Inspiration For School Lunches #RockTheLunchbox + Giveaway!

It's not easy to stay inspired about making your kids lunch day after day, is it?

Rock the Lunchbox is a great resource for those of us who are tired of trying to dream up exciting new lunches to pack for our kiddos.

I was challenged by the site to ask my child to draw their "Dream Lunch" and then turn it into a more nutritious lunch, using some of our favorite organic and natural lunch / snack brands - like Annie's Homegrown, Applegate, Honest Kids, etc.

Baby O. trying out her new Blue Avocado Rezip Bag (left) & Big Sister H. happy to try Applegate Half Time Lunch (right)

Well, my three year old either knew what was going on, or she's just THAT wise.

She chose to draw herself eating an apple and a cracker. Now that didn't give me much to work with.

Oh, well.

Being that we had just been to the farmer's market, my daughter helped me choose some of her favorite items for a healthy lunch.

• Fresh, organic carrots with hummus dip
• PB & J on Rudi's White Bread
• Fresh Mozzarella Balls
• Figs from the Farmer's Market
• Annie's Bunny Fruit Snacks
• Stonyfield YoKids Yogurt 
• Honest Kids Berry Berry Good Lemonade

Check out this new Bento Lunchbox by Laptop Lunches (pictured above), I love how each little food gets its own compartment.  My daughter loved all the different colors, and finding which foods fit in which boxes. 

Laptop Lunches Bento Boxes are recyclable, reusable, BPA & Lead Free, totally eco-friendly so you can feel good that your child's (or your own) food is safe and secure.

Many of the compartments come with lids as well, so you can keep each lunch item from spilling out onto the others.

 

You know, according to a national survey, finding variety in packing school lunches is the biggest challenge for parents. Plus, 53% of kids reported they have the same items in their lunch every day!

B-O-R-I-N-G! 

If you need to find ways to make your kids lunches more exciting, go to: www.rockthelunchbox.com and grab some coupons while you're there for great, organic products your kids will thank you for!

I will say that I have been using the Blue Avocado Rezip© Bag (almost daily for my kiddos snacks.

I feel seriously green not having to use a brand new plastic zipper bag every day for their snacks!

What was that?

You want to try the Blue Avocado Rezip© Bag for yourself?

Okay. How about we throw in a Laptop Lunch Bento Box, U-Konserve Stainless Steel Container and a bunch of FREE product coupons?

~ GIVEAWAY ~

Win A #RockTheLunchbox Prize Package - Valued at over $70.00!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Almondina, the Delicious Cookie Without The Guilt (Review/Giveaway)

My husband loves tea.

I think I may have mentioned his affection for tea once or twice on this blog already.

Well, now my hubby has a favorite new snack to go with his tea - thanks to the company that sent us a few samples to try:

Almondina®, the Delicious Cookie Without The Guilt™. 

It was the first time we've tried Almondina®, as a family. I'm not sure why, since I've seen it in stores multiple times. All I can say, is the next time I pass the Almondina display at the store, I'm putting on the brakes and loading up my cart.

I wish I could say I have a few samples left to enjoy as I'm writing this post - but I don't. They're gone. Long gone.

My husband, toddler and myself all enjoyed the delicious almond cookie (baked using grandmother Dina's secret recipe) within a week. Did I mention that was 6-7 packages?

It's fitting that I'm going to stock my my "Fuel Up Father" Father's Day Gift Basket with Almondina® this weekend, as the owner, Yuval Zaliouk, internationally known symphony conductor (What???) and gourmet chef, is a father himself.

Introducing his grandmother's secret recipe in 1989, this cookie is baked with all-natural ingredients, no cholesterol, added fat, trans-fats, salt or preservatives.

Simply all-natural, homemade goodness, just the way I like it.

This precious, delicate cookie doesn't have to be dipped to enjoy.  I found myself in the afternoons, reaching for an Almondina® to munch on for a little pick-me-up.  I'm not a sugary sweets fan in general, so these cookies were the perfect balance of sweet and savory for my taste.

However, if you're a "dipper" they are perfectly paired with coffee, tea or even wine in the evening as well. 

Almondina is available in the following flavors:

• The Original - Almond
• Choconut
• Cinnaroma®
• Gingerspice
• AlmondDuo® (almond & pistachios)
• Anniversary (touch of Anise)
• BranTreats® (with 30% oatbran)
• Sesame
• Pumpkin Spice
• Chocolate Cherry

Honestly, all the varieties we tried were delicious. I think if I were to choose, the good old Original flavor was probably our all-around favorite. A close second would be the Gingerspice.

It's amazing how much flavor they pack into the Original Almondina almond cookie, with only 6 simple ingredients!

I'm finding myself craving more of these Almondina® cookies right now!  Good thing they've expanded their distribution and can be found at Whole Foods, Cost Plus World Market, Walmart and more.

You can use this store locator to find out where Almondina® is sold near you.

Find Out More

• FOLLOW Almondina on TWITTER:   http://twitter.com/Almondina

• LIKE Almondina on Facebook :  http://facebook.com/Almondina.Brand

• Check out Almondina's website: http://almondina.com

~  GIVEAWAY ~

Win a sampler-pack of Almondina Brand Biscuts

• Open to US Residents, 18+
• Giveaway ends: June 28, 2013
• Complete Rafflecopter entry form below to enter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Simply 7 = Simply Heaven [Review]

I grew up in a household where we used healthy ingredients like:

• Carob Powder vs. Chocolate

• Molasses vs. Syrup

• Wheat Flour vs. White Flour

 You get the idea, HEALTHY!

You might think that since I grew up that way, I might have gone the opposite path and started eating "junk food" when I was older.  Luckily, that wasn't the case.  My dear momma set me on a pretty healthy food path that I've continued on (for the most part).

Simply 7 recently sent me some delicious snacks to try and I have to say they are probably our family's new favorite.

Simply 7's Snacks Follow These 7 Rules

• No Trans Fat
• No Artificial Colors or Flavors
• No Preservatives or Additives
• Gluten Free
• All Natural Recipes
• Simple Ingredients
• .........and Simply Delicious

I tried all (11) flavors of their Hummus Chips, Lentil Chips and yes, even Pomegranate Chips and after careful evaluation think they hit the Simple 7 ball out of the park with ALL of them!

Honestly, there wasn't one of them that we didn't like! But if we have to narrow it down............

Our Simply 7 Favorites

Simply 7 - Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Chips

This one was MY personal favorite. A light and crispy chip make from chick peas, with a bold slightly sweet roasted red pepper flavor and nice paprika kick!

Simply 7 - Sea Salt Lentil Chips

Simply 7's Lentil Chips with Sea Salt were my husband's favorite.  This was a nice flavorful chip, great for dipping or just eating alone.  My husband likes basic, no frills flavors, which this was.  Don't let the simple flavor of Sea Salt fool you though, this chip is nowhere close to boring.

White Cheddar Pomegranate Chips

My Toddler's favorite were the Pomegranate Chips that come in White Cheddar, Sea Salt and Black Pepper. Have you ever heard of a Pomegranate Chip? I hadn't until now. It's a surprisingly sweet snack that turns slightly savory with the White Cheddar flavor. Crazy, but good.

Simply 7 = Simply Heaven

Check out the rest of the delicious snacks at Simply 7 HERE!

Don't forget to LIKE Simply 7 on FACEBOOK and FOLLOW them on TWITTER too!

P.S...........................YUM!

Also, be on the lookout for a GIVEAWAY of this delicious product in the near future!