Back to School Lunch Tip: Label Your Child’s Lunchbox and More!

Back to school is here!

It feels like summer just flew by. We have been so busy soaking up all the summer fun, going to dance camps, and getting ready for KINDERGARTEN! I am still in disbelief that she is in elementary school now — seems like yesterday that I was bringing her home from the hospital.

Anyways, kindergarten is such a big step in a child’s life. There’s way more responsibility on a little and they have to gain independence too. As a parent, it’s so hard to just let them go into this stage without being able to help as much as we have until this point. One way I’ve tried to be proactive and help Mila succeed during her kindergarten year was with specific tools and practice.

I love sharing what works with our family to help others, so here’s my tips. If you have any other different tips to help parents/guardians and their kids for lunchtime at school, comment them below.

  1. Custom Labels from Name Bubbles

The BIGGEST tool I’m using to help Mila is our Custom School Supply Labels from Name Bubbles.

We have used Name Bubbles’ labels before and they work amazing. Their labels are perfect for lunchtime items because they are dishwasher safe, microwave safe, freezer safe. laundry safe. and waterproof. 

Mila and I put her labels on her water bottle, bento box, lunchbox, and freezer pack. It might just be Mila, but I feel like I’m constantly washing her lunchtime items by hand-washing them and throwing the lunchbox bag in the washing machine. I don’t have to worry about Name Bubbles’ labels coming off of these items since they are so durable.

Another fun reason we love Name Bubbles Custom School Supply Labels is because Mila got to pick out her favorite design, font, and colors. That’s pretty cool for a kindergartener. For parents and guardians, it’s easy to help them design their custom labels too. It just is a little detail that makes their day so much more special at school.

Plus you can use GreySkies10 to save on your Name Bubbles order!

I love all the designs they have, so I had to share some of the ones they have on their website:

Here’s some ways using Custom School Supply Labels from Name Bubbles can help your child at lunchtime during back to school season:

  • Prevents mix-ups. It can be easy for kids to mix up their lunchboxes with their friends’, especially if they look similar. Labeling your child’s lunchbox will help to avoid this problem.
  • Helps with allergies. If your child has any food allergies, labeling their lunchbox will help to ensure that they do not eat anything that could make them sick. I personally have a peanut allergy, so this is so important to me. Just by labeling lunchboxes, children can avoid having a tragic allergic reaction.
  • Encourages independence. When kids know that their lunchbox is labeled, they are more likely to take responsibility for packing it themselves. Mila is very keen on helping get food for her lunch. It’s such a special time for us to pack it together, especially since she takes ownership of the food and her lunchbox. This can help to build their independence and self-confidence. This also helps at school too. A child can easily find their lunchbox by looking for their custom label.
  • Makes it easier for teachers and staff to help. We know mix ups do happen though. If your child needs help finding their lunchbox, a teacher or staff member will be able to easily identify it if it is labeled.

2. Make their lunch fun!

If I know anything about kindergarteners, it’s that they like to have FUN!

Usually the simple and little things are the most fun for kids. This is especially true for their lunches too. I have a few ways I try to do this for Mila. It does take some extra time, but for me, it pays off. She always lets me know the little surprises make her smile at school. At the end of last year, she even started having fun requests too.

  • Fun shapes. I use different sandwich cutters for her sandwiches to surprise her. Her favorite is butterflies, but I like to switch it up week to week and especially on the holidays. I also try to cut different fruits in fun shapes for her too.
  • Napkins. This seems so basic, but adding random colored or themed napkins make a difference. Mila always knows there’s a special holiday going on when I change up her napkins.
  • Make it a surprise. As much as Mila loves to help me out with her lunches, sometimes i switch what I make up. She loves when this happens.
  • Switch up containers. Mila has a few different bento boxes, water bottles, reusable bags, etc that gets changed out every other day. Just make sure to label everything with your Custom School Supply Labels from Name Bubbles!

3. Always include a special note.

This one really seems simple, but it makes all the difference.

I add a note in her lunchbox everyday. Even though she can’t read it, she’ll ask her teachers to read it for her. BUT if they don’t have time, I try to draw a picture or ‘love hearts’ in her note so she knows that I’m sending love her way.

These notes are just a little reminder that your child is being thought of by you. I know Mila looks forward to what she’s going to get every day.

4. Practice unwrapping, opening, and getting food and lunchboxes with your child.

They will feel so confident that they can do it themselves and it’s helpful for the teachers and staff on duty to help other kids who cannot do these things themselves.


No matter what, your child is going to do great this year when they go back to school. I hope some of these lunchtime tips will help ease your and your child’s mind a little before getting to school. Again, if you have any other suggestions, please comment below.

I will be sending out love to everyone in this back to school season. It’s been a hard one for me, but I’m so thankful for all the support and love that friends and family have shown Mila and me.

Please make sure to use GreySkies10 when you check out Name Bubbles and their Custom School Supply Labels. They are so helpful in Mila’s lunchtime experience.

Sibling grief is hard.

Last night was one of the hardest parenting nights I’ve had.

Mila starts school very soon and we’ve changed up her bedtime routine. We’ve started not watching movies to sleep, but just listening to soothing sounds after reading all the books. Not having screens on have been a big help to her sleep. It’s also opened up more conversations between the both of us.

Even though she’s only five, she’s taking everything in and has big thoughts. I try to be open, honest, and just listen to her about whatever is on her mind. Last night, was hard though.

It started off with her just talking about Jensen’s picture on the wall. She said it was a little crooked and it needed fixed. Then it turned into her saying she really missed her… and then into sobs. She kept on saying his name and that she missed him and that she didn’t understand why God made people die. She said she wishes she could just go to heaven to be with him since he can’t be here with us. Her face was soaked with tears and there was nothing I could do to stop the pain, because it doesn’t stop.

I felt totally powerless as a parent. I know she needs to feel what she’s feeling, but it’s heartbreaking.

Hearing her say his name over and over throughout the sobs — it makes me tear up now.

In that moment, I told her he’s always around us. We can always remember and honor him. Whenever we’re sad and want to see him we can look at his pictures or go through his books. I tried telling her the things I do and the thoughts I think whenever I feel sad about his death too. And, I told her I was sorry. Sorry that she had to live without her brother and sorry she had this grief, but I was happy she was here and alive and that she is such a bright light. She listened to it all, but still kept repeating herself.

It just fucking hurts.

I ended up snuggling her. There’s literally nothing else we can do. Sometimes we just have to sit with our grief and sadness. I knew in that moment, she just needed her mom to be there through that rough wave of grief.

Eventually, I grabbed Jensen bear for her so she could snuggle up to him and fall asleep.


So as I’m always transparent on here… something strange did happen last night.

I don’t actively look for ‘signs’ like I did early in my grief. Whenever I see orange and blue out and about, I think it’s a little hello. There’s other things that just happen that make me think it’s him saying hello.

Remember that I said Mila has a lullaby that plays all night long? Like it doesn’t shut off until we physically do it in the morning. Well, last night when she said I wish I could just snap my fingers and he’d be here — the lullaby just stopped. Like it completely shut off as soon as she said it. Which is strange since it never is off at night.

Mila was instantly like, “what the heck just happened?” Then she turned the lullaby back on.

We had another cycle of Mila’s questioning and sobbing and looking at pictures. Once again, she said, I just wish I could snap my fingers and he’d be right here. And again, the lullaby goes off.

Maybe it’s just a crazy coincidence, but I told her it was Jensen letting her know he was here. It seemed to have calmed her down and made her smile. She loved the idea that he was playing a little game with her to distract her from the sadness.


We made it through a rough night of sibling grief. I know there will be more nights and moments like this in the future. Together we’ll be able to make it through whatever.

March 5, 2023

I didn’t really have a clever title for this post, but this date has been circling in my head since I realized what it meant.

Seven years ago, I had no idea that the little baby inside of me was going to die the next month. I had no idea that I could be a grieving mother. Never in a million years did I ever think my boy would just be gone. I looked forward to being his mom and watching him grow and just having him with me always.

After he was born… I can remember dreading the fifth of every month. It only marked another month without him. In someways it always will, but with time, the reminder of time has lessened.

Until today, when it felt like all the 5ths of the past few years weighed down, heavily, on my chest.

I wish I had the right description word to even try to explain how I feel. There’s just really none that even come close. It hurts and I know it always will. I walk around with this giant Jensen sized hole in my heart. Mila does too. She misses her brother that she never met, but they still have this crazy connection. She says he’s the moon and sometimes I believe her.

He’s like the moon in some ways, always watching over us, there even when we can’t see him, and always the light when there’s darkness around.

The gravity of seven years pushes and pulls me the way the moon does to the tide.

My heart will always be broken from losing him. There will never be a day I don’t think about him. He will always be the best thing that’s ever happened to me and his death, the worst.

I never thought I would make it this far after losing him. The pain, heartache, and knowledge that he’s never coming back is just so much for a person to handle. I knew it’d never ‘get better’ or I’d be completely healed or having another child would make it ok. There is just no way to prepare for knowing your child has died and you have to pretend to be normal every day after that.

In less than a month, he’ll be seven. I wish I could know what he’d want his birthday party to be like or who his friends would be. I’d love to know his favorite activities or if he’d have a cereal obsession like Mila. As much as I complain about the laundry, I wish I could fold his clothes and wash the extra dishes. I wonder what show he’d want me to put on or see if he’d compromise to watch what Mila wanted to watch instead.

Then there’s the even smaller things – like when would he have lost his first tooth and what would his smile look like with teeth missing. How would he walk and what would his footsteps sound like? I want to know everything about him and how he would be now with all our memories, but it’s possible.

This is what March 5, 2023 is like for me. It’s sad and isolating and a lot of me pretending to be what I need to be for the people around me.

As I sit here typing and crying and just imagining, I know I’m doing what I need to be doing as Jensen’s mom. He wouldn’t want me to be sad, but this is part of loving and honoring him. This is what it’s like to be a grieving mother who’s son’s birthday is a month away.

And one more thing… love never dies. No matter how much times has passed and even though that pain is still there, not once have I questioned the love I have for my Jensen.

A piece of my heart is perpetually in 2016.

Mom Tip: Label All Your Kid’s Items

If your child is anything like mine, labeling their school, daycare, and after school activity items is a must. Not only are there so many benefits from doing this, I can show you the cutest labels from Name Bubbles.

Mila is the queen of losing her things; I think most four year olds could hold this title. We are constantly searching for shoes, coats, and water bottles. Miraculously, no items have been lost in public. but I have a little secret of how we’re preventing this further.

Honestly, I’m still working on helping Mila organize her things at home. She likes to get everything out and then stuff them in bags, THEN put them into her closet. It happens.

It’s a work in progress and I know it’ll get better eventually.

Since she is in preschool, dance, and other sports, we are constantly on the run. One way to keep track of her things is to label them. We have been using Name Bubbles.

They have a ton of different designs to choose from and you can be as detailed on them as you want. I love their clothing labels that irons on them; especially with dance costume and extra clothes at preschool. Believe me, this child love to trade her clothes and wear her friend’s clothes, so this just helps sort them out a little more.

Their custom daycare and school label packs are a must. I put them on Mila’s shoes, water bottle, backpack, lunch box, and her bentgo box. The water bottle ones really come in handy, especially when all the kids have their bottles by each other. It helps the teachers and her remember exactly which bottle she took to school or practice that day. Also, I love that the daycare labels have fun and cute designs for littles and the school labels have more ‘grown up’ designs for older kids.

It also helps in the opposite way too. Sometimes Mila will accidentally pick up someone else’s coat or water bottle and I know it’s not right. Since she knows her heart label is on all her school and practice items, she can look and instantly see it’s not hers. It prevents fights between me and her, which lets the day run more smoothly.

Even though I’ve seen a big difference of Mila not losing things while we’re in public, I wanted to give you all a list of positives about using Name Bubbles labels too.

  • Teaches children about ownership and responsibility.
  • Helps child remember which items are theirs.
  • If an item gets lost, you can recover it easier.
  • Prevents fighting between kids.
  • Helps resolve sanitary issues.
  • Plus, they’re cute!

I can’t wait to pick some new labels out with Mila before she goes to kindergarten. Of course we’ll have to get new labels from Name Bubbles for her new adventure. This is just a start to our labeling addiction.

Do you label your child’s items when they go to school? Let me know in the comments… and some home organization tips for kids too (lol).


I did receive these labels from Name Bubbles as a gift, but would totally recommend them to all! Since I am a Name Bubbles Affiliate, if you do purchase labels from my links, I will get a small percentage of the sales.

Halloween Activity Basket

It’s officially spooky season!

We love Halloween in our home and have so much fun with it every year. Last year, I made a Halloween preschool activity box for Mila and decided to make a new one this year! Filled with fun activities, this basket gives her busy tasks to do after school or while dinner is getting made. I love to have fun and engaging activities for Mila when she comes home, but sometimes, I can get busy. This basket will have the same activities in it all month long so she knows what to expect.

Let’s dive inside.

I got most of the items in person at Target, various dollar stores, and Joanns Fabrics. BUT, I searched online to find you all similar items incase you’d like to do this with your child. As with any links I have on here, I might get a small percentage with every purchase.

First, I got this orange basket at the Dollar General. Their baskets are always so good at an even better price. To make it festive, I used The Letter Vee‘s printable with some fun yarn.

I also have some other fun Halloween printables from The Letter Vee. She has a ton listed that are perfect for spooky season, but I put the spooky alphabet sheet for letter recognition and a coloring page. Both are great for a quiet activity. There’s also some blank papers in there for Mila to draw or trace.

Speaking of tracing. I added in some Halloween cookie cutters. She can practice tracing these and cutting them out. I’m excited what she creates with these.

Here’s some fun cookie cutters I found online:

Another fun tracing element I added were Halloween resin letters from Beags and Bubs! We love their resin letters and sensory sets. These particular letters are Halloween themed and we’ll use them all season long. Mila can trace them and also use them with the letter sheet too. They’re a staple in our home to play with.

If you do want to get some resin letters OR sensory kits from Beags and Bubs, use MILA15 to save!

Since Mila absolutely loves to paint and color, I added some wooden crafts from different dollar stores. These are so great for kids to create with. They’re cheap and they always end up so cute. She has a wooden jack-o-lantern and pumpkins. We use these crafts all the time so she’s very familiar how to work with them.

One fun activity that I actually made using The Letter Vee printable was this Halloween matching/memory game. I linked the video of how to make it to the picture. This just sits in a bucket and has been a big hit!

We also added some Halloween books. Most of our Halloween books are on Mila’s reading shelf in our home. She always has access to books and I plan to change these ones out every few days so she can be surprised.

Here’s some Halloween books that we love. If there’s some of the ones that you love and we’re missing, comment the titles below!:

Okay — that’s a TON of books, but they’re all so good. We have a lot more at home, but I had to limit myself to this amount for right here. Again, if you have a book we need to read for Halloween, please comment below.

On to the next item in the basket. STICKERS!

Mila is no different and loves stickers. I added a Halloween sticker book and some from the dollar store too. These will provide so much fun for her. She can use the wooden pumpkins or paper to stick them too.

I love this sticker book option from Amazon!

The rest of the items are ones you can find any where, and again, are staples in our home.

Here’s a closer look at everything inside this Halloween basket. It’s linked to an Instagram post where you can hear the sound with it too.

We love how everything turned out and I can’t wait for Mila to enjoy this all October long. I’ll make sure to share all the fun Halloween Activities we do the next few weeks. You won’t want to miss it!

What was your favorite item in the Halloween Basket?

7 Fall Trends for Preschool Girls

Fall is almost here and with that comes the cute and comfy styles too!

Since I have a little fashionista, I’m always planning her outfits and on the look out for fun fall trends. We like to have fun with style and let Mila’s personality and voice show through her clothes. With her help, we want to bring you these 7 fall trends your preschooler will love.

Denim Pieces

Does denim ever truly go out of style? I think not.

Finding fun denim pieces, besides jeans is a fun way to spice up your little’s wardrobe. Mila loves her denim jackets, rompers, dresses, and shirts. I also love denim with pops of fall colors like mustard and rust!

Here’s some fun denim pieces that Mila and I love:

Retro Vibes

Is it me or is retro in? We love the fun 70’s colors and looks that have been so popular lately. They’re fun to pair throughout the year, but with the fall trends — they’re perfect. No matter if it’s a top with retro wording or bell bottom jeans, the past’s trends are in now too!

One shop that I LOVE for retro pieces is Bailey’s Blossoms! They have adorable pieces and sales all the time!

Pops of Color

When I think of fall, I think of navy, rust, and orange. They’re colors that go with so many things and are just perfect. BUT I have also been loving the pinks and soft hues added in the mix of these as well. Fashion should be fun and kids love pops of colors!

I know Mila’s wardrobe has a lot of neutrals, but I love to see her in a ton of different colors. Here’s a few outfits we’ve loved because of their fall inspired colors:

Statement Pieces

I love outfits that make you say, “woah.” A statement piece is something that does just that. No matter if it’s a fun pair of pants, the cutest sweater you’ve ever seen, or a jumpsuit that’s so beautiful, these are perfect to have in your little’s wardrobe. I think these are fun pieces that I get to gift Mila every so often, but they’re always her favorites.

One shop that I’ve been OBSESSED with lately is Elemental Threads Co. They have fun statement pieces that I’m always looking at on my phone… oops.

Here are some other pieces we love too:

Matching Sets

Matching sets are always so cute and quick to pick out.

If your child is in a ton of different activities besides preschool, matching sets are a great way for them to be comfy all day and take them straight to where they need to be after school. Mila loves wearing her matching sets from Little Poppy Bow Co. They come with matching bows too.

When we go to dance, we can slip a leotard on under these or just have her dance in this too.

Pair with a cute pair of tennis shoes with some accessories and your little will be set.

Here’s some styles we love:

Jackets

When coming out of summer, kids get colder a little more easily. To combat this, we love pairing outfits with jackets. Our two favorite go to’s are: demin and leather! But I’m totally wanting to buy her a little varisty jacket. They’re so adorable!

Here’s some that we’re loving:

Accessories

Any little girls LOVES accessories.

Mila has to have at least one bracelet on every time we leave the house… seriously. We also like to switch it up and use a scrunchie as a useable bracelet too. She also adds sunglasses, necklaces, and bows (of course).

For these, I let her choose any accessories she’d like. This is where she can really have fun. Here are some shops we love:

  • Little Poppy Bow Co. – We get their monthly bow subscription box. They also have clips, headbands, necklaces and bracelets too.
  • Sloane and Daisy – These are Mila and my’s FAVORITE bracelets. They have fun holiday inspired ones for kids and moms! We also love their buttons for jean jackets and rings too.
  • Dash+Roo – Although Dash+Roo has a lot of fun home decor, they have the cutest DIY sunglasses option that would be perfect for all year long!

What was your favorite trend for preschool girls? Let me know in the comments.

*If you buy from any linked product, I will get a small commission since I am an Amazon and Zulily affiliate.

DIY Fall Bucket List

Happy September everyone!

We’re starting off the month with a fun little DIY that littles can help with too.

Ever since Mila was little, I’ve loved making bucket lists. It’s fun to brainstorm all the fun things you’d like to do for a certain time of year or theme. Since we’re in the “ber” months, I figured we should just start fresh with a fall bucket list. Mila helped come up with different things to add on the list and colored in some of the pumpkins too!

All I did was letter “fall bucket list” and free draw some pumpkins. It didn’t take too long and it was fun to watch Mila create too.

Since she enjoyed coloring in the pumpkins, I thought it’d be fun to color in each pumpkin when we do the activity! This was we can watch our pumpkin patch come to life while we make all the fall memories.

To make this DIY bucket list, we used:

Here’s all the activities we listed for our Fall Bucket List:

  • Go to a pumpkin patch
  • Go on a hayride
  • Jump into a leaf pile
  • Drink apple cider
  • Decorate the house
  • Make caramel apples
  • Drink PSL
  • Make a pot of chili
  • Go apple picking
  • Go on a fall hike
  • Bake a pie and eat it
  • Go through a corn maze
  • Watch the new Hocus Pocus
  • Go to a football game
  • Attend a fall festival
  • Have a spooky movie night
  • Make smores
  • Help with and eat Thanksgiving dinner
  • Make a gratitude project
  • Buy fall candles
  • Carve/paint pumpkins
  • Go trick or treating
  • Make memories
  • Make fall cookies

What fall activities would you add to this list or on your own? Let me know in the comments.

Strawberry Handprint Pot

If you love strawberries and want a cute pot to grow them in, you’ll have to make this Strawberry Handprint Pot!

These pots are a great way to watch plants grow, but also perfect for kids to get involved too.

I’ve said it a ton before, but Mila and I are obsessed with plants. We probably have 200 houseplants. Then in the summer, we have fruits, veggies, and herbs. My front porch looks like a jungle.

Last year, strawberries were our favorite to grow. Mila would literally eat them from the plant. It was so fun to check every morning.

To make strawberry picking more fun this year, we made this Strawberry Handprint Pot.

Here’s what you’ll need to make yours:

  • Green Paint
  • Red Paint
  • Black Paint
  • Pot
  • Brush
  • Strawberry Plant
  • Potting Soil

This handprint art is actually pretty easy to do.

Just paint (or have your kiddo paint) the majority of their hand with red paint. Then the top part with green.

Press firmly on the pot. We were able to get two handprints per paint!

Once it’s dried, add the seeds on to the strawberries. I just made little hearts in black. I thought it looked cute!

When those are dry, plant your strawberry plant and you’re good to grow.

Like all our crafts, I think this turned out so cute. I know this pot will have strawberries in it for years to come!


Looking for more strawberry fun? Check out some of these recipes and crafts we’ve done in the past!

Let me know in the comments which one is your favorite! Or a recipe/craft we should try next.

DIY Bug Catcher

If you’re looking for a fun way to get your kids outside and interested in bugs, make this DIY Bug Catcher.

The best part, I reused everything to make this!

Mila is slowly getting interested in bugs. She can tell you all about the butterflies life cycle and can identify different bugs too! Mostly, she’s excited about catching lightening bugs this year.

Even though I know she can, I don’t think she’ll want to use her hands. Cue another light bulb parenting moment…

We decided to make a DIY Bug Catcher so we can see lightening bugs and whatever else she catches. Like I said before, we got to reuse items to make it too!

Here’s all that it took to make this:

  • Parmesan Cheese Bottle
  • Stickers
  • Pipe Cleaner
  • Googly Eyes
  • Hot Glue
  • Tulle

First, take the label off and clean the Parmesan cheese container. I don’t think the bugs would mind the cheesy smell, but it needed washed out.

After, I hot glued tulle on the smaller hole side. This way the bugs can get fresh air!

I then put stickers that said, “Mila’s Bug Catcher” on it. When I was done with that, I let her put whatever stickers on there.

While she was decorating her bug catcher, I made the bug face top. I just used the colored googly eyes Mila told me to use and a pipe cleaner for the antennas. All I did was use a little hot glue and it worked perfectly.

Once you’re finished, twist the lid on and your DIY Bug Catcher is complete!


I’ll make sure to update with our bug catching adventures. Which bugs did you like catching as a kid? Let me know in the comments.

Boozy Baja Blast Recipe

If you crave Mountain Dew Baja Blast, but like a little kick to your drink, you’ll love this Boozy Baja Blast Recipe! With only three ingredients, this will be another summer favorite!

Plus, you have to grab a cute cup from DIY With The Wears for all your drinks too.

Lately, all I’ve wanted to drink is Mountain Dew Baja Blast. It’s just so refreshing and tasty. I love to get it during the summer when I go to Taco Bell.

But, I wanted it without going to Taco Bell. I knew I had to find a way to make it at home.

With only two ingredients for the regular DIY Baja Blast, it was super easy. Since I do enjoy a boozy drink or two in the summer, I decided to add a third ingredient too.

Here’s all you’ll need:

  • Mountain Dew
  • Blue Powerade
  • Key Lime Vodka
  • Ice

First, fill your cup up with ice. I swear certain drinks just taste better ice cold.

When mixing the Mountain Dew and Blue Powerade together, try to make it 75% Mountain Dew and 25% Powerade. This is the most perfect mixture and tastes just like Baja Blast.

Then add a shot of your vodka to top it all off.

It’s an easy drink to make and tastes so good. I love that I get one of my favorite drive through drinks at home!


Let me know in the comments what your favorite summer drink is and make sure to check out some others below: