Loving My Daughter’s Klean Kanteen

A couple of weeks ago, I got tired of replacing my daughter’s reusable drink bottles I was packing in her lunch. She proved to have quite the talent for breaking the bottles we purchased for her at the local Henry’s. Most often she’d crack the lid, but sometimes it would be the bottle itself.

painted kleen kanteen

I replaced three bottles this school year before deciding that it was flat out time to cough up the money for a Klean Kanteen. So far, we’re loving it.

We bought one with a sports bottle top, so that she doesn’t have to open it very much to take a drink. I figure you can count on most first graders to spill their drinks pretty regularly if they’re open and they’re in a crowd of other kids their age. Too much goofing off going on. It’s just 12 ounces, which is small for a Klean Kanteen, but since it’s the only size that fits in her lunch bag and she has some juice left over each day, I would call it the perfect size.

We had some paint pens sitting around, so I let her try decorating it after I painted her name on it. Something like this I want to be sure can be returned to her if she ever forgets it at school. I hope the paint sticks well, but I know metal can be tricky.

The nice part is that if she should somehow manage to crack the top, I can buy a new top, not a whole new bottle. Even the top looks much more sturdy than what we had been buying before, though.

Brita + Preserve = Pitcher Filter Recycling in 2009

Take Back the Filter has a great announcement up right now – Brita has partnered with Preserve so that the Brita Pitcher filters can be recycled starting in January 2009. You can read the entire PDF press release here.

I’m quite delighted, and hopeful that this includes their Brita On Tap filters, as that’s what I have. The release doesn’t mention them at all.

It’s a pretty nice deal. If there’s a Whole Foods near you, there will be a place for you to drop your filters off. Otherwise, you can just mail them in.

While I’m disappointed that my filter isn’t listed as included yet, it’s a nice first step. If the lack of recycling for filters has held you back from buying a Brita pitcher, that limitation is now gone, or at least gone in January, which is near enough for shopping purposes. That’s not long at all to start holding on to cartridges if you haven’t started doing that, as well.

I’m also thinking this could make for a nice combination for Christmas presents if you know anyone still buying bottled water. Get them a Brita pitcher and a reusable bottle (maybe more, depending on family size), with a note about recycling the pitcher filters. Might just work for those who make excuses about their tap water quality.

Sunday Links 11-16-08

Going to try something new here. Since I read a lot of interesting stuff during the week, I’m going to try sharing them on Sundays.

Some Thoughts on the Small House Movement: Is It Something Worth Considering? – What defines a small house is pretty much a matter of perspective, but anything that encourages people to think past the McMansion trend can’t be all that bad. I grew up in a house that was 1800 square feet, yet in my mother’s neighborhood one family moved in and knocked down their house to build a new one because “everyone knows” you can’t raise 3 kids in less than 3000 square feet. My mother raised 4 of us, and it was quite comfortable.

There are studies. And then there are studies. – BPA isn’t the only area where the FDA is ignoring their responsibilities toward consumers in favor of industry. This time it’s perchlorate in drinking water.

Corn Bag Critters: A Natural Alternative to Electric Heating Pads – I love this idea. My grandmother made similar bags with rice. They’re wonderful!

Here Comes The Flu – 10 Ways To Beat It The Natural Way! – Some great tips for coping with the flu. Good to consider at this time of year. I haven’t tried them, but I don’t have the flu right now either.

Do You Have “Issues” Buying Used Clothing and Gear for Baby? – I sure don’t, but a lot of people do. This baby I’m carrying now will be getting a lot of hand me downs from relatives. Why would a baby care about “new”?

Sex, Lies, and Antibiotics: Tyson Caught Lying About Antibiotic-Free Chicken – So… injecting eggs and treating their feed is still “antibiotic-free”. Amazing.

No, Changing A Light Bulb Won’t Fix Everything. – True, but it’s not a bad start.

Are You Recycling Right? What About Reusing?

November 15 is America Recycles Day. It’s a nice concept, but as this article on TreeHugger points out, not quite perfect.

Recycling, quite simply, is not always the answer. Using reusable containers is a better solution whenever it’s practical. The article doesn’t really get into the times when recycling really is the best option, however. There’s only so much paper you can reuse, even with children all too interested in doing crafts.

But when you’re talking about drink containers, reusable is a great idea. That’s why buying reusable bottles is so encouraged, rather than buying bottled water.

It’s more difficult with a lot of other drinks. In my area I can save a lot by buying milk in gallons rather than half gallons. The cartons are more recyclable, of course, but the gallon jugs are at least #2 plastic, and so reasonably recyclable.

The challenge with putting larger quantities of milk into something more reusable or recyclable is that they would probably end up heavier. Glass bottles are great for reusing or recycling, but they’re HEAVY in comparison with plastic or cartons.

Then again, I have read about the new milk jugs Walmart has been distributing since earlier this year. They’re more efficient for storage and transportation. Reusable would be nice, but we can’t have everything every time.

The part we as consumers need to look at, of course, is whether we can encourage more reusable containers where recyclable ones are now preferred. We also need to consider how these containers get back for refills. Should they just go in with the current recyclables for convenience, and then be shipped from a central point? Will enough people bring back reusable containers even to get a deposit back?

It’s rarely so simple a question. But we need an answer.

For now, when you shop, think about not just recyclable containers, but reusable as well. They don’t have to be reused by you, but there’s a reason why reuse is more important than recycle.

Green Rainy Day Play

Rain has come to southern California at last! Yes, I know many of you have had lots of rain already, but the other day was our first really significant rain. It rained hard enough at times to make the back yard into a puddle.

rainy day play

I’m one of those moms who lets her kids go out and play in the rain, so my daughter was utterly crushed when I wouldn’t let her play in that storm. I had a good reason, though; she was headed to a friend’s birthday party shortly.

Under normal conditions though, I love letting them play in the rain. I did it as a kid. Lots of good memories from getting completely soaked.

Then comes the time to call the kids in, dry them off, hang up coats and umbrellas where they can dry, and find something more interesting than just staring at a movie on television for the kids to do.

1. Make a fort.

This works year round, of course! However, if the weather is cold outside it’s a nice way for the kids to have a cozy little place to play.

2. Bake.

There’s nothing like warm treats on a cold day.

3. Read stories together cuddled with a blanket.

Just so much fun to do something together while you keep warm.

4. Pull out rainy day activity books.

There are plenty of titles to choose from. Once the kids are done playing in the rain, new science projects, making play dough and so forth can help keep them and you occupied.

5. Indoor hide and seek.

This was one of my favorites as a kid. It’s generally best to have rules against running, ad if you’re hiding any presents for the upcoming holidays, make sure you don’t let them hide where you hide the gifts! There’s a reason why my closet is off limits to the kids for playing, and it’s not just the mess they make in there pushing things around.

6. Go to an indoor mall with a play area.

Not to shop, unless there’s something you really need there. When your kids are just too full of energy and still young enough for the indoor mall play areas, they can be a huge help.

Fast food places also generally have play areas, but it’s probably going to be harder to avoid buying treats if you go there. If there’s a children’s gym in your area that has open play times, they can be another good option to get the excess energy out.