Bento at the Beach

I spent the morning chained to my computer writing - the ideas were flowing and I was in the groove. But when I came up for air I realized I was missing out on a gorgeous day.  Today the weather was beautiful and it was perfect for a day at the beach. But first I had some chores to finish.  I've got several projects halfway done in the living room and I got a few of those done. Picture rails are hung and the photos that will go into the frames are picked out and ready for printing. And the corner of the bedroom where the bookcases will go has been reorganized and the shelves have been moved into place.

Because my day was so productive, it was time to chill out and enjoy some sand between my toes. So around 4:30 I quickly packed up a beach bag and threw together a beachy dinner. Have you seen this super cute Laptop Lunchbox?  They are the perfectly sizes for small pouch-sized meals and snacks. And c'mon... they're SO CUTE!  And you know how much I love cute food stuff, right?  Plus there's a pocket inside the carry case to add a freezer pack to keep everything cool until you're ready to eat.

Here's what I enjoyed for dinner (and a snack later) at the beach.

1 - Grapes
2 - Finger Jell-O Fruit Bars
3 - Mesquite chicken breast (shaved thin at the deli, rolled up and secure with toothpick)
4 - baby dill pickles
5 - cheesestick
6 - South Beach Cinnamon Raisin Protein Bar (a snack for later)
7 - My new 64oz water bottle packed with lots of ice and pink lemonade

I also packed up my stuff and headed to the beach. I arrived at 5:00 or so... the beach was crowded, but I found a kinda-quiet corner of sand and set up my beach chair (which I keep in the trunk of my car at all times in case of an emergency beach visit). I broke out the Laptop Lunchbox and dug in for some yummy summer deliciousness. (I snapped a picture first, of course.) The park stayed open until 9:00 and I stayed to watch the sunset while reading my newest book and soaking up the sun. It was a good day.

If you haven't seen these lunchboxes, definitely check 'em out.  If the Laptop Lunchbox is a bit too pricey, there's a cheaper alternative. Ziploc Divided Rectangle dishes have 3 divided sections and a cover. It's not insulated, but they fit nicely into a cooler for easy travel.