Packing school lunches is a chore my husband and I regularly fight over – that’s what a pain it is. I often acquiesce because it means seven minutes of alone time before everyone else comes down in the morning. But the worst part of packing lunches is hunting down enough plastic reusable containers and matching lids to put everything in (we don’t use throwaway lunch bags). Then I discovered Yumboxes. (Angels, it’s time to sing.)

Yumboxes have revolutionized our morning routine

Here’s our morning to do list. Does it look anything like yours?

• Climb out of bed
• Pull on jeans and a T-shirt
• Don’t bother taking a shower, that’s why there’s deodorant!
• Stumble downstairs to start oatmeal
• Let dog out
• Pull out enough food for lunches so that it doesn’t look like I’m starving my children (all told we pack two lunches, two morning snacks, and two afternoon snacks)
• Cram food into small containers with lids that pop off three seconds later
• Let dog in
• Cram containers into snack bags and lunch bags
• Pour oatmeal into bowls
• Schlep school food to the front door without hungry kids seeing the food or they’ll skip breakfast and go straight to snack
• Nag kids to eat breakfast
• Unload dishwasher
• Pour milk for kids to drink at breakfast even though they never touch it
• Remind preschooler to pee
• Pray that toddler will not wet pants before she gets to school
• Pack nap blanket and sheet for school cot
• Feed dog
• Forget to give dog water until lunchtime
• Pack extra clothes because toddler will probably have a few accidents at school
• Load dishwasher
• Thank dog for eating all the food on the floor
• Consider putting dog on table to eat all the food on the table but decide that’s too dangerous because if he falls off he could hurt himself
• Dress toddler
• Wipe down table before crusties form
• Goad preschool to get dressed on her own
• Remind husband to bring his phone to work so you can nag him at 4:27pm to come home
• Re-dress toddler, who has undressed herself
• Shove children and husband out the door
• Go to work at home office

Saves time, reduces stress

With a huge to do list in the morning, saving a few minutes of time helps. But what has made an even bigger difference is no longer having the mental stress of finding enough containers for the girls’ lunches and snacks. All we have to wash is one Yumbox. And the Yumbox takes up less space in their backpacks than a jumble of plastic containers.

Coupon just for BargainBabe.com readers

Here are more lunches I’ve packed with Yumbox

What lunch system do you use?

Full disclosure: I received the two free Yumboxes that you see pictured in this post. I requested the Yumboxes to review. My love of Yumboxes is entirely my own.