Off to school we go. Sending my first off to school I wanted to make sure that I selected the best pieces to make his school experience easier, fun, and functional. I did tons of research and read pretty much every review, within reason, to make sure I made the right choice.
The first on my list was backpacks. I need to start out by saying my son is not going to public school so strict rules were in place for the look of all items. We are not allowed to have pop culture character items, which usually would’ve been my sons first choice.
My son is going into kindergarten, so carrying a backpack made for a middle or high school aged kid, is too much. Most backpacks are huge and bulky. The Jansport and Vaschy were the two I found to be best fit. They both make smaller backpacks for the elementary aged kids and larger backpacks for all others. There’s pockets in front, sides, and inside. They both also have great prints to choose from whether they go to public or private school. The Vaschy was the one we ultimately picked because of the durability reviews and the front clips in the event he brings home a heavy bag.
Lunch was next on the list. I needed to find a lunch box that would keep items cold, good size, and again functional. I went back and forth between two: The Garnet Hill Lunch box and the PackIt Lunch box. We ultimately chose the PackIt because the entire lunch box folds up nicely to fit in the freezer because it is lined with ice packs. Liam said his food always stayed cold and when he came home at noon the lunch box was still ice cold. The only downside I have with it that the Garnet would’ve been better for is being a horizontal lunch box vs. the PackIt’s vertical frame. If I use a larger Tupperware that I need to stay flat, it’s pretty much impossible, however that is rare that I will need to use something that large.
For packing his lunch I had previously tried bento boxes. They’re great because food doesn’t touch, but they leak! There’s no way around it. They barely leak out of the container, the problem is they leak within. I sent salad with my husband in one with fruit in one compartment and dressing in the other. The dressing ultimately leaked into the fruit and salad compartments. Having this knowledge I decided to go with the SunCraft stainless steel containers. They’re easy for him to open with a fun pop top lid and a few different sizes so I can choose accordingly. The pack also contains a nice spoon and fork set in a pouch you can pack and not have to continue to supply disposable ones.
I’ve said it before, my son is super picky. He won’t eat meat sandwiches which to me is super weird. I have to be creative to ensure he’s not eating PBJs every day. I had a Thermos brand container for hot food but testing it out at home, it didn’t really keep the food warm. After reading review after review and searching the “best of” lunch items from 2016 and 2017 I came across the Home Puff. I tested it out with mac n’ cheese and spaghetti with success. I even tried some of the left over mac n’ cheese, because it’s huge, when he got home and it was still warm. To ensure warm food you must follow these steps:
- boil water in a pot or tea kettle. I do this while I’m boiling the water for mac n’ cheese or preparing the sides/snacks.
- once you’ve reached a boil pour to the top of the thermos and place the lid on it.
- Let sit for minimum of 5 minutes to get thermos nice and hot.
- dump out water; I don’t dry it because I like to keep some moisture as the mac n’ cheese or pasta will slowly dry out as it goes from steaming to warm.
- Place food inside and close the lid tight.
The last item on my list was a water bottle. Since we live in Arizona water is very important. We want to make sure our kids are staying hydrated while preventing spills. My son, like me, doesn’t like lukewarm water so I know a non-insulated cup is out. It will literally be warm within an hour, not to mention the sweat it will create on his desk and bag. I decided to go with the Hydroflask because I honestly feel it’s the best. The tall skinny version fits perfectly in the side of his backpack, it keeps water cold up to 24 hours, doesn’t sweat or leak, and has a straw top to prevent spills. They now have rubber bottoms you can add for $5 which I highly recommend with children. You can drop them from the top of the stairs, which has happened in our house, and it won’t dent the bottle or break the tile. I went with a basic color and added his name to the side, but all the color choices lets your little one be creative and unique.
Check out my post on lunch ideas for your littles using this items here.
I hope I was able to help you get a little more prepared for your up coming school year!
Love,
Jackie
