I finally gave in a bought a set of sandwich and fruit cutters for our kids' lunches. I've resisted for awhile because I didn't have the time or the energy to use them and I also didn't want all of the food scraps to go to waste.

However, this year, when buying our back to school clothes, backpacks, etc, I couldn’t say no when our daughter found a nice set for her lunch. Our daughter loves being in the kitchen and these gadgets seemed like a great way for her to transform a regular lunch into something more creative.

Of course, once the novelty wears off, we'll probably store these kitchen gadgets in a drawer for birthdays and holidays. But, right now, when they are still novel, it’s a fun group activity. I found our mandolin hiding in the cupboard and I can slice our fruits and vegetables very thin. Then our daughter is able to take the reins and create lunch on her own. So far she is having fun making fruit salads and sandwiches for her and her sister.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll keep using these gadgets throughout the school year. And while I still don’t think I’ll cut many of her lunches into stars and hearts myself, I love seeing her creativity and her excitement when she makes lunch for her and her sister to gobble up.