When I came back here from Japan about 2 years ago, I missed a lot of things. While usually I don’t fuss over food, I really miss Japanese healthy meals, products and lunchboxes (bento).

It didn’t took me long to find Asian market in George Street (there are few Asian shops around too), Asian supermarket on the other side of Jervis shopping center and place where to buy sushi rice not so far away from my house at Roy Fox in Donnybrook. I’m getting another 10kg rice pack today. I will use it over few months.

After half year of me being in Dublin, my daughter started school. She needed lunchbox everyday and it made me in real pain. First thing – I couldn’t find any good lunchboxes and second thing Irish don’t eat much hot food during lunch, but mostly sandwiches. I don’t think it’s healthy in any way. It’s hard to understand why main meal is in the evening at 6pm? It’s hard to sleep afterward!

So in search of perfect lunchbox I came across J-List site. I can spend hours on that site just looking at items. We ordered lunchbox with Hello Kitty. It was first late 3 weeks, but after a call they send it in next day. So I would say they don’t have too bad service. I gonna order from this site soon again, so if you want to order something as well, let me know.

Lunchbox is only start of my healthy lunches mission. I found yet another site Just Bento – which is completely great! All those recipes just wait for me to make them and I made few already.

But I still struggle with Irish healthy food policy. If everybody in school takes sandwitches, my kid feels left out as she has something different. So my next order from J-List will be with decorating things. For example, my daughter loves rice balls (onigiri), but I need some decorative set to make it cute. Cutness will win over the non-sandwich food. At least I hope so. Wish me luck with this!

The weather is getting pretty cold and it’s not like we can play outside much anymore. So I did some research over internet, what can I do with my kid indoors.

She is 5 so not too big and not too small. Currently when I’m busy she plays computer games, but it’s not the thing I wish her to do all weekends.

I found few games over net I probably should buy:
– Carrom (Indian game with moving discs. Haven’t seen it, but sounds fun)
– Ludo (I played similar game when I was small. It always made me sleepy)
– Bingo (when I was small it was called Lotto. Good for kid to remember numbers)
– Twister (haven’t played it, have heard of it, I want it)
– Tower (you build tower from small wooden blocks and try to pull out without breaking tower. Should find where I put it)
– Cards (I used to play sooo much card games when I was small. Have to ask my mom send over card game book)
– Uno (also card game, but it is simple and fun for kids)
– Lego (which kid doesn’t like it? I haven’t bought much Lego for my daughter, but probably should cause she loves building houses from everything else)

And few more ideas for myself to remember:
– Music lessons. My family loves singing and I know a lot of traditional English and Latvian songs.
– Cooking lessons. It’s always fun.
– Geography lessons. Spend one day related to one country. E.g. read about Italy, go to Italian restaurant, play Italian games etc.
– Exercise. I was thinking about buying Wii, but then I have to buy Tv as well (yep, don’t have any). Maybe then just switch on music and dance?
– Games like “Can you be a … snake …?” and let kid to do it.

And in worst case scenario I will allow her to play games. Currently she plays NeoPets and Nickelodeon. They both has a lot of fun and educating games.

If we get out of the house to some indoor activities, I would want to go to following:
– LeisurePlex. There is 3 of them in Dublin, however I find them very loud and tiring.
– E.N.R.G. – haven’t been there that’s why I want to see it. Seems big enough for few hours fun.
– National Aquatic Centre is quite a far from our house, but it is a great place for full day fun.
- The Ark – also haven’t been there, that’s why I want to go there
– Imaginosity is close to our house and it is great for kids.

And there are few more places, that I’m not interested at the moment, but you can take a look.