Why I started selling Jamberry Nail Wraps

So, I got invited to a FB Jamberry party. Usually I roll my eyes at these things because I am just not that into those types of parties and I hardly ever actually use any of the things that people are selling. I usually participate and try to by at least something if it applies to me, but for the most part - I try to steer clear if I can.

BUT! One of my resolutions this year was to be less frumpy. So I have been painting my nails consistently since January and trying very hard to get into nail art because I find it fun. I have used the Sally Hansen Nail Strips before. (admittedly, I wait until they go on sale cause I'm cheap) I like them for their WOW factor because I could NEVER get any of the designs they make on my nails with regular polish. They can be fairly simple to apply if they are fresh, but they reek of nail polish (because they are real nail polish) and there is a lot of waste in the packaging. Also, the first package I bought was dried out before I even opened it (which I didn't realize until round 2) which made them VERY HARD to apply and which meant that they started chipping and peeling away immediately.

When they chip or peel, my nails were chipping and peeling with them. Also, once one started to peel, the preschooler in me took over and I would peel the rest off which damaged my nails tremendously.

So, I stuck to polish for the most part, and added the nail strips occasionally. One thing I hated about the nail strips is that once you open the package, you have to use them immediately or they are no good. Even if you store them in a ziplock baggie (I thought I had outsmarted them and did one accent nail out of a whole package, came back a week later to use the rest and they were un-usable just like the package said)

So, I had been staying away from them. But, then I got invited to this FB Jamberry party - and I went to browse the site and FELL IN LOVE.

Here is what got my attention! This design got me.

• They are made of Nylon, not polish so they won't damage your nails and you can take them off using warm water and coconut oil - so no acetone or polish ever has to touch your hands 
• Since they are not made of polish, there is no "drying out" or becoming unusable - so one sheet will last you until you choose to use them all
• They come in AMAZING designs and colors - including specialty ones like Autism Awareness, Hobbies like Running and there are dots and chevrons galore!
• They don't chip or peel (as long as you put them on right - which is SUPER SIMPLE) and they last up to 2 weeks on your nails and up to 6 weeks on toes
• They make Mommy and Me versions for kids as little as 3. Mommy and me, I mean come on!
• You can make your own designs as long as you follow the copyright laws and can use images and logos and have them printed onto your nail
• Did I mention the designs? I started to look at them and they have a buy 3 get one free deal - so of course I was going to order 4 - but then I had a hard time narrowing it down to just 4 - cause I wanted to many of them.I will admit that some of the designs that I thought I didn't care for, I have started to LOVE when seeing them on real hands. Something about seeing it on a website - just doesn't do it justice. The one below, I didn't care for at first - but after watching lots of people order it and lots of people posting pictures online of it - it's quickly becoming one of my new favorites.
  
  
• So, I decided to join and sell them because I think other people would love them too and it would be a fun way to be social, get my mani fixes and share them with others. because seriously, they are amazing!

So, now the waiting begins as I anxiously await the arrival of my consultant kit. I hope to plan a mommy night with my local friends where I can show them just how easy it is to put them on and to see if anyone else will share in my new obsession. We can skip the nail salon, open a bottle of wine  or grab a coffee and have a mani night instead:)

Do me a favor and check out some of the designs through my site and tell me what are the ones that catch your eye the most. I want to order some inventory to have on hand and I figure it would be helpful to see which ones others would be interested in aside from my own personal tastes.

If you have any interest at all, please contact me as I'd be happy to answer ANY questions you have.
http://anniemetcalfe.jamberrynails.net/

Thanks in advance for your interest.

~Annie~

Bucket List - Flash Mob

So, I found Flash Mob of America on meetup.com and had been trolling the site for awhile waiting for a flash mob that I could actually attend to pop up. Some of the ones in NYC have a 2 day set up. You rehearse one day and then come back for the actual flash mob performance.

With the kids, I found that to be too much time on a weekend to dedicate - so hadn't had the chance to actually do one. But then one popped up in Newark which is 10 minutes for me and I thought JACKPOT!

So, I signed up.  The way it works, is you register on the website and then they send you an email when it gets closer to the date of the event that includes a link to a secret video on You Tube with the choreography in it. Usually there are 2 videos, one that shows the whole dance and one that shows it broken down for learning.

Your responsibility is to watch the video and learn the choreography. This particular one was very basic and easy so it was just as easy as going to a Zumba class. Nothing fancy to do - no dance training needed:)

Then you are given a rehearsal location to go to. Our rehearsal was for 3 hours on Sunday morning and towards the middle is when they told us where the flashmob was going to be. It was at the New Jersey Devils Fan Fest event at the Prudential Center. The couple are huge Devils fans and the guy wanted to propose there. The inside joke between them was that the song (Rock your body) and part of the choreography was something the bride to be had walked in on her boyfriend dancing to when he thought no one was watching - so she apparently makes fun of him all the time about it. So, we were under the impression that she would:
 1) recognize the song
 2) recognize the dance move
3) totally freak out and be excited and jump for joy

Here's what actually happened.
1) we started dancing
2) it became TOTALLY obvious that we were dancing FOR them as they were the only ones in front of us
3) she made NO INDICATION whatsoever that she either recognized the song, or the dance
4) She did the total opposite of freak out excitedly and jump for joy
5) I'm talking total Stone face - kind of like resting bitchy face - only angrier.

I'm dead serious.

So, while we are dancing - all of us are kind of like.. uh oh - she doesn't realize, oh she hasn't figured it out yet, oh wait, I think she knows - uh oh she looks pissed..

SO, we finish and are just standing there waiting - the boyfriend is clapping - we're looking at him - FINALLY - after what felt like 10 minutes (ok it was probably like 10 seconds) He turns her around to face him and starts talking - gets down on one knee - she nods her head - then he shows her the ring and their family starts screaming and clapping and hugging.

It looked like she said yes. She did kiss him- but all in all, it was AWKWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall, it was fun. Not as mind blowing as I had envisioned because the crowd was kind of small and our group was around 30 people so the overall effect was not overwhelming. But, the people were AMAZING. The rehearsal was fun and I'd probably do it again if one came around that I could actually attend. 

I can't help but obsess about the girls reaction though. I mean - he took the time to put lots of effort, detail and MONEY into this. (he had to pay FMA And there was a video crew and photographers there too that he paid for) So, did he really just not know her well enough to figure out that it was the exact opposite of what she wanted? (like the guys who propose on the kiss cam at sports games and the girlfriends are totally disappointed?)

But, if you love him - wouldn't you fake it and pretend to be happy and then pout later in private? Or is that worse because then you are not being honest and genuine?   If he was totally off, and thought she would love it - how did that happen?


My lessons learned are the following:
1) it's a real rehearsal - you will get sweaty, and you should dress appropriately
2) wedge shoes are NOT acceptable (my ankles still hurt and it was 2 days ago)
2) having your family come to see you makes it that much more fun!

If you're thinking of doing one and the opportunity arises - DO IT. It's fun. The people are social and the dances are easy and it's very exciting being a part of something like that.

My favorite part is the staging - once you learn the dance - the producer assigns when you will start dancing. I was brought in very early on just because of where I had been standing during rehearsal - but I kind of wish I had lingered and started later because I love the effect of thinking you are standing next to someone who is just as surprised and confused as you are watching this group of people dancing and then they start dancing too. Most of the people in this group were eager to start early so almost everyone jumped in by the second chorus - but I think the build of people slowly joining in makes it more fun.


Bucket list item - CHECK:)

Happy Wife Happy Life

I can't stop thinking about a phrase I hear ALL THE TIME. Happy Wife = Happy Life - this is usually directed at a husband and it's intended message is that he should do everything he can to make his wife happy so that his life will be happy too.

I call bullshit.

Here's why. Everyone loves being taken care of once in a while. Everyone likes nice gestures and being spoiled and getting their way. (Me too, although I try to reciprocate once in awhile)

But, sometimes we are wrong and we shouldn't be given our way in an attempt to "make us happy" because it's easier or because that's just how it should be.

If I'm wrong - tell me I'm wrong and set me straight. It might not be easy - I'll probably be a bitch about it  -  but I need it so that I can grow as a human being. (And god knows, my bitchiness needs to be curbed sometimes)

Same thing for this idea that our husbands have to shower us with things all the time. If you want flowers - buy yourself some damn flowers - why is that wrong? I thought of this as I saw one of those Humans of NY pictures and a guy was holding flowers and the interviewer asked him who they were for and he said "they are for me - I like pretty things." I thought - holy crap - rock on guy - way to not have to wait for someone else to put a smile on your face.


All of these thoughts and feelings have led me to my next goal to add on to my current ones. To make myself happy. To be responsible to me.

Why do we have this idea that someone else has to make us happy? Someone else has to "do" for us?  I'm making myself happy and I want my daughter to grow up and to be able to do the same. Don't get me wrong - I hope she finds her knight in shining armor, (or in my case - my Maine resident with an ugly green hat and a bass guitar) but until she does and even once she has found him, I want her to be able to make herself happy. I want her to be interested in things. I want her to read books for pleasure. I want her to exercise because it makes her feel good - not because she thinks she has to or even worse, because she thinks she has to so that a boy will like her.  If she is able to do these things, she will be able to bring more to the table to any relationship she is in. She will be content - maybe not all the time, but most of the time, because she will accept no less for herself and she will not wait for, or expect someone else to do it for her.

What things do you do to make yourself happy?

The Fog has lifted

Man, do I feel good. I mean, seriously - I'm starting to feel human again. And like a person other than "just" their mom. I am getting back into my hobbies and am the healthiest I have ever been thanks to eating better and consistently working out.

Things are just going very well. The fog of drowning under 2 little kids demands all the time has lifted and I can breathe again. Some people never experience that fog - congratulations - I, however felt like I was walking in quicksand almost all the time.

Part of it was the addition of my immune system decided to almost shut down with an undiagnosed thyroid problem which took a FULL year of meds to start to regulate. Part of it was having 2 little munchkins who interrupt every thought, conversation  and minute of your day. Part of it was making the switch from full time stay at home mom, to full time working mom.

But, I can say this - I am back and better than ever.

I have found a way to balance the working mom thing. I don't think I'd be this happy if I worked in an office 5 days a week - working from home allows me the opportunity to capitalize on every single spare second I have to get stuff done around the house AND put in a full 8 hours of work. Laundry, groceries, cleaning, cooking -I have found a way to master getting it all done and not being too overwhelmed. I have learned to multi task in ways I never thought possible and have figured out ways to make meals ahead so all I'm doing is heating up, sticking it in the crock pot, or warming before everyone gets home.  There are still days the kids eat PB and J because I didn't get it all done and didn't plan better for dinner, but more often than not - they are at least given real, home cooked food and they eat SOME of it for lunch AND dinner. I have started putting portions aside and freezing immediately for lunches later in the week versus throwing out un-eaten leftovers later on in the week.  I have switched to glass containers for safer heating for the kids. I have mastered the art of re-filling our snack drawers with labeled foods for the kids for easy grabbing. I have figured out a decent schedule for popping laundry in and switching it at just the right time so it's ready for folding in the 20 minutes it takes my family to get home while I cook their dinner. I have also realized it is best to have ONE PRE-Cooked meal in the freezer at all times. (Baked Ziti, Lasagna, Pulled Pork, etc... ) to help with my super busy/no groceries left days. I am making it work and I know there are lots of ways I can make it all better still - but I have come a LONG WAY from where we started.

I love my house. I mean LOVE IT. We have amazing neighbors and the only thing that irks me about one of them is how they park on the street- and seriously, it could be so much worse - they could be angry drunks like our last neighbors - so if parking is our biggest issue - we're doing ok!

I feel whole again. I have things to talk about other than my kids. (although they are still the primary topic of my conversations cause they are so damn cute and everyone should know all about them of course) I feel challenged - I have allowed myself the time to read books - actual real long books and go to book club again. I have allowed myself the time to knit and crochet and get better at that craft. Laugh all you want - it's an amazing stress reliever and is insanely satisfying to know that my kids think they can request any sort of ridiculous custom made item and I will be able to make it for them. (I don't always come through - but part of the fun for me is the challenge of trying)

I am a runner. I always hated running. I mean - I walked the mile in high school because it was funny and also maybe a little because there was no way in hell I was ever going to make it any other way. My initial goal was to run a 5K with my husband who had started running and to be honest, I didn't give it too much hope. I won't lie - it sucked - A LOT at first. I cursed him out (cause obviously it's his fault) every time I tried to run for the first 3 or 4 weeks of the Couch to 5 K program I started - but then one day, it didn't suck. It was awesome and I liked it... (Yes, I questioned it too and thought for a second maybe I was having a stroke - but no, I LOVE IT NOW!!!) I can do a 5k run in the morning before logging on for work and although it might not always be pretty - it has been the main reason that I am suddenly 2 sizes smaller than I was before. It's the reason I can chase my kids for more than 2 minutes before suggesting we play something else. It's something my husband and I now have in common and although we don't get the opportunity to run together often, we do it when we can and it's a great little date.

I am eating better. I won't eliminate anything - because let's face it- I have the willpower of a 2 year old in a room full of marshmallows and cotton candy - but I have ADDED a bunch of healthier foods and options to my diet and I can feel a difference.  More veggies, chia seeds, quinoa and oatmeal, smoothies for snacks, more salads and sweet potatoes. Personally, I don't see a difference other than my clothes being smaller - but it is more often than not that someone who hasn't seen me for awhile sees me and says OMG what are you doing - you look GREAT! (which of course, initially makes me feel awesome, and then instantly makes me question how bad I looked to begin with:))

Now, unfortunately it's not all rainbows and sunshine. My thyroid might be mostly under control - but I have been plagued with a crappy immune system since Benny was born and feel like I am "sick" more often than not. Allergies, sinus infections and migraines have been common partners in my life over the last year - but I am experimenting with different remedies and approaches to keeping that all at bay.  Enter hippy chiropractor, vitamin D, Echinacea, Vitamin C and actually taking my allergy medicine EVERY DAY plus Garlic pills (no order garlic pills are a lie BTW - they totally leave a nasty garlic ODOR/taste in your mouth - but I suffer through)

I've noticed I've been drinking less coffee - which is an unintended positive side effect of all the things over the last year.

I also think a huge part of why I am feeling better is that I am social again. No more isolated new mom transplanted to New Jersey. Hello awesome new local friends and new/old facebook connections and library book club.

Seriously - the fog of having 2 little kids has lifted and while some people might take that moment of clarity and decide it's the perfect time to add a cute little baby to the mix - I am taking this Big, HUGE DEEP BREATH and filling my down time with stuff for me and my husband.. Remember him, the guy that made this whole family thing happen in the first place. Yeah - it's nice to see him again too:) I am using this new clarity to enjoy my 5 and 3 year old and all the bonuses that come with them growing older. Don't get me wrong - I get a bit teary when I think about kindergarten starting for Katie - but I also relish in her sleeping in until 7:30 and the awesome conversations we are having lately. I live for the grown up nature of some of the things that Benny comes up with and I know that right now - life is perfect. We are done. This family is complete. I am complete. I hope that you are all feeling complete too!

Disney!

We did it and we survived and we learned a lot and we had an AMAZING TIME!

Here is my first tips and tricks post for all of you thinking about going.

1. DO IT- Just go - Get a good travel agent (I can recommend one for you) and just do it
2. Stay ON PROPERTY - seriously they make it so easy when you are on property that you want to come back every single chance you get. 
1. They will take your bags from the airport for you and deliver them to the hotel, (I screwed this up and we didn't use it and was so pissed when I realized my mistake) 
2. The bus takes you right to your resort from the airport
3. They transport you to and from the park every day with a little wait time (during NON PEAK SEASON anyway)
4.  They have these Magic Band tickets that you wear on your wrist and you use to swipe for everything - it's your hotel key, your credit card, your dining plan, and your link to all the pictures they take of you to the park. It's AMAZING!!!
5. If you stay at a Monorail Resort - you have tons of easy, really yummy options for food
3. Suck it up and spend a little more and stay at a Moderate resort - preferably on the monorail (we will do this next time) We stayed at All Start Movies and it felt very cheap - no microwave or fridge and the food court was CRAP and it wasn't very easy to just hop over somewhere else to grab a bite to eat but you could if you were already on the monorail line.
4. Get some gift cards ahead of time for your kids - you will spend crazy amounts of cash on souveniers (or in our case - new toys - you can't avoid it the stores are EVERYWHERE) but I decided ahead of time to give them $100 each and they could spend however much of it they wanted. Lucky for my kids - they picked a bunch of cheap little toys so they got a ton of new stuff which helped during long line wait times.
5. Give yourself downtime if you can afford it. We only did 3 days of park tickets so we felt like we had to do as much as humanly possible in those 3 days - and the first day we got there - the weather was too cold for really swimming so we missed out on the pool and the poor kids wanted to go in so badly every day after that. Granted we got to do everything on our list except for 1 show at Hollywood Studios - but our kids were exhausted and it mostly ruined our second day because they were so sick of waiting in line and everyone was frustrated - we should have spent day 2 morning at the hotel pool and headed into the park after lunchtime to give them some downtime. 
6. DON'T bring a booster seat on the plane - they aren't approved for air travel so you can't use them. We lugged that stupid thing all over to get it on the plan only to have them take it away and then we had to lug it around after that and it was ANNOYING!
7. Bring stuff to entertain the kids on the plane. Our kids aren't really into electronics and only watch super young kid shows so the TV on the plane wasn't helpful and we had to work to entertain them for the 2 hour flight.
8. Stay at a hotel where you can have a fridge and a microwave and bring some food with you. Seeing as how we were at the budget resort and spent 2 whole days at Magic Kingdom - we felt like we spend a WHOLE LOT OF MONEY on some REALLY CRAPPY FOOD. At least they give 2 sides with the kids meals - so we could get yogurt and grapes for our kids with whatever junk they were eating - but they certainly didn't eat right and my plan of making oatmeal got foiled when we had no microwave. Also, the lack of decent coffee was a HUGE bummer. Disney makes SO MUCH MONEY OFF OF YOU while you are there - I wish they would at least give you free coffee at your hotel. Jerks
9. Plan your Fast Pass options ahead of time and make sure you maximize them. Fast pass is a way for you to preselect a time to go on a busy ride - they give you a one hour window and you return during that one hour and get right on. We fast passed Disney Junior show and then got in with little to no wait on our own - so were able to recycle that fast pass that we didn't use to get on something else with no wait. You can book these ahead of time online AND make changes in the park throughout the day. You are allowed 3 per day and they saved our lives and it wasn't even that busy there!
10. Bring a book for the characters to sign. It can be anything - we just got notebooks from the dollar tree but it was lots of fun to collect all the autographs.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
     
    

These are just a few of the things that we learned that we will be thinking about for the next time we go - which will be next year. We had such a great  time that we are excited to try to plan a return for one of the marathon weekends. Dave wants to do a half marathon - I'm considering training up for a 10K. Whether we take the kids back with us for that trip or not - we aren't sure yet. It was great to see Ben have such a great time and meet all his favorite characters but his age appropriate behavior certainly put a damper on certain parts of our trip and part of me wished we had left him at home - but this trip was specifically for them so I'm glad he got to come!

A Mom, a borrowed sewing machine AND Halloween!

So, 2 weeks ago, I didn't even know how to thread a sewing machine - after MUCH trial and error and thanks to a good friend who let me borrow her machine, I am now a sewing Rockstar.

O.k. Rockstar is a bit premature - but I can use the machine and have figured out quite a few things to do with it including tailoring an old robe to be a Captain hook Jacket, making a circle skirt AND puffy sleeves for my snow white costume and more.

It all started with Katie saying she wanted to be Rapunzel and me seeing a SUPER cool Rapunzel like hat on Ravelry - so I made it.

I actually just added the ribbons and flower tonight cause Katie said the little girl in the store had prettier Rapunzel hair cause it had flowers in it. (The fake barbie hair stuff you can get at the Disney store)- I'm hoping when she wakes up she will approve of my attempts to improve my original design.

Then Ben decided he wanted to be Jake. Easy Peasy!!! 

Googled it - found inspiration and hand sewed a vest out of the felt you can get in 8.5 * 11 inch sheets and some fabric glue - made him some fake boots to put over his pants and sneakers plus the strip of Red Fabric we cut out of one of Daves old 5K shirts for his headband - add a little hair gel plus the sword and spy glass  toys my mom had bought him over the summer and there you go!

A Perfect Jake!

Then Ben decided that Dave should be Captain Hook - so our brainstorming began.

I had this robe that I have had for years now. Random - but I only really used it when I was pregnant and for the first 6 months or so after having both my kids. It was in my closet and I decided to recycle it as Captain Hooks Jacket. 

Then I went to the craft store and bought really cheap frilly ribbon and sewed 2 layers onto the sleeves. (You can totally see the string if you look close but - give me a break - I'm a beginner and only had limited supplies)

 Then I figured out how to tailor the robe a little to take it in so that it fit Dave better. In fact, I just did a little extra tailoring tonight and am kind of impressed! Dave put the Gold Duct Tape all around it and created a sash for himself too. We bought a hook and a hat and were ready to call it a day.

 But then I thought - I could make him a "wig" out of yarn - so I sewed this up tonight...

I know - it looks like a beard - it's not and it looks cool under the hat. Tomorrow I'll send him to the dollar store to get a fake mustache that we will have to trim into Captain Hooks skinny minnie mustache before tomorrow night.

Then there's me.

I decided late one night when I couldn't sleep that I could be Snow White. So, I started pinteresting like crazy and found all kinds of ideas. At first I almost just got a shirt and yellow pants but then I said - hey wait - I can do better than that... so I pinterested and googled some more and found some super helpful pictures and ideas on how to make Snow White Sleeves - so I set out and copied those - added a plain blue shirt - made a sloppy circle skirt which I trimmed with some ribbon and borrowed one of Katie's head bands. I also made a cape. Now - it's all messy and sloppy and completely unfinished looking if you look up close - so please just stay about 3-5 feet away from me tomorrow and then you can be impressed:) 

Tonight I made the mistake of trying to add the bling that is on Snow Whites corset- I had bought some really thin gold ribbon and at this point, to be honest I'm kind of over this project and would like to get my life at night back - so I tried to add it quick and ended up stretching the blue top too much so now the ribbon is kind of bunchy and not straight like I wanted - but there's nothing I can do now - so on it stays... I'll try to make the best of it and not be too disappointed.

Moral of the story - with Pinterest and Google - you can do ANYTHING!!!!!!

This makes the 3rd year I've made costumes for us and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. They aren't fancy and they aren't super GREAT looking - but it's a wonderful creative outlet for me and really helps me wind down at the end of a long day juggling working mom duties. Yes, I get burnt out because I end up doing these things last minute so I overdose on projects for a few weeks at a time after the kids are in bed - but it's totally worth it. I get such a kick out of it and for now at least, the kids do too.

I can't wait to see what next year brings!!!

Happy Halloween!

Back to school lunch organization

Being a Full Time Working Woman and a full time moms means I'm frazzled, stressed, and TIRED. I also look for every possible way to try to make our lives a little bit more organized and efficient.

When the kids went to daycare full time I started snack drawers for them. They each have their own so that all I have to do is reach into their snack drawer and grab enough snacks to throw in their lunch box (which is located next to said snack drawer) and I'm done.

It started as a joint drawer- but seeing as how I am always looking for ways to save even fractions of a second if I can, I decided individual drawers were more efficient because I didn't have to A) locate a Sharpie and label the snack with their name in a frenzy or B) look for their name on the snack to make sure it went into the right lunch box.

Once a week I get all my supplies and I sit in front of the TV and I pre-package and label away. Fruits and veggies I only cut up and prepare up to 2 days in advance but dry snacks I do a whole week at a time. As I start running low on stuff - I add it to my shopping list and I stock up and then start all over again on a quiet night and re-stock our drawers. It makes lunch packing SOOOO Fast and seemingly painless.

As for actual lunch items - My kids are picky eaters (I'm working on it) So - their options at this stage in our life is pretty limited. Ben will eat various leftovers but Katie sticks to a usual menu of boring, bland items.

I know, I know - your kid only eats like 4 things - how hard is it to pick which one to send for the next day? Well, for some reason I struggle with it and it stresses me out - so this week I instituted a meal plan. Every day is already chosen for me - so I don't have to think at all at the end of the day when I'm fried and frazzled and exhausted.

I knew tonight that after we ate Pasta for dinner - to set aside some noodles with butter for Katie for tomorrow. I also have started pre-packaging some of their lunches and have dedicated part of a shelf for easy retrieval. This makes it so simple so if I want to run out for a run in the morning I don't have to explain to Dave where to find their lunch for the day. Easy Peasey

After way too much deliberation - I have also officially switched over to all glass tupperware for the kids. The school heats their lunch up for them and I'm trying as hard as possible to minimize our exposure to plastic in that way. Now that I've done it - I don't know why I waited so long - no more nasty - cracked, stained, grimy tupperware!!!

Now, if only I could figure out more exciting lunch options for my kids... Check back in next week - maybe that menu will be more exciting. Also, for those of you actually reading this - any suggestions for what to send her on Thursday understanding it's a NO NUT school??? Cheese sandwich just sounds sooooooooooooo unappetizing to me!