How to Survive Back to School, Dinnertime, Life {FREE Menu Plans + School Lunch Checklist}
In this post I’m compiling all the great back to school lunch + dinner tips from over the years into one post. Plus some life tips!
Well, it’s that time of year again.
Millions of children off to school (or homeschooling!), and I don’t know what it is about fall activities and school starting, but if you are like me, it feels like an insurmountable task just to get dinner on the table + school lunches packed.
And really just survive life in general (without hiding in the pantry in pure coping skill mode palming chocolate chips into your face like there’s no tomorrow).
Over the years, I’ve done several How to Survive Back to School posts, and this year I want to compile all the great tips into one post (this one!) + give you some EXTRA help.
Because let’s be serious, I could use a little help myself.
First up, let’s talk school lunches!
Assuming that the kiddos are taking a home lunch, this is one area that gets old FAST. I mentioned in a previous post that I’ve delegated the school lunch packing to the kids.
This is not necessarily a revolutionary concept, I get that, but I’ve been a bit of a control freak over the years about packing their lunches for them (they jump in on those days I’ve forgotten or I need their help, and Brian has done a lot, too – although he would readily say it’s his least favorite job in the history of ever).
In the spirit of helping my children be functional, independent adults one day, I figured I could try to let go a little, and let them learn a few life skills in the process.
None of them have any interest in eating hot school lunch/salad bar, so home packed lunch it is!
In order to make this work for all of us (and avoid a 13-year old who packs a brown bag full of Doritos only), I typed up a School Lunch Checklist and taped it to the inside of the cupboard above where they pack their lunches each night or morning.
It’s definitely not rocket science or anything terribly fancy, but this handy little checklist of options helps my kids know what acceptable lunch choices are (without being totally boring) and also gives them some optional items to pack if they want more in their lunch.
They are loving this system so far. And it’s working for me, too.
They key on my end is to have the pantry and fridge stocked with {most} of the items on this list.
And because I don’t want to type up a new list every time something goes “out of stock” at home or every time I bring something new home from the store, I quickly laminated the list with my super inexpensive home laminator that has honestly saved my life at least a dozen times.
This way I can write on it with a white board marker when, say, I pick up fruit leathers from Costco – and then just wipe off when needed.
The things I included on the typed list are pretty standard foods we have around most of the time.
I know my list of school lunch foods may not be 100% what you would include, but you are still welcome to download a FREE copy of this checklist if you think it would float your school lunch packing boat.
Download School Lunch Checklist HERE!
A few quick additional notes about packing lunches for school:
-We are still loving and using the Goodbyn Bynto boxes for the elementary kids (had them for years and they are still going strong!); my middle schooler(s) have opted for either the larger Hero containers or a brown bag. I let them choose. I’d rather them take the Goodbyn containers, but they don’t always want to…so, pick your battles and all that.
They each have an insulated sleeve for their Goodbyn box, AND yes, they are responsible for washing it out every day after school.
-Here are two school lunch posts I’ve done in the past with even more info + the comment threads are SUPER helpful wells of information, too:
School Lunch Solutions {Part One}
School Lunch Solutions {Part Two}
Now, let’s talk dinnertime!
I know, I know. Least favorite topic on the planet for some of you.
But the truth is, the masses still have to eat. And if you don’t have masses to feed, YOU still have to eat.
So we might as well embrace the fact that dinnertime is going to roll around whether we like it or not.
In the past, I’ve harped on menu planning (ok, I still do).
Here are a few GREAT menu planning resources:
1) This post wherein I give you FOUR free menu plans with breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals planned out (all easy!). Plus there is an attached grocery list and step-by-step planning/prep ideas.
2) A quick Let’s Talk post about when there’s no time or desire to make dinner (lists all of our favorite super fast meal ideas for those nights – you know what nights I’m talking about, right?).
3) Here’s a link to a helpful 30-day, all 30-minute meal menu plan. You may want to boot some of the recipes and build in leftover nights or eat out nights, but it’s a great starting place for quick and easy meals.
4) I also have this menu planning section (that sometimes gets lost amid all the other deliciousness we like to talk about!). It’s getting an overhaul pretty soon (with lots of new menu plans coming!), but there’s still a huge archive of free, downloadable menu plans to use as you see fit!
For today, I wanted to share one of the menu plans I’ve included in the past with my weekly newsletter. Easy meals! Grocery list! Breakfast, lunch, and treat ideas! Pure awesomeness.
Click the image below to download the menu plan!
Ok, a quick note about other random life stuff!
With the launch into rigorous schedules, I’ve decided this year to do a couple things, personally, I’ve never done before.
I’m not good about leaving my comfort zone, just so you know.
So this first element has been huge. Huge, huge. And a little traumatizing.
I’ve been pretty dedicated at doing 30-minute exercise videos over the last decade (Shaun T, I’m looking at you). But I’m also really good at rationalizing why I shouldn’t work out that day (you don’t even want to know some of the excuses I use).
I exercise to support my eating habit. And I’ve realized as my metabolism is nearing 40, things are getting, shall we say, a bit sluggish.
I’ve always rolled my eyes at people who have to go to the gym to work out (please forgive me), but realizing that I want to make some serious changes on this ol’ mom bod before my birthday in February (basically, my birthday is canceled unless I can do a pullup), I convinced Brian to start getting up at 4:30 a.m. with me and going to a local crossfit gym my sister has been raving about for months.
The world is divided in terms of what constitutes the best exercise, but six weeks in, and I have to say, even though some mornings I want to punch the way-too-happy-for-5-am-trainer-in-the-face, I can’t believe how much stronger I feel.
It’s a very, very low key, low pressure gym in terms of not feeling like I have to kill myself to deadlift 4,000 pounds (oh hi, I’m over here with my little trainer bar thankyouverymuch). For local peeps, it’s Sergeant’s Fitness in Caldwell.
The biggest change has been in how productive I am throughout the rest of the day (except for about 3:23 p.m. when I hit the official I’m-going-to-die-I’m-so-tired wall telling me I woke up earlier than is possibly human).
I’ve been trying hard to manage my time in a way so that I can do most of my blogging work hours while Cam is at morning kindergarten. I still have to do an hour or so after the kids go to bed, but overall, waking up early has thrown me into a more productive cycle.
The second element has to do with balancing family and important one-on-one time with the kids during this crazy, busy time of year.
With five kids and varied schedules, I often feel a lot of mom guilt for the time I didn’t spend with my kids during the day or guilt for enforcing schedules and routines instead of nurturing more.
To help, we’ve instituted a little family program we call: Extras (super fancy name alert). My mom did this with me and my siblings growing up. It is something we all talk about as grown adults even now, and I wanted to do something similar with my kids.
I started doing it with the kids several years ago, but lately we’ve gotten out of the habit..
The premise is simple.
Each child has a night of the week where they get to stay up 15-20 minutes later than their siblings (if an older sibling is finishing homework, etc, we go off to a quiet space so they can have alone time). They choose to spend this time with either mom or dad, and they can choose to do anything that’s outside or inside the home.
Play a board game. Watch hilarious YouTube videos on the iPad. Read a book together. Help dad build something in the garage. Go jogging. Practice back flips on the tramp. Play Mario Kart on the wii. You name it, they’ve probably chosen it as their Extra.
And they get to do it with just mom or dad.
It may not seem like it is worth the time…or that it would make a difference, but the small sacrifice Brian and I have had to make (as parents who like the quiet of regular bedtimes) has been justified over and over again.
As the kids have gotten older, this is the time when they open up about certain challenges they are having.
Or talk about what they hear at school (middle school is the pits; thanks for not bringing this up around your little sister during dinner, BTW).
Or even just broken down every possible detail about the last BYU football game (with their dad, of course).
Not every night is an earth-shattering experience of parent-child relationship bonding, but it IS time the kids look forward to, and so do we.
We try to shoot for doing Extras twice a month (so dedicating two weeks out of the month to it). It’s a quiet island of time to spend with the kids when life’s craziness swirls around us from the minute we wake up until bedtime.
Well, I think I’ll end here! I always have more to say (shocker, I know!) but instead, I’ll turn it over to you!
Feel free to share any survival skills for the new school year below!
Love ya.
Hey Mel, I’m going back to work this school year and I’m hoping my kids can take a little more responsibility for packing their own lunches! Do you have an editable version of your school lunch checklist? I’d sure appreciate it!
Thanks!
Hi Sarah – I have it in .pages format (for a mac) – but if you have microsoft word, you might be able to open it in that format and see how it converts. Here’s the link to download it:
https://www.melskitchencafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/School-Lunch-Checklist.pages
Could you send me the “school lunch checklist’ in a format that I could edit to make it more of what my kids eat and I buy? I love it! Thank you
Hi Kelly! Mel is out of town, but I will have her respond and send that when she gets back if she has an editable version.
I love posts like this, because while I am an incredibly loyal reader, I forget about some of my faves! We broke out the roll up pancakes a couple of times this week and they were totally a hit!
I should have read this before talking the other night. I would have had so many more questions and opinions and random comments. Guess we’ll have to wait until next September.
One night whilst Roy was working again, I watched that Crrossfit documentary on Netflix (while working in photoshop-because let’s face it…it’s just for background). It was crazy.
Love the Extras ideas and I’m sharing it with the moms I know and love. One lesson I think you’re teaching your kids is to not get sucked into the whole FOMO/Fear Of Missing Out feeling, you know? The other kids know their time is coming and they’ll learn how being jealous or feeling left out is kind of silly. You and your blog are both just wonderful! Thank you!
Never heard of FOMO – but I like the principle! Or rather, I like trying to help my kids avoid it! Thank you!
Extras, what a great idea. I love it.
Thanks, Susan. 🙂
Mel I think you’re the bomb and I’m so grateful for your helpful tips and yummy food! I’m all about one on one time with my kids. Amen to that! I love the simple idea of having one child stay up. We try to do kid date nights- similar concept.
Ps. I read your guide to the Redwoods- we went there this past weekend and visited some of the spots you recommended. Fern Canyon?? Amazing. Thanks for everything!
Oh my goodness, that makes me so happy you loved the Redwoods (and Fern Canyon!). I want to go back!
Mel, I loved this post! I have 4 boys 8 and under and every school year I try to find better systems to help everything go smoothly. Your school lunch idea is wonderful, I do something similar after reading your other school lunch posts ages ago. I’ve been following you for years and I love reading everything you write! Keep being the awesome mom that you are!
Thank you so much!
Do you do snacks when your kids come home from school? My first has started all day kindergarten and is quite grouchy when she comes home. I have been hesitant to give her snacks because I want her to eat dinner.
Hey Joanna, my kids get home around 3:00 to 3:30 (middle schoolers a little later). And they dive right in to a snack. I used to worry about them not eating dinner, but it never seems to be a problem. My rule is that snack has to be finished by 3:45-3:50 so they have plenty of time for after school routines and to space out snack and dinner.
Mel–
What is in the picture on the buns?
A crazy delicious Philly cheesesteak sloppy joe recipe I’m posting hopefully this week!
Hey Mel, thanks for all these tips. I LOVE the idea of a lunch checklist, definitely going to do this!
I wanted to share two of my tips. Between school & sports, dinner time has gotten tricky. I started using our pressure cooker more often and it’s been a savior. I can prep everything in the afternoon while the kids are school and have a warm, healthy meal for the family by the time we’re back from practice. I put together my recommendations for the best pressure cookers on my site, and I’ve been slowly working through this list of 52 back to school pressure cooker recipes from Once a Month Meals.
I’m hoping this will take me all the way through Christmas break!
Thanks for the tips, Aaron!
I feel for your kids. Middle school IS the pits – I’m one of those crazy people that has put myself back there on purpose as a teacher and this truth is reiterated to me daily (it can also be in – middle schoolers are completely ridiculous and silly ). Love the idea of ‘Extras’!
Not crazy – you are AMAZING! I’m so grateful for good middle school teachers.
Love the idea of extra! Thank you so much for sharing this. So just to be clear, basically 2 nights a month a kid will get to stay up late. Maybe my house and yard are smaller but this does not keep the other kids up? Or your just not that worried about it or the kids get used to it. Love this so much!
Hey Britney – yep, so we do the extras two weeks out of the month (sometimes more if we sense the kids need it), so each kid has two nights a month of extra time. I think it probably does keep the other kids up (they are super curious about what their sibling is doing), but we try to go to quieter places (playing a game on my bedroom floor, etc).
Love, love, love all of this information! And I’m so grateful to know that I’m not the only one with craziness going on with family life. I am curious…what is your kid’s bedtime? I am trying to find a balance and wondered how you handle that. Thanks for your wonderful blog!!
Hey Jileen – this is the first year we’ve changed the kids’ bedtime routine a little. The four youngest (ages 11 and younger) go to bed at 8:00 p.m. (or as close to that as possible) but my 13-year old now gets to stay up a bit later (he’s in 8th grade). Our rule with him is that once the younger kids go to bed, he can stay up until 9:00-ish if he is doing something quietly on his own (like reading or shooting baskets…but no screen time). So far it’s working ok. We are all up around 6:45 in the morning.
You are the best. I tell people every time I get a compliment about food that it iscthsnks to Mel. They think we are best friends when really I just know you through your site. You are so real and extremely helpful. What would I do without you and your website?!?!?
Thank you so much, Heidi!!
Mel, I love this post and everything about you! What is that yummy looking sandwich in one of the pictures.? It doesn’t look like the turkey or classic sloppy joe recipes, but it must be? I think I want to make that sandwich this week!
Good eye, Teresa! It’s actually a terribly delicious Philly cheesesteak sloppy Joe recipe that I’m posting this coming week!
Love the info included in this post. Thank you. Do you have any good recommendations for water bottles? The ones we have are either too big for lunchboxes or they leak when they are placed on their sides.
Ah, I’m on the lookout for water bottles for lunches, too. Right now my kids bring their big water bottles (for their desks at school) and so they don’t bring one in their lunch.
Just a quick tip on water bottles. I found Sistema 11 oz bottles for around $4 at Target and Old Navy, of all places. They are easy for my kids to use, fit in their lunch boxes and don’t leak. You can find them on Amazon too.
I love that picture. I remember when you posted it the first time – it just captures so perfectly what being a mom can feel like a lot of the time. I love my crazies, but they are just that – crazy! I so appreciate all your recipes and tips. I’m impressed by your early morning routine. I know I’d probably get more done during my day if I could be a morning person, but I am such a night owl (as I sit typing this at 12:57AM… yikes). My kids starting school this week has made me realize that my night routine is just not sustainable when I’ve got to be awake enough in the morning to get kids out of bed while it’s still dark… so thanks for the inspiration!
I totally get it, Nicki! I am such a night owl. But I knew something needed to change. I’ve been surprised at how much I get done waking up early. But I’m not going to lie, it’s been a rough transition because the afternoon hours are painful (and I’m still not quite getting in bed as early as I should).
After looking at all the yummy recipes on the 30-day meal plan, I wondered….”how does she get her kids to eat tuna pasta with asparagus or chicken curry in a hurry?”
My kiddos are so picky!
#iwish
Haha. Trust me, there’s gagging sometimes at dinner…but my kids are pretty dang used to me throwing out lots of new meals. And our family motto at dinner is “you don’t have to like it, you just have to eat it.” 🙂
To that end, Mel, I have a sign in my kitchen that reads:
Dinner Choices
1. Take it.
2. Leave it.
This just makes complete sense to me.
Um… So which laminator do you have? (Asks the OCD organizational part of my brain very impatiently…)
Mine is so old, it’s no longer available anywhere. Yikes! But it’s a scotch laminator – super cheap-o and it’s been going strong for probably close to 8 years!
Hi Mel!
I am subscribed to your newsletters but I’ve never seen the weekly meal plans? I always access it through my phone so maybe I’m missing it somehow? Is there a certain day of the week they come out? Are they available on your website?
You are amazing. Thanks for all you do !!
Hey Mari – they don’t come out every single week – I’ve sent out three in the last couple of months and right now don’t have a rhyme or reason to when I put a menu plan in there. They aren’t available on the website because I like to give them as a little “gift” to those who are subscribed to the newsletters. If you missed the ones that were sent out, I can resend those newsletters to you.
Thanks so much. I will go through the emails again more carefully. You’re the best.
Thank you so much for this wonderful post! You are the only blog I follow. You love us, you keep it real, you are honest, you are a good friend sharing/helping us to improve at home, not only in our cooking abilities but as mothers/wives/friends. Thanks!
Keep up the workout! It’s amazing how it helps us physically and emotionally! I just added spinning to my routine, so far so good 🙂
One thing that I think it’s a life saver, it’s making double dinner and having a leftover night or freeze it for another day!
Love you Mel!
Thank you so much, Jocy! Way to go on the spinning! I’ve heard that is no joke. And the idea of cooking once/eating twice is brilliant!
You really are my hero Mel! This is an awesome post and I thank you for sharing all of your tricks of the trade. With 6 kids at home myself, I’m sure to put a few of these to good use not only this year but in years to come. You are a gem!
You are amazing, Clarissa!
Such a lovely post. Thank you for sharing all of it!
Thanks, Angela!
This post is amazing. YOU are amazing. I have been a big fan for years! I love you and I haven’t even met you. What I love most is that I came to search “brownie” on your site today to find an amazing recipe and not just a few items popped up but…>>>>41!<<<< 41 brownie options. So awesome. Thank you!
Haha, seriously 41? I think I have issues!
I love this post so much! I don’t have kids, but my husband and I are both in grad school, so this time of year is still crazy for us, and your recipes are always so helpful!
Good luck to the both of you!
Mel you are so wonderful! I only have one (responsible capable) kid and I totally feel the vibe in the black and white photo. That shot alone has helped me and made me laugh and take a good ole’ deep breath. Thanks, Mel! You are cherished.
It’s so awesome that I’m not the only mom feeling this way! 🙂
As always your comments and blog are true, raw, filled with great nuggets and touching. This is why you are my favorite blogger and where I go to rock being a mom who loves her kids and hubby with healthy yummy meals. Your blog really sets itself apart in the most beautiful way. Thank you for the gift you give your readers every week.
What a heartfelt comment! Gave me goosebumps, seriously. Thank you for your kindness!
Wonderful post as usual! Thank you for including the link to the menu planning section. May I ask you a question? When I try to find the menu planning section on your website, using my phone, I never seem to be able to find it. What section is it listed under?
That’s not your fault, Amy! AFter the blog redesign in May, I haven’t found a great spot to put the Menu section, but I’ll add it right now under the More section in the main navigation menu.
Mel,
Thank you for your help! You are so very generous to share your time, gifts and talents with us! I appreciate that you don’t charge money for your meal plans. We are so blessed that you choose to share all of your hard, diligent work and yummy recipes with us.
I only had one child for 7 years then fast forward five more years and we have 4! It is definitely challenging to find time to do things one on one when they all seem to need attention at once. I think your “extra” time is a great way to have that one on one time. We do dates with the kids once every couple of months. First they each choose something to do with dad, then with mom.
I have a strong aversion to gyms for many reasons that I won’t go into. This year while I was seriously trying to lose the baby weight I found a great resource that I can use at home. I do workout videos on youtube and my favorite personal trainer is Lucy Wyndham-Read. She has hundreds of videos and I especially LOVE the 4 minute HIIT videos. I have gotten in better shape by doing those than I ever did doing aerobic workouts for 30-45 minutes. I can run up two flights of stairs without getting huffy, I can cart around my kids for long stretches of time, and overall my energy is better. I finally figured out that I DO have to challenge myself (yes that means getting out of breath, sweating, raising my heart rate) to get fit. Since the workouts are only 4 minutes it isn’t so bad and so far I haven’t found any excuse for not doing something for 4 minutes that gives me SOOOOO many benefits. Life. Changing.
Thanks once again for sharing the knowledge/wisdom that you have gleaned from all your experiences. I’m branching out this year too and trying to let my oldest be more responsible with packing her lunches. It is still a work in progress, but that’s ok.
Such great advice about exercise, Bridget! I agree that challenging yourself is key to getting in better shape.
Mel!!! I love this and I love you!!! And I love Shaun T, too!!! Just got T25 and Asylum but haven’t started them yet- I LOVE Insanity and Insanity Max:30. Way to get up and get going!! My day starts at 4:45 (I don’t have travel time like you do, so I get to sleep in ). It can be killer, but it’s the best! Thanks so much for inspiring me- AGAIN!!!! And helping me know that I can keep going, too. (Asylum’s diet tips have helped me lose baby weight I thought was never coming off… let me know if you want more info!) You’ve got this, girl! 39 going on 20!!
That’s my problem – I like to eat all the food! I’ve decided I’m fine with a bit of extra “fluffiness” as long as I’m working out hard and enjoying life. 🙂 Those workouts are killer but I love T25.
Love the “extras” idea.
Crossfit–I love Crossfit and agree that some mornings are rough but it is so worth it to get up and go! Before you know it, you will be doing pull-ups! It took me awhile to do those and it took time for me to build up courage to do a box jump without thinking my shins would be all bloody. Now on to working with strength with other things; I don’t think I will ever lift heavy but I am getting stronger. Good luck!
Oh my gosh, I don’t know about pullups! Such a huge goal for me, but I’m pretty wimpy right now. I did my 1st box jump the other day. Thought I was going to die but survived. I saw the most hilarious meme with a crossfit box that had the dialogue “I eat shins for breakfast.” Haha.
What really helped me get my pull-ups is tying one of those big elastics to the top of the bar, and with my hands on the bar, putting my knee in the band/elastic and letting it help me pull myself up. Gradually I got a band with less “elastic” and got the pull-ups. Not sure if your trainer would let you do it that way but that is what really helped me….that and doing them every. single. time. I went into the gym (after the workout). I still do them every time I go in because I don’t want to lose what I have. Good luck! Persistence pays off!
I was, well still am, a single mom but when my girls were young, we used to all pile on my bed a little before bed time and just TALK. We talked about anything that came up. I don’t know if they remember that time, but I sure do. There’s nothing like getting a window into your kid’s world!
I love this, Becky!
Exercise does make all the difference. Said as I lay on the couch ready to take a 10 minute snooze before kid pick up. How will I ever get up for seminary?! We also walk home and to school so we can have some good nature/walking/chatting time. And I try to just play and hang out with them after school and after chores instead of doing other stuff. And they have minimal chores the first few weeks of school bc they are just done after school! And we make cookies a little more lol. I loved all your ideas. Esp the school lunch list. Genius!! And since we’re such buddies I had to buy my scout two buttermilk cartons so he could make a project so now we’ll have everything buttermilk on your site. Those biscuits look awesome!
Haha, nothing wrong with a little catnap, Heather!
I can’t believe how your kids are growing! When mine were from two to ten, I told myself almost daily that these were the best times and years of my life. Now I’m older and the kids are grown and on their own, but I am so thankful that I recognized and appreciated that those earlier years were the best. Not that life isn’t a blessing now, but the years when your children are young are so special. Enjoy them!
Such a good reminder, Teresa! I feel like I’m in the golden years right now. Not wiping any bottoms, but don’t have the independent teenagers quite yet, either. I love this stage.
Mel,
I love this post! It is so helpful. We have 10 year old twin boys who are busy in sports and other activities. One thing we are doing this year to try to help them be independent and allow us to stop constantly nagging, is using a large chalkboard on our kitchen wall with the weekly schedule. (my husband built it very inexpensively). Every Sunday I fill it out with the activities, but instead of putting the time the activity starts, I put the time they need to be in the car. So I don’t have to keep nagging them to get ready for soccer and get in the car. They can see what time they have to be ready. We are now working on learning how much time they need to plan to get themselves ready (i.e. it takes longer than 3 minutes to get ready for soccer!). So far this seems to be helping!
Such a great idea to prep them for when they need to be in the car, Sarah!
4:30 am?? I’m so impressed! But I’m finding that I need to do something similar. I have such better days when I get up a while before my kids but it’s tough, especially since I’m a natural night owl and they wake up so dang early!
I realized I needed to actually pay for something right now to make me accountable and since the 5 a.m class is the only one that works for our family’s schedule, I’ve had to power through! I’m a night owl, too, so most days, I’m kind of dying from the early wake up call.
Love the idea of doing ‘extras’ at night. We try for kid dates, but they hardly ever happen since it’s a couple of hours outside the house. One thing we do that helps me feel less ‘mom guilt’ is to do a little spiritual thought with my kids while they’re eating breakfast. I just take 2-3 minutes and talk about courage or self-control or some other character trait. We either read a scripture about it or just talk about how they can have more courage or what it means. I’ve been surprised how much they get out of just a little thought every day.
Love that idea at breakfast, Marcie!
Awesome post. I love your meal plans. Great spring board to get into the routine of meal planning. 😀 I don’t have any kiddos. But I do have a hubby and he brown bags the leftovers every day. It made me giggle snort out loud when you said the kids were required to wash their lunch containers out after school. lol I don’t know why. But perhaps it hearkened back to the early years in my marriage where all my containers would disappear except for those rogue lids, and then my husband would slowly drag them in one by one into the house after weeks of sitting in the back of his car. Yeah- um. I don’t need to tell you how that is an assault on the olfactory. Fast forward to now- and he is required by spousal mandate to rinse said lunch dishes. LOL!
Talk about laughing out loud! Totally did when I read of the rogue lids. That’s so my husband. Maybe I should enforce the same washing rule for him!
Love the “extras” idea! We do a “special day” (we’re also great at super creative names, thank you) with mom or dad, but always going and doing something out of the house…which means it doesn’t happen as often as it should in our busy lives. What a great idea to do it at home! Thank you.
Love the special day idea, too!
Thank you for this awesome post! I love the “extras” time with your kids. What lucky kids to have such good parents! I totally want to create the same tradition with my kids now.
Thanks, Trish – it’s been a really great thing for the kids and for us…and hopefully makes up for all the time I lose my patience during the day!
Oh Mel !! I love this post so much!! You always speak my language. So I had to hurry and tell you so before I do my am Kindergarten pick -up in 15 mins. I, like you, have been sneaking in my computer time while my little guy is at am Kindergarten. Thanks for these totally family friendly … turning kids into amazing human beings ideas. There are so many blogs and IG accounts giving lots of ideas, but I always come back to you, where everything is “do-able” and “real” and where I know family is always first!! Thanks for the great menu plans and shopping list and for helping me to keep it all together with things that actually make me feel good…. not guilty for what I’m not able to do!! Love you Mel !!
Thanks, Helen! I love to learn from all of you, too!