Easy Lunchbox Packing Station

School is back in session!

We were thrown into the Back to School routine, and I'm just trying to adjust to the new rigid schedule and stay ahead of the game! 

One part of the Back to School routine is packing lunches.  I'm going to be completely honest.  I DREAD packing lunches. Lexie packs every single day and Dylan packs most days, so it's a must.  I'm always looking for ideas to make this chore just a bit more tolerable!

Several pins that kept popping up in my Pinterest feed recently were for lunch packing stations.  They all involved putting snacks and lunch items in storage bins so everything was organized for packing lunchboxes. 

I loved the idea, but wanted to tailor it a bit more for my family.  I wanted every single lunchbox item in one place, including the lunchboxes. I ended up purchasing a 3-drawer medium cart from Target to create my Lunchbox Packing Station.

Dylan and Lexie picked out their new lunchboxes, I shopped for their favorite lunchbox items, and in just a few minutes time, our Lunchbox Packing Station was complete!



What I buy varies from week to week, but the basics are consistent.



Once I collected everything I needed, I organized the items in the three drawers.

Bottom Drawer:

• Lunchboxes
• Sandwich Holders
• Hot Food Thermoses 
• Snack Cups
• Snack Bags (reusable and disposable)

 Middle Drawer: 

• Cups
• Juice Pouches
• Napkins
• Spoons and Forks
• WetNaps
•  Notepad
• Pen

Top Drawer:

• Dried Apples
• Fruit Cups
• Applesauce Pouches
• Granola Bars
• Fruit Snacks
• Sweet Treats
• Individual bags of chips/snacks  (much cheaper than the individual store bought bags)

Once it was finished, I placed it on top of our refrigerator.  The kids can't get into the snacks, and I have easy access!

In addition to the items in the Lunchbox Packing Station, the kids always take a sandwich or a Lunchable (store bought or homemade) and I always have fresh fruit and cut up veggies in individual snack bags. I put the chips, snacks, and cut up fruit and vegetables in individual storage bags over the weekend so all the preparation is done ahead of time.

Although Dylan is too old for them, I've been putting a note in Lexie's lunchbox since her first day of 1st grade.  She kept every single note!




I've only been packing lunches for 3 days with this new system, and it does save time! Everything I need is in one spot and I don't dread it quite as much!



Anything that saves me time is much appreciated, and this is something I wish I would have done years ago.  It's quick to set up and so convenient! 



What are your favorite lunchbox packing tricks and tips? 
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Summer Loving

Is it strange to say that I'm already missing summer and my kids JUST went back to school? 

It's true, though.  We had so much fun together, and I'm just not ready to say goodbye to the long, hot summer days! We crammed so much into the month of August!  We had a reunion, went to a birthday party, Lily turned 4, Liam turned 2, we celebrated their birthdays with our family and friends, and we went swimming.  In addition to all that...

In August, Dylan decided he really wanted to become a professional skateboarder.  While I'm sure it's just a current passion, we did log in a few hours at the nearby skate park!

















In August, Liam learned how to run.  He thinks it's hilarious!



In August, we had playdates at the park with our friends!











In August, Grant started a new job after getting a big promotion!  We took a family drive to see his new office near the airport, and watched all the airplanes fly overhead.



In August, we had a birthday playdate with friends!





In August, Liam started climbing on EVERYTHING!



In August, popsicles and no clothes were a must!



In August, the kids got creative with all the birthday present boxes!



In August, we had a few lazy days (those were rare) at home!





In August, we got super excited about our upcoming vacation! 




In August, we spent a week at Virginia Beach (post to come soon)!



August was a GREAT month!  

How was the rest of your summer break?

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Off They Go!

It's officially the first day of school!

Dylan and Lexie woke up so excited about their first day!  After our traditional Back To School doughnut breakfast, they put on their brand new Back To School outfits, and we snapped a few obligatory first day pictures!



Dylan is going into 5th grade, which means he's moving into a new building.  It's a much bigger school and actually looks very much like a high school.  He was a bit intimidated when we toured it, but he's looking forward to seeing his friends and having a locker for the first time! His three teachers are very nice and he found out there's another skateboarder in his class, so he can't wait to meet him. Dylan's a great kid and I know he's going to have a great year!




Lexie is starting 3rd grade! She's still in the same school, but is moving up to the top floor this year.  She has a male teacher for the second time in her short school career.  There are only a handful of male teachers in K-6, and I went to school with both of the male teachers Lexie was assigned!  I graduated with Lexie's kindergarten teacher and Lexie's new teacher was a year ahead of me in high school. Lexie can't wait to tell him that she saw his high school yearbook pictures! Lexie is going to have a great year, too!




Dylan and Lexie are a bit bummed that they won't be in the same school anymore (they won't be in the same school again until Lexie starts 9th grade!), but they still ride the bus together!



Lily doesn't start school until next week, so she was feeling a bit left out this morning! She watched sadly as Dylan and Lexie climbed on the bus and held onto my leg as the bus pulled away.  I think she's going to miss them!



Here's to a great 2015-2016 school year!  My "babies" are growing up way too quickly!!!



Did your kids start school yet?  If so, how is everything going? 

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