I got some good-natured ribbing from the IHOP guy who rung up my bill (he asked me if I was heading off to work with my packed lunch), but no exclamation of “I love that movie!” or even a knowing glance. To be fair, I only took the lunch boxes out a few times. I also did not flaunt my unusual purse choice, feeling acutely self-aware as I rode the escalator up to a movie theater, ate at a restaurant or sat in a pew at church.
After using the boxes as totes (but not as actual lunch boxes, though they would easily fit my sandwich, bag of chips and nectarine, plus a paperback), I tried the Fruity Oaty Bar box as storage. It works great for smaller items you want to keep but that need to be stored rather than displayed: ticket stubs, greeting cards, photos, anything that can fit into an 8-by-7-by-3 3/4-inch container. The boxes also would be great for holding spools of ribbon or writing/coloring utensils, and other craft-related items.
My complaints about the boxes are pretty evenly balanced by their coolness. Most notably, the thin piece of metal that keeps the lid attached to the logo box (which spent more time out on the town as a purse) occasionally slid so that one side came unattached. I simply had to slide the piece back through, and kept an eye on it before taking the box by its handle to carry it.
The Fruity Oaty Bar box’s lid has always appeared slightly crooked when opened. I’m sure I could bend it a little to straighten it out, but I’m not concerned about it right now. Also, one side is printed upside-down, though that’s sort of cool and makes it seem more special.
The boxes had no trouble holding a moderate amount of items – including a small Bible and notebook for church. The boxes themselves are rather light and do not add much weight for carrying. An unscientific test (holding a Serenity box in one hand and an Empire Strikes Back one in the other) confirmed my suspicion that these new lunch boxes are lighter than the ones I used as a child. They can be a bit cumbersome for anyone using them to tote around items during trips to the grocery store or restaurant, but being able to look at everything in a flat, open container makes finding your keys a lot easier than when you're digging around in a more conventional purse.
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