Yumbox Lunches

I think the bento box craze - all over Pinterest + Instagram - is done and over with, right?  Cute and sectioned-off little lunches?!  We are always fashionably late to the party it seems...

Regardless, I finally caved and bought a set of Yumboxes for Will and Charlotte when we found ourselves packing a lot of picnic lunches.  Trips to the park, long drives to Grammy's, and - because Will has a peanut allergy - we were packing separate lunches for him when we knew he wouldn't be able to eat much at certain functions.

There are so many options out there, but we chose the Yumbox because it's completely leak proof (you can pack yogurt and dips without them bleeding into the other spaces), because they're adorable, and because the spacing and portion sizes were just right for our kiddos.

I JUST LOVE COMPARTMENTS.  What is it with compartments?!

Anyway, we pack 'em up, throw them very uncarefully into our backpacks, and are good to go.  

Tell me - do you use these sorts of things?  Are you packing big-kid school lunches in these ways?  I am wondering if we will continue to get good use out of them in future years.  

Yumbox, we love you.  Thanks for making our picnics a little handier, a little happier, and a whole lot cuter.

Diversity Dough

Last spring, we hosted our preschool co-op for the letter U.  Per our curriculum, the theme was supposed to be "U is for Us," but good luck finding ideas for the word "us."  I'm not even sure the kids knew what that meant.  (Those darn vowels!) 

We ended up talking a lot about how unique God had made us, how we are made in His image, and we celebrated the friendship we all shared together.

This play dough kit was a nod to our uniquenesses. 

Different shades of dough for some of our different skin colors.

Google eyes, pipe cleaners and buttons to help make some of different features.

Some of the kids used the gingerbread cutters to make their shape.  Others ended up with a couple of circles with pipe cleaner arms. 

We followed up with the book It's Okay to Be Different, which is an all-time favorite in our house (YES, it is okay to eat macaroni and cheese in the bathtub), and Max Lucado's You Are Special. 

Charlotte's Mermaid Party

I am way overdue in posting these pictures - Charlotte's party was in August!  At least I am consistent in posting things late.  It's really just my style, and I gotta be true to it, man.

In looking at these pictures again after quite a while, I'm just not thrilled with how this party turned out decorating-wise.  I got a little carried away, and it ended up looking cramped.  Remind me to look back at Will's Splash + Bubbles party when I'm planning again.  I just love a simple and clean look.

I used foil wrapping paper from Target for the "tablecloth" on our island, a few things from Meri Meri's Mermaid line, plates + grid napkins from Target, the shell bowl was from Oriental Trading, the aquariam plants were from Wal-Mart (and then returned, don't judge me), and the rest was collected from my stash at home.

Our ocean trail mix was an idea off Pinterest.  Kettle corn, pink goldfish (who knew they made pink ones?!), blue Sixlets and some candy stars.  

Dipped + sprinkled marshmallows are such an easy way to make a cute "extra" dessert.  One piece of advice here, though - don't use the ball sprinkles (no matter how pretty they look) and stick to the regular jimmies.  They were way too hard, and I was sure someone would break a tooth on one.  Ugh.

I am pretty pumped all of our kids have been born during months that have decent weather.  It really makes party-hosting the best when you can throw down a few blankets and eat outside.  

The main dinner course may as well have been watermelon for as much as Charlotte ate of it.  She kept asking for "wonder-melon" all summer, and I really didn't have the heart to correct her.  She'd eat the rind if I let her, I'm sure...

And here we have Lewis, eating his bites like a champ.  Micah and her kiddos came to celebrate with us - the kids had so much fun together!  Cousins are the best.

Have you ever tried Oven Hawaiian sandwiches?  They are stupid easy to make and so good...not incredibly healthy, but HEALTHY FOOD IS NOT FOR PARTIES.  King's Hawaiian bread + honey ham + pineapple + swiss cheese + a glaze of dijon mustard, spices and brown sugar = delicious.

Cupcakes for dessert, of course.  Cheap Wal-Mart cupcakes for the win again.  I added some free Mermaid clipcart toppers, leftover sprinkles and some cute cupcake liners - which were actually really pretty and a mix of metallics, but my camera is not doing a good job of showing them off...  Humph.

Clearly Will is enjoying the frosting.  What a guy.

We opened presents last, and let me tell you, she was so spoiled.  I didn't really plan this, but just about everyone gifted her some form of ocean or mermaid-themed toy.  She was ecstatic.

Can you tell by the look on her face?  She was shaking with excitement.  Such her daddy's girl.

I am mostly against the usual party games, but we have a neighborhood sand box in the backyard that was begging for a mermaid buried treasure hunt.  Special thanks to Auntie Naomi for burying gold coins, plastic jewels, pearl necklaces and tropical Skittles.  Our neighbors who are bigger kids helped the littler ones find the most special things.  I underestimated how fun this would be.

Our neighbors are still our kiddos best friends, despite the age differences.  I'm sure our days are numbered in playing with the older ones, but we are enjoying every minute we have!

The best part of every party is celebrating with the people we love the most.  Charlotte enjoys the company especially.  The more people, the more chaos, the happier this girl is.  #extrovertalert

We love you, Suzy.  You're our very best girl.

The Friday Five

1. I will probably get in trouble for saying this, but pregnancy is just hard and yucky for me.  That is not to say that I'm not grateful for a healthy baby or the ability to carry babies in general...  I know some readers might kill to be in my spot.  But I think it's safe to say that we all have our own unique hurts and struggles and hopes, and I am sharing that for ME, pregnancy happens to be a struggle.  I am at my worst in so many different ways, and I'm so jealous of the mamas that seem to radiate light and joy and energy when they are pregnant.  Why can't that be me?!  Ugh.  I better wrap this silly rant up by saying that I am just looking forward the end of May.  (And then I will be looking forward to baby's first birthday because I happen to stink at the baby stage, too, which is probably a totally separate rant.)  Pray for my dark and ungrateful heart, people.

2. Mark is coming home today from a conference in Texas.  Yay.  I am not sure how single parents do it, you guys.  I for sure miss his help in parenting, and the kids miss playing and wrestling with him every night, but I also just miss him because he is my best pal.  The world is just not quite right without him around.  I'm starting to gross myself out with all this sappiness, but hooray for welcome-home sorts of days.

3. I am not sure if I'm straight up lactose intolerant or just sensitive to dairy in general.  Either way, ice cream and I do not get along.  I have taken Lactaid in a summer-I-have-to-have-ice-cream-or-I'll-die sort of bind, but my stomach still doesn't feel great afterwards.  I have also tried random brands of coconut milk ice cream and whatever else, but it just doesn't cut it.  UNTIL...  I stumbled upon Ben + Jerry's non-dairy brand at our local Wal-Mart.  Holy moly, Chocolate Fudge Brownie.  It is amazing.  I even think it tastes better than dairy ice cream - there's just something more creamy and silky about it.  It is absolutely delicious.  Praise You, Jesus, for Your provision, and to Josh Van Es for stocking it at our store. 

4. I am, like, the messiest person alive, but there's something that totally bugs me about the kids' dinner plates having a messy smear of ranch or ketchup or any other condiment all over the place.  CONTAIN IT, PLEASE.  Someday, I will need to ask the Lord about the random, totally nonsensical things that drive us bonkers.  Anyway, it's amazing how much these little dip cups make my life a happier journey.  They make our plates so much more beautiful and compartmentalized.

5. I have a love/hate relationship with our area's Swap.  Do you call it "Swap" too?  Like the online buy, sell and trade group on Facebook?  Anyway, I love a good + thrifty deal...and I also love to get rid of random junk (What's the opposite of a hoarder?  A pitcher?  Like in baseball?  Or a throwawayer?)...  But it drives me nuts-o when people say they want your stuff and then never stop to pick it up.  I swear it happens at least 60% of the time - for sure the majority.  I have been decluttering a bit and acting like a Nazi on Swap.  Didn't pick up your stuff?  Goes to the next person, period.  Want me to hold stuff?  No way, man.  ...  I'm sorry.  I do love the Lord, but exercising patience in this realm is something I need some more sanctification for.  Help me, Jesus.