Happy October!

I love October. I know, I know. Just two weeks ago I was saying how much I love summer. And I do! But I also love October. Cool mornings. Crunchy leaves underfoot. Crisp evenings with that hint of cold and wood smoke in the air from fireplaces being woken up after a season or two of rest. And Halloween, one of my favorite days, just a few weeks away! Followed by Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and New Year's, and Valentine's... October is like the doorway and front hall into a full season of holidays and celebrations! 

Today and tomorrow are half days for our schools. State budget cut furlough days, don't ya know. I like having my kids home early, but it stinks that education is such a low priority to the powers that be in this country, that the funding and budget for schools is so low. Anyway, the two boys at the middle school didn't need lunches because they'll be home by noon. The two girls at the primary school won't be home until a bit later, so I sent lunches with them.

And because it's October... pumpkin lunches!

Princess has a pastrami and a turkey roll (just deli meat folded over and rolled up), Cheez Its with American cheese pumpkins, green grapes with a Jack o' lantern sticker hanging out on top, pumpkin shaped frozen peach yogurt, some tiny cherry tomatoes from the garden with candy pumpkins, and a peeled mandarin orange with a leaf-and-stem food pick stuck in to make it look like a pumpkin (although honestly? It looks more like an orange than a pumpkin to me. If you squint your eyes and stretch your imagination, maybe it looks more pumpkin-y). Her lunch is tucked neatly into a single layer Hello Kitty bento box from the mall.

Bean has a similar lunch - green grapes with a sticker, pumpkin shaped peach frozen yogurt, pastrami and turkey rolls, pumpkin cheese, Cheez Its, pumpkin-orange, and candy pumpkins.

Her lunch fit nicely into an adorable (I didn't get a picture of the lid, so you'll just have to trust me - it's cute!) Japanese manga import bento box which I found at - get this - Goodwill for a buck! I stopped there on a whim to see if they might have cookie cutters or maybe a Thermos or two, and instead I found this little gem. The box is a great small size, too small for a sandwich but great for finger foods like this. Everything fits in nicely with no room for food to bounce around and get mixed up. And only $1! So my tip today? Check thrift stores! You never know when you might find something awesome for a great price!