School Days

i’m still trying to live in denial that summer is actually over. this time around means big changes for our fam as both crazies are now in full time school. can it really be true???

is it just me, or do school supplies excite you too?

is it weird that i was actually looking forward to whippin’ out the ol’ label maker? i just might be a tad bit OCD…just a smidge, though:

i am simplifying lunch packing this year, so i bought some things to help me:

i plan to use the Thermos for soup and oatmeal. i love using these Reuseable Juice Box Containers. they save us so much money from not having to buy juice boxes all the time, and i can fill them with whatever i want. the Ziploc Divided Containers are AWESOME! they come in packs of 2, so i bought 3 packs. i do not plan to put them through the dishwasher, and i hope they last a long time. they actually seem really well made, and i love that each individual compartment is totally leak proof.

this is what lunch and snacks looked like for the first day of school:
(Canaan eats alot these days!)
cream cheese sandwich (the Boy’s fave), applesauce, sliced raw bell peppers, fruit leather, dehydrated apples, and grapes.

i’ll be coming back around soon with the recipe for these homemade fruit leathers, as well as the dehydrated honey cinnamon apples.

the new kicks:
Kid’s TOMS Glitter Pink Shoes
Kid’s TOMS Grey Ash Shoes

we are typically Converse kind of peeps, but the kiddos aunt (AKA their personal stylist) surprised them with Toms for the new school year. they both say its like wearing slippers, and i think they look just down right adorable!

i like to see inside people’s fridges (weird, i know), so in case you are like me, here’s a peek into our’s after back to school shopping was complete:

the contents are actually kind of boring

i bought these awesome Silicone Popsicle Molds on Amazon, and filled them up with our favorite green smoothie recipe.

it really helped this process to use these Funnels that i had on hand.

(i broke my “new” Cuisinart blender in the process (new to me), and the thought of it makes me want to cry. if you are my friend and have been around me in the last week, then you’ve most likely heard me talk about my new blender. the fact that its broken just amplifies the fact that my blender situation has always been a huge thorn in my side. Blendtec Blenders and Vitamixes regularly dance around and taunt me in my dreams! someday…)

i store the molds upright in the freezer, and throw them in the lunchboxes in the morning. by lunchtime, it was perfectly defrosted but still cold, giving the Crazies a little punch of vitamins and nutrients, and servings of fruits and veggies smack dab in the middle of the school day.

our first day of school started with Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Pancakes, courtesy of the Hubs…the Ultimate Pancake Maker. (recipe here. we just add walnuts to the batter and cook in coconut oil.)

have you ever read The Kissing Hand? you can read more about it here. its become our tradition to have hearts on our hands for the first day of school. Canaan isn’t as jazzed about the idea of a big red heart on his hand now that he’s in 3rd grade, but he was okay with it as long as i didn’t color it all the way in. good compromise!

Friday is Bella’s actual first day of school, but she had to go first thing this morning for some testing in her classroom, so we treated it as her first day. she led the way to her classroom, and this next picture is blurry because she literally ran to her classroom in excitement.

big kid:

it helps this momma’s heart a whole whole whole lot that her teacher is a dear friend (really more like family than just a friend) and that she is also a sister in Christ. i can’t believe that my Bug gets to spend everyday with her!! we are beyond blessed:

and if you come back soon, i’ll give you the recipe for this after school treat that we had this afternoon to celebrate the First Day of School!

what’s your favorite back to school tradition??

ps: i know some of you have mentioned that you are having a hard time reading my blog on the burlap background. i am currently working on figuring out how to go about revamping this blog. so just know that i hear you and hope to have some changes coming soon! (and if any of you have suggestions on how to do that while not spending loads of money, please let me know! i’m clueless!)