Feathers in Our Nest

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6 Creative Ideas for Lunch Boxes

August 7, 2014 by Aliesha

Packing and making lunches can be a chore, but it can also be fun if you throw some creativity into it!

I love these “bento box” style lunch boxes. The blue topped one is by Ziplock and I just got it at the grocery store. The other one is from Aldi. They were inexpensive. We like to put all the food in these boxes, then add them to a cooler with ice packs. These stay sealed really well and they’re great for picnics and road trips too!

Here are some creative ideas for making lunch boxes more fun!

1. Wrap It Up

Sandwiches are great, but sometimes it’s fun to switch things up a bit! I love using tortillas (whole wheat or white flour) to make wraps. You can fill these with chicken salad, lunch meat, tuna fish, leftover grilled chicken, pulled pork, hummus, or anything else! Leave it as a wrap, or slice it into little pinwheels. You can also use a piece of bread this way, like I did here with bread and peanut butter. The little bite-size pieces are fun to eat! You can use sunflower seed butter if you have a family member with a nut allergy or you’re packing for a peanut-free school.

2. Dip It

Encourage kids to eat their veggies by providing a fun dipping option. Vera loves creamy feta dressing, but you could also use ranch dressing, hummus, or another bean dip. Provide veggies in slices or strips for easy dipping!

3. Cut Shapes

I grabbed a set of tiny cookie cutters from Amazon, and it was amazing to see how much star-shaped watermelon delighted Vera! She even helped cut it out (with supervision). We made little “skewers” (toothpicks) with watermelon and blueberries. They were easy to eat, but so very cute! We also used another cutter to form little cheese “coins.” It didn’t take long, but it was something special and fun for the girls! If you don’t have time to cut shapes out of cheese, cheese sticks are always a hit as well!

4. Perfect Portions

Use silicone muffin tin liners to section off the lunch box further and provide perfect portions! Chips are popular in lunches, but popcorn is a healthier option when you air pop it at home. Scoop some into a muffin liner for just the right amount! These liners are also perfect for cheddar snack crackers or a sweet treat.

5. Switch It Up

Anything when eaten every day has the potential of becoming boring, so change it up using seasonal fruits and veggies and whatever foods you have on hand! I think variety and trying new foods frequently is important in raising kids who aren’t picky. It’s fun to be adventurous! We usually drink water with meals, but sometimes we switch it up and drink milk!

6. Eat Your Colors

When it comes to food, the more NATURALLY colorful, the better! Red watermelon, blue blueberries, green cucumbers, orange carrots… all of these provide important vitamins and nutrients, plus, they are so pretty to look at! Even using colorful muffin liners can help make kids excited about their lunch!

According to Vera, this was the “best lunch ever!” (She takes after her father in her enthusiasm.) Here is what she and Cordelia ate:

Our table looked so colorful!

I made my lunch in a bento box too, and it really was more fun to eat! Most days I’m eating chickpeas straight out of the can for lunch, so it was great to sit down and enjoy a balanced meal.

I pack lunches for Tad two days a week (he works from home the other days), and this project gave me a lot of ideas for ways to not be in a “rut” when making his lunches either!

In case you were wondering, the “scraps” from cutting the fruit and cheese into shapes did not go to waste! Jude was happy to polish it off for us, since he doesn’t care what shape his food is in yet!

For more lunch box ideas, follow Lunch Box Love on Pinterest!

You can also follow Horizon Organic (below) for coupons and ideas for family fun.

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Horizon Organic. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: Cordelia, food, sponsored, Vera

Snacks for Breastfeeding Moms

July 17, 2014 by Aliesha

Healthy and easy snacks for breastfeeding moms who want to grab something nourishing in between feedings  | Feathers in Our Nest

I don’t know about you, but I get very hungry when I’m nursing my babies! Now, I’ll just fix myself a snack when I need one, but in the early postpartum days, even fixing myself a plate of cheese, crackers, and fruit felt like a lot of work!

Today I’m sharing with you some great ideas for healthy snacks that are for anyone, not just breastfeeding moms.

Most of these ideas are super easy, but some require a little prep work. If you’ve just had a baby, ask your husband, mom, or girlfriends to help you prep some easy snacks. Just spending a little time one evening doing some snack prep (making hard boiled eggs, cubing cheese, cutting up fruit, etc.) will go a long way!

Fruit

watermelon (great for hydration!), peaches, cherries, grapes, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, dried fruit, etc.

Veggies

cucumbers, carrots, zucchini/squash strips, cherry tomatoes, etc.

Nuts

pistachios, almonds, peanuts, cashews, nut butters, etc.

Nourishing Beverages

Silk Almond Coconut Blend Milk, whole milk, homemade smoothies

Don’t forget to drink lots of water too!!

Whole Grains

slice of homemade bread, whole grain crackers, small bowl of oatmeal, homemade granola bars, popcorn, healthy muffins, etc.

Eggs

hard-boiled eggs, deviled eggs

Beans

hummus, roasted chickpeas

Dairy

cheese cubes, Greek yogurt, etc.

Other

trail mixes, granola, Lara bars, homemade whole wheat chocolate chip cookies (hey, a treat every now and then is okay!)

Snack Box Delivery

Subscription snack boxes have been so helpful in making sure I have relatively wholesome snacks to munch on!  I’m subscribed to two (you can pick the frequency of delivery that works for you!): NatureBox and Graze.  NatureBox includes 5 larger bags of snacks (several portions each), while Graze offers boxes with either 4 or 8 snacks in individual portions.  (Good to know: NatureBox offers a free trial.  And you can use code “ALIESH64P” to get your 1st and 5th boxes free at Graze… my referral link.)  NatureBox allows you to pick out the snacks you want in each box (or be surprised), while Graze chooses for you (but allows you to rate previous boxes so they get to know your tastes as time goes on).

You can grab a coupon for Silk Almond Milk here!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: breastfeeding, sponsored

The Sauder Experience: Dresser to Sideboard

July 3, 2014 by Aliesha

I love furniture that multitasks! I’ve been looking for a dresser for my dining room for a while now, so I was excited to find this pretty piece at Sauder. I also love assembling furniture (is that weird?), so I actually enjoyed the process of assembling my new dresser.

It was fun deciding on the exact piece to order (Sauder has such a great selection!), but I settled pretty quickly on the Soft White Dresser from the Shoal Creek Collection. The soft white matched the other pieces I have in our dining room, and I knew I could use this piece in many ways (not just as a dresser in a bedroom)! I’ve found some fun ways of using dressers (and other pieces of furniture) in unique ways on Pinterest.

Assembling it was very straightforward and I did it in a few hours. The directions were clear and easy to follow, plus all the holes were exactly where they should be and all the hardware was included and easy to identify! I did most of the assembly myself, and even Tad was surprised at how quickly I put it together.

I absolutely love having a dresser sideboard in my dining room now! It’s so nice to have a place to store my table linens, cloth napkins, party supplies, and more. It’s fun to have a new surface to decorate as well!

In addition to being perfect for storage, a dresser sideboard is wonderful for serving a buffet dinner! Although these pictures don’t show any food, I was picturing in my mind (right to left) beverages, bread sticks, lasagna, and salad.

It will be fun to see the different ways I can use this beautiful piece of furniture! I’ll be sharing more ways of styling it in the future!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Sauder. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: decorating, dining room, entertaining, sponsored

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This blog shares our family's story and our journey from newlyweds to a family of seven. We share milestones, we share struggles, we share sweet memories, and we share about our Savior. Keep reading...

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