Litter-free Lunch is a Lie

When I first started sending Kiddo to school with lunch, I packed everything in sturdy, long-lasting Tupperware® containers but after a few failed to either come home or show up in the lost and found, I decided zippered plastic sandwich bags would be better.

But then the paper-trail of guilt trips started flooding in (ironic, how much paper has been printed to encourage litter-free lunches). At her current school, they ask that Fridays are litter-free (my guess is that the janitorial staff come in before school and if there's no stinky balogna sandwiches and apple cores leftover, it's easier to deal with on Monday morning).

Of course Kiddo figured out the loophole herself -- she just packs her plastic sandwich bags, leftover crusts included, back home where at least I can compost the crusts. I realize, compost aside, this seems environmentally irresponsible but I'm pretty sure that for the same amount of plastic/energy/cost that goes into one Glad or Ziploc semi-disposable container I can get away with a few bags.

Great idea(s)!

Quick round up of useful, clever, or just nifty stuff I've seen on the net lately:

Animal Tracks ABC is a set of flashcards featuring an A-Z of animal tracks! If Kiddo were younger, I would definitely order a set (only $10 plus shipping) from etsy user doggiepiggie.

Doodle Tags turn your child's art into a permanent keepsake -- made from recycled silver! The $95 price is higher than I would normally pay for a pendant but it is a unique and very personalized piece of art. And there is a bonus: you also get a rubber stamp of the image with your purchase. How cool is that?

Pocket Watercolour Tin. You may have already seen this instructable from jpmartineau for a portable watercoulour container made from the ever-popular Altoids tin (there will be riots if the company ever changes their packaging!) plus some polymer clay. The coolest thing about the instructable may be the section on choosing the colours to pack along.

Recycled Magazine Garbage Can. While this project looks very impressive, there is no way I have the time or patience to do it... and if I did somehow manage to complete it, there is no way I would use the resulting container for garbage! Craftster user lovething does suggest using the technique for other items, though, and I might try that.