This summer is an exciting time for the Lone Cone family! Besides fishing and camping trips, we’ve been busy preparing for the launch of our new line of children’s backpacks and lunch boxes, and we’re pretty stoked! Lone Cone has teamed up with local Boise artist, Julia Green, to bring you one-of-a-kind patterns sure to make your little ones smile. Your kids will recognize a few of their favorite designs, like ‘Gary the Unicorn’ and ‘Campfire Critters’, and they’ll go nuts for our newest additions, out-of-this-world ‘Intergalacti-CAT’ and ‘Food Fighters’ army men.

Whether your kids are headed to camp before summer ends or prepping for their first day of preschool, Lone Cone’s mix-and-match backpacks and lunch boxes will make these special days even more fun.

Check out some of our favorite first day of school ideas to help get your little one off to a great start!

Have a “Back to School” fairy that leaves a special surprise the night before school starts (you know, like a fun new lunch box).Write encouraging notes to your child and tuck them in his or her lunch box, notebook, etc.. Short on time? Check out these cute tear-out notes. They are a big hit at our house!Draw a map of the route to school with drawings of landmarks to help your child learn the way. Hide ‘treasures’, like a personal message written in sidewalk chalk, a fun keychain or other small trinkets, and mark them on the map with an X.

Lone Cone is all about happy, healthy families. That’s why we’re committed to using only the safest, non-toxic materials in every product we make. Our backpacks and reusable lunch totes have all been independently tested to certify that they are 100% free from BPA, lead, phthalates, and other harmful substances.

All you’ll find in our back-to-school collection is imagination-inspiring designs and thoughtful features like large zippers that are easy for little hands to use, water- and stain-resistant fabrics for simple clean up (you’re welcome, moms and dads!), and pockets in all the right places for snacks, toys, iPads, and more.

Looking for a healthy homemade snack to sweeten your kids’ school day? Try this easy No-Bake Fruit & Nut Bar recipe for a quick, chewy treat!

NO-BAKE CHERRY PIE FRUIT & NUT BARS

INGREDIENTS
Mild olive oil, vegetable, or coconut oil, to grease the pan1 cup packed dried cherries1/4 cup packed, pitted, soft whole dates1 cup warm water1 cup raw almonds1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Rip off a large piece of plastic wrap, press it into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, and slick the plastic wrap with a little oil.Combine the cherries, dates, and warm water in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the fruit is soft. Drain the fruit and pat it dry with paper towels. (If the dried fruit you’re using is already super soft and moist, you can skip the soaking step.)Meanwhile, place the almonds in a food processor and process until finely chopped but not pasty.Add the drained fruit, cinnamon, and salt (if using), to the food processor and pulse until the fruit is finely chopped and the mixture begins to stick together and clump against the sides of the bowl. This can take up to 2 minutes.Transfer the mixture to the prepared loaf pan. Place a large piece of parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap slicked with oil atop the bar mixture and use it to spread and flatten the mixture evenly in the pan. Leave the paper or plastic wrap in place. (Alternatively, you can form the mixture into any size or shape you can imagine. Go a little crazy.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes.Using the paper or plastic lining the pan, lift the bar mixture from the pan and transfer it to a cutting board. Discard the paper or plastic and cut the rectangle into 6 bars. Tightly wrap each bar in plastic wrap. The bars will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months (let the frozen bar thaw for 1 hour before attempting to bite into it).Enjoy!

Mix it up with different flavor combos! Follow the directions above and substitute the ingredients below:

PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH
1 1/4 cups packed, pitted, soft whole dates1 cup warm water1 cup raw peanuts 3 tablespoons bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (optional)1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional)

PB & J
1/2 cup packed dried cherries 3/4 cup packed, pitted, soft whole dates1 cup warm water1 cup raw or roasted peanuts1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional)

BANANA BREAD
1 cup raw or dry roasted almonds1 cup dried bananas1 cup Medjool dates