Two birds (or three) with one stone

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Pretty aren't they? They look like Easter eggs, except the black one. O.k., jelly beans. They are our new water bottles. I'm really very tickled with them. I'm easy that way.

I've been reading, lately (I know, I'm kind of slow), studies that show that the chemicals in plastic water bottles (these kind) leach into the water and can cause problems (like cancer) after long-term exposure. Every day I pack a new bottle of water in my big boys' lunches and I really don't like the idea that they drink something every day that could eventually catch up with them.

That, and the statistic that it could take as long as 500 years for a disposable plastic water bottle to decompose -- that's a a long time for something that takes you about 15 minutes to use.

I also noticed, with the weather getting a little warmer, my little ones at home going through several dozens cups a day. One sip and they're done and into the sink it goes. One day I washed at least as many cups as were packed in the dishwasher -- the cupboard was empty.

So, I decided to investigate alternatives to water bottles and the cups that the little kids were using all day and came up with these pretty bottles (the pretty is just a bonus). They are hard plastic bottles, apparently the same material that bullet proof glass is made of (so they don't break), and they are FDA approved Makrolon polycarbonate that doesn't leach chemicals.

The first day we had them, I filled them up with ice and water (both filtered in our refrigerator) and the little kids drank from them all day -- refilling them several times. When they weren't being used, they just sat on the kitchen counter waiting. The second day they did the same thing -- refilling them several times. I bought myself one and drank two bottles of water yesterday and three the day before -- more water than I've drank in ages. And the bottles fit in the big boys' lunch bags, so I solved that issue as well.

And to enjoy our water a little more, I was reading in "Southern Living" magazine to add some fruit, herbs or cucumber. Several of the possible combinations were lemon and thyme, lemon and rosemary, lime and orange, or thyme and cucumber. I think lemon and mint might be good too. As soon as my herbs come in, I'll try some of those combinations.

In the meantime, I resolved several issues and am really very pleased with the outcome. Each bottle was the cost of a 12-pack of water at the grocery store, so in just a few weeks I will have paid for the purchase. And I'm really happy that my kids will be drinking more water.

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