It took a while, but someone finally reinvented the lunchbox.

Yes, while we’ve been mindlessly putting every meal into a series of little plastic bags, a few smart folks in Seattle were busy figuring out how to save the Earth, one lunchbox at a time.

Similar to a Japanese bento box, the Goodbyn (pronounced “good bin”) has five different food compartments that can be sealed using just one lid. Ingeniously designed, each section protects the various items so there’s no need for plastic bags, juice boxes, or anything else that’ll end up in a landfill. Instead, the Goodbyn is BPA-free, dishwasher-safe, and when the schoolyear ends, it’s completely recyclable.

Worried that going green will cost you extra? Actually, Goodbyn estimates that families can save over $190 each year by eliminating plastic bags and drink boxes. Of course, Goodbyn is about more than just being sustainable; they also look awesome. Kids will love the bright, friendly colors (orange, blue, green, pink), plus they come with hundreds of stickers so little Picassos can change its appearance over and over.

It’s not often you get to be so stylish while still saving the planet.

*** WANT TO WIN ONE? Visit our Contests page to get all the details! Contest ends 1/22/10.

Take a stroll through the “Parenting” section of any bookstore, and you’ll find countless books all promising to cure your little picky eater. Some offer monthly menu planning, while others show you ways to sneak veggies into your kid’s diet. Well, it turns out that the solution may be easier: just like James Brown said, you’ve got to make it funky.

Funky Lunch showcases the creations of Mark Northeast, a dad in the UK, who started making his wild sandwiches as a way to inspire his kids to eat new foods. Along the way, the meals grew into mini-masterpieces. “Funky Lunch was born out of the desire to turn an ordinary lunchtime sandwich into something a bit different to encourage children to eat a varied and healthy lunch,” Northeast writes on the site.

With a gallery full of edible creations, Funky Lunch features sandwiches designed to look like cartoon characters (Spongebob, Winnie the Pooh, Hello Kitty), animals (a giraffe, an alligator, a pig) and even otherwordly creatures (a dragon, the Loch Ness Monster).

Sure, most of us won’t ever make any of these sandwiches, but the real lesson is that when your normal Dad tricks aren’t working, try getting a little funky.