Version 2 is here!

You spoke, we listened.

The number one feature request after LaLa Lunchbox launched this May was to be able to access the same account via multiple devices.

Done!

Just yesterday, my daughter planned her lunches for the week using my iPhone. My husband pressed 'sync' on his iPhone and tada! The grocery list was there on his device for him to see and take shopping. Easy peasy. Even the Peeled Much-Ado-About-Mango snack that I recently added appeared on his list. 

Share and sync lunchboxes with multiple iOS devices​

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Here's what else is new on V2

Save any meal as a favorite and use favorites for any meal. Besides saving and accessing your own favorites, you can access the favorites of other lunchboxes on the account. So for example, if my daughter wants to see (and pack) a meal that my son is into these days, she can. 

Change the minimum & maximum items allowed in your lunchbox. Now you can have as little as two and as many as eight items in a lunchbox. 

Login via Twitter, Facebook, or LaLa account. Of course, you don't have to log in at all. But if you want to sync with another device, we've made it super easy by giving you three ways to log in. 

Other cool stuff: Version 2 has improved iPad compatibility, UI enhancements and bug fixes. 

We are absolutely thrilled for the release of V2! The school year is still new and there's loads of lunches left to pack. Enormous thanks from our family to yours for your support and enthusiasm for LaLa Lunchbox these last 5 months. Please help to spread the word about LaLa Lunchbox and please keep the feedback coming! It's thanks to you that we're able to continue to make improvements and updates. Happy lunching! 

Save any meal as a favorite

Banana Sweet Potato Fig Muffins. Yum.

When I was little, my grandpa used to say he was waiting for someone to invent "smell-a-vision" so that when you watched a cooking show or talked on the phone with someone, you would be able to smell whatever it was that was cooking in their kitchen. If smell-a-vision was here today, you might want to call my house now. ​

The little guy and I had a muffin adventure in the kitchen this morning... an experimental recipe that went awry when I realized (after putting the muffins in the oven) that I had forgotten the baking soda AND the baking powder. Ugh. ​

I spent a full moment debating whether I should fix it or leave it - apparently aloud. When my son started saying "Mommy, what you forgot?" I realized we had come too far to have a muffin disaster. My son had personally added nearly every ingredient. He stuck his chubby little fingers into the batter so delightfully when it was fully mixed. He was excited about the final product. And I was too. So I took them out, poured the warm batter into a bowl, added the missing ingredients and put them back in the oven. ​

Boy does it smell awesome in here. ​And thankfully, the old adage about better late than never is totally true when it comes to rising agents. My son just wolfed down two of these muffins (with my assistance, of course). 

​Here's the recipe for Banana Sweet Potato Fig Muffins - baking soda and powder included. 

Enjoy! ​

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. ​

In a bowl combine:

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract​
• 1/2 c vegetable oil​
• 1 cup canned unsweetened sweet potato puree​
• 1 TB maple syrup​
• 1/2 tsp baking soda​
• 1 tsp baking powder​
• 1 1/2 cups flour​
• ​4 dried figs, chopped
• 2 tsp cinnamon​
• 1/2 tsp salt​

Mix thoroughly. Pour into muffin lined tin and bake for approximately 24 minutes. ​

Off to First Grade!

This morning we escorted my big gal to first grade. I'm happy to report there were no tears, we got there on time and the teacher seems like a nice guy.  

I remember my first grade teacher​ - Mrs. DeVylder. She had banana yellow hair  with dark brown eyebrows and her favorite color was bright yellow. She wore zinc pink lipstick and it seemed to stay on her lips all day long. That always amazed me. That year we had a mixed age classroom with second graders. And that's all I really remember. Everything else about first grade is a complete blur. 

This morning, I had just finished making my daughter's sandwich when she came into the kitchen and said "Mom, I didn't want a soy nut butter and jam sandwich. It was supposed to be a soy nut butter with banana and honey."  And so I was busted. ​I was up late watching the convention and then the post convention commentary and before I knew it, it was after midnight. "It's okay, Mom," she added. "Give that to Remy, he likes it. I'll have what I ordered in my LaLa Lunchbox." 

Okay. No big deal. And now I'm prepared for my little guy's lunch, hours ahead of schedule! ​

Not long now until the end of the day. Can't wait to hear the details!

Back to School Jitters

My daughter goes back to school tomorrow. It's a new school in a new neighborhood and we know no one. Jitters abound... Will the teacher be a good fit? Will we figure out how to make it to school on time? Will we all make nice new friends?
All of these questions contribute to the back to school jitters. But for me, back to school gives me pause. It serves as a reminder that time is flying. Whizzing.

How is it possible that my daughter is already in first grade? Am I doing right by her? How is she turning out?
The daily grind often gets in the way of these questions - until that moment you send your kid on the school bus for the first time, or drop her off in a new classroom, and watch her with that enthusiastic smile that reminds you of everything lovely and right about the world.
Frankly, for me one of the biggest challenges on the first day of school is figuring out how to hold back the waterworks until I exit the building.

So today I'm thinking about my gal who casually sauntered into her twos program four years ago all chubby cheeked and smiley. And that same gal with her lady bug raincoat on the rainy first day of kindergarten last year - same smile, different cheeks.
Looking forward to tomorrow...

Tips to Make Mornings Easier

Next week, my daughter starts 1st grade. She'll be going to a new school and our whole morning routine is about to shift about an hour earlier than we're used to. So this morning we did a "dry run." We all woke up early and got a move on. I'm happy to report that we were out the door at 7:30! We arrived at her school at 8:00am, a full 15 minutes before school will begin. Phew. 

As a parent, I feel guilty when mornings are hectic. Sometimes they are insane. I know that there are things that I can do to make the process a bit easier but at the same time, sometimes it's all I can do just to keep sane and make sure the basics are taken care of (teeth brushed, kids dressed and fed, lunch packed and ready to go). Other mornings I'm somehow able to fit in an extra cup of coffee and catch up on email. 

Here are some tips that always help make mornings smoother over here – they don't magically transport me to Never Never Land but when you're talking about getting kids out of the house in the morning, every minute counts. 

• ​Cut fruit and veggies in advance. I go to the grocery store usually just once a week. My kids plan their lunches with LaLa Lunchbox so it's never a surprise what fruit or veggie they want during the week. About two or three times per week I bust out the cutting board, chop and pack. My fridge is then packed with containers of ready-to-go cantaloupe, strawberries, mango, oranges, carrots and celery.  In the mornings before school, there's no cutting boards or knives needed. Less morning cleanup makes for less stress. Added bonus: my husband and I eat more produce because it's easily accessible. 
• Package what you can in advance. Whether you use the reusable baggies (we love Lunchskins) , plastic containers (we love Easy Lunchboxes) or plastic baggies, there are some things that can be prepped in advance. By putting  pretzels , crackers, cookies and the like in ready-to-go bags, it's easy to grab and go. 
• If leftovers are for lunch, package it the night before. ​Giving your child last night's lasagne for lunch today? Put aside his portion when you clean up from dinner. 
• Fill reusable water bottles and place in fridge the night before. Place next to your containers of cut produce so that you don't forget to pack it. 

Most importantly, cut yourself some slack. The start of a new school year can be stressful. ​May the force be with you.