Blog Posts by Charlene Prince Birkeland, Shine staff

Okay, so your kids may not ever be truly excited about lunch. That doesn't mean you should stop trying! One way to help further your cause is to pack that important midday meal in something that will appeal to your child. Yes, I'm talking about the ever-important lunch box.

Whether it's a cool metal lunch box, a fun bento box, an insulated lunch bag with cute food storage containers, or an eco-friendly lunch bag, presentation is everything. If your kid loves the lunch box or bag, you've won half of the lunchtime battle.

Check out some of our favorite lunch boxes and containers that we think your kids will dig. (And they just might make lunch prep a little easier, too!) And remember, the ones we chose come in a variety of colors and designs!

Share your child's back to school photos and any other fun, embarrassing or incredible moments that you have captured on the Moments of Motherhood Flickr Group. While you are here take part in discussions with other moms.

Kiddie wading pools are almost a summer essential when you have young children and you're trying to beat the heat while at home.

If you have a small home, apartment or lack storage space, you might also be left with a challenge when that pool is not in use outside.

What else can you do with it? Bring it indoors! (Empty, of course.)

We have four ways your little ones can use their kiddie pools for big-time fun.

• Make a ball pit. Empty a bag (or two) into your small pool and let the kids dive in! And if you are worried about your kids being exposed to plastic filled, you can even find non-PVC and phthalate free packs.
• Have a stuffed animal pool party! Let your little ones fill the empty wading pool with all of their stuffed animals, or they pick just a few for a special party inside the pool.
• Create an "art zone." Tired of cleaning up crafty stuff --- paints, Play-doh, Moon Sand -- from your tables and floors? The kiddie pool can become a contained arts and

Since we're starting to get into back-to-school mode (really, we are), how about giving your kids a quick history lesson!The sheer volume of important people in history is endless. But we think your kids will love learning about these five women and men. All are curious, adventurous and tenacious, u

DIY paper flowers: Simple, easy (mostly), and a good project for a lazy summer afternoon when you can't think of anything else to do! Also? A perfect craft that your kids can turn into a gift for grandparents, aunts or family friends.

Check out the slide show for five ways to make paper flowers or paper flower art with the kids!

Share your child's first day of school photos and any other fun, embarrassing or incredible moments that you have captured on the Moments of Motherhood Flickr Group. While you are here take part in discussions with other moms.

I was chatting with a mom a few days ago about the struggle to get kids to read over the summer. The challenge for some kids is not that they don't want to read. Sometimes they just can't find a good book to curl up with on a lazy summer afternoon.

I love children's literature and because my older son is an advanced reader, I like to read books before he does so we can talk about them -- it helps me know that he comprehends what he's reading. (And it helps out when he asks me a complicated question about plot or characters.)

I promised my friend I'd give her a list of books I think kids would love to read before school starts over the next few weeks. (I know! So soon.) Check out the slide show for my picks (and really, my kids' picks because they love these books, too!).

I've recommended a few books for kindergarteners and first graders, which can be read alone or out loud by a parent. I've also included several for kids in second/and third grade through middle school. I didn't

photo credit: tatertotsandjello.blogspot.comI'm going to let you in on a secret: my favorite craft activity ever -- okay, so far -- with my kids is making bubble wands to create ginormous bubbles. We made three wands and spent an entire afternoon in the backyard perfecting our techniques...and we all came up with different ways of making these magical, color-filled works of art. It was neat, plain and simple. It also killed an area of our lawn, but that's another story. Tips to avoid that mess in a second.

Back to enormous bubbles.

I first saw this idea on the crafty blog, Tatertots & Jello. After a quick trip to the hardware store for wooden dowels, eye screws, flat washers and cotton string, we spent about 10 minutes making the wands. The instructions and photos on Tattertots & Jello guided us through the process.

For reference, we used 36" long dowels that were 5/8" in diameter. The eye screws were 1" and the washers were 3/16".

Homemade bubble mix is easy to make as well, using dish soap, purified water and liquid

If you're like me, you're smack dab in the middle of your kid's summer vacation. It's good to let your children work themselves out of inevitable "I'm bored!" moments. But sometimes you're going to need to give them some help. Say hello to the idea of Edible Crafts.

Check out these fun ideas to help your kids add some creativity and yumminess to their summer days.

What are your ideas for crafts that kids can eat?

Share your child's first day of school photos and any other fun, embarrassing or incredible moments that you have captured on the Moments of Motherhood Flickr Group. While you are here take part in discussions with other moms.

photo credit: getty imagesContrary to popular belief, not all parents turn on DVD players in the car when the family goes on a road trip. Or have their kids play video games. Or listen to music on an iPod.

And even if and when the kids do all of the above, chances are high that they'll stop at some point during the road trip. Like when the batteries in their gadgets wear out.

You'll need to go old school and think of a game to keep them from driving you nutters.

Check out these tried and true ways to keep the kids busy when you're road tripping. And guess what? We bet you'll have fun playing along.

• Look for out-of-state license plates. Pack a notebook and pen so the kids can keep track. On a simple two-hour road trip, my boys managed to spot plates from 12 different states. They kept adding to the list on return trip!

• Create sentences that follow the letter/number sequence of license plates. For example, "MDA4E2" could me "My Dog Ate Four Eggs Tonight." Guaranteed giggles as the sentences get