Looks healthy, but really?

Today I decided that grapes, crackers, carrots, and ranch dip might not be a delightful lunch for Madelyn to take to school every day.  It’s a little boring I think.
So I Googled “preschool lunch ideas” in hopes of finding a sandwich that doesn’t require jelly or meat as Madelyn’s not too fond of either.. on bread at least.

I can’t believe some of the things that the resulting parenting websites/magazines are telling parents to prepare and pack in their kid’s lunchbox!

• Cauliflower soup (eeeewww!)
• veggie mac & cheese
• sandwiches shaped into funny faces

Yes, I’ve heard of all of those things before and they are cute and healthy but pllllease!!!, is a busy mom really going to make cauliflower soup (yes or no?) even if just once  week then refrigerated, to put in her preschoolers lunch box?  I’m not.  Despite the fact that I work from home, I’m barely home (and not working) for more than 2 hours a day.  I don’t want to spend my time with my kids making cauliflower soup or cutting sandwiches into funny faces.  Albeit, these are GREAT ideas and I do feel bad saying that I won’t do it, but these sites have done  nothing for me except make me feel less adequet as a mother and like I’m lazy and unwilling to do what I can to send my child to school with a healthy lunch.

So.. I guess we’re back to last year’s school lunch:

Hummus, crackers, and carrots, apple slices and/or grapes, and a cheese string.  Madelyn never complained and most days she ate everything.

Do you have any jelly-free sandwich ideas? Madelyn might tolerate a sandwich with meat on it but she’s not fond of ham and cheese sandwiches.

What does your preschooler take to school for lunch?

What do you pack for your child’s school lunch? I need ideas! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

I’ve known the brand JumpStart since my 10 year old was about 4.   At about 4 years old I thought Sebastian was ready to play computer games so I went out to buy some and didn’t have much luck finding a game that he could navigate and play without having to use a mouse.. until I found JumpStart at Target.  I loved that Sebastian didn’t have to use the mouse to play JumpStart games.   I’ve been a fan of JumpStart games ever since.

JumpStart 3d virtual world

My 4 year old daughter recently started playing in the JumpStart.com 3d virtual world and has a blast.  She loves the character we created for her and is very proud of herself for using the keyboard to move through JumpStart’s virtual world.  Sebastian’s playing in the JumpStart online virtual world, next to me while I’m writing this and is saying things including “that was awesome”, “this is so cool”, and “mom you’ve got to look at this”.  Yes, those three things over and over.  Oh, and he just found another way to fly in the virtual world.  It doesn’t get more exciting than that!

He’s about to check out the Dragon Sanctuary, a place where kids can hatch, raise, train, then release their dragons.  Update: It’s the 2nd day Sebastian’s been playing JumpStart.com online virtual world games and he’s very excited that his dragon hatched.

Sebastian playing JumpStart online 3d virtual world game

JumpStart.com has online games for preschoolers to upper elementary grade kids.  JumpStart’s StoryLand is aimed at 3-5 year olds and for children in kindergarten to 2^nd grade, there is AdventureLand and MarineLand, an underwater adventure.   FutureLand is for kids from 3rd to 5th grade.  Both of my kids have fun on JumpStart.com and best of all, I can keep up with what they are doing and how they are progressing.  I don’t have to keep up with much for my 4 year old but Sebastian, 10, will play games for hours if I let him and it’s nice to see how and what he’s doing via a progress report area on JumpStart.

JumpStart Math Blaster CD game

JumpStart Mathblaster CD

Sebastian loves JumpStart’s Math Blaster CD game which is geared for kids ages 6 to 12.  Math Blaster: Master the Basics is a fast-action, futuristic adventure that adds up to total math success. From addition and subtraction to multiplication and division, children will build confidence, speed and accuracy in basic math skills that will stay with them long after their mission is complete.  Math Blaster: Master the Basics combines exciting, fast-action game play and state-standard math content, making it a fun game for kids but educational at the same time.  Who knew learning math could be fun? Sebastian learned a lot from Math Blaster last school year.  He was in need of some help with math during 4th grade and Math Blaster’s fun and entertaining games made learning math fun for him.. when I couldn’t.  I was having a hard time trying to figure out how to get him to learn more complicated math facts that he needed to learn and wasn’t picking up on but Math Blaster did the job.

JumpStart online games can be played on PC’s and Mac’s!

Where to find JumpStart

JumpStart.com website

JumpStart on Facebook

Follow JumpStart on Twitter

JumpStart is offering a lucky reader a 3-month JumpStart membership!  To enter to win, leave a comment below telling us why you want to win.

Entries accepted through August 26th, 2010

Open to U.S. residents over 18 years old.

You can also fill out this form to enter to win a 3 month membership for JumpStart

JumpStart Online 3D Virtual World + 3-Month Membership Giveaway! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

I love food storage items.  I have a cabinet packed with all types of food storage products and one of my favorites is Easy Lunchboxes’ combo lunch and snack containers (AKA food storage containers).  Easy Lunchboxes’ Compartmentalized BPA-Free Plastic Food Storage Containers are colorful, convenient, and BPA-free. 

My 3 year old takes lunch Wednesdays and Fridays and these combined with her Citizenpip lunch bag make packing her lunch a breeze and easy for her to carry.  I usually put hummus in one compartment, carrots or crackers in another, and fruit and cheese in the 3rd compartment.  EasyLunchBoxes.com sells a lunch box cooler which is great for day trips and for older kids who take their lunch to school but my 3 year old has to fit her lunch box in her school bag and the Easy Lunchboxes’ lunch cooler is too big to fit in her bag.

Easy Lunch Boxes’ features:

• dishwasher safe
• microwave safe
• refrigerator and freezer safe
• secure snap-on lids
• 4 bottoms with 3 compartments each
• 4 lids – each a different color
• very sturdy.. these are more sturdy than typical food storage containers
• BPA-free

GIVEAWAY!

• EasyLunchboxes.com is giving one lucky reader a set of containers and a lunch bag!
• To enter, tell me what your child’s favorite school lunch is in the comments below.
• Entries accepted through February 20th.

EasyLunchbox Food containers and Carrying Bags is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Musicolor is such a cool concept.  Both of my kids (10 and 3) love Musicolor and as you know if you have two kids of very different ages, they don’t often like the same toy or game.  Madelyn enjoys the blank ‘Create-a-song’ music cards while Sebastian enjoys coloring, playing, and listening to the detailed cards (pre-printed song discs) that are color-by-number. 

So what exactly is Musicolor and what does it do?
Musicolor is a display of innovative technology mixed with a classic coloring activity. The music player unit is modeled after the classic record player (which my kids have never seen!), the technology, however, is anything but classic.
The Musicolor music player consists of a rotating base and an arm for reading the music discs, much the same as a DVD player reads a DVD. The arm scans over the colored areas of the music disc rotating on the music player, reads the color and translates it to sound. Kids can choose to play their music to the sound of a piano, violin or trumpet.
Using the pre-printed coloring discs, simply color in the spaces according to the letter printed in the area, when you are done, the disc will play the song for the scene you have just colored! If you really want to be creative, use the blank song discs and create your own songs from scratch!

Kids receive the fun and reward of coloring a picture, which is magically transformed into music! A combination of art and music that any child can proudly share with their parents, family and friends!  Three Blind Mice, Hickory Dickory Dock, and London Bridge are just a few songs included in the Musicolor set.

Delta Creative offers kids other great products to bring out their creative side including their rainbow paint set (Madelyn’s playing with hers in the photo to the right) which includes 12 washable tempura paints, 3 paint brushes and a paint tray.  Delta Creative has a selection of Nickelodeon products including the Dora and Sponge Bob stamp sets great for kids 4 and older.

Delta Creative products can be purchased at Michael’s, JoAnn, Hobby Lobby, and other art and craft stores. 

Learn more about these and other Delta Creative products here at Delta Creative’s website.

Madelyn playing with her Delta Creative stamp set

Musicolor – kids color, play, and listen to their own music art! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Madelyn started preschool this year and I was a bit of a wreck on the first Wednesday she attended because that is the day the kids stay an hour later so they can eat lunch at school. A few thoughts that raced in my mind where: what would she think about eating with other kids, they are like aliens to her, what would I pack for her to eat, and what on earth would I pack her lunch in? My first thought was to put some carrots and crackers in a couple of small ziplocks and put them inside a big ziplock and send her on her way. It’s been a long time since I sent a child to preschool.. about 8 years.

I was thrilled for Madelyn when I got the Citizenpip Soup to Nuts kit! I can’t imagine having a more perfect lunch kit for her to take to school. She is able to open the bag and the containers herself so she doesn’t have to ask the teachers for help.

THE SOUP TO NUTS KIT INCLUDES:

* • 1 insulated lunch bag with nametag and carabiner that easily attaches to a backpack
* • 1 stainless steel water bottle
* • 1 stainless steel insulated food jar – too big to take to school but perfect for when we’re in the car traveling.
* • 4 BPA-free airtight food containers – Madelyn is able to open and close the containers.. important to her teachers don’t want to kick her out of school!
* • 1 stainless steel fork + spoon set
* • 5 100% cotton napkins – Madelyn LOVES the napkins. She uses them at school and home.

The Soup to Nuts Kit gives you lots of options for packing lunch. With four BPA-free airtight food containers, including one that perfectly fits a sandwich, and an insulated double-wall stainless steel food jar that keeps food hot or cold, it gives you maximum flexibility! PB&J one day and mac n’ cheese the next day? No problem! You can pack pretty much anything your kids want to eat for lunch. Added perks, no squished sandwiches, 1 napkin for each day of the week, and a water bottle that does double-duty as an ice pack. Included is a stainless steel fork and spoon set for spaghetti twirling and soup slurping.

Citizenpip is muck-free: no lead, BPA, PVC, or phthalates.

Where can I buy it? Citizinpip
How much is it? $55
GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win a $42 Citizinpip Square Meal Kit (choice of 3 styles) –
3 ways to enter to win!
1. Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite Square Meal Kit style is.
2. Tell me a funny lunchtime story staring your child.
3. Tweet about this giveaway. Be sure to include your Twitter user name in your comment so we can check! Easy huh?
Giveaway entries accepted until 11:59pm October 16th.
Coupon code: mommyinsider10 to get 10% off your purchase of $40 or more!

Citizenpip Soup to Nuts kit + a giveaway! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

This fall my daughter begins preschool and I’m in search of a bento box for her lunches. I’m half Japanese and I’ve grown up with bento boxes my entire life. I’m looking forward to preparing meals that will make her smile and hopefully consume. Luckily it will only be twice a week! There are a plethora of bento blogs devoted to bento box preparation and many options to buy bento lunch boxes online. I’m looking for a bento that is colorful, cute and can be easily opened with a toddler’s small hands. The larger orange and pink Vivo is adorable, but with the metal handle is better suited towards older kids.

In addition to the actual bento lunch boxes there are recipe books and a dizzying array of accessories for the preparation of bento. I’ve been already using some of them to make mealtimes more fun for my finicky eater. Luckily she loves rice, organic nori and edamame which I’ll be adding to the bento and are quick and easy to prepare.

Bento products featured above:

Vivo Kids Bento Box, Orange and Pink, $22 at Amazon.com
Yokom Kids Bear Bento Box, $17.99 at Sugarcharms.com
Hawaii’s Bento Box Cookbook: Fun Lunches for Kids, $14.95 at nativebookshawaii.com
Niko Niko Punch 3 – Face Bento Decoration, $19.50 at jbox.com

From our friends at TheFind.com

Too Cute Bento Lunch Boxes is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!