All I remember is my classmates chuckling at my lunchbox as they sat with either their hip and happenin lunch boxes or their school lunch trays. Eventually, I guess my mom got tired of packing the lunches or perhaps we didn't end up eating much of it. So we bought the school lunches from then on. 

Days are different now for my kids as I homeschool with Classical Conversations and we meet once a week with our CC community. (There are other days where a packed lunch is needed for play dates and field trips etc.) So last year I was stuck in the PB&J rut. Tons of baggies stuffed in a bigger bag. Smushed sandwiches, crushed chips, and a blehh feeling every time lunch came around. I was determined not to repeat that this year! So I made use of an Amazon gift card that my sister gave me and started the search for awesome lunch alternatives. 😄🙌🏽

Enter in Bentgo Kids and after reading the reviews, I ordered 3 for my boys and 1 adult one for me. (Now my husband wants one, where originally he said he didn't need one haha. 😉) The night before our first community day, I prepped the Bentgos and had to think of the kids preferences. Timmy is the only one that likes blueberries and pretzels, so his Bentgo is the one on the right. 

Yes it took extra time for me to cut up the cheese, carrots, strawberries, and broccoli, (ham came diced in the package) but it is SO worth it when you know that your kids will actually EAT the lunch you packed haha. The compartments are leak proof so the ranch dressing stayed put and everything was perfectly in place even after the kids were flipping them around every which way. 

To answer some questions that were coming in on Facebook, yes the trays are removable and dishwasher/microwave safe. We just hand wash the outer case. (Actually we hand wash everything since our dishwasher is broken haha 😑) Also I use these silicon baking cups to further compartmentalize. 

As you can see, from these pics, the kids really enjoyed their Bentgos. Ian was screaming out loud "BENTGOOOO!!!" I was shocked that they were actually going to sit for more than 2 minutes and eat more than 2 bites. Only complaint is that Timmy wanted broccoli too and wondered why his brothers had some in their Bentgos, but he didn't haha. 😮 Didn't realize he was that much of a broccoli fan. 

Ian is clearly adoring this new lunch method. 

Timmy thinks this is way better than the occasional Lunchables I would buy them. 😁

Ecstatic about lunch. 😄🍴🙌🏽

Since these Bentgos are big, they won't fit in just any lunch bag. (Amazon needs to stop associating these Bentgo Kid boxes with the adult lunch bags. They are not compatible.) I had to read a bunch of reviews to make sure I got the ones where the Bentgos would fit.   (For girls, I read that this ladybug bag works and here is a full line that fits as well.) For my boys,  I ended up getting these:

Ian & Timmy chose the Thermos Fire Truck. Do not order the Thermos Basketball lunch bag because the zipper is around the basketball and will not allow the Bentgo to slide in easily. It fits snug in this lunch bag with room for an ice pack.

I got the adult Bentgo and packed a salad for the first time. I put croutons on the top part so they would stay crunchy. Apples were in the other compartment. I didn't take pics because I was more focused on the kids lunches haha. 

Micah is more sophisticated these days and selected this NIKE bag. What!?? You don't want a fire truck bag like your brothers? When did you grow up? Wahhhhh... 😢 Micah just turned 10, so they don't stay little for long. 😭 This is a bit more roomy than the Thermos Fire Truck lunch box so you could fit other small snacks but not a big water bottle. The kids carry that separately anyway. Always drinking throughout the day, so you need those ready to go and not zippered up.

These were the best selling ice packs on Amazon and they performed wonderfully for our first outing with them! I'm looking forward to lunch time out and about because we're geared up now. 😎

Yayy!! I will be taking more pics of different lunch combinations as I discover the possibilities haha. You can find all of these items on Amazon and the pics above will take you directly to the items.  These are affiliate links which just means that I will get a very small referral commission (at no extra cost to you) should you decide to actually buy anything on Amazon. The purchase price stays the same whether you use these links or not. I only want to recommend items that I've personally used and hopefully would provide some value for the readers of this blog.  😀 

Trick to staying focused!! #AskAuntie

Trick to staying focused!! #AskAuntie#HappySlip**What would you like to ask Auntie? :D

Posted by Christine Gambito on Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Now there is an invention if I do say so myself. If I put that contraption on, my kids will know not to bother me right?!! 😜 No but seriously speaking, it's easy to get overwhelmed with so many things to do. All we can do is prioritize, then take one thing at a time, making sure to make use of any idle moments. I know a big thing for me was cutting TV out. Just don't have time for it!! I feel like so many other productive things can be done instead of watching TV. If there is any time leftover after tending to the family, house, church activities, then I prefer to just go online and watch little bits of news or entertainment. (But rather than watch too much, I would create bits of entertainment for you guys. 😄)

If you all have any questions for Auntie Baby, ask away! She loves to invent interesting solutions for you. Whether they work or not.... uh well... at least she'll make you smile hopefully!! 😆🙌🏾

One thing I have to say about pancakes, is that it takes forever just for me to make a stack. I can't even get a stack going because the kids get hungry and so they go ahead and eat while I desperately try to catch up. Then it never fails that I'm the last one sitting there eating the last pancake, and everyone else has gone on to other things. So I say YES to getting em cooked all at once! Here is the short video that shows you my process.

Rice Cooker Pancakes!

Rice Cooker Pancakes!!#HappySlip

Posted by Christine Gambito on Friday, August 14, 2015

Directions:

1. Spray your rice cooker pot with some nonstick cooking spray.
2. Use your favorite pancake mix or batter from scratch and pour it into the cooker. (I used Aunt Jemima pancake mix for now.) Just make sure you don't fill the pot up with too much batter because if it rises too high and sticks to the top, well then you've got a problemo. 😳
3. Press Cook.
4. If you have a fancy rice cooker with different settings and a timer etc, then set it on Regular for 45 minutes. 
5. To check if it's done, feel the top of the cake and it should feel springy. You can also check to see if it's done by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs on it then you're done!

**I have just a simple rice cooker with only two settings. Cook and Warm. So if you have that kind of rice cooker then you will find that it will only stay on Cook for an initial 10 minutes or so, then it will switch to Warm. If your cooker is like mine, then trying to immediately press it back down to Cook will not work and it will just snap back to Warm. So wait about 5-10 minutes or so when you can switch it back to Cook.

Leave it alone after that point. (It will still continue to cook the batter even when it switches back to Warm again.) It can take anywhere from a TOTAL of 45 minutes to 1½ hours to completely cook depending on your rice cooker AND how much batter you have in there.  I know that seems too long to bother with, BUT I can get other things done while that's cooking rather than being chained to the stovetop cooking pancakes the regular way. 😉 Experiment with cooking times with your particular cooker and what kind of consistency or fluffiness you want for your pancakes. 😋 

If I ever get a rice cooker with the fancy settings and a timer, I will continue this series and see about other recipes I've wanted to try! Meanwhile, stay tuned for other HappyFood recipes...😄🍴

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For all these years, that poor peephole has never been used. I'm sure it feels neglected, wasted, and ignored. Even if any of us jumped up high to try and match our eyeball with the peephole, you'd go sailing down in a second before you could recognize anybody on the other side of the door. My uncle who is the tallest in the family could have probably stood on the top of his tippy toes and perhaps, I mean maybe could have caught a glimpse. But the choices for dealing with someone at the door would be:

• Ignore whoever is ringing the doorbell. Can't see them? They must not exist. 
• Yell loudly from behind the door "WHO'S DER??" (Downside is they know you're home.)
• Peer through the mini blinds from the side window. (Downside is the person sees you.)
• Just open it and then be victim to any random solicitor.

**Random cool factoid: Solicitors would often be scared away when the door would open and the smell of Tuyo (stinky dried fish) would hit them.

Recently my Lola took advantage of a free senior citizen program that provides installation of free peepholes and security lights. Well WOW talk about a peephole!! That thing is humongoid!! Here is a pic that would be similar to the difference in sizes from the old peephole to the new peephole. I mean.... my mom was scared to look through the new peephole for fear that the person on the other end would be able to see her big eye scoping around in there. 👀 😳Why not just upgrade to a circle sized full on window!? 😜

Anyway, the update is that my mom is now not scared to use the big scoping peephole anymore because she tested it with a friend. She had her friend stand on the other side of the door, as my mom peered through the peephole. Good news. The friend said she couldn't see my mom's eye. 😄👍🏽 Bonus! Thank you free peephole service to senior citizens!!

Only sad thing is that the old peephole that is way up high.... is still there. Still unused, neglected, and alone.  

Here's your dose of happy for the day.

Posted by The Huffington Post on Thursday, March 5, 2015

I'm sure some of you may have seen some of these clips before. What a touching compilation of people hearing for the first time. It really makes you realize how we take our hearing for granted! It's wonderfully touching to see how precious it is to these individuals when they can finally hear. What a blessing to cherish someone's voice, beautiful music, a bird's song, or a baby's laughter. Just thinking about how when someone is dying, hearing is the last sense to go... Let's always speak to build one another up even until the end. 😄❤️

Psalm 143:8
Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in You I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to You I lift up my soul.

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Filipino nicknames

Filipino nicknames. I don't quite understand... ;-)#HappySlip**Follow my Christine Gambito page for more funnies! :D

Posted by Christine Gambito on Monday, August 10, 2015

My family strayed a bit from this stereotype in that we didn't do a lot of repetition. For example you would think that my nickname should have been Tin Tin. Yes some called me Tine but my parents just referred to me as "Kissteen". I had an uncle whose name was Simplicio and his nickname was Bebot. 😬 Wait a sec. I thought Bebot meant "hot chick" as in Apl de Ap's Bebot song? 😳 Also I have an uncle whose name is Virgilio and his nickname is just  "Boy". If ya gonna be all fancy in picking the first name.... why settle for just calling him "boy"? Thoughts... just having thoughts. 

How about you, what is your nickname? Or do you have family members that have similar nicknames to which I'm talking about? Tell me in the comments below!