Stuff We Like: Back to School, Back to Cool
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Pass the Peas, Please
Westchester mom of two daughters and bestselling cookbook author Missy Chase Lapine knows from experience what a challenge it can be to get kids to eat healthy foods (hence her moniker, “The Sneaky Chef”). You’ll never guess what she’s snuck into a tasty treat this time: golden peas…that taste like peanut butter! Sneaky Chef No-Nut Butter ($6.99; available at Whole Foods Markets and at NetGrocer.com)—which is 100 percent peanut-free, tree nut-free, and soy-free—is versatile enough to spread on whole wheat for a classic PB&J or sub into your favorite peanut butter recipes and cook with. Perfect for kids with allergies and for families whose children attend nut-free schools, this PB alternative is a huge hit in my home, both with finicky adults and my 3-year-old foodie. Try it: You’ll like it! Bonus: Find a recipe for No-Nut Butter thumbprint cookies at nymetroparents.com/no-nut.
Locker Love
Tweens and teens who have upgraded from cubby to locker may want to spruce up their storage space. Staples has an entire line of décor items for just that purpose, appropriately named Love Your Locker. The line includes brightly colored shag rugs ($5.99), magnetic locker wallpaper ($8.99 for a 3-sheet pack), and even a magnetic locker chandelier complete with a motion sensor that triggers its seven tiny LED lights ($16.99; available in pink, purple, turquoise, and green).
DIY Notebooks
If your budding fashionista is bored with the same-old notebooks and binders that everyone else in class will have, introduce her to the school accessories in the Fashionit line. They come in a variety of trendsetting designs and offer accessories such as flowers and bows. They are available in the following sizes: composition ($10.99), spiral ($11.99), and binder ($12.99). Each has pockets and pouches designed to store everything needed for class, and all are washable!