New Lunch Boxes

The girls have been so excited for their new lunch boxes to arrive. I ordered them on Wednesday, and I have been just about as excited as they have since finding these - what I hope will be - fabulous lunch boxes. Let me back up a bit and explain my lunch box woes. Since starting preschool in sept. '06, the girls have taken their lunch each day (summers included). Originally it was paper lunch bags thrown in their diaper bag. Then when they were 3, I ordered Pottery Barn Kids bookbags & matching lunch boxes. Let me say that these bookbags are STILL in use after 2.5 years and have held up wonderfully. And the lunchbox held up for 1.5 years -- pretty good, but for the money I paid I expected them to wear & tear better.  They would get nasty and they were supposed to only be wiped down -- however, i ended up throwing them in the washing machine on a regular basis to keep them looking decent. At the beginning of this year we decided to order new ones. Allured by a sale price, I went with a different Pottery Barn Kids style/collection (that has since be discontinued). BIG MISTAKE. Even upon arrival I wasn't thrilled with the quality, and within weeks of use, they were gross & disgusting - inside & out. By December, the insides of both had ripped & torn apart and the zippers were difficult to operate. I was NOT happy that these lunch boxes lasted less than 4 months before being almost ruined and beyond use. I contacted Pottery Barn Kids customer service and let them know how disappointed I was. They did respond, but basically did nothing for me except say, "We're sorry."

I have debated since December what kind of lunch box to purchase. My girls are HARD on everything, so I have been doing my research in order to find something that will withstand the harsh conditions. Enter BuiltNY.com. I was SO excited. These lunch boxes are made from neoprene (the wetsuit material) and are machine washable. Not to mention they can fold flat to fit in their bookbags after lunch. PERFECT. They arrived today and I am just as impressed as I was when viewing them online. Quality materials including a heavy duty zipper. I have no doubt that these Gourmet Getaway Lunch Totes will last for a good while -- and I can easily keep them clean.

Chloe & Emmi each got to look online with me and pick which lunchbox color they wanted. I did it totally separately so they would not be influenced by one another.

Our new lunch boxes are pictured below. Can you guess which one Chloe chose and which one Emmi chose?