Another year is almost over so it's time to look back on an amazing year here at Lunchbox Dad. So many great things happened from appearing on The Steve Harvey Show, to being featured on Good Morning America, writing for The Huffington Post, a back-to-school article in People Magazine, and recently being named one of the 14 Parents Who Stormed the Internet in 2014. I also started writing more parenting posts here on my blog, including two that went viral and were featured on other sites: 9 Things Not to Say to the Parents of a Newborn and Sorry Kids, I Will Never Let You Beat Me. Thank you to all of you who spread the word about my blog this past year!

However, this blog has primarily always been about the fun lunches I make my kids, so I present to you my top 14 lunches of 2014. Some of these were really popular, others are just favorites of my kids and I. All of them hold special memories from this last year. So here they are, in no particular order:

14. Ghostbusters Lunch

13. The Lego Movie Wyldstyle Lunch

12. Dr. Seuss Yertle the Turtle Lunch

11. Faux Sushi Lunch

10. My Little Pony Pinkie Pie Lunch

9. Frozen Lunch With Elsa and Olaf

8. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe Lunch

7. Sesame Street Lunch

6. Captain America Lunch

5. Star Wars Return of the Jedi Ewok Lunch

4. Big Hero 6 Lunch

3. Disney Planes Fire and Rescue Lunch

2. Toy Story Jessie the Cowgirl Lunch

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Lunch

#lbdbento

10 Time Saving Holiday Tips For the Whole Family

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in conjunction with Hewlett Packard for their new product Sprout by HP. I received compensation for participating in this campaign.

1. Delegate Responsibilities. 

Don’t try to do it all alone, this only leads to stress and running around. Give everyone a task (or two!) to do to keep them busy and cross things off your list. A great job for little ones is to have them wipe off tables or countertops. They love helping and being a part of something. Cooking is only one part of preparing for a holiday celebration so delegate that too: assign guests a specific food to bring, especially favorite dishes you know they excel at.

2. Use technology in new and unexpected ways to make tedious tasks more creative. 

Innovative new technology like Sprout by HP allows everyone to add the homemade touch by scanning in your favorite ornaments and holiday decorations to create a unique design on the dual-surface device. Sprout is so simple and intuitive your kids will have something amazing created in 30 minutes (no joke).

3. Give that personal touch and prepare many presents at one time by making large batches of soup, jams or cookies. 

These are personal gifts that are great for family, teachers, and neighbors that your kids will love helping you with in the kitchen. Or, if you don’t have time to cook, have your kids help you layer all the dry ingredients to your family’s favorite cookie recipe in a mason jar. To really give that homemade feel, tie a ribbon around the jar with the present tags your kids made – one side is a holiday greeting from your family while the cookie recipe is on the other side. With thoughtful presents like these, you don’t just save money but also keep the kids entertained when it’s too cold to go outside.

4. When you need to be efficient, have some fun learning activities for your kids to do while you get the holiday prep done. 

You don’t have to just plop them in front of the TV, there are some great computer programs out there like Crayola Color Draw and Sing, Dreamworks Story Producer and Spruzzle that are fun and help them be creative at the same time. “Holiday Lap Books” are another fun alternative – search Pinterest for free templates that you can print out and watch your kids create their own! They learn and you get your holiday list done!

5. Wrap presents as soon as you can after you buy them. 

Avoid the last minute gift wrapping marathon. Hint: don’t put the bows on until you’re ready to put them under the tree so you can store and stack the gifts easily. Wrapping the presents right away also helps prevent nosy kids (and significant others) from peeking at their presents early!

6. If you need some last minute holiday craft ideas don’t reinvent the wheel. 

Sites like Pinterest have a ton of great ideas that aren’t complicated and don’t involve leaving the house to buy materials. You can find great ideas for kids and adults.

7. Plan travel ahead of time in order to save money, time, and stress. 

And be sure to allot extra time into your schedule for any weather conditions, traffic and long lines.

8. Create new gift giving traditions. 

Let’s face it; it’s hard to buy presents for everyone in your extended family and your friends. This year, instead of spending a ton of time and money shopping for everyone, crate a new tradition: have people draw one name out of a hat for a present and one name to make a stocking for but keep these names secret. Each person then shops for only those two names using an agreed upon budget that everybody sticks to. This helps you focus your energy to find really special gifts for two people instead of everyone! We do this with my extended family and it alleviates so much stress.

9. Make Lists, and Check Them Twice. 

Write on post it notes, dry erase marker on your mirror or on your smartphone – whatever is most convenient for you. Then, as you go through the list, cross things off so you don’t forget anything, like the gift for the babysitter or your great Aunt who can’t make it to the holiday dinner. Find what works for you to keep you organized during this stressful time of year. Also, plot out your course for running errands ahead of time. This will save time, gas and headaches.

10. Last, but most important: Remember to say, “No.” 

You can’t do everything so why stress out trying? Keep the most important things as your priority so you have more time to focus on those.

Review: Anki DRIVE Race Set, Family Fun or High Tech Flop?

I'm always on the lookout for products that can help parents in different ways. It doesn't always have to be a parenting tool, sometimes it can be a really cool product that changes everything you know about toys. Actually, It might be unfair to call the Anki DRIVE just a toy. It is a toy, app, video game, and family competition all in one. Honestly it was nothing like I've ever experienced before.

The race set comes in a long, fairly thick box. The packaging itself is pretty sleek and impressive. Before I opened it I thought, "this will be a shame to throw away." The practical side is that you keep the packaging because it is made to store all the parts in. The drawback is, due to it's size, it might be hard to find a good place to store it. Each starter set comes with a race mat, charger, two cars, car storage/charging docks, instructions, and wheel cleaner.

Once you crack it open, it is fairly easy to get racing. First, roll out the race track mat. It is 3.5 x 8.5 ft. so it takes up a bit of room. Next, download the free app. Then, go through the tutorial. Last, race against your friend or the computer. I tested the Anki DRIVE with all ages from my 4-year-old through older adults (it is recommended for ages 8 and up). I can honestly say most everyone who played was impressed. The nearest I can come to describing it is it's like Super Mario Kart, but in real life. It even reminded some adults of the old slot car race tracks.

The beauty of the Anki DRIVE is that my kids had no problem getting the hang of driving. Unlike normal toy race tracks, you do not steer the car, it steers automatically. This means you don't have to go chase it under the couch and put it back on the track. You can control speed and tilt your phone to steer to the outside or inside lane. This lets you focus on the fun stuff like using the weapons. You are able to race against human opponents or an AI controlled robot car. Four cars can compete in each race. You can choose to compete in race or battle modes. A race consists of a set number of laps while battle is all out virtual destruction. 

Each car comes with specific weapons such as tractor beam, vulcan cannon, or speed boost. You can also buy upgrades for the cars using points collected by winning races. These upgrades can improve speed, steering, or even give you different weapons. Younger kids will have a harder time understanding when to use some of the weapons and how to upgrade the cars effectively. However, these features are exactly what keeps adults like me coming back to race again and again.

My favorite car is the expansion car Corax. It is heavily armored and has the vulcan cannon and EMP blast. The EMP takes out cars immediately around you, which is helpful in a crowded race. A fun feature with Corax is that you must beat him in battle mode first before you can use him yourself. 

Anki DRIVE is a great idea with a myriad of future possibilities. They have recently released two new tracks as well. However, there are a few things to be aware of. Each player must have their own iPhone, iPod, or Android phone to play. Each phone must have the app and currently Apple devices cannot compete against Android devices. The track gets dirty easily and should not be stepped on. This can be a challenge around little kids. It can, however, be cleaned with Windex and a cloth. Each car lasts for around twenty minutes on a single charge. It takes eight to ten minutes to recharge. It really is more fun to have expansion cars so that you can continue to race while other cars are recharging (you can charge up to three cars at once). The issue is that buying more cars means a bigger investment. If you can get past these few challenges, then you and your family will have a ton of fun.

Maybe you can tell by now that I highly recommend the Anki DRIVE. The starter set retails for $149.99, but I have seen it on sale recently for $99.99. Regardless, it is worth every penny. I tested this with about twenty-five kids, teenagers, and adults. When I told people the price, the were immediately looking it up to see where to buy it. Each expansion car retails for around $49.99 and comes with a separate charging/storage dock. This set is great for a family game night or when you get together with friends. It is also very portable.  My advice is to get the Anki DRIVE. Now. You can buy it straight from their website, Target, or a number of other online retailers.

Disclosure: I received these products for free from Anki DRIVE. I have received no other compensation for this post and the opinions I’m expressing here are solely my own.

#parentproductreviews

Strawberry Banana Santa Hats

I know there are many versions of this treat floating around the interwebs right now, but I thought I would throw my hat in the ring. Ok that was bad. But these are not. They are ridiculously simple. That is, if you have strawberries, bananas, cream cheese, a knife, and a cutting board. If you are missing any of these it will be difficult. If you are missing a knife it will be nearly impossible. If you do happen to make this without a knife, please send me pictures. I will bow before you as the ruler of all fruit Santa hats.

To make these, slice a banana into pieces. Next, cut the stem off of a strawberry. Make sure the berry is about the same size as the banana slice. Place the strawberry on top of the banana slice. Poke a toothpick into a yogurt covered raisin and insert the other end through the strawberry and banana as shown in the video below. Serve on a Christmas themed plate and you're done! My kids inhaled these at breakfast time. Let me know in the comments below how you would change these up.

#lbdbento

Nibblr Snack Box Giveaway!

You know how you have those moments where you have that feeling like you must eat a snack, but you don't want to devour those run-of-the-mill cookies or candy? You just want something different. For me, sometimes I need a boost at work because my eyes are glazing over and i have the energy level of a sloth on Nyquil. It also happens when the ravenous animals, I mean my kids, need a quick bite while at the park. After all, it's already been 15 minutes since the last time they ate. I might have found something that can help. I came across this cool snack service called Nibblr.

You know I like introducing my readers to products that can help parents out. This is one of those products. Nibblr is a subscription service that sends you a box of snacks weekly, every other week, or monthly. The nice thing is that they are only $6.99 a box but if you pay for more at once, you get a discount. Shipping is free. You can rate the snacks you get and Nibblr adjusts what's shipped to you next, based on your ratings. If you have food allergies, they take that into account as well.

Nibblr offered to send me a few boxes to try out and I immediately tested them on my family. One feature that I loved was that each box comes with four individually packaged snacks. This is great if you only want to quickly grab one and go. My kids' favorite was Gorilla-A-Go-Go but I liked the Sweet Chili Pistachios. It was refreshing to have a snack that wasn't your typical boring food that you can find in every big box store.

Besides being able to try it with my family, I get to pass on the fun to you readers. This isn't a full review, an ad, or a sponsored post. This is just me saying that my family enjoyed these snacks, and now thanks to Nibblr, yours can too. One of you lucky people can win a shipment of four Nibblr snack boxes sent to your house. 

Enter now using the Rafflecopter widget below. You just might be able to discover your family's new favorite snack!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lunchbox Dad named one of the "14 Parents to Take the Internet by Storm"

It is pretty cool to be included on this list by The Huffington Post! I was placed alongside viral hits like Jimmy Fallon, the couple who lip synced to Frozen's Love is an Open Door, and the guy who turned videos of his toddler into action movies. This is has been a breakout year for my blog and I couldn't have done it without all of you. Thanks for the support and sharing of everything that goes on here! 

See the Whole Huffington Post List Here

5 Tips to Help Guys Clean Floors Fast

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EurekaPower #CollectiveBias

I'll be honest, keeping floors clean is not one of my favorite household tasks. However, it is a necessary part of being a dad. I would much rather be playing with my kids, hanging out with my wife, or doing pretty much anything else. Because I know many guys feel the same way, I wanted to pass on 5 tips I have found to help guys clean floors fast. After all, the quicker you clean the floors, the sooner you can get back to doing other awesome guy things like saving the world from zombies, tracking down Bigfoot, or constructing that 4,000 square foot tree house in your backyard.

1. Make Sure You Have the Right Tools

You won't get anywhere without the right tools. Just like a mechanic or a construction worker, your tools make all the difference. For this job you will need a few special items. Get yourself some rags, an iron, a rake, vinegar, water, a great vacuum, and your favorite drink to congratulate yourself when you are done. My vacuum of choice is one that has useful attachments, can clean any surface you put it up against, and doesn't have a cord to slow you down. I'm talking about the Electrolux ErgorapidoRealtree Xtra. The great thing about this is it does equally well with camping or using it to clean your kid's carpet. It is limited edition, but it's available right now at Walmart.com. Oh, and If anyone asks why you need all of these random items, just tell them, “Don't worry about it, I’m like the MacGyver of cleaning.”

2. Rake Those Toys Up

Don't quit reading now, this tip is an awesome parenting hack! You may think I'm joking but the fastest way to get ready to clean the floors is to rake up all the toys lying around. Keep a small, clean rake on hand to quickly gather all the toys into a storage bin. Don't worry, you can sort them out later. As soon as you have all the larger items picked up go back and check for smaller things. Just make sure you put the rake away before your wife gets home. If she does ask about it, just mumble something about how MacGyver never had to answer questions like this and walk away. She will be left speechless by your response and at the same time amazed by the spotless floors.

3. Use a Hand Vacuum to Clean Higher Places First

It's a good idea to first clean tabletops, high chairs, stairs, and other places where kids and pets have been. You know kids somehow create a hurricane of food particles around them. So use that hand vacuum to get in the tight spaces and if some lands on the floor, you can clean it up after. One of the reasons I like the Ergorapido is because it comes with a built in hand vac that it is fast and simple to get out and use in the places where dirt loves to hide.

4.  Vinegar and Water Make Quick and Easy Work of Dirt

For your hard surfaces first vacuum then use this “Your Wife Will Call You a Superhero” floor cleaning solution. Mix 1/2 cup white vinegar with 1 gallon of water. This won't leave residue or streaks. You can dispense it easily, and keep it for later, by putting it in a spray bottle. As always, I recommend testing this on a small area of the floor first.

5. Remove Crayons with an Iron

Sometimes crayons, candles (seriously guys, what are you doing with these on the carpet anyway), or other waxy things can get stuck in your precious rug. Kids mash them in and it is tough to get out. Heat up your iron and throw a rag over the wax. Gently iron the rag and the wax will transfer to the rag from the carpet. After you get up as much as you can, use your favorite carpet cleaner to clean the rest. Guys, this MacGyver tip will help wipe away any evidence that you were lighting candles and listening to Celine Dion in the living room.

I hope these tips help you the next time you need to quickly clean your floors. Obviously this isn't necessary when the guys come over for the big game, but it just might save you the next time your wife calls to say she is bringing her mother over! Remember to pick up the Electrolux Ergorapido Realtree at Walmart before it's gone and let me know what other tips you have in the comments below.

Rudolph Lunch and Big Magical Holiday Giveaway

I hope you are getting ready to have an awesome holiday season and winter break. Hopefully today's post can help you with a fun idea for a lunch and give you an opportunity to win a big prize pack. It's the 50th anniversary of the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer movie so my friend Designer Daddy and I thought it would be fun to team up for another giveaway. 

You can enter the contest using the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway includes hand drawn lunch notes from Designer Daddy, Rudolph Blu-Ray, Rudolph collector's book, a set of Easy Lunch Boxes, a set of metallic Sharpies, and a package of Post-It Notes! Be sure and enter now because the contest ends on December 18th at 11:59 PM.

I created the Rudolph lunch and Designer Daddy drew some amazing lunch notes to go with it. To see the lunch notes and his post click HERE. I hop eyou have the chance to make this lunch for your kids and you have a wonderful holiday season! Be sure and follow me on all my social media channels to get even more fun resources.

Ingredients

Whole wheat bread
Tortilla
Peanut butter
Jam
Pretzels
Strawberries
Lettuce
Yogurt covered raisins
Nonfat plain yogurt
Christmas themed sprinkles
Babybel cheese
Christmas themed Wheat Thins
Black food coloring marker

Directions

1. Cut simple reindeer head shape out of bread. Repeat. Spread peanut butter and jam on one piece and press together to make a sandwich. I used nut free Wowbutter. Insert Pretzel pieces in between slices to make the antlers.
2. Cut white facial features from a tortilla. Draw on black part with food coloring marker and

"paste" tortilla pieces to bread with peanut butter. Cut tip off strawberry and use a toothpick to hold it in place as Rudolph's nose.
3. In main dish place lettuce, strawberries, and Rudolph sandwich. Sprinkle yogurt covered raisins all around for snow.
4. In side dish place plain nonfat yogurt. I put fresh fruit and a little honey at the bottom so it could be all mixed up. Drop Christmas sprinkles on the top.
5. Cut two red wax strips off of Babybel cheese. Cut a ribbon shape from another piece of white cheese and place on top for a present. Arrange Wheat Thins in side dish and place cheese present on top.

Have a great Christmas and remember to enter the giveaway and check out Designer Daddy's site! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#lbdbento

Review: Is the elo Pillow a Miracle Sleep Tool For Kids or Just a Fun Gadget?

Every parent has been through it. A kid who won't sleep. No matter how much you strategize, negotiate, stand firm, give in, or beg, nothing seems to work. Sometimes it's the child's personality and sometimes it's just a season they go through. Sometimes it's a problem that not even a rocket scientist can figure out. Parents are always looking for a way to get their kids to go to sleep. The maker of the elo My Storytime Pillow thinks she has found a solution.

Right now, my wife and I are trying to figure out why my 11 month old has decided he is allergic to sleep. I know this is a common problem but when you have three kids in a small house, and one has trouble sleeping, the others do as well. We decided to try the elo pillow to see if it would help our older kids (who also could write a book on excuses to get out of bed) sleep better. NOTE: Please check back soon for a video review of my kids' opinion on the elo pillow.

The elo pillow premise is pretty simple. It quietly reads stories off a playlist while your child's head lays on the pillow. If they lift it off, the story pauses. A playlist last around 30 minutes and you can buy more in the elo store for $6.99 each. An on/off button on the back controls the power and it also comes with a washable pillowcase. The pillowcase is a nice feature because although kids are sweet, their vile puddles of snot and drool are not. The power button is easy to find and use, and doesn't turn off accidently (don't forget to pull the plastic tab from the battery compartment the first time you try and turn on the pillow). A light indicates when it is on and when it is in wifi mode. Wifi mode lets you load more playlists on the pillow. So yes, now even your pillow is connected to the internet. 

The pillow is very easy to set up. In fact, when you first take it out of the box, it already has a playlist loaded onto it. The instructions were simple and easy to follow. You can just turn the pillow on and give it to your kids. I know what you are thinking, "Great, another gadget so parents don't have to spend time with their kids reading." For us, reading together is a huge part of our lives, and an important part of our bedtime routine. The makers of the elo pillow make it clear that this DOES NOT replace spending time with your child reading. This adds to their nighttime ritual.

We first tested this while away on a trip. An unexpected benefit was that even though we were traveling, this pillow helped calm our kids while they were sleeping in a strange place. They even asked to go to bed early to listen to it. When we arrived home, the pillow worked as well. For our kids, we have found that if it doesn't help them go to sleep, it at least calms them down and they fall asleep soon after the playlist is over.

We have a few concerns with the elo pillow. First, we don't want our kids getting dependent on white noise to go to sleep. It hasn't happened yet, but we are watching to make sure it doesn't. Also, the pillow itself costs $150 from elopillow.com. To some this will be a steep price. Also, my kids got bored of the first playlist after a week or so. I wanted to go through the process of buying a new playlist from the store and loading it on so we did. It was very easy once you setup an account, but I can see kids constantly asking for different books. The nice thing is if you own multiple pillows, you can buy a playlist once and load it on each of them. Last, the pillow runs on batteries. They will last anywhere from 15-30 days with normal use, but you will probably have to replace them every month.

For some parents they are desperate to have their kids get a little more of that elusive sleep. If this is you, the elo pillow is definitely worth trying. They have helped calm our kids at bedtime and nap times as well. It is recommended for ages 2 and up but I might pay 1 Million dollars right now for an elo that works for an 11 month old. You can find out more and buy your own pillow on elopillow.com. 

Disclosure: I received these products for free from elo Pillow. I have received no other compensation for this post and the opinions I’m expressing here are solely my own.

#parentproductreviews

5 Tips for Successfully Volunteering as a Family

Disclosure: I have partnered and was compensated by Life of Dad, LLC and Lee for this promotion.

The holidays are terrific opportunity to spend time together as a family, but so often that can mean stress, arguments, and spending tons of money. For my family, we decided to skip that and have some fun by serving others together this past weekend. For some families, this can seem like a huge ordeal. However, I want to encourage you that even those of us with young families can find a way make a big difference in our communities. We even heard that Lee Jeans was encouraging people to find a way to do a #LeeGoodDeed in their local neighborhoods during the holidays. Below is the story of our Lee Good Deed and also 5 tips that my family has found to make it easier to volunteer together successfully.

Our community puts on an annual Tow Truck Toy Run, so I thought this was a perfect chance to get my family involved in serving others together. This event is a partnership between my city's Compassion Network and Bridges Community Church. The Tow Truck Toy Run is great because people from all over our city come and donate toys for local kids in need. There is also a silent auction and you can buy raffle tickets to help out financially. An amazing breakfast is also served. Plus, tow truck drivers bring their trucks for a parade and even the local police bring their SWAT vehicle for kids to climb in. With everything going on there was plenty of places to help out. When all was said and done, there were over 600 toys collected!

The fun thing was that my whole family got to be involved. My kids and wife went shopping for toys while I was at work. On the day of the event, my daughter and I got up early to take the toys in and help serve breakfast to the community. My wife and younger kids joined us later.

I was so thankful Lee Jeans sent me a pair of their pants to wear at the event, because they looked fantastic and were so comfortable. When you are walking around all day with pants that don't fit well, it really can put a damper on the day. Apparently these are made with Active Comfort Denim so they easily moved with me whether I was serving breakfast, or picking up my kids so they could see the tow truck parade better. I have to admit, I haven't worn Lee Jeans for a long time, but I am now a fan. 

Since we had such a good time, I thought I would share our tips for making a day of family volunteering fun. For us it is not only a worthwhile time to spend as a family, but also for terrific for teaching kids to think about the needs of others.

5 Tips For Successful Family Volunteering

1. Plan Ahead. Make sure you know what you will be doing and that it is age appropriate for your kids.

2. Prepare Your Kids. Sometimes when you volunteer there are situations that might be new or scary for children. Make sure you talk to them about what to expect before and how they felt about the situations after the day is over. Also discuss why you are volunteering. Serve alongside them during the day to give guidance where needed.

3. Arrive Early. You want to make sure to leave plenty of time to get instructions and get your family in place before the event starts.

4. Dress Comfortably. Make sure you look nice but also be comfortable doing whatever you are called on to do. My Lee Jeans were perfect for this. Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty and good shoes are a must!

5. Be Flexible. You might have to do something you weren't planning on doing. Just roll with it, because if they are changing your job, it is for a good reason. No matter what the task is, put your all into it!

After the event my whole family agreed that it was so fun to do things together for the good of others. So what #LeeGoodDeed can you do in your community? Will you volunteer at an event like we did? Will you volunteer at a retirement home? Maybe you can make a meal for a sick friend. Whatever you choose to do, I encourage you to involve your kids and have fun serving others as together. These will be the Christmas memories that last and are talked about for years to come!

Another cool thing is that you can join in the fun with Life of Dad and Lee Jeans in their Twitter party on December 15th at 10am. You can win some Lee jeans of your own or maybe even $250! I bet you will also get some helpful ideas for ways you can volunteer where you live. All the details are below and remember that you can also get your own pair of Lee Jeans at your local Kohl's, JCPenney, Sears, or online at Lee.com.