Solutions ~ Green in the Kitchen

I've recently made two smallish changes in our kitchen, in an effort to eliminate plastics.  We already use glass, ceramic, or metal to store leftovers.  But my bad habit was bottled water - I KNOW, I know, so bad.  I love my traditional freezer on top fridge, but it has no water dispenser, and I don't like the taste of tap.  Plus I want cold water, on demand, when it's hot outside.   If I have easy access to water, I drink it.  If I don't, I shrivel up and die. And the kids always seemed to need water on the go - for soccer, or the playground, or at bedtime.  I tried several things before finally coming across a solution that works for us.

I bought 3 sets of these bottles (15 total).  They come with trays to keep them in place in the fridge, which is actually extremely handy.

They can be washed in the dishwasher, are BPA free, and they are just the right size - big enough to last through a soccer game, but not so big that they are cumbersome for little hands.  I have a pitcher Brita filter, and I just refill the bottles and stick them in the fridge - when someone needs a bottle of fresh, filtered water, they just grab one and go. When they are done, it goes in the dishwasher.  It only takes a few minutes for me to refill them as needed.  Totally worth it!

I was also really tired of the ziploc bags, but had not come up with a good alternative, especially for messy things like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  It was when I threw my cloth diaper wetbag in the washer one night that I realized, they MUST make tiny machine-washable wetbags for food.  And of course, they do.  "They" being this great Etsy seller (and lots of others - but I love her designs and prices!  She's got lots of other cute things too.)

Look at my cute baggie!

I got a bunch in different patterns and sizes - some for small snacks like a handful of goldfish, and others big enough for sandwiches.  These will be great for sticking in the diaper bag this summer, and then for school lunches in the fall.