Back to school can be a stressful time for parents. There is so much to consider, so much to buy and so many options!
I have teamed up with Thermos® for an incredible giveaway that will take the worry out of narrowing down your child’s lunch accessories and storage goods for the upcoming school season. Australian summers can be ridiculously hot and winters can be absurdly cold; this is what makes it so difficult for parents to choose a lunch box that will be suitable for these altering conditions.
Thermos® back to school
Thermos has the answer! The Thermos FUNtainer™ food jars and drink bottles have the well-known and trusted Thermos™ vacuum insulation technology that everyone loves. This technology allows food and drink to remain cold and fresh for up to 7 hours or alternatively hot for up to 5 hours. Parents and children can now experiment and keep lunches exciting; it doesn’t have to be the same boring sandwiches every day. Take a salad, homemade yoghurt, smoothies, dips, soup, noodles, fried rice, etc. to work and school without having the concern it will go off or require heating/cooling.
FIY: Food must be kept below 5°C and above 60°C to reduce the risk of food poisoning. The temperatures in between are what is classed as the danger zone for bacteria to grow rapidly in food.
For more information on food safety click here.
Not only are these products safe, they are convenient because they eliminate the need for icepacks and/or limiting lunch options for your child. To make them just little bit more special, the Thermos FUNtainer™ are available in a range of fun characters. These include (but are not limited to): Mickey Mouse, Tinker Bell, Frozen, Fire Truck, Thomas the Tank Engine and more. *There are also plain options available for the older children and adults.
Many people don’t realise that Thermos is a brand and not a product category. There are so many cheap imitations on the market and while they claim to be just as efficient, will just never stand up to the quality and reliability of real genuine Thermos products. With 110 years of experience and proven excellence, it is no surprise they are trusted by generations of Australians. To put their money where their mouths are, all Thermos FUNtainer™ products carry a 5-year warranty!
Take lunch limitations away and consider Thermos FUNtainer™ products this year for back to school purchases. ENTER BELOW to WIN yourself and your family one of the two amazing Thermos® prize pack with a combined valued of $843.64!! Or if you cannot wait until the giveaway ends, you can purchase these products from specialist children’s retailers such as Toys R Us and Baby Bunting.
2x WINNERS!! Each prize pack is retailed at: $421.82. Total prize pool: $843.64.
Each prize includes:
- 1x 355mL Stainless Steel FUNtainer™ Vacuum Insulated Drink Bottle – Disney’s Frozen (RRP $29.99)
- 1x 290mL Stainless Steel FUNtainer™ Vacuum Insulated Food Jar – Disney’s Frozen (RRP $29.99)
- 1x 355mL Stainless Steel FUNtainer™ Vacuum Insulated Drink Bottle – Fire Truck (RRP $21.99)
- 1x 290mL Stainless Steel FUNtainer™ Vacuum Insulated Food Jar – Fire Truck (RRP $23.99)
- 1x 470mL Stainless Steel FUNtainer™ Vacuum Insulated Drink Bottle – Purple (RRP $34.99)
- 1x 470mL Stainless Steel FUNtainer™ Vacuum Insulated Drink Bottle – Charcoal (RRP $34.99)
- 1x FUNtainer™ Insulated Lunch Case – Fire Truck (RRP $14.99)
- 1x Thermos® Cooler Backpack (RRP $44.99)
- 1x Book – Best Lunch Box Ever: Ideas and Recipes for School Lunches Kids Will Love by Katie Sullivan Morford ($34.00)
- 1x $50 Officeworks Voucher for Back To School supplies ($50.00)
- 1x Discover The Awesome World – kids science book ($29.95)
- 1x Crayola Super Tips 20 Pack Washable Markers ($12.00)
- 1x Minions Googly-Eyed Colouring Pad
- 1x Snap Circuits Beginner Electronics Kit ($34.95)
**As the winners are chosen based on skill and not chance; you will be sharing for 0 extra entries however I’d love you to share the giveaway with friends and family. Sharing is caring and karma loves kind people. **
Terms & Conditions:
1. Australian residents only.
2. Judges decisions is final.
3. Winners must make contact within 72 hours.
4. This is a game of skill. Chance plays no part!
Therefore no extra points are given for sharing however it is good karma!!
5. All Mum Said is not responsible for delivery of prize.
NOT endorsed by or have anything to do with facebook.
If you want to enter more giveaways click over here.
Disclosure: I received the above products for sharing this amazing giveaway with All Mum Said fans. All opinions are my own.
I avoid sandwiches in my kids lunch boxes so a thermos would be an ultimate solution….especially since their school bags are left outside in the hot sun. I’d fill them with fried rice, stuffed potatoes, fruit salad and home made yogurt. It would be awesome in Winter to give them a hot lunch of my special chicken and vegetable soup or even just a nice hot milo to start the day
I try and do small things that he can pick at, higher in protein to try and fill him up easily, like a boiled egg, chopped up fruit/veggies, chopped pieces of cheese, chopped up meat (like ham/chicken), he seems to eat more than just packing a sandwich. and doesn’t do the eat everything in sight when we get home.
I have individual jars that have names of different lunch items fillings , fruit and different snack items in them
the children pick one item from each jar to create a individual lunch box fur the following day .. This adds excitment and variation in a fun way
A triangle of cheese, some carrot sticks for quills, some sultanas for eyes and we have echidnas for lunch. They also love a wrap with lunch as well. However I could certainly do with some help from the Best Lunch Box Ever book.
Mini Pizzas, sweet or savoury muffins, sweet or savoury wraps and savoury slices. My daughter (7) helps to choose and make meaning she knows she will like it so I know it will get eaten. The muffins could be zucchini and apple sprinkled with parmesan or choc chip/marshmallow. The wraps could be spread with hommus then deli meats or leftovers, lettuce, carrot and cheese, we also occasionally do a nutella wrap with sliced fruit. My daughter chooses what is interesting for herself.
I try to make different muffin, biscuits and slices for my kids to take to school they always get a surprise when the open their lunchboxes as they love my baking!
I make ‘surprise’ savoury muffins… my kids never know what they’re eating until they take that first bite!
I like adding things with various textures, like a salad made with wholemeal pasta tubes, pine nuts, cucumber slices and olives.
A delicious range of homemade dips
Served with sesame seed biscuit strips
And fruit kebabs, they look divine
The kids’ favourite fruits all in a line
Home grown cherry tomatoes and little cubes of cheese
Are a welcome favourite and certainly please!
Vegetable sticks, or mini feta and spinach pies
Are just some yummy options that this mum supplies!
I made special sandwiches cut into different shapes
Sadly my 4 year old won’t try anything new at the moment. So I make her shaped sandwiches and try to come up with new ideas, it rarely results in her trying anything though and she couldn’t possibly eat anything green!
My kids like simple foods they can eat faster,
We aim for cold meats or even pasta,
Wraps with ham and mayonnaise,
Generally always gets lots of praise,
I know I’m onto a winner
When they ask for it again for dinner
We cook on Sundays for the school week ahead. The kids take turns picking something sweet and something savoury for us to cook each week – from pikelets and pizza muffins, to mini carrot cakes and mini quiche, I find if they choose it and help make it, they are much more likely to eat it. My teens still love to do it now, and will often cook with our four year old. This will be the first year he’s helped make food for his own school lunches, and I hope he loves it as much as the other two have
I try to pack a little something extra in their lunch box for a healthy mind! Like a note saying I love you or even a simple smiley face. Sometimes I try to be creative and come up with something like a funny cartoon or saying that I know will put a smile on their face.
Sausage rolls are a hit. Home made, I get the kids involved with grating veggies or mixing the mince. It’s a healthy lunch time treat that the kids enjoy, and they’re proud of helping and like to show their friends what they’ve ‘cooked’.
Cheese people- it’s a simple and healthy recipe that kids can even help you to decorate and make. The biscuit base is basically flour, cheese and milk and then you cut them into people shapes (or other shapes) and decorate them with different vegies such as carrot, capsicum, mushroom, tomato, etc. They’re a very fun lunch box snack!
Fruit kebabs instead of whole fruit,
The kids think vegemite scrolls are beaut,
Mini ham and cheese muffins are a delight,
Cheese and carrot sticks are just right!
Muffins, large and mini
Savoury, sweet, many many
Perfect with a thermos of soup!
Home made cup cakes, muffins, slices, wraps and rolls. I love to bake, the kids (& hubby) love to eat, and I know exactly what is and isn’t in it. And everything in moderation, only one sweet treat per day.
The’re always super excited to see what Mum baked the day before while they were at school, or the night before while they were sleeping. And there’s always plenty for their friends, when they come to play after school…….sucks kids of today can’t enjoy bringing and sharing food (at school) like ‘back in the day’, boy am I feeling my age saying that!!! And eggs, how they’re not allowed to bring egg sandwiches to school, sheer stupidity in my eyes.
*They’re
My children really don’t seem to like anything too different, they all really just like to stick to sandwiches for lunch. So I do what I can to make their lunches look slightly more interesting, like cutting the sandwiches out in all different shapes and adding cute notes to surprise them here and there.
Fortunately wife’s on the money with interesting lunches, smiley face sandwiches, frozen grapes and things like that. I’m a bit boring, the most fun thing I’ve made them for lunch is my special under the griller, or under the gorilla as it’s known in our house, pita bread pizzas, with only the toppings the kids like. Little buggers made me lunch one day and I copped a pineapple and anchovy under the gorilla pita pizza. Lucky they’re mine and I love them. But you could say their revenge lunches were interesting, I made the pair of them a cotton wool sandwich each for lunch, packed right on top with the real lunches underneath. They thought it was hilarious.
Dips such as hummus, tzatziki or beetroot,
along with pita or crackers , yummy the secret!
Vegetable sticks for dipping, potato salad, yum
Pita bread pockets, give me some!
I like to make them soy noodles with a little bit of bok choy. A nice change to sandwiches!
I dont have a thermo for my kids would love to send them with one especially in winter so i can give them soup or cooked noodles its always a nice change from sandwiches. I usually make different shaped sandwhiches with my sandwhich shapes either with devon,cheese slices,hundreds and thousands or even vegimite. I also pack the kids yoghurts,carrot sticks,celery sticks and many other fruits. Would love and appreciate winning a thermo prize pack it would make school so much easier.
I dont have a thermo for my kids would love to send them with one especially in winter so i can give them soup or cooked noodles its always a nice change from sandwiches. I usually make different shaped sandwhiches with my sandwhich shapes either with devon,cheese slices,hundreds and thousands or even vegimite. I also pack the kids yoghurts.Would love and appreciate winning a thermo prize pack it would make school so much easier.
I try and make school lunches interesting for the kids so I vary it with homemade sausage rolls, ham or chicken salad wraps, quiches or leftovers -fried rice or spaghetti. A thermos would be great for the kids to have hot soup or stew for a change.
my son loves me making bacon and egg pies, chicken wraps, home made fried rice! thermos are great for pumpkin soup or noodles!
Nothing beats a homemade treat. Either a cake, slice or yoghurt, my kids never know what to expect. A cute note on a napkin to wrap up their leftovers for the afternoon!
Fruit and Vegetables sculpted with care,
Love notes here or sweet treats there,
Healthy and fun; a win-win
Keeping lunch out of the bin!
I make sushi and rice paper rolls, it’s easy to change up the fillings with whatever is in the fridge to keep lunches interesting.
My son likes a slice of frittata instead of a sandwich sometimes. He likes to make it himself. Goes well with a salad. He’s also a big fan of olives.
My daughter has fallen in love with spring rolls. There are so many salad, vegetable, meat and sauce combinations. She loves picking the ingredients in the morning and helping roll them up. They are so quick too, which is a bonus for a busy mum!
At the moment my lunches are not so much fun,
Some fruit, yoghurt, sandwich, cheese crackers and a bun.
Alas it’s because all the fun foods they eat,
They refuse to eat cold so they all need heat!
Mini quiche, Spaghetti bog, Mums special fried rice,
Mini pizzas, corn meat frittas – they all would taste so nice,
If they were kept hot in a Thermos at school,
Then I would be queen – school lunches I’d rule!!
I make wraps for them as they’re much tastier and a less boring option than plain old peanut butter sandwiches.
Seriously this is how my school lunch boxes go-
Child one- Same cheesymite scroll everyday, no fruit (It comes home in the bag squashed/furry/green if I put something in) home made banana bread and a muesli bar
Child two- A rotating menu for the week, which must contain something different every day. My daughter does not like the same thing twice, she prefers all different fruits, crackers and sandwiches. When making the lunches, I generally ask ‘what is your stomach feeling like today?’ It’s a real pain, but at least she is willing to try different things unlike my son who will only eat the same thing every day.
Child three (also know as the husband/father) the worse out of all my children! Does not like cucumber or tomato in sandwiches, only small pieces of meat and potato, would happily eat pasta and rice everyday. But this is beginning to show in the middle area, his spare air bag is about to go off at any moment.
I could go on and on, but moral of the story is, no lunch ever looks exciting in my house because they are all to fussy.. No bright colours and star shapes will make my lot happy… maybe a range of thermos products will make them appreciate their lunches a bit more..
We mix lunch up every day with sandwiches, sushi, wraps, soups, stews but to be able to send them off to school in winter with a thermos of warm soup or stews would be wonderful!
I try to add something different each day! EG: carrot sticks, kabana, tasty sticks, cheese, etc. Something different but healthy!
I don’t do sandwiches regularly, sometimes I do cheese and biscuits, I do rolled up ham/cheese (logs of ham with cheese), veggies and a dip of some sort and always some kind of fresh fruit!
I love making my kids little mini quiches or sausage rolls, or puff pastry scrolls filled with ham and cheese or cinnamon for a treat
My daughters love sandwiches made into shapes with cookie cutters and home made mini pizzas, fruit salad or carrot and celery sticks with tizaki dip, and they love greek yoghurt with fruit.
Savoury muffins and small bite sized quiches using muffin tins lined with thin slices of bread and filled with a quiche mix and vegetables and /or ham. It’s about variety and foods that kept their texture and shape.
My kids love when I make them ‘Ants on a Log’, pieces of celery with peanut butter spread over them and 4 sultanas (ants) on top.
I have a very fussy eater so many different things added daily and quite often never the same ,I write on my daughters Bananas secret messages to have a great day at school(by using a sharp pin and it slowly appears throughout the day), savoury muffins , homemade pizza with different toppings ,but her favourite is pancakes with fresh fruit on the side ,
I ask the kids for suggestions that way it keeps them involved and when they open their lunchbox and see their ideas before their eyes they can’t wait to come home and tell me some more of their ideas.
i make meatball wraps with or without salad instead of sandwiches
Sandwiches with fillings that they like, sometimes cut into shapes, or with smiley faces….fruit, again to their favoured tastes, cut or sliced or peeled for easy access…..and small snacks like rice cakes and yoghurts….during the colder weather sometimes they have a thermos with a nice not too hot soup in it
Homemade muffins both savoury and sweet – I keep it interesting by using ingredients according to the produce in season.
Savoury muffins are a hit! I jam pack them with vegetables they would normally turn there noses up at and top them with cheese!!! Sushi is also a winner and I get them involved in making it and they always say the one’s they made were the best!
We love to make home made soup from the vegies in the garden, … as long as we remember to wash off the caterpillars!
I get them to make their own lunches as this seems to motivate them to actually eat it.
such great prize!
My daughter loves shaped sandwiches & sushi rolls made with bread wraps. Amazing how even the tiniest bit of effort can lead to an empty lunchbox at the end of the day!
It’s hard with a fussy 2 and 1/2 year old I find I try and get creative and bake something different each week if I have time.
We have baking Sunday’s and I involve the kids. We get fresh produce from the markets and make and cook up a storm. Whether it’s themed (animals, space, alphabet) we make spacerocket pizzas, cupcakes with alphabet/ letters on them, or fruit and veg animals with sultans for eyes. They love being involved and making it creative it’s more fun than a chore preparing their meals.
I try to keep lunch interesting by putting something different in every day, (a mystery) ranging from soup to celery.
i leave them something we have made together when they make it , they want to eat it
Their lunches vary from a Vegemite Sandwich to a Chicken salad wrap, depending on the weather I’ll send soup or noodles..
I do threaten to pack their uneaten vegetables from the night before.. That makes them eat ’em! If it didn’t though, they’d be pretty unpopular sitting there munching on cold Brussell Sprouts! 😀 I am a meanie
Mini quiches and zucchini slice, healthy and tasty snacks the kids love to take to school
They always take the leftovers from the nigh before, That way I know they are having a healthy and hearty meal at lunch time
I find my kids will eat anything if I give it a creative name and make it part of a story. So for lunch I sometimes give them Millenium Falcon sandwiches (ham and cheese!) with Orange Lightsabers (carrot sticks!) or to make them laugh I’ll make “Daddy’s undies” which are pancakes cut into the shape of underpants. Hey, whatever works, right?!
I let my sons help pick what they have in their sandwiches. It is always healthy, but it means that it is something that they will eat.
anything with a “face” keeps them happy
Soups for winter (and the odd noodles and peas) will go down a treat for lunchtime.
Alphabet Pasta & Meatballs! Will fill kids up and give energy for their action-packed days, all the while staying hot and eliminating bacteria, perfect!!
With the proper tools eating healthier remains easy, tasty and safe with a great Thermos
Homemade muffins, slices and scones,
You can’t go wrong!
Changing up the flavours each time,
Making lunchboxes divine.
I don’t have much time to be too creative so I just buy cookie cutters and each day I use a different cutter to shape their sandwiches. Keeps it interesting and the kids look forward to seeing what the new shape will be.
I send my kids off to school with plenty of fruit and veggies. I also occasionally send fresh popcorn, yogurt and muesli bars.
Thai Beef Salad- my little ones fave,
Never any left over to save.
Gobbles it up, asks for more,
The one lunchbox food she will surely adore!
As an occasional treat I make surprise muffins…they look like a normal muffin but inside is a square of snack chocolate..you never know what your muffin will hold!
Thermos Noodle Soup in winter. summer a Chicken and corn wrap, Banana & Oatmeal Cookies. Frozen Fruit Cups
I’am a Grandmother of 2 and i would give this to my Daughter-inlaw for my Grandson, i know she packs his lunch with Zucchini muffins, brown fried rice, lots of fruit and homemade Yoghurt, he is allergic to a lot of foods so she needs to be careful, Thanks for the chance
My daughter’s have a European background on her fathers side so they tend to really love their olives, twiggy sticks, fetta cubes with some cold meats and a bread roll and their both extremely happy for school lunch.
They also adore their fruit, so I cut up rockmelon, watermelon and leave the strawberries which will last till recess in a small container with an ice pack next to it. They just love it.
I take inspiration from Bento boxes…although I am not very good, it’s the effort that counts right?
I encourage child participation in the selection of healthy snacks. This is a guarantee that the food is eaten, and not just sent to school and returned home on a field trip!
Variety is the key to keeping my kidlets interested.
Monday is meat free Monday
Tuesday is taco Tuesday where we have make your own taco packs for lunch
Wednesday is weetbix ball Wednesday
Thursday is thrifty Thursday where we use up the bits and pieces left in the fridge.
Friday is fun Friday where the kids are in control.
I alternate between sweet and savoury muffins. The kids love getting surprised with what muffin flavour it will be!
Variety is the key, i always mix it up so they have something diff. everyday. I also love leaving a note so they get a surprise during the day..
My son loves the unusual so we go for Asian Salads, sushi and at times toasties. I try to make different slices that are healthy and delicious fruit salads..
We have found that what makes our children interested in food is being involved in growing, picking or making it. They love fresh fruit when we’ve actually gone out and picked it ourselves. They love the tiny cherry tomatoes and yummy cucumbers when they have watched them grow and protected them from birds. And they love the simple muffins, slices and even wraps when they have helped pick out ingredients and make them. It doesn’t sound overly creative, but it makes a difference and also teaches them along the way.
My son would eat ham and cheese sandwiches every day if I let him, but I try and vary it by doing some home cooking savoury muffins and such or pop in leftovers, he loves leftover spaghetti bologenese or pasta bake
(as you read this pls SING to “my favourite things” from sound of music – you know you want to :))
Avo on crackers and mini veg quiches
Small tuna sushis and herbed savoury fritters
Bright vegie smorgasbord with dips they bring
These are a few of kids favourite things
Left over dinners and meat vegie strudels
Finger foods and fruit and rissoles with zoodles
Boiled eggs and cheese really make my kids sing
These are a few of kids favourite things
I make all lunches for the week, and one of them has a surprise… maybe a letter, a little toy, or an IOU. My kids have to pick one every day, and it’s like a lucky dip!
My daughter loves “salad” for lunch; an assortment of olives, beetroot, pickles, cherry tomatoes, capsicum strips and cheese cubes, served with a tin of tuna and some breadsticks. She gets cranky if I try to send her a “boring sandwich” (her words, not mine!).
I have a problem, the only sandwiches my child will eat is Vegemite and cheese. Day in day out at home or school and an Apple. Boring, boring, boring. But I know it will be eaten.
I find if I change the meat filling every couple of days as well as different bread and wraps, my children are happy . VARIETY
i love making my kids fresh foods for lunch, salads, soups, creative sandwiches, casseroles just anything that is belly warming and delicious.
My son only eats peanut butter on sandwiches and that’s not allowed so lunch time is tricky. We have had success with homemade mini pizzas using a homemade pasta sauce full of veg as the sauce. He loves things that are really cold so I freeze bananas and berries for him to dip in to yoghurt. This prize would be amazing for him (and would increase lunch time options!)
I like to mix things up with an assortment of pickys: corn chips, cherry toms, cheese cubes, olives and mild little twiggys! A humous dip, some carrot sticks, its a party for one. Ingredients may change with the seasons but we always keep it fun!
I make them scrolls with leftover Bolognese and they love it!
I pack lunch in yumbox for my son & keep it fun by serving variety of food and pack different fruit everyday – I use cookie cutters to add fun shapes and use food picks to keep the lunchbox food more fun.
To keep my son’s lunch interesting, I will normally give him hot lunches. I would normally cook fried rice for him with different meats and vegetablea but his all time favourite is sliced fish cakes, fish balls and fried egg with some vegetables. Among all the different lunches that I prepare, he always finishes this and asks me to make more for another day’s lunch. We have been lucky that the kinder will warm up his lunches and this thermos one will definitely be handy for him to bring warm food from home when he starts prep.
No matter how far out I let the kids decide. You want Vegemite and jam? Have it. 5 kids I’ve learnt to not stress about lunches, they’ll eat when they’re hungry.
My son loves jam and cheese! What is that?! Eeeewww but he loves it so he has it!