Obsessed

So, I am a little obsessed, already.
I have read several Bento blogs from their first post to their most recent.  Spending hours on the couch reading them.  I have spent a bunch of money on picks and cutters.  I've had to rearrange several cabinets to make room in an accessible location for all my stuff.

But I'm having fun!

It's a creative outlet!

The kids are coming home with empty, or almost empty, lunch boxes! 

They LOVE their new lunches!

So what if we are late to school because I need to put that last decorative pick in?

It's okay if I'm up til midnight cutting vegetables into cute shapes, right?  Who needs sleep anyway.

So, I've been packing fun lunches for 4 weeks now and taking pictures of them with my phone but since I just started my blog I have not yet posted many.  So I am going to post a few of my favorites here.  Most days the kids get the same or similar lunches so sometimes I'll just post one if the picture is better.  I need to find a better place to take pictures and probably use the camera instead of the phone.

1st Day of 1st Grade!

Turkey, Ham, Pepperoni, & Cheese Star shaped sandwich (name made out of cheese, by hand because I hadn't gotten my alphabet cutters yet)

Carrots & Snap Peas

Dried Apricots

Banana

A few Teddy Grahams

1st Day of 3rd Grade!

Turkey, Ham, Pepperoni & Salami Heart shaped sandwich (name made out of salami and turkey.  This was a pain to do by hand!)

Carrots & Snap Peas

Dried Apricots

Banana

Teddy Grahams in container

 Veggie pasta with grape tomatoes and a giraffe pick (cute!)

Silk soy yogurt with frozen mixed berries and granola to sprinkle

Carrots

Banana

spoon is a super cute one from Menchie's (a frozen yogurt place that always has a sorbet that Maya can have  :)   )

Ham roll ups on heart picks

Noosa yogurt with frozen mixed berries

Granola in the small container to sprinkle over the yogurt

Carrots, grape tomatoes and cucumber's shaped into acorns (the rest of the cucumber is under the veggies).

Lunchables (I've been doing this for years)

Triscuit thins

Ham, salami and pepperoni (they are all round so they cut into triangles when I cut them up. Perfect for the triangle Triscuit thins!)

Fruit mix (cantalope, pear, watermelon balls, and I think I threw in a cherry) with owl pick

Veggies (cucumber, carrots and radish - they didn't like the radish.  At least they tried it!)

Hummus

We love doing jigsaw puzzles in our house so when I saw these cutters I had to get them!  They are awesome!  Also, I am a Pediatric Physical Therapist so the Autism connection was not lost on me.

Almond butter and honey sandwich cut into puzzle pieces (this was Max's, Maya won't eat almonds.  She can, just won't. So her's was "chocolate spread" AKA Nutella)

Carrots

Red and Green grapes with bear pick

Teddy Grahams

I'm sure everyone knows about all the flooding Colorado got recently.  I made lunches in honor of that.

Sunbutter and Honey Umbrella sandwich

and Rain Drops (colored with edible pen)

Handle of Umbrella and other Rain Drops are fruit leather

Pear chunks, Cantelope, and Watermelon balls with flower pick

(rain makes the flowers grow, right?)

Rest of the fruit leather split between the two kids' boxes is tucked under the carrots and grape tomatoes.

THEY LOVED THIS LUNCH!!!

All time favorite!  "Borrowed" this idea from a blog I found: BentOnBetterLunches (I hope she doesn't mind!) SO FUN!!!

Every Friday during Football season the kindergarten teacher at school passes out candy to the kids that wear Bronco colors (Denver's football team)

Today was Broncos Fry Day!!!!

Pita Pockets with "fries" made from carrot, cucumber, celery, jicama, ham and apple.  (Max also had fries made from cheddar and mozzerella cheeses, Maya had extra ham and apple)

Letters and little football (sort of) were made from fruit leather

Strawberry jello

Hummus dip for the veggies and pita

I'd love any comments!

Thanks for reading!!