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Vacation suppers, school calendars, and just stay home 💞

Issue 88 // JAM

August 11, 2026

Hi!

I just ordered these school shoes — great price for a great brand.

Whether you’re spending the next week prepping for school, away on vacation, unpacking your camp kids, or just trying to get the basics done… August is Augusting 😁 

JUST IN TIME

Snooze this email to return to your inbox on Thursday/Friday —>

JUST A Q

Reader CS wants to know: how do you clean Betty Crocker without ruining the finish?

Readers Respond

Here are the meals you’re eating on-the-go:

  • Easiest and super yummy supper for travel: Pack a package of wraps, lettuce, and salad dressing of choice and some grilled chicken, packed well. Assemble when you are ready to eat - yummy, easy, and filling chicken wraps!

  • This worked amazingly: I cooked all meals before and wrapped each component in silver foil. Then put the packets into a Ziploc bag, for example: 3 foil packets of chicken, rice, broccoli. Or pasta, roasted carrots, cabbage chicken stir fry. I even did steak, rice, string beans. 

    I brought along an electric pot. Every night I lined the pot with foil, dumped in the packets and voila! Hot fresh dinner!

  • My favorite is cholent or stew in the crockpot. I bring a peeler, knife, crockpot (and roaster bag for easy cleanup!). Bring the spices you like mixed in a container or Ziploc. You can put in potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, chickpeas, meat or chicken, squash, carrots, etc. I put it up in the morning in the hotel or Airbnb and come back to a deliciously smelling room with a warm, yummy supper enjoyed by all.

  • Supper is the same thing as lunch on a trip - bread with another variety of spreads: tuna, sliced cheese, cream cheese, peanut butter, jelly, deli... 

  • Hotel suppers: Freeze supper (chicken, pasta and veggies) in microwave containers. Take out of the freezer in the morning before you leave on your trip and when you get back, double wrap them and pop them into the microwave for a fast and nutritious meal.  Otherwise almost everything and anything could go in the Betty Crocker! Happy travels!

  • Noodle soup, matzah with pb, tuna, double wrapped microwavable meals.

  • I take these on the plane – they can work well on vacation too: French fries, roasted chickpeas (there are tons of good recipes for how to spice them), cucumber sticks

JAM PARTNER

A fun way to snack better? Yes, please! Join me — I’m so excited to go on this free adventure!

It starts THIS Sunday be”H, so make sure to sign up now so you don't miss it!

JUST FOR YOU

🎈REC: Try these. Reader C loves these reusable water balloons. They’re great for a last-licks of summer week when the kids need something new to keep them busy, and she uses them year-round in the bath!

🎨HACK: Color code your school supplies. If your school doesn’t require specific colored school supplies (our does!) and you’re shopping for a few kids, color-code by kid so you can see at a glance who left their scissors on the table, notebook in the car, (or folder at home!😫)

🗓️TIP: Fill your calendar now. Add all school half-days, off-days, late-start days, and no-bus days to your calendar now. When you’re booking an appointment, planning a trip, or checking to see what’s planned for next week — you’ll have all the info you need.

(Also, make sure each kid has two Rosh Chodesh shirts. Future you will thank you!)

*To spotlight your brand or product here, reach out.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

MOTHERHOOD MUSING

BTW, I know summer for moms is not vacation. But did you do or accomplish anything to make it feel like summer for you, too?

That’s all for today!💜☕

The JAM Fam

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