(not just) another lunch

I consider myself a fairly creative mom. When the kids were little we had fun, themed birthday parties, all with homemade decor and games. (This was pre-blog world, when you had to come up with ideas on your own!). I made fun lunches, cut into shapes, nutritionally balanced and fun to eat.

Then I went back to work, the kids got older and I came to rely on Lunchables, turkey sandwiches, carrot sticks, Capri Suns and granola bars. With the rare exception of an occasional school lunch (tacos for Claire and chicken spaghetti for Nolan), they bring their lunch to school. Kelly and I found ourselves fighting over lunch-making duties, though I've taken over that task this year. We didn't even have to come up with a contract like this one (hilarious - especially if you have non-school lunch eating kiddos!).

I had been feeling pretty good about myself... getting up a little earlier, making lunches, even if it is a Lunchable (especially those new ones with the drink, snack and EVERYTHING). That is, until I found Another Lunch.

Cute as a button Melissa (well, her avatar is anyway) makes these amazing lunches for her family everyday.

She fills bento boxes (I had to look it up - it's a shorter way to say expensive, earth-friendly, compartmentalized lunch boxes, that don't require baggies, etc) with awesome lunches for her kids and husband.

While I may never have the time, energy or interest to cut bunny shapes out of cheese (which is adorable, I say) she definitely inspires me to make a real sandwich and find something a little more original than the ol' granola bar (she makes hers from scratch!). Hmm... writing a note gives me mom points, right? Yeah, I need to do that.