Today I choose HOPE. I want to live in a world of LOVE.

Just today a friend sent her daughter to school with a heavy heart, after there were threats made against the schools in her county fearing their safety.

People after training for months, even years, conquering personal goals and battles ran today... family members stood by cheering them on... not knowing that their lives would change forever in a few short moments. Left with unanswered questions and serious injury to many.

There is a problem with the world we are living in.

We may not all agree - worship the same God, fight for the same laws... look the same, talk the same, have as much money or education as another, and so on and so on...

It’s time to end this. Now.

Lunch Made Easy: 15+ Valentine's Day Ideas for School Lunches

Looking to add a little fun to your kiddos lunch box tomorrow at school for Valentine's Day? Or maybe even surprise your sweety with a few fun touches to their normal brown bagged lunch?   Here's a fun round-up of Over 15 Valentine's Day Lovey-Dovey Lunch Ideas!    

 

Lunch Made Easy: A Week of {Gluten & Nut Free} School Lunches #AllergyFriendly

This is the first week Little Miss has all five days of school in a couple! We survived the snow storms this week - WOO! ;)
Here's our weekly round-up of Allergy Friendly School Lunches. {Gluten & Nut Free} & More:  

Lunch Made Easy: This Week in {Gluten & Nut Free} Bento

Just four days of school this week, so here are our fun bento school lunches Little Miss enjoyed!
{Allergy Friendly} Gluten, Peanut, & Tree Nut Free: 

Lunch Made Easy: If the shoe fits... Eat it!

Yeah, we're girls.

We Love Shoes.

 

So, why not make a fun school lunch about it, right!?

 

{Allergy Friendly} Gluten, Peanut, & Tree Nut Free with Dairy & Egg Free Notes:

 

What are you {thankful} for?

What are you {thankful} for?

 

When I first started to think of this question, all the funny things came to mind. For Little Miss it would probably be bacon, beef jerky, barbies, "girl legos", and junior mints. lol

 

What about me? Well, at first, I chuckle thinking of Starbucks, sleep, my iPhone, and Shamrock Shakes. You know the necessities. ;)

 

As I started thinking of how to translate those things I am {thankful} for into a lunch, my mind kept coming back to one in particular I made for Little Miss last year. It pretty much sums up the real thankfulness in my heart.



 

 

Lunch Made Easy: MOMables Monday - I Love Bacon!

The great thing about MOMables School Lunch Menus is that it can spark an idea or a plan. You don't have to follow them exactly as pictured, but it can help for those days you're staring at an empty lunch container wondering what to do...

That's exactly how this "I Love Bacon!" lunch box came about! This lunch is gluten, peanut, & tree nut free.

Lunch Made Easy: Love in a Lunchbox

If you missed my posting earlier today, I shared "Random Thoughts from a Food Allergy Mama".
A lot of emotion has been built up that all came tumbling out as I typed. Triggered by one small boy. One small boy that hurt my daughter's feelings. (Click here to read the full story.)

Today, her day was much better. He left her alone and she ate.
We talked about what she should do if he bothered her again, what she should say, etc.

Most nights, I make her bentos after she goes to bed, but tonight, I had her in the kitchen with me. Helping pack her school lunch. Picking out piece by piece what she wanted and how to pack it.

It was nice to have those moments tonight before bed time.



Lunch Made Easy: Lovely Lunchbox

I {heart} lunchboxes filled with love! ;)

Lunch Made Easy: We Love...

All the things we love in this lunchbox:

Lunch Made Easy: MOMables Monday - Nugget Love

Happy MOMables Monday friends! :)

Packing one of Little Miss' favorites for lunch tomorrow - Homemade Chicken Nuggets. We make ours gluten-free, of course.

Lunch Made Easy: Peace, Love, & Happiness

It's a groovy kind of lunch for Wednesday:

Lunch Made Easy: LunchBox Love Giveaway & Camping Bento

Summer is here!! Today was Little Miss' official first day of summer. We met a friend downtown for lunch where we ate outside at one of the covered tables lining the street. So I packed up a lunch for Little Miss, but with a fun summertime/ camping theme!
Why? You'll see... keep reading!

Lunch Made Easy: Nana Love

Tomorrow is Grandparent's Day at school so my mother (aka Nana) will be attending a luncheon, art fair, and special musical performance just for the grandparents! Little Miss has been looking forward to it all week!

They did the performance for parents tonight. Thus my later than normal posting - we just got home a bit ago. So I quickly made lunches and am trying to get things settled for the evening. I wanted to do her special "Nana Lunch" more justice but getting home so late simply put a damper on more "cuteness". Oh well, I know she'll still love it!

Food for Thought: Crockpot Love - Shredded Pork Salsa Tacos

The first time I made this recipe, it actually happened by mistake :) but we loved it! I had bought the pork for BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, but realized I forgot to buy buns *d'oh!* and I really don't care for eating pulled pork on regular bread... sooooo I decided to use the meat for tacos.

The fella loved it so much that it's become a hit in the house and a recipe I now make on purpose! LOL

Lunch Made Easy: Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

What are everyone's plans? Anything special going on for the evening/ day? I plan on making Little Miss a special breakfast in the AM. I snuck a few "lovey" things into the fellas lunch today too, hehe! *Shh, don't tell!*

Little Miss is particularly excited for school - exchanging cards/ crafts with her friends. She worked so hard on them this weekend. :)

Lunch Made Easy: Valentine's Club

We have a fun week this week ~ Valentine's Day Tuesday and the fella has his birthday on Wednesday. An expensive time of year for this mama ($$ eek!) but an awesome week full of love and laughter with two important dates tied into it!

Lunch Made Easy: By More of My Faves!

I didn't have enough days off to post about ALL my faves! (No problem right? I'll just go back on vacation!! lol) So I decided for the last post in my vacation series to be a round up of some of my other favorite Valentine/hearts/love bentos ideas from some of my bloggy buddies ~

Lunch Made Easy: By Keitha's Chaos

My vacation series was setup to highlight some of my favorite bento bloggers, specifically on love/heart/Valentine's lunches to give everybody some added inspiration.

...BUT I just HAD to do a spot on Keitha - I adore her Storybook Themed Lunches she makes for her son, Boogs. His lunches are inspired by the books they read before bed the evening before. Each night, she reads two books to him and he reads one back to her. I just love this idea. Reading is something Little Miss and I do together every evening before bed, as well.

Lunch Made Easy: By BentOnBetterLunches

Continuing my vacation series - Next up is my bento hero, Candy Girl of BentOnBetterLunches!
I call her my bento hero because the woman has FIVE kids, manages to make them all healthy and beautiful bentos, AND blog about it! (I. Am. In. Awe. lol)

She's the proud Mama to her Sproutlets - Beanstalk,  Bella, Pickle, Sprout, and Birdie.