Klean Kanteen

I just ordered two of these Klean Kanteen Sets for my girls to replace all of our plastic sippy cups.  I am so tired of trying to find the matching lids, straws, valves etc for all the different sippy cups we have. My girls fight over who gets what color, and I worry about toxic chemicals from the plastics leaching into their drinks or directly onto their skin.  I am hoping, once these arrive, to completely do away with all their other cups.  I know a lot of parents, who avoid plastics, give their little ones mason jars to drink from, but that would turn into a disaster at our house.  My kids can't seem to go ten feet without dropping their cups or sitting them down on something unstable like our white sofa.

I really love the Active Pink (above) and may get the adult version for myself if I like these bottles as much as I think I will.  My daughters chose the Solar Yellow and the Prevention Purple for themselves.

The sets we ordered come with both the sippy lids and the sport bottle caps, so they will grow with my girls.  Klean Kanteen has so many great colors and styles from which to choose. The ones pictured above are just a small sampling. The even do baby bottles. Plus, I really appreciated being able to purchase high quality, healthy, green products from a company that is truly devoted to doing what's best for their customers' health, their employees and suppliers, and our environment. 

FROM WWW.KLEANKANTEEN.COM HERE ARE THE OTHER FEATURES THAT HELPED ME DECIDE ON THESE PARTICULAR BOTTLES:

• Free of BPA, phthalates and other toxins
• 100% recyclable and eco-friendly
• Made of 18/8, food-grade stainless steel, no liner needed
• Doesn't retain or impart flavors
• Slim design fits most bottle/cup holders
• Rounded corners are easy to clean with no hard angles where dirt, germs or bacteria can stick
• Stainless steel threads
• Fits large ice cubes
• Includes one Avent™ spout and dome lid
• Cap & spouts are made of BPA-free polypropylene (pp#5)
• Dishwasher safe (colored bottles should be hand-washed)
• All parts can be boiled for sterilization
• Capacity: 12 fluid ounces (355 ml)
• Weight: 3.75 ounces (w/o cap)
• Size: 5” H (w/o cap) x 2.75” W
• Opening diameter: 1.75" (44 mm)

Are you using plastic sippy cups and bottles or greener, healthier alternatives? Are your kids' cups and bottles BPA and phthalate free? Are yours? Leave me a comment telling me what you're using and why.

Tip #5 -- Increase Your Water Intake

Water is a vital component to life. No living being can survive without a fresh supply of pure water each and every day. If you do not consume enough water each day, your body will age faster, appear fatter, be more susceptible to germs, illness and stress, lose joint mobility, and much more. Do you often feel tired, run down or confused? Even mild dehydration can cause hazy short-term memory, difficulty concentrating and staying focused, and daytime fatigue. In fact, it’s estimated that 75% of Americans have mild, but chronic dehydration, which is one of the most frequent and common causes of daytime fatigue. Most people who weigh less than 150 pounds require no less than 8-10 cups per day; those who weigh 150 pounds or more require 10-16 cups per day. You’ve heard this before, but now it’s time to implement what you know. Try starting small, add an extra glass of water with breakfast each morning this week. Next week add an extra glass with lunch.

Good, Good, Good, Good Hydration!

Sing it to the tune of Good Vibrations!  Are you drinking enough water?  Probably not . . . 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

Some Interesting Facts about Dehydration:

• Even mild dehydration will slow your metabolism by as much as 3%.
• One glass of water made midnight hunger pangs cease for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.
• Lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue.
• Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, breast cancer by 79%, and bladder cancer by 50%. 
  

Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?  I know we haven’t been. I’ve been waking up in the morning with my mouth all dry and my skin is so parched it makes me think of the old Lubriderm, “See you later, Alligator” commercial.  My husband likes to drink everything but water, and our eighteen month old throws sippy cups of water on the floor and demands juice or soda instead.

So this week, we are recommitting ourselves to getting and staying hydrated!  We challenge you to do the same!

What we’ll be drinking:

• Water, Water, and More Water!
• We’re shooting for five 16.9 ounce bottles each day!

What we won’t be drinking:

• Caffeinated Beverages – Caffeine is a diuretic, which can lead to dehydration.
• Alcohol – It’s also a diuretic.