And finally, on this last day of Back to School Week, lots and lots of cute options for lunch boxes, if you’re in the market for new ones this year. (Note: I’m resisting the urge to suggest vintage lunch boxes – which aint’ easy.)

For the pre-schooler, the Zoo Lunchies by Skip, Hop are crazy cute:

They are small in size – not for the really big eater! But they come in several more animal designs than just these two.

For Kindergarten through 2nd or 3rd grade:

Robot Lunch Box (shop around for best price) by Dante Beatrix
Under the Sea Lunch Box ($15.99) by Crocodile Creek

We’ve had a few of the Crocodile Creek lunch boxes; they come in lots of different designs and are very easy to clean. The Dante Beatrix lunch boxes are pricey but the designs are really adorable (and have matching backpacks).

Some unique options:

The Lunch Box (shop around for the best price) by OOTS!
Panda 2-tiered bento box (shop around for best price) by Kotobuki

And fun, soft lunch bags:

British Invasion lunch bag ($30) by Dabba Walla
“Verve” lunch bag ($30) by Built

I also like these Waste Free Lunchkits by Mimi the Sardine (they come in several patterns), with snack containers and cloth napkins in an eco-friendly lunch bag. Did you know the average school child generates 67 pounds of lunch box trash a year? Yikes.

Lunchkit ($46.50) by Mimi the Sardine

Of course, there are plenty of handmade options on Etsy as well, and here’s an adorable lunch bag tutorial by Ellen over at The Long Thread if you’re inclined to make one.

Image: The Long Thread

And don’t even get me started on cute snack containers.

Oh! And don’t forget to add one of these special little menus/notes to your kids’ lunch boxes, which are free for you to download and print (I’ve already printed a stack of them for this school year). You’ll find them in the Food Issue of the excellent Classic Play! You might recognize the sweet illustrations by Jennifer Vallez of Sophie & Lili, a Charlotte’s Fancy favorite.

Image: Sophie & Lili for Classic Play!

If you’re looking for cute backpacks, take a look at last year’s round-up – many of the designs are still available.

Have a great weekend!