Last weekend the kids and I tagged along with my husband on his TDY to Homestead AFB for the air show. Traveling with the kids was…a great post for a different blog…feeding the kids is what the current blog is dedicated to!

We didn’t have ANY trouble feeding Jaxon on this trip.  I definitely did my usual “over-packing” of many gluten free snack options, but we didn’t have to crack them open near as much as we have in the past.  Anytime we travel I check ahead of time for a few of our “go-to” restaurants that offer a gluten free menu, but in Homestead, FL they had a few different “local”restaurants that offered Jaxon various tasty choices.  

His favorite meal of the trip was at Portofino’s Coal Fried Pizza where he enjoyed a gluten free pepperoni pizza!  It was your normal “a little overpriced GF pizza” but he enjoyed it, and it was gluten free…enough said!  I am really happy that so many restaurants are adding gluten free options to their menu; it really makes traveling a little easier than it used to be!

Favorite gluten free travel snacks…
Bag of popcorn (I like organic, no butter, bagged popcorn)
Glutino pretzel sticks
Peanut butter
Oranges (the real ones…whole, with an orange peeler included in the bag)
Glutino cookies
Gluten free donuts (for breakfast)
Surf Sweets organic jelly beans
Kettle chips
Glutino crackers (put a little peanut butter on them and have a sandwich)
Grapes

Please share some of your favorite “go to” gluten free snacks!

Well, it is two full months into the school year and six weeks until Christmas break…which will mark the "half-way" through the year point!  Jaxon has definitely eaten more so far this year than he did all of last year combined.  I am still struggling to find new and interesting ideas that will “suck him in” and encourage him to eat!  I have found that by snapping a picture of his lunch now and then is actually a good idea because I can show him the pictures and he can tell me which lunches he enjoyed and which ones he didn’t care for.  I also hope that by sharing pictures of Jaxon’s lunches I might give some ideas to other moms who are also struggling (allergies or not) to find different things to send to school each day. 



Here are a few things from my “school lunch pantry”…

http://www.amazon.com/LunchBots-Trio-Stainless-Steel-Container/dp/B006T5BLNU/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1352168045&sr=8-6&keywords=lunch+bots
I use this one (with 3 divided spots) and love that I can use the silicone baking cups to separate different food items and have room at the bottom for sticks of fruit, meat and cheese rolls, or even string cheese.


http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-431-4-Piece-Silicone-Maker/dp/B0036B9KHO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352168084&sr=8-1&keywords=smoothie+pop+mold
These are the pop molds that I use daily for yogurt, homemade pudding, homemade smoothies, or homemade applesauce.  I fill them up and put them in the freezer and grab one in the morning when I am making Jaxon’s lunch.  I have found that they work best if I don’t fill them completely full and squeeze any extra air out of the top before freezing them. 



http://www.amazon.com/Lunch-Munch-Snack-Boxes-3pack/dp/B0072MUD9M/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1352168109&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=wexy+bags
These have been great reusable bags for cookies, pretzels, chips, cut up fruit, and they are super easy to wash out, dry and use again the next day…no more throwing away baggies every night!


http://www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Supply-Silicone-Baking-3-inch/dp/B001ET7B9E/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1352168143&sr=8-5&keywords=silicone+baking+cups
I love these baking cups for lunches, they hold nearly anything you send in the lunch and keep food from touching each other.  They are really easy to wash which is definitely a plus in my house.


http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Cupcake-Picks-Food-set/dp/B004MO99HU/ref=sr_1_19?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1352168195&sr=1-19&keywords=cupcake+picks
As long as your school approves, I love using picks in Jaxon’s lunch.  They add a little “spunk” to his lunch and encourage him to eat.  I get ones that have a rounded end so they aren’t sharp.


http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Hydration-Insulated-Stainless-25oz/dp/B00295ERRG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352168368&sr=8-1&keywords=pure+hydration+bottle
Best water bottle ever! I send ice water every day and when he gets home at 3:00 there is still ice in the bottle!

http://www.amazon.com/Sassy-On-Feeding-Set-Blue/dp/B004X7FMC2/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1352168414&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=sassy+lunch+container
My other favorite lunch container, it also holds anything I send for lunch and I can easily “separate” the different lunch items with ease.

http://www.amazon.com/YummyEarth-Organic-Gummy-Bears-0-9-Ounce/dp/B0023V65GW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1352168446&sr=8-3&keywords=organic+bears
Our favorite “go to” organic gummies, no dyes, no junk, just good!  (My other choice is Surf Sweets bears.)

http://www.amazon.com/Surf-Sweets-Organic-0-9-Ounce-Packages/dp/B003G522W0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352169293&sr=8-2&keywords=organic+jelly+beans
I like having fun snacks to send in Jaxon’s lunch so h  feels like he is getting a “treat” while he eats.  These are great because they don’t have any icky dyes in them that make my child bounce off the walls.

http://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Piece-Silly-Sandwich-Cutter/dp/B0076LAGQ4/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1352168522&sr=8-8&keywords=sandwich+cutters
My little one LOVES it when I cut his sandwich into fu  shapes.  Any cookie cutter will do!


  

How do your kids feel about you getting rid of their old toys?  Jaxon and Carter can have old toys FOREVER and not want to let them go. They will go months and months without playing with something and the minute I donate it or throw it away they will ask for it…what in the world?  

Well, this week I am trying a new strategy.  I have gone through all of their toys, big and small, and I have divided them into two boxes…one box is full of all the broken, parts-missing toys, and the other box is all the toys that they don’t play with anymore or are too young for them now.  I am going to throw out the box of broken toys and let THEM donate the box of old toys.  By letting them donate the toys themselves they will understand that they are gone.  I am going to give them a certificate of appreciation for giving their toys to children who might not get anything for Christmas.  We are going to talk about the fact that there are kids out there who are not going to have any gifts to open this year and that by giving them some of their old toys it will do two things...1) make room for the toys they are getting from Santa… 2) make some other children very happy on Christmas morning.

Is anyone else getting rid of old toys before the holiday’s this year?