Weekly Lunchbox #4

By: Kate Camillo

First month of school is almost over! Is everyone settled in? I know little ones usually start a little bit later than normal, at least that’s how it is where I am from. Are our routines working? Are we finding time to relax and bond with our kids in between school and work? Some things to ask ourselves because any habit we’ve picked up this month is most likely going to become routine after this month! I hope everyone’s enjoying these snack plans whether you stick to them completely, or just get inspiration from them. It’s been fun for me to find new snacks and revisit some old favorites. Let’s get down to business!

 Monday:
I’m feeling something fun for Monday, but also something healthy. We’re gonna go with strawberry ladybugs. I know what you’re thinking. What the heck are strawberry ladybugs? Don’t worry, I got you. The ingredients are pretty simple; strawberries, blueberries, and dark chocolate. You’ll also need a candy decorating bag for this one. First step is removing the top of the strawberries by cutting a small V in the top, which is where our ladybug “heads” are going to go. Then you’re going to cut the strawberries in half, lengthwise. The next step entails melting the chocolate and putting small dots on the strawberries. You also want to use the chocolate to attach the “heads”. Put some chocolate on the top of the strawberry and stick a blueberry on there. Draw a line down the center of the strawberry and Let the chocolate harden and you have a cute ladybug! 

Tuesday:
For Tuesday, I want to give you guys another fruity snack. This one is cute too, just like those little ladybugs. I think apple cookies are a good idea for Tuesday or any day this week honestly. I’m sure what I’m referring to is not what first popped into your head when you read apple cookies. Don’t worry I’m not going to have you bake cookies from scratch on a Monday night to get them prepared for Tuesday. The prep time for this snack is super short. All you’re going to do is cut and apple the long way, not into wedges, and throw some peanut butter and chocolate chips on them. That’s it. Simple and easy. They look cute and they taste great. Your child doesn’t like peanut butter? Drizzle some caramel or chocolate on there and it’s just as good. 

Wednesday:
Let’s keep Wednesday pretty simple. Make your own chex mix anyone? Throw a handful of all your kids favorites in a bag and call it a day. Pretzels, Goldfish, cheez-its, mini cookies, really anything you have you can mix in a bag. The prep time for this is so small and it’s super easy.

 Thursday:
This one requires a little bit of baking, but multipurpose baking. This snack could be eaten for breakfast, for a snack at school, a snack at home, dessert, the opportunities are endless. I’m talking about mini muffins. Mini muffins are great; chocolate chip, blueberry, banana nut, you can make whatever your little heart desires. A batch will last you a couple days and you have breakfast and snack covered. It’s perfect!

 Friday:
This snack is a little more average, but you can spice it up. I know I’ve mentioned it once before, but there are so many ways to make it different. I am a firm believer in pretzels. Mini pretzels; awesome. Soft pretzels; awesome. Pretzels dipped in something; awesome. Pretzel nuggets; awesome. I personally think pretzels dipped in something is fun spin on this common snack. Pack your child some mini pretzel sticks and a fun dipping option. Melted chocolate is a great option, frosting, caramel, really anything goes well with pretzels.

So that’s my lunchbox plan this week, trust me this is an absolute lifesaver. It is so nice having all my days planned. I know what I need to buy, I am prepared for what I need to make and how long it is going to take me to pack lunches the night before. I save the things that take a little bit longer for the nights I have more time. It’s great. Planning snacks help me reduce a little bit of the week’s stress and I am all about that. Come back next week for another plan! Let me know if you have any suggestions for upcoming weeks, let’s all work together moms to battle snack time!

Weekly Lunchbox #3

By: Kate Camillo

Welcome back, so sorry for the delay, it has been crazy with back to school. I’m sure you can all relate! Whether it’s homework or packing bags, getting to sleep early or waking up on time, this year has been a little rough to get used to. If you’re on the same page as I am, I’m sure you can use something to help ease some of the stress with back to school and luckily for you we have another weekly lunchbox for you to help plan some snacks.

MONDAY:
This Monday we’re going with a classic: cheese and crackers! Get some precut cheese, which honestly might be the literal best invention since sliced bread. No more uneven cheese slices where they start skinny and then get fatter or vise versa, no more dad jokes about “cutting the cheese”. Overall, a great invention. Add some Wheat Thins or Townhouse crackers, whatever your child fancies and call it a day! A perfect easy snack for a Monday.

TUESDAY:
Once we kept it simple with cheese and crackers, the only clear next option is to spice it up a little bit! Get your creative mom juices flowing. Homemade fruit rollups. Yup. Homemade fruit rollups. This one is a little more complicated to describe so bare with me. First, you’re going to puree 3 cups of fruit with 1 tablespoon of sweetener and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. The fruit is up to your discretion, I would go with something your kids like but that’s just my suggestion. The sweetener can be honey, maple syrup or sugar. Then you bake it in the oven for about 4-8 hours on the lowest temperature your oven can go. You have to make sure you spread your fruit thinly onto a baking sheet. The fruit is done when it is no longer sticky to the touch. Once they are done, you cut them in strips and roll them in either parchment paper or wax paper. That’s it. It’s pretty easy to follow. I got this idea from amindfullmom, she goes into more detail if you’re super interested in these!

WEDNESDAY:

For Wednesday, I’m thinking oatmeal bites. They are a great option because these are no bake oatmeal bites! This one is super easy and fun! You’re to combine 1 cup of oats, ½ cup of mini chocolate chips, ½ cup of flax seed, ½ cup of crunchy peanut butter, ⅓ cup of honey, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract together in a bowl. Then you form them into balls with your hands and then freeze for about 1 hour. They delicious and quick! You could even get your children involved in help making these. They would be so excited to make their own snack, not to mention, proud of their work!

THURSDAY:

Thursday’s great because it can be a leftover from dinner the night before! Make a nice pasta salad, set aside some in the fridge for the morning. This is easy and fast. Put some in a tupperware and you’re all set. Your child will find it interesting because it’s usually a dinner food. Kids love things that are out of routine and out of the ordinary, like when I put in cereal a couple blogs ago. They love things that are not at the time they are used to seeing it. 

FRIDAY:

Let’s end this week with a bang, we had some exciting snacks and some more chill snacks. Get your child in the weekend spirit with cookies! Whether you buy Chips Ahoy or make them from your grandmother’s recipe, your child will love getting cookies in their lunchbox. Maybe mix it up, give them a couple different types or stick to the classic chocolate chip. This is a pure judgment call. If you bake cookies, you’ll have them all weekend like I suggested with brownies in the last blogs. Cookies are always a crowd pleaser!

Thanks again for being patient with us as we also get back into the school routine. Back to school affects everyone, not just kids! If you’re looking for a fun way to connect with your child during down time after school make sure to check out our Fujimini Island blog for character descriptions of your favorite Fujimini Friends.

Weekly Lunchbox #2

By: Kate Camillo

Hi guys! I am back with another lunchbox! I love this series because it really has a lot of information in each post and you can always go back and look at old posts for inspiration. Let’s dive right in!

MONDAY:
I have two words for you: string. cheese. This snack is an all around crowd pleaser. String cheese is a great quick, no effort snack for a Monday. It’s easy, it's cheap and honestly it's delicious. Who doesn’t want to pull their cheese into strings?

TUESDAY:
A lettuce wrap is a great snack! Put some of your kids favorite stuff in there like turkey and cheese, and you’re good to go. Maybe put some chicken, barbeque sauce and cheese on it. There are so many options, you can make them entirely your own. This is a good snack that you can reuse this snack idea by adding other things in them to spice it up!


WEDNESDAY:
A fun treat for Wednesday is something as simple as cereal. However, seeing cereal in a different setting will make your child view it differently. Maybe you give them Lucky Charms or Reese’s Puffs, something they normally wouldn’t eat for breakfast. It’s fast and easy and is fun! Kids get to eat sugary cereals they love and you get a happy child. No need for milk either! Just a little baggy of the most fun cereal you can find.

Courtesy: CafeDelites.com

THURSDAY:
On Thursday, maybe give your kids something a little more healthy. Fruit salad is a great option. You can choose what you want to put it in it, ensuring your child’s satisfaction. It’s colorful and brings some life into their lunchbox. This is a great way to get your kids to eat some fruit.


FRIDAY:
I personally like to end the week on a good note. Give your kids something fun, something they really like. Last week, I said brownies. This week I think dirt pudding would be a great snack. Some people have different names for this snack, but basically it is chocolate pudding or chocolate mousse with crushed oreos on top and gummy bears. The crushed oreos could be substituted with mini chocolate chips or anything that resembles “dirt” crumbles. It gets its name because it looks like dirt, especially with the “worms” on the top. This is so cute! This is a personal favorite of mine. 

That’s all I have for this week guys! I hope this inspired you to be a little creative with your snacks and also find a nice balance with what you’re feeding your kids. Come back next week for more!

Weekly Lunch Box

By: Kate Camillo

As school is coming, for some it might already be here, it’s time to start planning out some lunches. Snack and lunch are by far the best time of the day for your child, no question about it. In this new series, I am going to give you some fun ideas for snacks. As moms, there is only so many things we can plan and maybe having a little snack list will take some of the pressure off packing lunches and you can focus on more important things. You’re welcome in advance. Before I begin with the list, I want to do a little disclaimer. These blogs are for the moms who still care, but maybe don’t have time to make their own zucchini crackers from veggies they harvested on their own. These ideas are cute, quick and simple for when your brain needs a break after a work day. Enjoy and comment down below any of your kids fave snacks so we can add them to an upcoming blog.

via GIPHY

MONDAY:
Monday has got to be to a fun snack because everyone hates Mondays. I’m sure you had to drag your kid out of your bed. To perk up their day a little bit and make them happy, try S’mores snack mix. Not super healthy, but fun! To make this you only need 3 things; Teddy Grahams, mini marshmallows, and chocolate chips. Throw it all in a bag and you’re good to go. Of course you can substitute pretzels, chex mix or cinnamon toast crunch depending on your preference.

TUESDAY:
Tuesday is a healthy day, especially after Monday’s fun snack. Let’s go with a classic: veggies and dip! Get a little cup of dip and a baggie of baby carrots or whatever veggie your kid likes the best and you’re good to go.

WEDNESDAY:
Wednesday’s a toss up, you can either go fun or healthy, not that healthy can’t be fun. This week I’m thinking about going with pretzels. The thing about pretzels is that they are so versatile. You can buy pretzel sticks or pretzel nuggets. You can get them seasoned or you could add a dip like peanut butter to add a little something something to the snack.

THURSDAY:
A cute idea for Thursday would be something redesigned. Pancakes are fun and are super easy to make. Make a couple mini pancakes and toss in a little Nutella and you have a sweet treat to get your child through the day.

FRIDAY:
To reward your child for making it through the week, give him something sweet. Cook them some brownies Thursday night and put on in their lunch box. The batch will last you all weekend so you have something for dessert for after dinner. I have a lot of good ideas for the next couple weeks. I know these snacks were a bit of a no brainer, but I thought I would ease into this new series. I am excited to look up some more cool recipes and share with you little things to help brighten your child’s day. See you next week, bring your appetite.

Click here to find our ONCEKids back to school checklist series:

Click here to meet the Fujimini Island family.

Make Mornings Easier [PART 1 of 2]

Every busy mom knows that mornings are hectic, chaotic, and just plain stressful. Getting yourself ready for the busy day ahead, getting the kids off to school and daycare, and making sure you remember everything can seem like an impossible task. Luckily, there are a few strategies to get everyone up and out of the house on time -- and in one piece -- each morning. The key to keeping mornings stress-free for everyone is to plan ahead and stay organized. Make sure these three things have been done each night before you go to bed:

1. Homework has been completed and put into backpacks along with the books they need for school the following day. This will prevent frantic searching for them in the morning or having the kids be unprepared in class. This goes for moms too -- have all your work essentials laid out including your purse and keys. Keeping items in the same place each night is also a good time saver and stress minimizer because you'll always know where they will be.

To learn more about Modern Moms and The Mom Code, please visit ONCEKids Publishing website, Facebook and Twitter

2. Lunches and snacks have been made and put in the fridge. Having everyone's lunches made, including your own, is one of the best ways to de-stress your mornings. That way you and the kids can just grab it and go. Also, labeling the lunches or having a unique lunch box for each kid will prevent any confusion, and perhaps even preventing a potential meltdown if the wrong lunch is taken. 

Learn more about acclaimed author and Mompreneur Eileen Wacker, click here 

3. Have a backup breakfast ready for those extra hectic mornings. Every family has those mornings where it seems like everything is going wrong- maybe you overslept or one of the kids is feeling particularly stubborn. For those days where time is running short, have a quick and easy breakfast solution prepared. Maybe some trail mix or granola? Fresh fruit, such as bananas, apples, and oranges are perfect for an on-the-go, but still healthy, meal. 

Click here to see part 2 of this series, Morning Meltdowns!