Back to Reality

As I said before, summer is my favorite season as we have less work, more play, and lots and lots of homegrown tomatoes! Unfortunately, summer is coming to an end, and we are getting back into our routine. That means packing lunches, synchronizing schedules, earlier bed and wake up times, less time, and more work.

But back-to-school (since hubby and I both work in education, it’s literally back-to-school for all of us) is also an exciting time, and I actually love the promise, excitement, and possibilities of a new academic year. And to make it as stress-free as possible, I have found that a little planning and preparing go a long way. So here is what I have done so far to plan for back-to-school:

• Got new calendars and synchronized everyone’s schedule (a big, easy-to-read master calendar is a must for us)
• Planned weekly meals on white board (I will get back to posting our weekly meals next week)
• Organized closets and work space (we live in a small house, and I do most of my work from home so being organized is essential)
• Made a list of “interesting lunches” – I consulted my lunch box basics post

I recently received a Back-To-School kit as part of the DailyBuzz Moms Tastemaker program in partnership with Clorox. There was a Brita portable water bottle, disinfectant wipes, and Glad food storage containers.



When I saw the Clorox Disinfectant Wipes, I was right away transported back a year when I dropped the teenager off in his college dorm room. One of the items I left with him were exactly these wipes. And after a few months he asked for more. I was impressed and thought to myself, “Wow. He really likes to keep things clean.” Only when he moved out of the dorms ten months later did I realize that the wipes were the only cleaning supplies he had ever touched, as everything else was still in its original packaging, never touched. I’m really glad he had the wipes as I’m not sure if he had ever cleaned anything otherwise… Scary. I know.

I’m really excited to try the Brita water bottle. It’s going to be quite convenient to be able to filter water anywhere.

I also love the storage containers. They are BPA free and microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe. And they come with dressing/condiment cups that snap into the lid. I can’t wait to pack hubby interesting lunches in them. In addition to a green salad with dressing, I think they would be perfect for the following:

• Pasta/veggie salad with peanut dressing
• Fried rice with gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) or any other hot sauce
• Veggies and hummus
• Veggies and guacamole
• Pita chips and dip
• Roasted veggies and ketchup
• Fruits and yogurt
• Yogurt and granola
• The list is really endless…

Questions: What’s your favorite season? Are you sad that summer is coming to an end? If you, or anyone in your household, are going back to school, what are some of your tips to make it go smoothly? What’s your favorite packed lunch?

Be well,
Andrea