Out of the Lunch Box

Today the Boston Globe and the SF Chronicle both have done stories on lunch boxes, this being the back to school time of year and all. Reading about it got me thinking about how different lunch boxes are now-a-days compared to when I went to school. I can't remember the exact characters I had on my lunch box (I'm thinking Rainbow Brite, My Little Pony or Barbie), but it definitely resembled this:

The thermos with the attached cup (all plastic, of course) was a staple. I remember these boxes having a distinct smell which altered the taste of whatever juice was in the thermos. Ah, the memories....then I moved on to the brown bag that got me through junior/high school- yep, my mom made my lunch up until I graduated with my name on the front and all-oh, I miss those days!

Now, onto a few of the latest lunchboxes I found from the Globe:

So trendy and non-branded! And they just have that crisp, fresh & clean feel to them. I love how each aspect of the lunch has its own spot where it belongs in the box. I should buy Alex one of these, my Old Navy hand-me-down he's been using has gotten its money's worth and it beat up enough to justify a new fancy tote!

As I was browsing, I found this little box:

The concept is probably quite helpful, but I still feel bad for the poor kid who has to have his allergy advertised to the world....

Do any of you have a favorite lunch box of old, or one that's tried & true??