Lunchbox Love with Sun-Maid Raisins

Thursday, August 20, 2020

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This post is sponsored by Sun-Maid, but all opinions are my own.

 

 

I still can't believe that we are already heading back to school! It feels like it was yesterday that we were finishing out the last school year virtually, and now here we are planning our back to school outfits, lunches and more!

 

Back to school looks a little different for us this year as we have opted for virtual learning, but I really wanted to stick with as much of a routine as possible, including getting up early, getting dressed and packing a special lunch (like this ladybug peanut butter sandwich) for my girls.  They have loved still being able to grab their lunch boxes and head outside for lunch or have a pretend picnic in the living room.

 

 

One of my favorite things to do last school year was write little lunch notes to my daughter to show her that I was thinking about her.  Sometimes it would be a funny joke or sometimes it would just be a simple "I love you".  No matter what, the days I wrote notes to her she always came home and told me how much she loved it!

 

Now, I don't know about you, but my girls are obsessed with Sun-Maid Raisins.  We go through a ridiculous amount and they aren't even sorry about it ;)  I love the boxes that they come in because they are the perfect size for lunch boxes, fit perfectly inside Bento boxes and also the perfect size for attaching my little lunch love notes on.

Naturally made with nothing but grapes and California sunshine, Sun-Maid Raisins timeless and trusted goodness have been a healthy snack for kids and grown-up kids alike since 1912.  Sun-Maid Raisins are whole fruit, 0g added sugars and are naturally sweet.  They are incredibly versatile and easy to add into recipes or eat as a stand-alone snack.


It takes no effort on my part to grab a box of Sun-Maid Raisins, a mini sticky note (they come in the cutest shapes) and write a little something on it before throwing it in my daughter's lunch box.  Trust me, we too have those mornings where we are in a rush, so these are great for on the go!

When we aren't in a rush, I like to find ways to make their lunches just a little more fun, yet still keep it simple.  I'm still a mom of four and if I'm being honest, not a food artist! Ha!  This ladybug peanut butter sandwich was a hit with my girls, super easy to make and would make any back to school lunch ladybug-erific!

 


What you'll need for Lady Bug Sandwiches:

  • 2 slices of bread
  • Your choice of nut butter
  • Apple slices
  • Grapes
  • Sun-Maid Raisins
  • String Cheese

I made a peanut butter sandwich ( we typically leave out the jelly, but you're welcome to make it however you like. You could even use turkey and cheese if your kid has nut allergies.  Then cut the sandwich into a circle using a biscuit cutter, sandwich cutter or in my case a wine glass ;)

After that, add the apple slices for wings decorated with Sun-Maid Raisins for the polka dots,  half the grape for the head decorated with string cheese for the antennas and eyes.  As my oldest daughter would say, easy peasy lemon squeezey!

If you have cookie cutters, the options are endless and Sun-Maid Raisins are perfect for adding decorations to different shapes.



Here are some of our favorite jokes to write on our notes...enjoy!

What do you call a bear with no teeth?

-A gummy bear!

Why did the grape stop in the middle of the road?

-He ran out of juice!

You are my sunshine

I can't wait to hear about your day!

What are some of your favorite ways to show your kiddos your thinking of them while they are at school?


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The Ridge Hotel at Lake Geneva, WI

Saturday, March 28, 2020

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If you caught my previous post about the Ice Castles in Lake Geneva, then you know what a great time we had and how beautiful it was there.  When planning our trip, we knew we wanted to make the most of it and stay somewhere nearby.  The Ridge Hotel was just the place and we can't wait to go back.

Even though it's off the beaten tourist track, it's still a quick drive to downtown (which is beautiful too).  I loved that we were far enough away to get that vacation feel, but close enough to grab breakfast and support a local spot nearby the next morning.

The Ridge Hotel offers numerous accommodations, so you don't have to leave during your stay at all if you don't want to.  

We had unlimited hot chocolate and coffee at the Bean and Vine Coffee Bar located there in the hotel lobby and they serve lunch.  Their soups and sandwiches were so good and perfect for enjoying before heading out to the Ice Castles.  There were no complaints from any of us and we even got to take our souvenir travel mugs with us for hot chocolate at the Ice Castles too!


The Ridge Hotel is also home to Crafted Americana were we had a beautiful view of lights during dinner and they had the perfect spot for warming up, lounging and making smore's, which they offer nightly.  Dinner did not disappoint either, even our girls devoured their food and a delicious cocktail was a great way to warm up for the night after being inside a big mound of ice for the last few hours.  Crafted American is also right next to the Biergarten, which is open for late night snacks and good beer.


The Ridge Hotel even offers a really cool Igloo Experience outdoors!  My husband and I would love to go back and do this when we have a kid-free weekend.  Of course, it is only offered during the winter months, but this is something you need on your travel list!  Who wouldn't want to have yummy apps, drinks and warm blankets to cuddle with an incredible view of the lake?




My girls also enjoyed a visit to The Ridge Hotel's indoor swimming pool before all passing out from an incredible day and visit to Lake Geneva, WI.  You can click here to learn more about The Ridge Hotel, what it offers and Summer activities for your next trip.

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A Trip to the Ice Castles | Lake Geneva, WI

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

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I feel like I can say that 2020 will be the year of adventure for our family.  Last year was definitely the year of survival and with newborn twins we didn't do much.  Now, it's only February and we have checked off a lot on our things to do and places to see list so far!

Including the Ice Castles in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin which we had the opportunity to check out last weekend.


I heard about the Ice Castles last winter but the seasoned was closed.  I knew we had to make time to check them out this year and I'm so glad we did.  We took the four hour trip up to Wisconsin and it was worth it.  The Ice Castles are incredibly beautiful and it is such a neat place to explore, especially for kids.

The experience is built using hundreds of thousands of icicles hand-placed by professional ice artists. It was hard to believe the amount of work and how long it takes the artists to create all of the fun hidden gems within the Ice Castles, including breathtaking LED-lit sculptures, frozen thrones, ice-carved tunnels, slides, fountains and much more. 

My girls favorite were definitely all the slides.  They could have spent the entire time just going down them.  There was even this tiny little tunnel/cave they went it and they thought it was so cool! 

 
Even the twins had a good time!  FYI, you can't bring strollers in, but you can bring a sled.  We opted for a baby carriet and kept everyone warm in their snow suits and we didn't have any complaints.  When purchasing tickets, you choose a time slot in order to keep the Ice Castles from getting overcrowded and to maximize your time spent there.  I suggest going just before sunset.  There is still enough light to really get a good look at all the amazing-ness and you get to see a beautiful sunset, which makes the ice really sparkle.


We didn't make it to dark, but we still got to see some of the LED lights start shining and it was colorful!  They even had a little campfire going and benches around it to warm up and have a seat.  You can't forget hot chocolate either and other yummy drinks to keep you warm!  Did I mention my favorite part?!  The ice throne was fun, but a heads up...it's super icy!  I nearly slid off of it trying to get this photo!


If you haven't had the chance to check out an Ice Castles location, you must put it on your travel list.  They are incredibly beautiful and I want to check them all out now.  They have six locations, including Colorado, Alberta, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Utah.





Thank you Ice Castles, Lake Geneva for having us!

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