Smash Lunch Boxes

I have been putting off the whole “Back to School” thing until Christmas had passed. It seems I can only deal with one drama at a time. So for the next few weeks expect a few more posts about the woes of back to School time. This is not a paid advertisement but I did recieve a lunch box of choice to test and review.

Today I am sharing with you the new range of Smash lunch boxes. Apart from the funky new designs the new range of lunch boxes come with an Anti-bacterial lining. Now any parent who has found a lunch box on a Sunday night still filled with Friday’s lunch will appreciate the importance of knowing it’s anti bacterial layer makes it easy to clean out.

This year Smash is launching Blue IQ Antibacterial Lining in all of their insulated lunch bags. It is a smart antimicrobial lining that inhibits the growth of uncontrolled bacteria, mould and mildew that can come through normal cleaning. Its wipe-clean formula helps reduce smells and stains and helps your lunchbox last longer. by Smash

My daughter 9 chose the Dream , Sparkle, Shine Duffle bag. It looks like a handbag so is very cute and practical too. Her existing lunch box does sit sideways in it, but that shouldn’t be an issue unless I send soup (which I don’t). She informed me It also fits nicely on her bike handles but I am not sure where she is biking too with just her lunch bag.

My son 7 went for the bag with spiders Double decker Cold box. This has two separate compartments which means I can allocate his morning tea and lunch in their own compartment so no “special” treats will be eaten before his savory food. Yes, I know he can just open the “treat” side first, but let me believe he is a sensible boy who will do as mummy suggests for his health.

But wait there is more… If you think this range is cute wait till you see the Adults range.

All Smash products are high quality, BPA free, feature Blue IQ Antibacterial lining and are tested to meet all European and USDA Food Safety Standards.

Stockists: Smash Lunch Bags are available at Coles, Big W, Woolworths, Officeworks and Target, available for Back to School from January 1 2017. Products, colours and sizes may vary by retailer. Only available while Stocks Last.

I’ve done embroidery on paper before and it’s a lot of fun. You can use a needle to punch out a particular shape to stitch, or my favorite thing is to take a copy of an old photograph or a page from a magazine and add stitched details to the original picture.

One thing I haven’t tried but would also be fun to do is cross stitching on paper.

This is a technique that requires a fair amount of preparation because you need to find a pattern you can easily transfer and print it at actual size, then use the pattern itself to help you decide where to put the holes in your paper. And then after all that you can do your stitching.

It’s a pretty straightforward process, but Crewel Ghoul has a great tutorial that walks you through how to do it step by step. It even includes a sample pattern you can print out and try for practice.

The post also has tips for starting and finishing your threads so that the back looks as neat as it can, if that’s something that’s important to you. (When I have done embroidery on paper I usually just tape the thread end to the back. If the back were going to show I’d probably just cover it with more paper.)

Stitching on paper is a fun way to make bookmarks or greeting cards, but you also need to make sure your paper is thick enough to support the holes you’ll be making in it. This post has a good rundown of materials you’ll need and what kind of paper is best. She used watercolor paper but I’ve used card stock and scrapbook paper that was a little thicker than the average printer paper.

You can always test a little on the paper you’re considering to make sure it will stand up to the project.

Check out the post, which includes a video, over at Crewel Ghoul for more tips for cross stitching on paper. Is this something you’ve tried before? I’d love to hear about it!

[Photo: Crewel Ghoul]

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