Lunchbox prep for the week

How do you get ready for the week?  I know some moms who have their kids outfits lined up for the whole day.  Others who have their whole week planned out by the hour.  Yeah, I'm not THAT organized.  But when it comes to the the cooking, I need to know what I'm doing. The kitchen is the only place I prep for the week. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook but if I can do something to keep me out of the kitchen, I'm all for it.

The boys take their lunches to school.  On Sundays after I go shopping, I cut up all my fruits and veggies and portion them out and put them in the in the snack drawer. In the morning, I put together their sandwiches, salads or what have you, and they pick out a side (or 2) and their snack for the day.

I love the snack drawer in my fridge.  The boys love it too.  As do all the other kids who come over.  I always tell them, if it's in the drawer it's free game.  I have a basket in the pantry with things like crackers, dried fruit, pretzels, PB cups for dipping apples, granola for the yogurt and such.  And there are always bananas and apples on the counter.   I will save my banana story for another day.

We like to give them options and let them make balanced choices.  And I find that the fruit is always gone first. I let them pick out their drinks for school.  At home they stick to water and milk. They like the pouches for school because I put them in the freezer in the morning and they are still super cold come lunch time. They always take their water bottles too.

Am I the only one who looks at grapes in the store and thinks twice before putting them in my cart?  I can't help it.  If it doesn't look good I don't want to buy it.  And grapes are expensive enough as it is.

So when I pulled out the bag of grapes, I kinda just stood there staring at them.  Seriously, why are they so dirty still?  I usually just rinse them off with water but I was so annoyed that I did what I always do when I wonder random things.  I asked google.  And found out that you can wash grapes in a bowl of water with  2T of cornstarch.  Who knew  I mean, they aren't squeaky clean, but they were good enough for me.

I usually cut the oranges with the peels on them.  The boys came home one day and told me that everyone else who brings oranges have peeled oranges.  Really?  How are you supposed to make orange teeth if there are no peels?  You have never made orange teeth?  Where you put the peel between your teeth and lips and smile...  Oh, just me? 

OK well then at least tell me you cut your mangoes like this then?  Cut them around the seed so you have 2 halves.  Then cut a tic tac toe board in them.  I leave them like this and when the boys get to school they push up on the middle of the skins and flip them inside out like this!  Everyone does this right?  Well they should anyways!

Do you prep meals ad snacks ahead of time?  Do you have a better grape wash you want to tell me about?  I suppose I could just stop being so damn picky.  That might work too.  But you had better bet the boys no longer mind having peels on their oranges.  Hopefully they don't get written up for being silly at lunch. I would never hear the end of that one!