I wrote this post about #LunchingAwesome in partnership with Applegate. All opinions expressed are my own.

With The Boy starting Kindergarten a few weeks ago, I find myself packing school lunch on busy days and on not so busy days. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve noticed the cute sandwiches I’ve been cutting every day with cookie cutters.

The Boy requested a number 5 sandwich. “You know, you have to be five to go to Kindergarten, Mom. And, I’m five, that’s why I go.” {Moms: ONE number 5 sandwich is too small! I made two!}

I’ve made ghost sandwiches:

And I’ve made them look like a certain mouse, too:

After packing twenty-school lunches, I’ve established a routine and it works great for me.

Tips for Packing School Lunch on Busy Days

1) Don’t Ask The Child. Asking a five year-old what they want for lunch is a waste of time. You’re setting yourself up for complaining, moping, and general whining. Who needs that on a busy day? Make the lunch and THEN show them what they’re having. “I made you a sandwich and purple carrots for lunch today. There is a yogurt for snack and some other delicious things in your lunch box, too.”

2) Keep your lunch supplies organized. I created a snack cabinet where I store all of the snack bars, Annie’s gummy fruit snacks, organic raisins, and animal crackers. I store Stonyfield Organic YoKids Squeezers in a mason jar in the refrigerator (this keeps all the yogurt at the bottom of the tube, reducing the mess when you open them!) and keep all of my sandwich supplies in another area of the refrigerator.

3) Take some help from Applegate. When you think “I cannot pack another lunch!!”, reach for a HALF TIME™ kit from Applegate. Applegate partnered with Stonyfield and Annie’s to create the first pre-packed lunch kit with natural and organic ingredients. HALF TIME™ includes Applegate natural meats and cheeses (which have no artificial ingredients or preservatives, and are antibiotic- and hormone-free), Annie’s Homegrown crackers and snacks, and Stonyfield Organic YoKids Squeezers.

There’s no shame in packing a lunch for your kid that you don’t have to actually pack! Rebel! Put the ten minutes you typically spend packing school lunch to good use – paint your toe nails, drink a cup of HOT coffee, watch that Lincoln commercial with Matthew McConaughey (you know the one), or do NOTHING and feel good about that.

I’m excited to help one busy mom {or dad!} win a HALF TIME™ kit that includes:

• All three varieties of HALF TIME: Turkey & Cheese, Ham & Cheese, and Bologna & Cheese
• A draw-your-own lunch bag
• A set of permanent markers
• Coupons
• Activity book

Simply enter by completing the Rafflecopter form below! Easy, peasy. One only required entry, but the more of the optional entries you complete, the better your chances for three days off from packing lunch!

a Rafflecopter giveaway