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Christmas Wreath

We're getting down to the final days before Christmas break (WOO-HOO!!). As much as I've loved the Christmas themed bentos, I have to admit, I'm looking forward to 2 weeks of not having to pack a lunch at night.

• Peanut Butter and honey on whole wheat wreath sandwich with strawberry fruit leather berries and bow.
• Strawberry and kiwi slices
• Carrots with ranch
• Nestle Crunch bell

For more ideas, check out What's for Lunch Wednesday

Candy Cane

Ever had one of *those* days? Today was one of *those* days for me. After a long day and an even longer evening, I ALMOST bailed on lunch and asked Haley if she'd pack tomorrow. But, I had an idea for what I wanted to make (which is always half the challenge for me) and it was pretty easy. So, here it is:

• 3 (stacked) PB&J candy cane sandwiches on whole wheat. The cheese candy cane on top is made from provolone with cheddar stripes.
• Carrots with ranch
• Cheddar candy canes
• Red grapes with a candy cane pick
• A couple Hershey kisses (I almost gave her a mini candy cane to go with the theme but I wasn't sure she'd have time to eat it and then she'd be upset)

The Stockings Were Put in Their Lunches with Care...

...In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there!

I have had so much fun with the Christmas bentos. I can't believe I only have 3 days left to make them!

I could have left these with just the stockings. But, I know they'll LOVE opening their lunch and seeing their name on their stocking :)

• 2 Peanut Butter and Honey stocking sandwiches (stacked) on whole wheat. The stocking is made from cheddar and provolone cheeses and her name was cut out of cucumber peel.
• Cucumber stockings
• Blackberry yogurt with a fresh blackberry
• Clementine flower with a grape center
• a couple of Hershey kisses

Haley's is pretty much the same lunch with the exception of:

• Her sandwiches are turkey and cheese on whole wheat
• She has strawberries instead of a clementine

Snow Day?

Well, it's looking pretty likely that we might have a snow day tomorrow. They've already put us on a 2-hour delay and the snow is still falling. But, I went ahead and made her lunch anyway. I figured she can eat it as easily at home as she can at school!

• Salami and cheese on whole wheat Snow Girl. Her hat, scarf and cheeks are made from a gummy worm (which Haley won't eat because she doesn't like gummy things but it made for such a cute scarf!). Her nose is a carrot (of course) and her mouth is cucumber peel.
• Edamame beans
• Blackberries and strawberry slices
• A couple of Hershey kisses

Jolly Old St. Nicholas!

I don't know what is up with making them 2 almost completely different lunches but I think I need to stop! Today the reasoning was I didn't have enough bread to make them both sandwiches. I find this very annoying because I was at the store TODAY and didn't realize we needed bread. Ai yi yi....

Avery's Lunch:

• 2 (stacked) Santa Claus PB&J sandwiches. His features are made from fruit leather (hat, nose and mouth) and provolone cheese beard, mustache, and the fluff on his hat).
• Carrots with ranch
• String cheese
• Clementine flower with a grape center

Haley's Lunch:

• Ham and veggie cream cheese on a whole wheat pita (she's been all about this this week) with a Santa on top. Made just like Avery's but with a cheddar base for his "skin")
• Blackberries with a candy cane pick
• Carrots with ranch (ranch is under the Babybel)
• A Babybel cheese

Check out What's for Lunch Wednesday for more great bento ideas!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree! How Lovely Are Thy Branches

So, can you guess the theme of tomorrow's lunches? ;)

Both lunches are the same but I'm posting pictures of each since they are in different boxes.

• 2 Christmas Tree sandwiches with a star pick for the topper and sprinkles for the ornaments. Ave's are PB&J and Haley's sandwiches are ham and cheese - both on whole wheat.
• Cheddar cheese Christmas trees with provolone ornaments
• Cucumber trees
• Red and green grapes with a Christmas tree pick
• a Dove chocolate present

Chilly Willy

Baby, it's cold outside!! So, a chilly willy penguin bento seemed in order :)

• Ham and veggie cream cheese on a whole wheat pita with a little cheese penguin. He's made from provolone, his feet and beak are cheddar and his scarf is fruit leather.
• Blackberries
• Carrots and cucumber slices
• String cheese "snowballs"
• A couple hershey kisses

Need more adorable ideas? Check out "What's For Lunch Wednesday!"

You Can't Catch Me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!

*** Warning: I'm NOT happy with tomorrow's lunches!! ***

Have you ever made a lunch and it just did not come together like you wanted it to? These lunches were an example of that. I considered not posting them but what the heck?! These will definitely NOT be the ones I enter for "What's for Lunch Wednesday", that's for sure! ;) With that being said, the fact that I used candy for the Gingerbread man features almost guarantees the girls will like them :)

• Peanut butter and honey on wheat bread Gingerbread man sandwich with m&m and mini chocolate chip accents
• pretzels
• carrots
• strawberry poinsettia with a cheddar cheese center

Everything is the same except Avery is having clementine slices and red grapes.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

The girls are SO excited about our first real snow fall. The weather forecasters have predicted it (and been wrong) and we've gotten a few dustings but not the first "big one". So, if they can't have snow on the ground, at least they can have it in their lunch!

• ham and veggie cream cheese in a whole wheat pita with provolone snowflakes
• red grapes
• carrots
• pretzel snaps
• strawberry yogurt with a blackberry snowman pick for garnish
  

Two Very Different Bentos

Avery doesn't have school tomorrow so technically she doesn't need a packed lunch. But, I think we may go have lunch with Haley at school so I decided to go ahead and pack her one. I think this is the first time, since I started packing them bento-style, that I made them completely different lunches. Basically, that was out of necessity. We only had two pieces of bread left so my PB&J lover got them. Haley, who is much less picky, got her sandwich on Hawaiian tea rolls (yum!). Switching it up even more, I stuck with a Christmas theme with Haley but veered on Avery's. She was so excited to have ants on a log that she didn't even notice it wasn't Christmas themed. She LOVES ants on a log but I never knew how well it would travel to school (bounced around on the bus, thrown in the lunch box bin, etc.) Since we'll be carrying it to lunch, I think it will be fine.

• 2 turkey and cheese sandwiches on Hawaiian tea rolls with a cheddar cheese Christmas tree garnish (his face is cucumber peel)
• a piece of string cheese
• peas
• red grapes with Christmas tree picks

• PB&J roll-ups (or PB&J sushi if you want to sound really bento-ish!)
• a clementine
• Babybel cheese
• celery with peanut butter and raisins (Ants on a log)

Thursday's Lunch

Not that I'm ever overly wordy or creative in my write-ups but tonight I've got nothin'! So, we're sticking to the basics.

-2 sandwiches (Haley's is turkey and cheese, Ave's is PB&J) on whole wheat bread in the shape of a present with a dyed provolone bow.
- strawberries (Ave has a clementine in her box)
- carrots with ranch
- Babybel cheese
- 2 hershey kisses