Flower Power

A quick and simple lunch was in order today. This mama is still catching up on laundry, housework, and life in general. Remind me next time that after you take a vacation, you come home to what seems like double the work until things fall back into place. Thankfully, it's just about done.

Red and green grapes, cucumber, Boar's Head turkey, sharp cheddar and Swiss flowers, and Ritz crackers.

In this lunch...

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This Little Heart of Mine

One of these days I'll get to sorting out vacation pictures. In the meantime, just a fun little lunch today for the kid that has my heart. I know I'm the mom. I'm supposed to say nice things, but she really was so incredibly good on our trip. I really thought that my 4 1/2 year old would be a handful with long days of travel, even longer days of activity (without naps most of the days - yes, she still naps thank goodness), and a complete disruption from the normal routine. Nope! She embraced every part of it. It just makes me want to turn around and take another trip. This time is so precious. I wish I had more of it. Don't get me wrong... there are some days I most certainly do not, but for today, I surely do.

Strawberries, cucumber, sharp cheddar and Swiss cheese, turkey pepperoni and two types of smoked turkey, Trader Joe's Woven Wheats Wafers, Plum Kids Yo Drops, and a couple of yogurt pretzels.

In this lunch...

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Leftovers for Lunch

So, we're home from out adventure, and what a wonderful time we had. This was our first proper family vacation ever, so I think we did pretty good. Columbus was good to us, but we needed a couple more days to do the things we wanted to do. We missed the art museum and botanical gardens, and never did make it to get ice cream at Jeni's or meet up with a couple bloggers in the area, but we did do everything else we hoped to do and had a great time. Next time! However, I'm far from organizing a single photo to post just yet. I'm still too bogged down with what feels like 50 loads of laundry and putting things away, not to mention the regular routine of work in and out of the house. Ah, to be home...

Since I can't seem to get anything new together to post today, here's some leftovers from last week.. literally, leftover lunch! One of the favorites for leftovers is spaghetti. We always make way more than we need for dinner, then the next day, the noodles can be eaten with butter and grated cheese, or with some pesto, garlic and peas, or serve the traditional way with spaghetti sauce, of course. I the oddball, and actually like my leftover noodles cold, so there's always that option too.

Strawberries and blueberries, cucumber, and leftover spaghetti with lots of Parmesan cheese.

In this lunch...

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On Our Way

As you read this post, we are on our way to Columbus, Ohio. I know, I know.. it's not a trip to the Bahamas or anything, but it is still a family mini-vacation, and a well needed one, at that. It is just about a 4 hour drive for us, so just at the tipping point for mom to rip all her hair out the 4-year-old, but I'm sure we'll manage. Having been to the area before we had a kid, we knew it would be a good place to go back to that will offer lots of family fun without needing to take a ton of time off work. Hell-looo?! Did anyone say Columbus Zoo & Aquarium? Be warned that any readers may be subjected to heavy doses of pictures next week!

In the meantime, there is lunch. These are from the day before we left, but you can bet we have some snacks packed for the trip, too. And, yes, we packed our Easylunchboxes for the trip! We can't leave home without them!

 

A salad lunch with mixed greens, cheese scraps, and the last few kalamata olives with Ranch dressing in the container, some watermelon and kiwi, and delicious local beans from the Farmer's Market.

Snack box with Goldfish crackers, grapes, cashews and butterscotch chips, Swiss cheese, strawberries, and a mix of cucumbers and bell peppers.

In these lunches...

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Summer is Flying By

I will cling to the warm weather and summer fun as long as humanly possibly. I may or not be pouting and stomping my foot. I know everyone is talking about back to school, but I'm just not ready to think about the summer coming to a close. So, we're rocking the fun spring butterfly box today, August or not! Summer will not fly by any quicker than it has to, at least.

Strawberry banana Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries and slivered almonds, celery and cucumbers, Ritz crackers, turkey pepperoni, and sharp cheddar cheese.

In this lunch...

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Lunch with a Smile

So, I'm told by my kiddo that if your sandwich, or lunch in general, is smiling at you, it just happens to taste better. Who am I to argue with that? For this lunch, I decided to try a new spin on the traditional peanut butter and jelly by serving it on a mini bun rather than sandwich bread. Verdict? Well, since it was smiling, it was delicious!

Carrots, cucumber, strawberry, PBJ on a bun, cheddar/mozzarella cheese, and mixed nuts with butterscotch chips.

I decided to test this whole smiling face theory on the hubby today, too. I do, after all, hold a degree in Biology, so the scientific method is an old friend. So what if it was my 4-year-old that constructed the hypothesis? I think she might be on to something here. The hubby said his lunch was great, and I'm thinking it was that smiling face that made all the difference!

Maple Greek yogurt with slivered almonds, oranges, grapes, spinach salad with carrots and pea shoots, and a grilled cheddar and Havarti cheese sandwich.

In these lunches...

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Snacker Stacker

I can't believe that it's August! How does the summer seem to fly by so quickly every year, yet an eternity seems to pass before the next one. We are just now getting around to planning a small family getaway. Where does the time go? Speaking of time, here is a super fast and easy snack box. I love these little stackers... so fun!

Goldfish, Swiss and Colby cheese, cherry tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, and watermelon.