I-Am-A-Budget-Friendly-Robot-Lunch-Bag! (Robot Voice!)

  

If you are looking for a budget-friendly thermal lunch bag, Target Canada has a selection of affordable Circo Thermal Lunch Bags!

They come in a wide variety of brightly coloured embroidered designs and retail for approximately $12.99CAN. They are about the same size as your traditional rectangular lunch bags, and have a sturdy zipper with 2 zipper pulls so that you can open up the lunch bag from any side. This is great for left or right handed kids!

You can fit a small thermos in there, as well as a sandwich, fruit, savoury snacks, puddings - you name it! If you're wondering what on earth you are going to make for your kids' lunches this year, you can check out InfoMommy's 100 School Lunch Box Ideas to help you fill your child's tummy!

These lunch bags have a padded handle that comes with a clip on the side so that you can actually clip it to your child's school bag. I love this feature as we all know how hard it can be to try and fit all of their supplies, books, hoodies, etc in there! This is a great space saving feature that is not typical to most kids' lunch bags. Clipping it on the outside also reduces the wear and tear of jamming things into the backpack, putting strain on the backpack zipper, the seams, etc...   

It also has a section on the back of the lunch bag for you or your child to write their name and phone # on. This is especially great for the younger ones or those starting JK who aren't used to lugging all their stuff around. Losing these items can be easy for them in particular, so it's a great way to make sure someone can contact you if it was to get lost. 

And, like most lunch bags, they have an easy to clean interior that can be wiped down!

Happy lunching everyone! :)

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****

Put Out The Fire In Your Tub - Dusty Saves the Day!

    

I have 2 boys, and believe me, there's a lot of bathing going on around our house with them. (Don't worry, we bathe ourselves too! LOL) They like dirt and they like getting dirty, so getting and keeping them in the water long enough to clean behind their ears is always a bonus! LOL

Mattel has recently released their Disney Planes Fire & Rescue Scoop & Spray Firefighter bath toy!

Dusty is sporting his new firefighter paint job that he got in the Planes Fire & Rescue movie, and his wheels have been replaced by two pontoons. He floats on the water and can be played with like a regular bath toy. Or, you can put Dusty's new skills as a firefighter to work! Simply submerge him in the bath water while depressing his cockpit, and allow the body to fill up with water.

Then, lift him up and start pressing down the cockpit part of the plane. This allows the water to flow out of the bottom of the plane, simulating an aerial firefighter. The toy comes with 3 fire targets that float in the water and when you fight the fire with enough water from the toy, the fire will "extinguish" and sink to the bottom of the tub. When you push his cockpit down, the propeller also spins, which my kids get a kick out of!

The Disney Planes Fire & Rescue Scoop & Spray Firefighter Dusty bath toy retails for about $14.99CAN and be purchased both online at Mattel.com, or at any major department store.

It is designated for kids ages 3yrs and up, and comes with a warranty.

Happy Fire Fighting! :)

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****

100 School Lunch Box Ideas - What Oh What to Make?

  

Though it may in fact be "the most wonderful time of the year" once school starts back up, most of us dread the thought of making school lunches. I can't lie, that's one of the reasons I look forward to
summer holidays! LOL So I totally hear you!  And that's why I've created this list to help us all keep our sanity during the school year!

Simply print off this list and either stick it on your fridge, tape it to the inside of one of your cupboard doors, or put it wherever else you can post it for easy access. This way, you will always have a handy list of what you can either plan for, or create out of what you already have in your fridge, freezer and pantry! Or you can use this list to plan your school lunches ahead of time so that you always have the ingredients that you need!

Let's get started!  

COLD ENTREES 

Breads:

• Loaf Bread (White, Whole Wheat, Rye, Pumpernickel, Cheese Loaf, etc)
• Sweet Breads (Raisin Loaf, etc)
• Bakery Buns (Check out various buns at your local bakery/grocery store)
• Pitas (White, Whole Wheat)
• Tortillas (Check out different varieties of flavoured tortillas)
• English Muffins
• Croissants
• Bagels (Various flavours, both sweet and savory)

Sandwich Fillings:

• Deli MeatsCanned Meats
• Canned Fish
• Spreads (Jam, Jellies, Nut-Free Peanut Butter, etc)
• Cheese or Cheese Spreads
• Grilled Chicken or other meat
• Grilled Veggies (Zucchini, eggplant, peppers, onions, mushrooms,etc)
• Chicken Salad (Minced meat with mayo, chopped onion, etc)
• Turkey Salad (Minced meat with mayo, chopped onion, etc)
• Egg Salad (Minced egg with mayo, chopped onion, etc)
• Fried Egg

  

Other Cold Entree Ideas: 

• Deconstructed Sandwiches (Pack everything separately)
• Cold Pizza
• Cold English Muffin Pizzas
• Quesadillas (Plain cheese, canned beans, refried beans, meats, tuna, veggies, etc)
• Tacos (Hard or soft shells, refried beans, meat, cheese, tomatoes, etc)
• Burritos (Refried beans, meat, cheese, tomatoes, etc)
• Tortillas (With cream cheese, shredded carrots and dried cranberries)
• Tortillas (With a whole banana and nut-free peanut butter, jam, etc)
• Hard-Boiled Eggs (Check out these egg molds! Guaranteed to please your kids!)
• Salads (If you are lucky enough to get your kids to eat salad!)
• Macaroni or Potato Salad

  

HOT ENTREES FOR A THERMOS 

• Macaroni & Cheese (Homemade, boxed, frozen - if there is a microwave)
• Canned Pasta and Sauce (Chef Boyardee, Alphagetti, etc)
• Pasta with Homemade Sauce
• Pasta with Butter and Parmesan
• Chicken Fingers & Fries
• Hot Dogs/Turkey Dogs/Soy Dogs
• Pogos
• Soups or Chili
• Porridge
• Any kind of leftovers that your child likes

FRUIT

• Grapes
• Berries
• Apples (Spritz lemon juice on slices so they don't brown!)
• Asian Pears (Spritz lemon juice on slices so they don't brown!)
• Pears (Spritz lemon juice on slices so they don't brown!)
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Melons
• Kiwi
• Fruit Cups
• Canned Fruit
• Dried Fruit (Try not to offer these all the time, as they can cause cavities!)
• Applesauce

  

  

VEGGIES

• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Celery (Try "bribing" them by putting Cheese Whiz & raisins inside each stalk if they can't stand it! LOL)
• Peppers
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Raw Zucchini (We tell our kids that it's a different kind of cucumber - works like a charm! LOL)
• Snap Peas/Snow Peas

  

DIPS

• Salad Dressing (Ranch & Caesar are the most popular, or other dressing of choice)
• Marinara Sauce
• Honey Mustard Sauce (Just mix honey and regular yellow mustard together!)
• Tomato Salsa
• Cucumber Salsa
• Guacamole (Wrap it so there isn't any air on it or the discolouration might turn kids off!)
• Hummus (Cruise the hummus section to check out their various flavours!)
• Nut-Free Butters
• Tzaziki
• Baba Ganoush
• White Bean Dip
• Caramel Dip for Fruit

SAVOURY SNACKS

• Cheese (Processed slices, hard cheese slices or chunks, Cheesestrings, flavoured cheeses, Babybel)
• Rice Cakes
• Bread Sticks
• Crackers
• Pretzels
• Chips
• Popcorn
• Nuts & Bolts
• Pickles (Dill, Sweet, etc)

  

SWEET SNACKS

• Nut-free Granola Bars
• Cereal Bars
• Yogurt Cups/Tubes
• Yogurt with Fruit/Berries & Nut-Free Granola 
• Nut-Free Trail Mix
• Rice Krispy Squares
• Date Squares & Other Dessert Squares
• Cookies
• Pudding
• Dried Fruit/Berries (Try not to offer these all the time, as they can cause cavities!)
• Muffins

  

DRINKS

• Water
• White Milk (If sending in a cup, freeze 1/2 full and top it up in the morning so it's cold for lunch!)
• Chocolate Milk (If sending in a cup, freeze 1/2 full and top it up in the morning so it's cold for lunch!)
• Juice Boxes
• Lemonade
• Coconut Water (You can get flavoured coconut water for those kids who aren't keen on it!)

Bon Appetit! :)

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****

  

Buy 2 Get 1 Free! DK Readers Are On Sale!

  

DK Canada has a great deal on right now for their DK Reader Books! During the month of August, you can buy 2 and get 1 Free! Who doesn't love free? I sure do!

They have a large selection of Reader books, from Levels 1 to Level 4. Levels 1 & 2 have 32 story pages and the Level 3 & 4 books have 48 pages.

There are a wide variety of topics for these Readers, from The Lego Movie and Lego Friends, to Angry Birds, animals, dolphins and other general interest material.

One of the other things I love about these books aside from the bright colourful pics and engaging stories are the quizzes, glossaries and index at the end of some of the titles. If your child loves a challenge and competition like mine does, the quiz in particular elevates these books to the next level. This allows him to focus more, knowing that the challenge of the quiz lies ahead. I also love how the Lego Friends books in particular have diverse characters!


At only $4.99CAN each, and the Buy 2 get 1 free deal, you'd be getting 3 books for just shy of $10CAN!

To take advantage of this deal, visit the DK Canada DK Readers Summer Reading Adventures page!

Happy Reading! :)


***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****

  

These Egg Molds Are Eggcellent!

  

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times! I love a product that is practical, innovative and simple to use!

Fox Run Brands has these Egg Molds that you can use to change the shape of a hard-boiled egg from its God given oval, to a car, a star, a bunny and a bear! Whether you are 2yrs or 100yrs, this is sure to bring delight to anyone's face - and tummy! Not to mention for the person who's making them! It's so simple!

Just boil your eggs, let them cool a bit, and then peel them. Once the eggs are cooled down but still warm, insert them into the molds and lock 'em up! Place them into a big bowl of ice water and let them sit for about 10 minutes. Open them up and voila! Easy peasy as my son would say!

They come in a package of 2 and retail here in Canada for under $5 a pack. (Well.ca has them for $2.99/pack.) One package has the car and star & the other package has the bunny and bear. If you were to grab 6 packs of these, you could bang off a dozen eggs in one shot and be ready for a week of eggs for breakfast, lunch or even snacks! Or you could grab one pack and just take a bit more time and do 2 eggs at a time!

I tried them with extra-large eggs and they were a bit harder to snap shut because the eggs were so big, but they still worked great. I think medium sized or even large sized eggs would be the absolute perfect size for these molds. But if extra-large eggs are all that you've got, they work just as good!

As a mom who's always looking to add eggxtra (get it?! LOL) protein and iron to my kids' diets (and to my own), these encourage kids to eat hard-boiled eggs. You might also just be the coolest Mom ever, if you included one of these egg shapes in your kid's school lunch, as it is after all, practically time for the kids to return to school!

I give this product 5 egg stars, both for practicality and price!

Have an eggcellent day!

***** These views are mine, and mine alone. As with anything, you are responsible for assessing whether this item and/or activity is safe and suitable for your specific needs. InfoMommy does not make any warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, and assumes no responsibility and/or liability for any actions taken as a result of this blog post.*****