When my maternity leave came to an end a few months ago, Ayla started daycare full-time. I was so worried she was going to have a really tough time, because she was very attached to me and screamed every time I left the room. Well, she completely surprised me! She settled in at daycare without any trouble at all. The ladies who work there say that she is so cuddly and sweet, and she always eats and naps well when she’s there. She actually cries sometimes when I come to get her. I’m glad she loves it there so much, but geez, she could be a little more excited to see me! Oh well, that’s not really a bad problem to have.
With Ayla in daycare, I have to label everything she brings there, so I was pretty excited when Stuck on You asked me to review their product. I selected the large classic labels. I love the variety of styles, colours, and even icons that you can choose from. I picked out the “groovy” colour palette, “cocoa” font, and a cupcake for the icon. Ayla has cupcake curtains in her room, so I thought it would be cute to have matching labels. I also received iron-on clothing labels with the same font and icon.
I tested these labels for a month and found that they held up extremely well, as long as you follow the directions properly. The classic name labels require at least 48 hours to bond before washing. I didn’t follow this direction on a couple of the containers, and the labels began lifting slightly around the edges. When I left the labels for a full 48 hours before washing, I didn’t have this problem. The directions also note that “some plastics with patterns, ridges or a greasy surface are not compatible.” One of my containers had ridges and raised lettering, and the label did begin to lift a little around the raised areas. So there are really no surprises here; the labels work just as they say that they will. The material is really tough and durable, and the colours remain vibrant through many washes. I like this a lot better than the labels from my label-maker. They stick well, but the writing always fades off really quickly. There was no fading at all with the Stuck on You labels.
The clothing labels worked great, too. I detest ironing, so I was a little reluctant to have to pull out my iron, but ironing on these labels was really simple and quick. It only takes 10 seconds once your iron is hot. Even I can handle that!
These cute and colourful labels sure do make packed lunches more fun. Do you know what else makes packed lunches more fun? A thermos! You might only use a thermos to pack hot leftovers, but there are so many other creative ways to use it.
Oatmeal
There are a couple ways you can pack oatmeal in a thermos. One way is to prepare the oatmeal beforehand and place the hot oatmeal in the thermos. The other way is to put hot water in the thermos and pack the uncooked oatmeal separately, then just pour the oatmeal into the water and stir it up when you want to eat it. We also like to pack yummy toppings for our oatmeal, like raisins, dried cranberries, seeds, and nuts (if your school/daycare allows them). Sometimes, I like to make Steel Cut Oatmeal in the Crockpot the night before, so I can just scoop the hot oatmeal into the thermos in the morning.
Cereal
Cereal for lunch? Why not! All you need to do is pack cold milk in a thermos and a separate container of your favourite cereal. When you’re ready to eat it, just pour the cereal into the milk and enjoy.
Yogurt Parfaits
This one is Cole’s favourite lunches. We layer yogurt (sometimes more than one flavor) with fruit inside the thermos, and pack a separate container of granola to sprinkle on top when he’s ready to eat it.
I used to only think of using a thermos for hot food, but as you can see, it’s great for cold foods as well. Try packing smoothies, fruit salad, pasta salad, or even sandwich fillings like chilled egg salad or tuna salad.
If you’d like some cool labels to stick on your thermos or other items, you should definitely check out Stuck on You. They also have personalized gifts, bags, lunchboxes, and more. I’m thinking of trying the shoe labels next, because it’s always so tricky to label shoes.
When you place an order, use the code FOODWHINE to get free shipping until May 31st/14.
Disclosure: I received Stuck on You labels for the purpose of this review. Opinions are my own.