Get Your Kids Involved in Lunch-Making with Sweet Tweets

When I first started making my daughter lunch for camp when she was 4, I started putting notes in her lunch.  I did it partly because she was starting to spend more time away from me and I wanted her to have a part of me with her.  I also wrote notes in her lunchbox because that’s just the way I am – I’m sentimental and a letter writer.  I would slip in notes like: “You are my sunshine.  Love, Mommy” or “You are the love of my life.  Yours, Mommy.”  They always included drawings to illustrate the words. After all, she couldn’t read.  I used cute paper or whatever I had around.  My daughter actually commented on my notes on occasion, especially on the days that I didn’t include them when she noticed their absence.  As the years have passed, and I’ve started to make more than one lunch in the morning after having another child, the notes have ceased.  But I have been planning to bring them back into the picture.  It’s such a lovely and direct way to let your child know how you feel about them.

So, I was excited to get the invite to a Sweet Tweets event led by my good friend, Beth Feldman of Rolemommy.com.  The folks at Bazooka created this new product and it’s a fun way to stay in touch with your kids.  Sweet Tweets are note cards printed with a cute emoticon attached, and a sweet by Bazooka is included.  There’s room to write a short, handwritten note, making it the perfect sweet treat for a child.  I’m not sure why it’s called a Sweet Tweet, but it could easily be because there is literally enough room to write in 140 characters or less on the note card.  Great in a lunchbox, locker or overnight bag, you can find Sweet Tweets at www.sweettweetnotes.com for 99 cents each.  They are simply adorable and I can’t wait to start using them in my kid’s lunches.  What better way to let your child know how you feel about them?

You might be asking yourself, what is this mom talking about? Putting candy in her kid’s lunches?  Well, each piece of candy has only a few calories each and 0% fat.   I would feel no guilt whatsoever slipping this into my children’s lunch, quite the contrary. Each package includes four fruity flavors: blue raspberry, watermelon, lemonade and strawberry, as well as 10 notes.

In addition to getting to know about this fabulous product and the people behind it, we had the pleasure to take a cooking class at a wonderful kitchen for kids in Manhattan called Taste Buds. We joined some of my favorite NYC bloggers and their kids and made lunch for our kids.  We were given our very own bento lunchboxes which our kids then filled with yummy vegies and various fruits on sticks like kebabs.  Then our kids rolled up sandwiches and they added chopsticks for the final effect.  It was laughable to see my kids, ages 6 and 8, balking at some of the food – they’re fusspots!  But they enjoyed noshing on the food and made lovely lunches, using food of all colors to make it very much like a rainbow.  My kids especially loved using letter shaped cookie cutters, and making the letters of their names out of cheese, which they placed on top of their food.  I have to invest in those cookie cutters as I think it will inspire them to take charge of their own lunches.  It’s truly my dream to wake up one morning and find my kids making their own lunches by themselves, and perhaps that day is soon to come!  Bento boxes are a great, creative way to get your kids involved in lunch-making, and it was eye-opening (and a blessing) to see and watch my children make their own lunch.  I learned a few basics about making bento boxes for your kids that you’ll find useful so I want to share:

1. Balance is key. Use the ratio 1: 1: 2 (carb: protein: vegies).
2. Keep it simple. Three, four items tops! Don’t wear yourself out trying to be creative.
3. Fun & colorful….but don’t fuss too much! Limit the time on a Bento box to 10 minutes each morning.
4. Safety: Traditionally, only food able to be served at room temperature is used. If something might spoil, be sure to pack the box with an ice pack.
5. Stock up: Make a large batch of rice and freeze in small balls. Next time you make meatloaf, free some mini-patties. Stock your pantry with Bento staples: frozen edamame & berries, fresh ginger, etc.
6. Keep costs low: Use vegies and fruit that are in season, and leftovers from the night before.
(Bento Basics provided by the folks at Taste Buds.  You should check out their schedule of classes.)

Check out some photos from the event:

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but I did receive complimentary products and services to review.