with one of her toys because he missed her so much.

*Love Them*

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13 Ways To Make Getting Out The Door Easier

I am always looking for the most efficient way to do something. Getting my 2 young kids out the door was a challenge me. They just don't share my same sense of urgency when it comes to getting to places on time. 

As my kids get older I know some of these things will be unnecessary, but for my 3 and 5 year-olds this works perfectly. It keeps them involved, gives them some responsibility and accountability, but limits the number of things that can suck the time out of our mornings.

1. Check the weather. Don't just assume you know the temperature, you don't want to have to change outfits, find a jacket, search for rain boots or an umbrella just because you didn't take 2 minutes to check the weather the night before. Plus, you may have to adjust travel times due to snow or ice.

2. Get clothes ready the night before. This also includes any uniforms or clothing for any extra activities (swimming, dance, etc.).

My kids help choose what they are going to wear the night before. This way the next morning they can just get themselves dressed without any argument about what they are wearing. They have learned that once the morning rolls around, you don't get to change your mind about what you are wearing.

3. Make snacks and lunches the night before. This includes beverages and any on-the-go snacks your family may need for after-school activities.

4. Check homework the night before. You don't want your child to forgo breakfast because they didn't do their homework, plus it will show them you care.

5. Pack bags (backpacks, purses, diaper bags, etc.) the night before. This includes any bags for extra activities, and any entertainment for siblings.

 

6. Choose and make/prep breakfast the night before. This can mean premaking pancake batter so you just have to cook it, making sure there is enough of something before you make promises to your kids, or as simple as setting out dishes for breakfast.

7. Keep an extra set of oral care items downstairs. This limits distractions for my kids. I can't tell you the number of times I send my kids upstairs to do something and they get distracted and start playing with something.

8. Keep an extra set of hair care items downstairs. Even though I choose a hair accessory for my daughter when I pick out her clothes the night before, sometimes they go missing or get broken in the morning. My son really enjoys breaking my daughter's headbands for some reason, so keeping some plain clips and headbands near by always comes in handy. Plus I usually have to comb my son's hair as he is walking out the door or he turns it into a mess.

9. Keep a laundry basket downstairs. I don't let my kids get dressed until after they eat and brush their teeth, just in case they make a mess. There is no point in doing something twice. This usually means they get dressed downstairs, so we keep an extra laundry basket downstairs to coral their dirty clothes. This also helps with activities, because as I am cleaning up dinner my daughter can get her dance outfit on and put her dirty clothes in the laundry basket.

10. Keep coats and backpacks at a kid friendly level.

11. Put a sticker that is cut in half in your toddler's shoes. This way they can put their shoes on the correct foot by themselves.

12. Create a spot for out the door items (keys, sunglasses, wallet, etc.). 

13. Don't forget to do  the applicable items for yourself too. Mornings will not be calm for anyone if mom and dad are running around and frantically looking for things.


Are there any things that you do that help getting out of the house easier?

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Getting Our Coat Closet Ready for School

This summer we have been getting ready for school in so many ways. We've been preparing lunches, trying new products, and getting our schedule organized. We also organized our coat closet to help us get out the door a little faster.

My motto: "The more the kids can do for themselves, the less I have to do."

 I used my Silhouette to cut vinyl and label the shelves and bins. The kids each have their own shoe shelf and accessory bin. Currently their bins have summer hats in them, but soon enough their fall and winter hats and gloves will be in them.

There is a place for each of them to hang their sunglasses and backpacks, and place for their DS cases (not that they have anything to do with school), and activity bags (dance & karate).

Some of the other items I keep in reach for my husband and myself are; my camera bag, emergency snacks, my purse, my coupon binder, umbrellas, hats/scarves, and extra totes.

I also placed command hooks* on the inside of the door so we can hang up our coats before I get to hanging them up on the hangers. Otherwise the coats tend to end up on the floor.

Having things at my kids' height makes getting out the door so much easier. It also makes them responsible for putting their things away.

This silly closet is really serving as a learning opportunity for my kids.
The simple task of putting things where they belong in the closet is spilling over into other areas of the house. They are getting use to the idea that if they don't put something where it belongs the next time they go to look for it, it won't be there. I have also used this as an opportunity to teach them to retrace their steps to find items on their own.

It is a beautiful thing when a life skills opportunity comes out of something so simple.

What are somethings that you do to help your kids become more self-sufficient?

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Creating a Home for Your Keys...and Everything Else In Your Pockets

How much time do you waste looking for your keys, wallet, or sunglasses, etc?

I can tell you how much time I do. 

None.

My husband would be all ready to walk out the door and then not be able to remember where he left his wallet or keys. It began to drive me crazy. Thankfully there was a simple solution to this problem.

A place for everything and everything in its place.

In the small cabinet next to our refrigerator, I used small wire 3M Command hooks* to create a place for our keys. I then used my Silhouette to cut vinyl to label the hooks.

There is a hook for my husband and myself, one for an extra house key, one for my husbands work keys, and one for each of the extra sets of our car keys.

There is also a shelf in this cabinet where we keep our sunglasses and a basket for my husband to empty his pockets into when he gets home. Not only has this made a place for him to always put his things, but it also has kept a lot of change and chapstick out of my dryer.

This isn't an overnight solution to missing keys. It does take a little time to develop the habit of putting them there.

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FunBites Heart Cutter Review

My daughter is a slow and easily distracted eater. 

She has a habit of talking the entire time she is suppose to be eating. 

Previously, it took her about 1 hour to eat and that is with constant reminding to eat her food. Thankfully she seems to be getting the hang of eating her lunch in a timely manner, because to the following trick. For the past couple months, when I gave her lunch, I set a timer for 30 minutes to train her to eat faster.

During this process I also noticed that if the food was bite sized she seemed to eat more of it. Cutting up food into tiny bite sized pieces can be a pain when you are in a hurry. That is why I was so excited to try and review FunBites!

I was provided the heart shaped FunBites cutter and instructions on how to use it. The instructions can be found here.

Admittedly when I opened the package the FunBites cutter was a little smaller than anticipated, but when using it I quickly noticed that it was the perfect size to remove all the crust of the bread. Unlike many other sandwich cutters on the market there is no picking off the leftover bits of crust and hoping the shapes still looked like they were suppose to.

The FunBites cutter is made of BPA free plastic and is a good quality product. Some of the other sandwich cutters on the market crack easily if dropped. I have the feeling that FunBites will stand up to everyday use with no problems.

The FunBites cutter is curved on the bottom. This allows you to "rock" the cutter when using it (if you would like to see a video of it in action go here.) This makes cutting through the food a lot easier than the average sandwich cutter on the market. I was able to cut through every food I tested with ease and it made every cut every time.

The instructions say that the FunBites cutter can be hand washed or washed in the dishwasher on the top shelf. I personally don't place plastic items in the dishwasher or microwave so when I talk about how easy it was to clean, please keep in mind that this is with hand washing.

I decided the best way to try it out was to experiment with different foods.

Test 1 - Grilled Cheese

The FunBites cut all the way through the sandwich with ease. The sandwich was easy to release, and clean-up was easy.

Test 2 - Pizza

The FunBites cut the pizza with an extra few rocks of the cutter. It was not so easy to release. The crust came out but the cheese stayed behind making the FunBites a little more difficult to clean. In all fairness, cutting the pizza when it was fresh out of the oven was not the best idea on my part. I will definitely be trying it on pizza again but I will let the pizza cool a little first.

Test 3 - Nutella Sandwich

The FunBites cut all the way through the sandwich with ease. The sandwich was easy to release, and clean-up was easy.

Test 4 - Cheese and Pepperoni

The FunBites cut all the through the cheese and pepperoni with ease. The food was easy to release, and clean-up was easy.

Test 5 - Quesadillas and Cucumbers

The FunBites cut all the through the cucumbers and quesadillas with ease. The food was easy to release, and clean-up was easy.

Pros:

~ The pieces that come out of the heart shaped cutter can be made into many different things. (Heart, Ice Cream Cone, Boat, etc.)
~No additional crust trimming.

~ The shapes look like they are suppose to.

~ They are the perfect bite sized pieces.

~ Heavy duty, good quality product.

~ Easy to use.

~ BPA Free.

Cons:

~ Depending on what you cut it can be difficult to clean, if you don't rinse it immediately after use. (but this only happened once to me)

 As you can see the pros far out way the cons. I will be purchasing the square FunBites to use in our food preparation. I totally recommend this product to anyone that makes bento style meals, needs to cut food up for toddlers, or just wants to make mealtime a little more fun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This Giveaway Is Now Closed

 CONGRATS JENNY! 
Please contact me at onecreativehousewife@gmail.com by Thursday 8/30/2012 at 8:00pm EST.

Now the fun part...My first giveaway!

FunBites was generous enough to offer one of my readers their very own heart shaped FunBites cutter!

If you can't wait, go to the FunBites website and order yours today.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post after you:

1. Visit and "Like" Funbites on Facebook, and don't forget to tell them I sent you!

For 3 Additional Entries:

Leave an individual comment on this post after you do each of the following:

2. "Like" One Creative Housewife on Facebook.

3. Follow One Creative Housewife on Twitter.

4. Become a Follower of One Creative Housewife with Google Friend Connect. (on the right sidebar)

That means you can enter up to 4 times!

This giveaway is open to US residents, 18 and older only. There is no purchase necessary and the odds of winning are based on the number of entries. Entries will be accepted now Tuesday 8/21/2012, through Tuesday 8/28/2012 at 6:00am EST. The winner will be selected at random using Random.org and announced Tuesday morning 8/28/2012. I will email the winner, who must contact me at onecreativehousewife@gmail.com, no later than Thursday, 8/30/2012 at 8:00pm EST.
If I don't hear from you an alternate winner will be randomly selected, so be sure to leave your email address and check your email!!

Good Luck! 

I hope YOU win!

I was provided with free product to review for this post. No monetary compensation was received. All opinions, good or bad, are my own.

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