Phase 2 of The House Behind The Trees ~ The downstairs #TeelsBuildaHouse

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So we are starting the downstairs ... I HATE to say basement because we had a basement in our old home, where you opened a door and went down stairs separated from anything else. It was a finished basement complete with a bedroom, craft room, family/game room and we spent a lot of time there ~ our oldest son moved down there in jr high and stayed through high school ... until we finished the master suite in the attic then he moved back up to the bedroom floor with his brother and sister.  So here our downstairs is open to the rest of the house, you can see through to the outside from the top of the stairs going down because we have a wall of windows down there as well.  We really didn't plan to have a kiddo down there but since we are having to do a switch-a-roo with rooms (I'll explain later) he is moving home soon and will be downstairs. Anyhoo, our downstairs will house our main family room, our middle sons room, a full bath and kitchenette.  I thought it would be fun ...
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Fun School Lunch Ideas for the Kiddos

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Kids cannot live on bread ~ slathered with PB and J ~ alone. Here are some healthy new ideas to avenge lunchtime boredom. Ok some adults may love these too!

Avocado and Cheese Roll-Ups
Serve cut-up wraps with pesto for a fun, dippable lunch option.
More roll-up ideas: Try bacon, lettuce, and tomato with barbecue sauce for dipping, or rotisserie chicken, guacamole, and sour cream with salsa for dipping.
The extras: A clementine and animal crackers.
Pack it in: Goodbyn Bynto lunch box, $9, and Leakproof Dipper container, $1.50: store.goodbyn.com.

All Dressed Up
The simplest and healthiest foods look extra-yummy when they're tucked inside colorful little compartments. That's the idea behind Laptop Lunches, the company that sells these cute plastic sets starting at $21; laptoplunches.com. These containers are filled with a protein ~bow-tie pasta salad with veggies, some fruit ~watermelon, a vegetable ~ baby greens salad with 2 tablespoons low-fat dressing, and a small treat ~fig cookies, all in perfect-size portions for kids 5 to 8.


Sliced Turkey
Option 1: Top celery with vegetable cream cheese and turkey.
Option 2: Wrap pretzel rods with turkey and serve with mustard for dipping.
Option 3: Top multigrain crackers with turkey and dollop with ranch dressing.

Catch of the Day
Fish-shaped tuna sandwich with lettuce on whole wheat bread, baby carrots with low-fat ranch dip, small plum, and whole-grain Goldfish crackers. Pack it in these colorful little compartments from Laptop Lunches. Sets starting at $21, laptoplunches.com.

Salami and Cream Cheese Sandwich
Cut the sandwich into shapes with a sandwich cutter or large cookie cutter for a playful twist.
More sandwich ideas: Try sliced turkey with pesto mayonnaise, or almond butter and apple butter.
The extras: Multigrain chips, grape tomatoes, cookies, and cut-up kiwi.
Pack it in: Mom Invented Good Bites sandwich box, $6, ginsey.com. Also available: Mom Invented Puzzle Bites sandwich cutter, $4, ginsey.com.

Pizza Party
Slice leftover cold veggie pizza cut into squares, cucumber moons with hummus, purple grapes, and popcorn. Pack it in these colorful little compartments from Laptop Lunches. Sets starting at $21, laptoplunches.com.

Fiesta!
Bean salad, melon wedges, whole-grain tortilla chips with salsa, and cubes of reduced-fat cheddar cheese. Pack it in these colorful little compartments from Laptop Lunches. Sets starting at $21, laptoplunches.com.

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