And the winners are....

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway.  It's so fantastic to see all the entries and to see you supporting my little blog.

These giveaways aren't huge but they're from the heart.  The prizes are self funded but I hope for that to change one day...hellooo sponsors.  Until then, I'm happy to share things I find and love and if that means I pay for them then I'm ok with that x

And now for the winners;

Larrissa, who happens to be the lovely lady behind My Pigeon Pair
What a great prize! I am new to your blog, but LOVE what I see! Larissa ~ My Pigeon Pair

Debbie Shotte
Love your page :-) My tip is - I have 5 young boys to do lunches for, and it is easier to do them the night before...I bought 5 white baskets from Coles, and I pop everything in there - snacks, fruit, crunch and sip, treats...and then in the morning it is super easy to pack the lunch bags....with named containers in there, even the kids can help out and pack ;-)
And even though I didn't hit 300 likers, the third bag goes to....

Fiona Isbister
I love this tote bag it almost looks like a hand bag, I am a preschool teacher and I think all the kids would think I was a pretty groovy teacher with this lol. Lunch box tip know if your child can manage glad wrap and other packets including yougurt ones where you have to rip the tops off. Half my lunchtime is taken up opening packets lol.

Can the winners all please contact me to arrange postage.

If you weren't a winner this time, please stick around..I plan on having lots of giveaways.  I'm pretty certain the next one will be a signed copy of my favourite book.  I also have lots more tips, tricks and stories to share.

xx Bec

~ Giveaway ~

I'm so excited to have reached 250 likers.  So as promised I have a little giveaway.  I have a bit of a bag fettish... handbags, beach totes and lunch bags.  I have a few favourites but they're mostly for Matilda.

When I spotted this one, I knew I had to have it..for me.  I work two days a week so this is great to take my lunch with me.  After using it, I thought it would make a great giveaway so other's could love it too. 

The bag itself is almost handbag like.  It's insulated and is a good size.  As you can see I can fit two Sandwich Keepers and a few snackpots inside.

I have 2 of these to give away and I will add another bag if the Because Everything Counts Facebook page reaches 300 likers by the end of the giveaway. That's potentially 3 chances to win!

Giveaway details

The Giveaway will run here on the Because Everything Counts blog page.   

It will run from Saturday 12 May 2012 and end 8pm (WST) Saturday 19 May 2012

Entry is open to Australian residents only (sorry, the postage overseas will be too much for me to bare).  One entry per person.  The winner who has met the requirements will be chosen via random.org

How to Enter

To enter you must be a liker of the Because Everything Counts Facebook page.

Please leave a comment below this post, the comment could even be your favourite lunchbox tip.  Also include your full name.

Good luck xx

PS, Please note the Tupperware is not included in the prize, it is the lunchbag up for grabs.  The Tupperware is to show just how much the bag can fit inside x

Why I Menu Plan Part Three

This is it, I promised I'd share how I make shopping easier, faster and less stressful...for me.

Yes I have one child so it's definitely easier than for those who have more than one.  I'm not saying my way is perfect but it's the way it works for me.  This is the same thing I did when shopping with my boy who is now 19 and because it worked then, I'm keeping it up with Miss 3.

It starts well before I leave home and that's with the menu plan itself.  Here is where I shared with you how I do the actual planning.

This is how I set out my plan and shopping list.  I include the magazine I've used for the recipe and the page number to make it easier. Having it popped onto the fridge means I can see what meat I need to defrost for the night.

This is my lifesaver though and the key to me getting out of the shops quickly. Sorting the list into the categories means I don't forget anything as I visit one section at a time and don't visit every aisle when I don't need to.

This is also how I put it onto the conveyor belt which means it gets packed together. There is nothing worse than getting home, thinking you'll just pop the cold stuff away as you're in a rush, only to find there is bacon in with cans! Grrr my pet hate!

It gets put through the check out quicker too as the cashier doesn't need to 'fossik' for anything. It's all there..

Lastly, I find these things invaluable for keeping Miss M tantrum free.  I feel if she's going to throw a 'wobbly' it's because she's tired/bored/hungry/thirsty.  If I cover all those bases I'm reducing the chance of a tantrum (doesn't mean 100% that they're not going to happen).

Miss M chooses her book, the snacks are not squishable, in case she drops them whilst shopping, and the etch-a-sketch means no dropping pencils/crayons.

Last but not least is this groovy little accessory.  This is actually made for prams but I found it fits on the handle of the trolley...awesome and only AU$15 from our local babyshop.

So there you go, hope you got something from the 'series'.  I know that these tips and tricks have saved us money and my sanity.