Sending Love in a Lunch Bag!

It just feels like I don't get enough time or energy to really tell my kids all the important stuff. We try and there are certain rituals we have that help the family connect as often as possible. One ritual that I have always cherished is sending a little extra love in a child's lunch box!

My mom used to tape stickers to my sandwich or thermos with little notes of encouragement or just love! I have continued that ritual with my kids. I am always looking for cute and unique ways to send a note. Here are a few tricks and products I have found to help me with my mommy job.

• I like to send notes I keep small note cards and thin line sharpies in the kitchen by the lunch supplies so I can quickly jot down a note. I have found awesome small note cards at Michael's in the $1 bins! Some even in the shape of crayons or with the kids individual initials on them!
• During one trip to Michael's I discovered Lunch Box Love cards by Say Please. These little notes have positive messages like "I love spending time with you!" on one side and fun facts like "Your heart beats about 101,000 times a day!" on the other side! With my Sharpie I add "To my sweetie" and "Love, Mommy!" or a little reminder about talent show practice.
• A big favorite has been Lunchology Lunch Bags. Personally I used to groan when my mom sent me with a brown paper bag, especially when I wanted the oh-so-cool Princess Leia Lunch box! But these solve the brown bag boredom in a cool way. Each bag is full of puzzles, fun facts or positive messages. The kids have definitely expressed their love for the bags on rainy and cold days when the school keeps them inside for recess. The puzzles or coloring pictures give them something different to do and are popular with their friends.
• Of course a big way to show love for my kiddos is to make food they want and will eat, not to mention is healthy and helps them keep up their energy throughout the school day. My daughter loves hard boiled eggs (sometimes I draw hearts or faces on the shell) and my son prefers things he can assemble instead of sandwiches. Paying attention to what healthy foods they like and will eat helps them have a positive day at school.

None of these little tricks and treats are hard or take alot of time or effort, trust me I would never put in too much time or effort! But they work well for this family. A honest disclaimer here, too: I do have my kids buy the school lunches at least once a week. The food has gotten alot better!