This is a sponsored post in partnership with Stride Rite shoes. I was compensated but all opinions are my own.

Back-to-school season is in full swing, but if your kids don't have shoes, then you aren't finished shopping. Don't worry, I have you covered so you can win at back-to-school shopping. Well, at least when it comes to shoes. I want to give you some tips, show you what we decided on for my kids, and then let you in on our secret for shopping for children's shoes!

The first tip is to plan ahead. You see, many stores try and get you with huge back-to-school sales. The problem with these sales is that you might save a few dollars overall, but you will have to battle gargantuan crowds and you will end up needing a week long vacation just to recover. However if you find a store that offers great prices all the time, then you can pick up the exact shoes you need whenever you want.

Here's your next tip. Shopping online works well for some things, but when it comes to kids shoes my family wants to be able to try them on before we buy. My kids need to be able to walk around in the shoes to see what they feel like, but it's harder to do that online. The best route is to find a place

This One Cool Feature Makes These PackIt Lunch Bags Ultra Unique!

This is a sponsored post in partnership with PackIt lunch bags. I was compensated but all opinions are my own.

It's just about back-to-school time, and this means all of us parents are either cheering or dreading the end of summer. It also means that we are planning an in-depth strategy for invading the back-to-school section of our local store. You simply cannot go in with no plan whatsoever. Sometimes I feel like I might need an NFL coach, drawing up strategic plays, just to survive that one section of the store. Or maybe it is to survive the parking lot. Sometimes that's worse than the school drop off lane. Either way, one question I always get is what lunchbox should I buy for back-to-school?

A number of factors can go into that decision, but the PackIt lunch bag line has one crazy cool feature that I haven't seen anywhere else! It makes life as a parent so much easier. I also am giving you a simple and fun lunch recipe that I came up with by reading through to the end of this post.

Win $100 from PackIt by entering my giveaway below!

First of all, the new PackIt lunch bags can fit many of your current containers, or bento lunchboxes, inside but they can also hold your food without a lunchbox as well! The great feature that sets these

Lunchbox Dad's 2015 Back to School Guide

Back to School. The mention of it either causes parents to cry tears of joy or causes involuntary twitching from all the stress of preparation. If you are suffering from the latter, here at Lunchbox Dad I have you covered. This time of year is like Christmas as we get to test out some of the best lunch gear, backpacks, and school clothes around. We do the work so you can focus on what's important, spending more time with your kids during the last few moments of summer. One tip, try not to giggle too much as you watch them make that long walk through the door of their new classroom!

Planetbox Jetpack Backpack
I always get asked how my kids lunches don't become a jumbled disaster on the way to school. I have

Simple Back to School ABC Lunch

Many times I tell people that you can start making fun lunches for your kids by just using cookie cutters on a sandwich. Today I took my own advice and did just that...with a back to school twist! I decided to make an ABC lunch, which is perfect for younger kids. For each part of the lunch, the food starts with the letters A,B, or C. 

The sandwiches are not only letter shaped but they are made from Almond butter, Bread, and Cranberries. I surrounded the sandwiches with Avocado, Bacon, and Cheese. In the smaller compartment I mixed Apricots, Blueberries, and Cheerios. As you can see this was fun, simple, and only took minutes to make. I put it all in a Planetbox Shuttle lunchbox. 

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Ingredients

Whole wheat bread
Almond butter
Dried cranberries
Cheerios
Dried blueberries
Dried apricots
Avocado chunks
1/2 slice bacon (cut up into pieces)
Chunks of cheese

Directions

1. Use cookie cutters to make the letters A, B, and C, out of bread. Repeat for a second set of letters. Spread on desired amount of almond butter and dried cranberries. Make a sandwich as shown in pic.

2. Place sandwiches in container. Surround with avocado, bacon or other protein that starts with "b," and cheese. I only had bacon in the house so I used just a little. 

3. In side dish mix apricots, blueberries, and cheerios for a fun and fruity trail mix. 

#lbdbento