What's in YOUR bento box?

As with most of the things I have become obsessed with in the last 3 years, I read about bento boxes on 2peas. I struggle with bringing my lunch to work every day. I hate dragging that Price Chopper plastic bag to work and shoving it into the overpacked refrigerator.

Bento boxes are a japanese thing. Plastic lunchboxes with sections that you fill with various goodies. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish. The bento boxes I have seen are one or two plastic dishes which you can divide inside and then you band them together. They are ADORABLE. However, I like the laptop lunchbox better. It comes with several individual dishes. Totally practical from someone like me who is more of a snacker. And since I have no judgment at all when it comes to portion size I always end up overeating. Me and my laptop lunchbox are going to be good friends in '08 while I try to lose 30 pounds before a friend's wedding in October.

Check out these groups on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cloudedmaple/sets/72157602026463996/

http://www.flickr.com/groups/laptop_lunches/pool/

I ordered the Laptop Lunchbox from here: http://www.laptoplunches.com Ebay had a lot too.

Christmas Countdown

I don't know who is more excited about Christmas, Sean or me. I cannot wait to give him all of the gifts I have been shopping before since before Thanksgiving.

This week before Christmas has crawled by. Usually happens when an extended weekend is coming. I have to work a half day today and am then off for a mani pedi and some last minute shopping. Then I have 5 days off! (or as Sean would say 5 stay home days in a row!) I have to work one day and a half next week and then I'm off again for 4 days. Not too shabby!

It's a Merry Christmas for me!

I just love money, don't you? Imagine my surprise when I saw my Christmas bonus today and it was more than 3 times what I expected! Hell yeah! Bonuses are usually small in my office. This year they decided to reward 3 people (out of 50) with some extra special lovin' for their hard work. And I was one of the special 3!

Of course I don't know what I'll do with the check. Not the money, mind you. The acutal paper check. I usually get direct deposit. I signed up for this dumb payment account with HSBC that doesn't allow you to use the branch. At all. I thought I could deposit it through the ATM and charge everything on my shopping spree this weekend and then make an online payment to Visa. So I drove home on the dreaded Hoosick Street. Took me 45 minutes to make it the 3 miles from the highway to my bank. I swore....a lot.....at all of the New Jersey people traveling up that road at rush hour on their way to their ski weekends in Vermont. I got to the bank and there were no deposit envelopes. None. Not even a slot for one. Now, if you offer these online accounts where you have to transact business through the ATM, how come you don't provide those nifty envelopes? I was PISSED!

I pulled out my cell and called HSBC customer service. I got an American (shock I know) and explained my dilemna. I asked what the quickest way was to get rid of this stupid account and get a regular checking account so I could cash the largest check I have ever received. I think I made this guy's day for the most bizarre phone call of the day. He kept laughing and then apologizing for laughing and then congratulated me on my bonus. But, alas, he could not help me.

I'm going to do a little online shopping. Not sure what I want or need but I just have to celebrate my good fortune SOMEHOW. That cashmere sweater from J Crew I've been drooling over? Mine! Those riding boots on piperlime? Mine! A new ipod? Mine! Mine! Mine!

Holiday Traditions

My small family does not have many holiday traditions. When I was younger and I had a more extended family (grandparents and great-grandparents) the traditions were centered around family visits. Christmas Eve we went to my father's mother's house to visit and then went on to my great-grandmother Mary's. I loved going to Mary's house. Nothing had changed in that house since at least the 70's when I was born. She even saved a ragged old Sear's toy catalog that I used to like to look at until it had almost disintegrated!

Christmas Day my grandfather and his wife would always visit mid-morning and my mom always cooked Christmas dinner. My great aunt and cousins always came and whomever was visiting from Atlanta that year.

Now with deaths, births, marriages and divorces the traditions have changed. We haven't actually found the right mix yet. This year my parents will host Christmas Eve. My grandfather no longer visits from Maryland now that his mother has passed away. My great aunt and her husband will come, along with my cousin Kris (the only other unmarried family member!), my cousin Kelly and her children (but not her Jewish husband). Christmas Day I have to share my son with his father and his family so Christmas Day is subdued around here.

My mother has attempted to start some new traditions. Cutting down the Christmas tree, Christmas Eve mass, the gourmet Christmas dinner. However, it all doesn't feel the same. Maybe it's because I spend so much time with my immediate family already that the holidays don't feel special. It's just yet another dinner. Another dinner where I listen to my father slurp his soup, chew with his mouth open, talk with his mouth full and stand up and belch 2 feet from the table. Another dinner where the entire time is spent saying, "Sean, sit down and eat." "Sean that is enough ketchup." "Sean sit down!" My mother doesn't understand why I prefer the buffet. Eat when you want, where you want.

So today, I am going to put on a happy face, go outside in the freezing cold and cut down a tree. Then I'm going to take Sean to see Santa. I'm going to drive to the mall, fight the crowds to park the car and stand in line for 2 hours to get 2 minutes with Santa and spend $15 on a picture. Merry Christmas!

New Blog

I moved my blog from typepad. What sense does it make to pay for a blog when I can have one for free? See, I'm cheap like that...