Congratulations to our winner: Megan!

With Labor Day weekend behind us, it’s time to kiss summer goodbye and get fully immersed in back to school. (No more sitting on the fence, people)

To kick off the school year, we thought it would be fun to give away a favorite of the Today’s Mama staff kiddos—GoGo squeeZ!

(My kids are nuts for Apple Strawberry.)

Two lucky lunchbox heroes will win a prize pack that includes all 8 flavors and a sweet GoGo squeeZ canvas tote bag.

But just because school is back in session doesn’t mean that playtime is over! GoGo squeeZ is supporting the Fresh Air Fund, a non-profit that provides summer camp experiences to inner city kids, with their “Pass the Play” project. GoGo squeeZ has pledged to donate $1 to The Fresh Air Fund for every tweet or Facebook post using #passtheplay with the goal of raising $25,000.

Want to get the ball rolling? Share this tweet:

Help donate $1 to @FreshAirFund by following @GoGosqueeZ & tweeting #PassthePlay

Ready to win?

To enter, leave a comment below telling me how back to school is going at your house.

You can also get an extra entry for liking GoGo squeeZ on Facebook and following @GoGosqueeZ on Twitter. (Just come back and leave us another comment letting us know that you did.)

Contest ends on Saturday, September 15 at 5p MST. Good Luck!

The post GoGo squeeZ Giveaway (Contest Closed) appeared first on TodaysMama.

On the flip side, cell phones in school drive me nuts. The texting and tweeting during class would just about slay me if I were a teacher. According to a recent study:

In terms of texting in class, only 18 percent think this is OK, while 53 percent feel it is not OK and 29 percent feel that texting should only be allowed in case of emergency. Regarding whether cell phones should be outright banned in school, 28 percent said yes; 41 percent said no, but that they should be turned off; and 25 percent said they should not be banned because sometimes it is a necessity.

I think cellphones should be powered down during school hours. I like the thought of a school programmed device like an iPad that has the proper restrictions on it, yet gives the kids access to what they need for school.

Check out this survey data on technology and schools. You can view the full survey data at SodaHead.com.

Do you think kids should have cellphones in school? What technology do you think is appropriate in the classroom and what do you think the rules should be?

The post Cellphones in School appeared first on TodaysMama.

Kid couldn’t wait to start school again.

Can you tell?

I can’t believe how much changes in a year. Heck, I can’t believe how much changes in a summer. That’s why I thought it would be nice to have a little Back To School Time Capsule printable to share. (Download the full size version here.)

Nothing too complicated. A few questions that could be asked of a 3 year old or a 13 year old, along with a spot for a photo and the kiddo to write their own name. (Obviously that’s more precious and impressive at 3 than at 13, but a sweet keepsake at any age.)

I’m glad to have a little reminder of the conversation I had with my girl that revealed that she wants to be an Astronaut when she grows up, and would really like to try to master “doing a somersault into a donkey-kick” this year.

Well let’s get cracking on that, kiddo!

Printables by Juliann Law for Today’s Mama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://www.faboolous.blogspot.com/.

Other posts you might enjoy…

Sweet Printable Lunch Box Notes

Printable Lunch Box Notes 

Lunch Box Notes for Kids 

The post Back To School Time Capsule Questions appeared first on TodaysMama.

Do you have a favorite brand or type of container you use when packing your kids’ lunch?  With two years under my belt, I’ve learned a few things and may try some new ideas as well.

Here’s a round up of what has worked for us and the food we like to pack:

Sandwiches – A Must Have

Our favorite sandwiches are Turkey & Cheese, Peanut Butter & Honey, and Peanut Butter & Banana.  Sandwiches need protection in a lunch box, so we use these generic sandwich boxes.  The lids are thick and snap on tight and they can withstand the heat of the bottom of the dishwasher (although not recommended).

We accessorize our sandwiches with the Sandwich Cutters.  Mickey Mouse and Star Wars Tie Fighter are the most requested shapes.  We go overboard and have hearts, trees, stars, butterflies, dinos, circles, etc.  Most large cookie cutters do the job.  For us, it’s not about crust removal since Mickey AND Mickey’s “shadow” both get eaten at our house.

Bento Box Inner Boxes

I’m going to try these Bento Buddies from Container Store.  The key will be getting a set of inner boxes and the outer lunch box to coordinate so everything fits.

We’ve used Sistema snap containers for fruit and crackers and they’ve worked great, but only one can fit in the lunch box with a sandwich.   Nothing is more annoying than having  inserts that don’t fit. Sistema are also great for the diaper bag since baby’s hands can’t unsnap the sides yet.

Reuseable Wrapping

We try to minimize our plastic bag use. Munchkin zip bags are perfect for our apple slices and cheese and crackers.  Cookie treats tuck easily inside too.  We’re going to add to the reusable food wrapper stash and try new styles.  What do you think about these sandwich sizes and snack sizes?

Hot Meals

Our staple container is the small Thermos Snack Jar.  We fill it with hot pasta, soups, chicken pot pie, or stir fry and rice.  Since it’s leak proof, it also does double duty for packing smoothies, juice, yogurt and cool salads.

Separation Anxiety

Do you like packing your own lunch, but hate when a salad gets soggy because it was mixed together?  This Salad Kit by Rubbermaid is the answer.  My husband will be trying it out!  It could also be used for a Burrito bowl recipe with the rice, beans and cheese in the bottom (to be heated up) and the tomatoes and lettuce toppings (cool stuff) to be removed.

The Lunch Box

Lunch boxes are still a fashion statement.  I loved my Care Bears and Empire Strikes Back metal lunch boxes as a kid.  My daughter has used  a classic-styled, monogrammed Pottery Barn Kids for two years and it’s still going strong.  Going into 3rd grade may require an upgrade in style, she says.  Here’s what she found..

She knows I’m a sucker for polka dots!  What kind of lunch box do your kids use? Did you have a favorite as a kid?

Finishing Touches

Don’t forget the little things that can make lunch special.  Love Notes,  food coloring pens to graffiti a sandwich, “love” sprinkles in the sandwich (yes, I add more sugar to the sandwich), paper towel or napkin notes, or  holiday inspired lunch sacks.

Have a practice school lunch day with your kids.  Be sure you’ve taught your child how to remove and insert the straw in a juice box, how to open the string cheese or how to unsnap her apple slices.  My friend couldn’t figure out why her kindergartener was coming home with a full lunch box every day.  In tears, the 5-year old broke down and confessed that she didn’t know how to open her food.

What are your favorite kids’ lunch containers?

More Back-To-School Posts

Back to School Lunch Box Ideas

Sweet Printable Lunch Box Notes

Back to School Clothes Shopping List Printable

Note: These are my own opinions and I received no compensation for sharing these products with you.  However, I have included affiliate links to Amazon.com, just so you know.

The post Kids’ Lunch Containers – My Picks appeared first on TodaysMama.

Here are some sweet printable lunch box notes to download and use willy nilly.

Back to school has never been so sweet. Download the full size image here. 

Printables by Juliann Law for Today’s Mama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://www.faboolous.blogspot.com/.

Other posts you might enjoy…

Free Printables Archive 

Printable Lunch Box Notes 

Lunch Box Notes for Kids 

The post Sweet Printable Lunch Box Notes appeared first on TodaysMama.

I’m much more worried about being judged by the teachers.  Who probably in actuality don’t even really notice.  But still.

I don’t want to be the mom of the kid who cracks open their lunchbox to a squished PB&J and a bruised banana.  I’ve got to rock this…

Click here to link to Family Fresh Cooking and their ideas for some truly fabulous back to school lunches.  You may just want to pack up some of this stuff for yourself!

Image from Family Fresh Cooking

Back to School

Hottest Back to School Products on The Talk

Back to School Clothes Shopping List

When to Start Kindergarten for Summer Birthdays

The post Back to School Lunch Box Ideas appeared first on TodaysMama.

Look up! Look out! It’s the NASA Curiosity!

The nuclear-powered rover, Curiosity by NASA landed on Mars on Sunday. Check out William Shatner telling the back story of the mission and building of this super-duper machine.

And TA-DA! She made it! Like having an outer space Olympic moment! 

Track the updates at this NASA site.

Our resident rocket scientist, Aunt J, is always fun to have around to discuss NASA and rocket ships and experiments in old South Dakota mines.

What do you do to get your kids excited about science?

More Posts

When to Start Kindergarten for Summer Birthdays

Science Camp

Motivation: Teachers or Parents?

The post NASA Curiosity Lands on Mars appeared first on TodaysMama.

Tune into CBS’s daytime emmy-nominated talk show, The Talk on Friday, August 3rd to hear get the low-down on the hottest back to school items from lifestyle expert Chi-Lan Lieu.

Haven’t caught The Talk? The daily one-hour series is co-hosted by Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood and Aisha Tyler. They discuss current events, pop culture, contemporary issues, family, celebrity and the trending topics of the day.

Like chatting with Parenthood cutie, Jason Ritter…

Tune in and enjoy!

The post Hottest Back to School Products on The Talk appeared first on TodaysMama.

This problem is compounded when I’m shopping for my wee children because just when I get their sizes burned into my brain, they hit a growth spurt and I’m standing in Target, alone, trying to eyeball a pair of sneakers for my girl.

Since we’re coming up on (or already into) the new school year the kids are going to need a few new things. Oh sure, we could all use a scribbled piece of notepaper, but what fun is that?

Try this handy Back to school Clothes Shopping List to keep track of all of your notes, sizes and quantities. (Download the full size file here.)

Keeping track of your coupons…now that’s another story. Let me know if you figure that one out.

Other posts you might enjoy…

Printable Lunch Box Notes 

Printable Certificate of Awesomeness 

Lunch Box Notes for Kids 

The post Back to School Clothes Shopping List appeared first on TodaysMama.

DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE CERTIFICATE HERE

Printables by Juliann Law for Today’s Mama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at juliannlaw.com.

More Free Printables from TodaysMama:

Printables Archive

Printable Lunchbox Notes

Printable Canning Labels

The post Printable Certificate of Awesomeness appeared first on TodaysMama.