{give away and review} why we *love* reusable sandwich and snack bags

One of my childhood memories is of my amazing, resourceful mother washing out and pegging up plastic bread bags over the kitchen window sill, to reuse for wrapping sandwiches, cut fruit and so forth. Yes, she was into reusing and repurposing way before it was on trend! ;)

While I may not (yet!) take my environmental and thrifty savvy to quite that level, clearly it influenced me because it has always chaffed me to use lots of plastic bags. Even when my dear kids and their never ending (NEVER.ENDING!!) snack requirements appeared on the scene, I always cringed about using 'disposable' ziplock type bags. It just seemed so wasteful! Just a single use then toss. It didn't seem right. Containers were the easy alternative of course, but they were usually so bulky, they didn't always suit. A couple of years ago I started seeing reusable snack bags coming onto the market and my little heart knew it had met its match! Ahhh, the answer to my predicament! I bought a couple to try out - a sandwich and a snack sized bag, and it was indeed looooove :)

Here's a little list of why our family now loves using reusable bags...

• Good for the environment, less waste and landfill. 
• Over time, you save $$$!
• They are easy to empty/dust out, and if they get mucky, most are dishwasher/washing machine friendly too.
• Unlike bulky containers, they don't take up as much space in your bag - and once they are empty, they take almost no space!
• They are a great way to wrap individual foods within lunchboxes too, so you can avoid using cling wrap.
• A better alternative to your food touching chemical-leeching cling wrap and plastic bags.
• Oh yeah - they look so cute too :)

A few of the colourful, fresh and modern designs of the Lunchskins range. Aren't they gorgeous!? And so well made too.

These days I usually have a couple of reusable snack bags floating around in my hand bag and nappy/diaper bag, filled with emergency crackers, sultanas, etc. Every time someone else spots us using them, they comment on what a great idea they are - and yes, they really are! Good for the kids - and for adults too of course. Yes, Mama needs her own little snack bag at times...keeps me from getting 'hAngry' ;) Hubby takes some of his work snacks in them too!

A staple 'emergency handbag snack kit' - sultanas, coconut chips and sunflower seeds. 

Perfect for little hands...

A couple of common questions friends ask about reusable lunchbags are...

1) How well does it 'seal' in the food? Does a sandwich stay fresh? Unlike some other brands, Lunchskins has a really strong velcro strip that goes all the way across the opening. If you make a sandwich in the morning, it will keep nice and fresh for the day, but I wouldn't say longer than that. It's not an airtight seal like a ziplock, but it does close up very well. 

2) Does it leak? Again, it's not completely 100% sealed in like a ziplock bag, but the canvas is sturdy and thick. For something fairly juicy like an orange, rockmelon etc it will contain it all just fine. I filled mine with water as an experiment, and it dripped a bit from the corners where the stitching is and would also from the flap at the top. Of course, I don't think anyone is expecting to use them to hold pure water, haha... 

The perfect little sandwich bag. Please note this bread is a small loaf (Burgen bread). Regular size bread fits perfectly too.

This is Eli's serious orange face, haha :)

I started off my 'reusable bag journey' (ha!) with a different brand, which I liked but was open to trying another type. Earlier this year, a friend and I came across these adorable and really well made bags by Lunchskins in one of our favourite online kids stores, Finlee and Me. We bought a couple each to try, and have both been SO happy with their quality, their cuteness,and the very strong velcro which goes along the whole opening flap (the other brand I used only had a small tab of velcro, so it didn't seal up so well). The Lunchskins brand of reusable bags are also BPA and phthalate free and dishwasher safe. They are also hand sewn using certified food-safe fabric. 


The Good Stuff....

Are you getting on board the reusable bag train? Keen to try them out? Or already a fan and want to increase your stash? Well, this could be your lucky day! I am so pleased to partner with Finlee and Me, who have generously offered to give away a sandwich/snack bag set to THREE lucky winners!!

Finlee and Me are a fantastic Australian online kids shop, specialising in lovely and unique goodies for kids and babies - and some things for Mums too! When they offered to send me an item for review, I was keen to add to my reusable bag stash, as with five family members the few I have are always in use! Plus, I couldn't wait to shout my love for these enviro-friendly goodies to the rooftops. You know me, I love to share with you guys about what I'm loving! Of course, I also wanted to share the love around with a giveaway :)


So, there are three chances to win! Just comment below to have one of three chances to win your very own Lunchskins snack and sandwich bag set (valued at $24.95 plus postage). In the mean time, check out the gorgeous full range here.... and be sure to browse around all of Finlee and Me's lovely other goodies too. So many nice things!

PS Use the Rafflecopter app, then enter your competition entry comment (What would you store in your Lunchskins reusable bag?) into the blog comment box at the bottom of the page xx

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions:
Giveaway is for 3 Lunchskins sets (one sandwich bag, one snack bag). One set each for three winners, and including delivery within Australia
Australian Entries only. 
Must leave a name and email address if using an "anonymous" profile that is not linked to a way to contact you if you've won.
Winner will be deemed most creative/interesting response as chosen by me. This is a game of skill, not chance.
Entries close Sunday night, 19th April, 11.59pm 2015. 
Judges decision is final. Winner must respond within 48 hours or prize will be awarded to the runner up. Good luck!!!

**These items were provided for review by Finlee and Me. All opinions are 100% my own... as mentioned, I bought a set of these myself earlier in the year, we are big fans already!**

a Barbie alternative // the lovely Lottie doll

We welcomed a new little friend into our household recently... her name is Lottie!

She was a special gift for Lily after she achieved a major milestone (stopping thumb-sucking at last after a significant regression - hooray, hooray, hooray).

Our journey to little Lottie was a winding one. Lily had started asking for 'a Barbie' after seeing several of her little friends had them. But... I just couldn't bring myself to buy her one. Now please don't get me wrong, I don't think Barbie and her ilk (Moxie, etc) are the devil incarnate or anything!! I grew up with Barbie dolls and certainly don't consider myself scarred for life or anything ;) And yet... knowing my daughter, I just felt myself pause at the thought of consciously purchasing a Barbie for her. Maybe it will happen one day, but she just seemed too young and I just didn't feel comfortable about it.

I love to see my little girl's imagination run free as she plays, creates, and processes through her dolls and toys. I appreciated the idea of a very special doll for her but.... I kinda wanted her to live out this creative world through a little girl doll who looked a bit more like her. You know - with a real child's body. Or at least a real woman's body!!! One of the things I am conscious of with my kids is letting them truly embrace their childhood, and just be free to be kids. As much as possible, to be free of the body image issues and the early sexualisation and adult-ification of childhood that seems to run more and more rampant in our society these days. She is growing up in her own sweet time, no need to rush the process!

And so began my internet search for 'a Barbie alternative', thinking surely there would be a plethora of them after all the Barbie controversy over the years. I was pretty surprised to find the pickings were slim to almost non-existent. Really???! C'mon, people! I knew I could not be the only parent looking for an alternative.

And then I finally stumbled across Lottie. Lovely little Lottie!






Lottie dolls are a range of dolls from the UK. They are little girl dolls designed especially to look like....little girls. No makeup, no jewellery, no insanely disproportionate body shape. And even flat feet so she can stand up for herself! Ok, yes, there are the long lush locks and the big googly eyes but... in comparison to market offerings... it was leaps and bounds ahead. Kids can still change outfits and brush hair (and take it in the bath - a serious requirement according to Lily!) - but with a doll that looks a lot more true to a child/life. I was thrilled!! But now I had to see if it met the standard of my discerning five year old.... after all, this was a special gift and I didn't want to purchase something that I loved but didn't win her heart. I pulled up the website with the range of dolls and with trepidation, let her survey the offerings.... would it passed muster??

"Oooooh' she breathed. 'I can really choose one??!!'

Yup, Lottie passed the test! Phew ;)

A spare outfit for parties ;)
Every girl knows that swapping outfits every half hour is the best part of having a doll, right?!

There are a range of Lottie dolls with different hair colour and fun, kid-friendly outfits. Of course, my little dancer chose the ballerina-esque outfit... with a backup outfit very similar to the dressy outfits she owns. The tag on the box says 'Lottie has a 'childlike' body developed by a range British academics; she doesn't wear makeup, jewellery or high heels. Best of all, she can stand on her own two feet - an invaluable life skill for all girls, big and small' . Here, here! (Much more info and research on the Lottie website listed below). The doll range 'themes' focus on activities that a child can do (from soccer to swimming to butterfly catching!) and helps present a healthier view on body image and an active lifestyle. I really appreciate that they have a range of dolls and outfits that includes the sparkly fun stuff that many girls enjoy but does not limit the range to those 'hyper girly' options. Just like the colour pink - nothing wrong with the colour itself, but it gets tiresome when it's the only option for girls to choose from - it's so limiting and self-perpetuating! Argh! Likewise with Lottie, there is pink and sparkles but there is also soccer and hiking themes! And - all of them are child appropriate. At last.

When the time came at last to open up the Lottie doll box (Lottie was kept on a shelf until Lily's no-thumbsucking goal had been reached), Lily was sooooo excited. Thrilled. Swept away. 'She looks just like me!!!' she squealed with joy, and I was very happy to admit it was true, 'Except I don't have a fringe. Maybe I should get one!' (Uh oh, hide the scissors, lol!!). Yes, a girl like her, through which she can dream, imagine, create and adventure.

I think the grin on her face says it all really!

Her first moments with Lottie. As soon as Lily opened up the box, she raced to
dress in her own ballet outfit so they could be matching :)

Putting those teeny little ballet slippers back on!

Introducing Lottie to Mrs Scratch :)

Twinkle toes times two.

Soaring high into the sky...

My own little lady, feet firmly planted on the ground.

a Lottie love 

Twirling ballerinas

And.... rockstar Lottie?!

Girls don't have to be sweet and delicate. Ha! Belting out her tune with gusto.

Giddy with excitement, going a little cookoo ;)

Lottie, standing on her own two feet!

I am thankful for how Lottie encourages girls to enjoy their childhood in all its facets. I think we found a good fit for our family values with this sweet little doll. Childhood is a magical phase that passes quick enough without encouraging them too soon into adult worlds and concepts. With Lottie, I feel like Lily can happily linger in her girlhood a little longer.

And now, I am enjoying watching Lily and Lottie and their many adventures unfold (it's both hilarious and sweet). The dawning of a very special friendship indeed :)

P.S. I probably don't really need to say it on this teeny tiny blog, but this isn't a sponsored or affiliate post or anything! Just happy to have found a doll that we love and wanted to share it around so if anyone else out there is searching for a Barbie alternative, they can get a review! 

PPS The Lottie Australia website is here. You can buy it online at lots of places, I found the best online price for the doll Lily wanted here (very affordable, I thought), and apparently you can buy them in store at David Jones, Toys 'R Us and hopefully many other stores will start stocking them! Available also in the UK and US and I'm sure other countries... have a Google and see. Get on the Lottie train, I say! She rocks :)

Reflections on 'Age Two'

Ahhhhh, two.

Such a gorgeous little age, I just love it! I have been soooo looking forward to hitting this milestone.

Always monkeying around!

I think every (most?) parent ends up with ages and stages they love and other ages and stages they love... a little less. There are pros and cons to every age, and needless to say we love the little monkey's fiercely through the highs and lows, but I think most parents have preferred and less preferred stages. For me, (though admittedly still at the starting gates on the whole parenting gig so I can't really speak beyond age 3 at the moment, lol!) I just adore the snuggly newborn days, or rather find them pretty straight forward for the most part.

I think I gotta say my less favourite stage is the season from about 9-18 months. Yes, it has plenty of huge highlights full of sweet milestones -the first steps, first words and all that excitement. But gee, it is a busy age - little tykes with heaps of intention, places to go, things to get into and put in their mouths or ears or nose, all the while struggling to communicate with the world about what they want, whilst they also struggle to understand what this life is that is going on around them, and why they can't immediately have everything they want at every moment - life is tough for them! So many precious highs but yeah, I just find it pretty exhausting to be honest! Then of course this phase is quickly followed by the mother of all developmental leaps from 18-21 months but then.... and having gone through it with Lily I knew what was on the other side of the battlefield.... two.

Two, I find just gorgeous. They are talking more and more, can sit and engage and 'play' more intentionally and with less supervision, understand, reason to an extent, delay gratification and more. They become so much more independent (both my kiddos are toilet trained before two so that helps I'm sure) - able to do more for themselves and help with simple tasks too. Sure, the little cherubs can have a high old time making their wishes known around this age, but with lots of loving and firm boundaries and consistency, I find it's a pretty clear path through those issues if I stick at it.

So... I have been looking forward to hitting this milestone with my little guy. I remember passing 'two' with Lily and on the other side all of a sudden I realised - wow, so things aren't always going to be as crazy full-on as it is with a baby/crawler/young toddler? When you are in it and just doing it, you don't even realise how relentless the work/supervision is until all of a sudden it pulls back! Two was the marker for me for the movement out of babyhood and into toddler/childhood and while I of course love and cherish many sweet moments in those early years, there is also something satisfying about hitting this two year mark.

Baby no more, he is my big boy now!

Of course, Eli's Two-ness is yet to be fully experienced but even in the last month or two I have seen us cross over to this phase. He is such a little man now, able to play, chat, tell stories (in very short sentences and words but still, the boy can tell a tale or two!), engage for ages with his sister, play games, put away laundry, follow simple tasks and even do craft activities without eating all the glue or swiping everything to the floor in four seconds!!

It was also a shock to realise that at this age, Lily had already been a big sister for a whole three weeks whereas Eli gets another whole six months to be the youngest. He seems so much older than Lily did when she got her baby brother... I'm sure helped by the fact he has his sister always teaching and guiding him? 

My little man.... I look forward to walking through this year with you, soaking up your gorgeous smile and watching you take on the world in your own special way - with vigour, joy and passion!

PS I'm sure every parent reading this may have totally different stages they love more or less - this is just my own personal preferences thus far! Eg I know many Mamas who struggle with the newborn phase but adore a crawling little bubba! Maybe we could arrange swaps for some of these differering seasons, haha! Feel free to share in the comments about your fave/less fave stages.

Laundry Boy

I am big on kid's learning responsibility in our little home - from an early age I really want them to understand that everyone in the family can do their part (no matter how small) to contribute. We are a team and we all pitch in! Alas, this requires much patience and consistency from me!! Which I admit is not always as present as I would like, especially when little hands take so much longer to get the job done. However, I am committed to plugging away and try to look at the ever-ongoing household chores not just as tasks to be done, but as part of our rhythm of our days and it's ok if they sometimes get done in very fragmented and messy sections!

Hopefully the long term benefits will be worth it and just as I am (slowly!) learning that it is a blessing to serve my family by taking care of the home, I want my kids to be part of that too! I try to keep tasks fun, simple and not onerous. Thankfully at this age kids usually love to help out and I figure it's worth capturing this enthusiasm while it's there! Like so much of parenting, I find the kids easily rise to consistent and calm expectations, any lacking usually comes from my own inability to be consistent with them on a day to day basis... ah well, we try, right?!

Eli's first 'chore' is helping distribute the clean laundry to the various rooms of the house (Lily started with this too). His current system is hilarious and I managed to capture it today....

He runs to the bedroom I tell him to take his sweet-little-arms-filled-with-clothes to.... being only 19 months he doesn't always get this right, so I sometimes find a pile of clothes placed thoughtfully on the couch or in the kitchen, but oh well!

Stop for a photo...'Cheeese!'

(Sidenote: the horrendously grubby open wardrobe mirror that is flashing in the background is so streaky because Eli likes to stand in front of it and kiss it/himself. Eeep!)

 Toss the clothes in the door way (as the Laundry Fairy/Mummy later puts them into the drawers)

Run through the house clapping and shrieking 'Good Job!!!! Good Job!!!!' (which sounds like 'Goo Jahhhhhhh!)

With Eli's prowess at the washing line, hopefully it's only a couple more years before I can hand over the entire laundry routine to him?! (Ha!)

Yes, it's a pretty messy and drawn out system, but it turns the ever revolving door of laundry into a fun and active game and hopefully a learning opportunities for the littlies! I want to lay foundations for the gift of service, being an active and contributing member of our family and of course the often-monotonous-but-ever-essential-skills required to run a home.

Babysteps, right??

Not catching up, just diving in!

I am so new to this, it terrifies me! I never thought I could do this blogging gig.... but here I am! Inspired by the 365 project (taking a photo a day for a year), and my dear friend's new blog to track it... I saw the posts go up and was so very inspired, I yearned to participate! Ah well, I thought, shame it's past January 1st, will just leave it another year.... or seven...

Then yesterday my charming 3.5yr old daughter Lily suggested we eat our peanut butter sandwiches outside. Little 18month old brother Eli was having his first 'Nana Day' at my Mum's house and it felt ever so decadent to have time just me and my little Miss! So 'Sure' I said... even though I had to immediately quell the thoughts in my mind that said 'But while she eats lunch, I normally tidy the kitchen, put away random items, hey even check my email!'. Cherish and sieze these moments, I told myself, so out we marched into the sunshine and ate our peanut butter sandwhiches under the shade of the trampoline. It was delightful - although I had to freqently beat down the thoughts in my head suggesting I just quickly pull up a few weeds, take down the washing from the line, etc... why is it so hard to simply SIT and BE with our children?? So I sat and was.... we ate, we dilgently tracked the journey of a little ant/fly thing wriggling in the grass for some time (although he could not be convinced to eat some of Lily's crust).

I conversationally asked Lily what she was thinking about and she looked at me coyly... 'I'm thinking about someone who's kind to me' she said. 'Oh, who's that?' I enquired. 'You!!!' she squealed.... this child never ceases to amaze me with her sweet thoughts. Lily then launched into a hysterically random monologue for seriously 10 minutes about all the different kinds of skirts (most invented and truly bizarre like the ones that go over your arms and neck with buttons on the top???!) after asking me 'Mummy, would you like me to tell you some things about skirts'. I mean.... who is this kid?!!

And at that moment I thought - these days are incredible, these moments so fleeting and so magical. I feel so blessed at times it makes me weep... literally. How can I not record these times more fully? Perhaps this blog will make me more accountable.... Hell, I've missed 13 days of the year but I am going to jump in and try this fandangled blogging thing! I will endeavour to keep it up.... even though exposing my thoughts online scares me, I guess it's a little alluring too or there wouldn't be like two zillion other blogs just like this one, right?!?

So here she goes....