It’s hard to believe that my girls have already brought home their first report cards of the school year. We’re definitely into full on school mode and into our fall routine (which got a bit of a rude awakening thanks to the ushering in of dark evenings due to Daylight Savings Time.) Every fall my girls typically get a new backpack and lunch box. It’s fun to see how their taste changes each school year. Their sense of style grows, as does the size of their books!

My 3rd grader and her Lands’ End backpack.

Lands’ End helped send my girls off to school this fall with new backpacks and lunch boxes.

The soft-sided lunch box is a great insulated case that is surprisingly roomy. It holds all their lunch food easily, including my 3rd grader’s thermos. As you can see, she has more than enough room for her thermos, a piece of fruit, crackers, and a juice box (with room to spare!)

We love Lands’ End backpacks, too. The great thing about them is they also make great road trip travel bags. We recently took one on our fall break trip to Dollywood and it was perfect for stashing our gear while we navigated the theme park.

Here are some great features I love about Lands’ End’s sturdy backpacks and lunch boxes:

• Water-repellant finish
• Insulated and tested to keep lunch cold for up to 5 hours, which is great for my middle schooler who eats lunch later in the day
• Easy to clean interior that is both leak resistant and PVC-free
• Side mesh front pockets are great for holding hand sanitizer and a water bottle
• Interior mesh pocket is great for stashing milk money, an extra napkin or lunch box notes

Speaking of lunch box notes, while I’m definitely not a crafty mom who whips up a Pinterest worthy work of art lunch (I’m more of a PB&J, apple, and chips kind of mom), one thing I can do is write a note. I’ve put together a Lunchbox Love Pinterest board that features some pretty awesome and simple ideas for packing a little love into your child’s lunch. I especially love this chalkboard paint idea from Dukes & Duchesses.

The holidays are coming up sooner rather than later, school activities are in full swing, older kids are into major school project mode, and stress can be high this time of year for your student. I hope you’ll enjoy (and Pin) the ideas I’ve compiled and test them out on your kids. Check ’em out! I’ve linked the graphic below to my Lunchbox Love Pinterest board.

Happy lunch time! Do you have any ideas for packing a little love in your child’s lunch box? Share in the comments below!