How we'll be packing lunches this year

I'll admit it: I am not the mom who dreads packing school lunches. I love it! I view it as a creative outlet, another way to flex my creative muscle. (Plus, let's be honest, I like being THAT Mom. Yep, I'm shameless).

I love shopping for lunch gear for my 8yo's lunches so I can make her midday meal fun and interesting. Now, I am lucky enough to have a kiddo who is pretty game to try just about anything (she has eaten kangaroo and alligator, people). So packing fun and f unky l unches isn't about trying convince her to eat what I pack. It's just about having some fun and trying to make the most of the brief time she is small and things I am wonderful. We aren't quite in the eye-rolling, "Motherrrrrrrrrr!!!" phase yet, for which I am grateful.

Anyway, here's a quick look at our lunch station in our kitchen. Here, I keep all of the "stuff" of lunches: The snacks, the juice boxes, the lunch boxes, containers, etc. as well as a few magazines and cookbooks.

Here's a closer look at some of the products I'll be using this year.

The Banana Guard, available from Fenigo.com. This is made of very sturdy plastic and is great for ensuring that your child's banana doesn't end up getting squashed in her lunch. No excuses not to eat it! I work from home, but if you pack a lunch for work, you might want to steal this one, too!

How ADORABLE is this Insulated Lunch Bag from Bentology? I mean, cats with cat-eye glasses? C'mon. This was generously sent to us from Fenigo.com and I cannot wait to use it and review it for you.

Yep, the lunch box even has a matching ice pack!

Made especially to fit inside the Bentology Insulated Lunch Bag, this Bentology Bento Box (shown here in the colour Raspberry/Blue) is the perfect answer to keeping everything separate and organized. I love bento boxes!

These Lunch Punch Critter Cutters make your child's sandwich into one of four cool shapes. We got the animal set, which includes elephants, whales, a dog, and a butterfly. Also available in other sets, such as fairytale themes, sports, and transportation.

We were also very fortunate to receive some products from EasyLunchBoxes.com! We received this purple lunch bag, and..

What makes Easy Lunch Boxes so awesome is these divided containers that fit inside. These are very durable and sturdy, and I can't wait to start using them. (Stayed tuned for regular posts about what we put IN the lunch boxes!)

Easy Lunch Boxes also sent us this set of Mini Dippers, which are perfect for vegetable dip, salad dressing, etc. (Please excuse the water ring on my lunch station. Blogging is thirsty work!)

We also were sent this awesome Sistema Salad to Go container from Staples. This container features a divided section on top for veggies, toppings etc. and a small covered container for dressing or dip. On the bottom is a larger section for salad, a sandwich, etc. Also includes a knife and fork.

That's what we'll be using to pack lunches in this house this year. Thanks so much to Staples, Fenigo and Easy Lunch Boxes for your generous gifts! Stayed tuned for many more posts featuring these products.

The products mentioned in this post were sent to us for review. All opinions in this and any other posts featuring these products are solely my own.