Ditch Your Plastic Drinkware

Walk into any home with young children and you're likely to find a cabinet full of plastic drink ware.  Up until recently mine was no exception.  I mean, let's face it: plastic ware bounces when you drop it, glassware does not.  And if there's anything worse than mopping up spilled juice it's mopping up spilled juice mixed with little bits of broken glass.  Not fun..   

So despite the fact that health experts are strongly suggesting that we limit our use of plastic ware, lots of people haven't been able to find a suitable alternative. 

Today I am pleased to share my solution to this dilemma.  

In addition to the fact that I have young children, I also have a pool.  (I know, I'm very lucky.)  But if there's one thing that most pool owners know, it's that pool decks and glassware don't mix.  If broken glass on the kitchen floor is a hazard, broken glass on the pool deck (or, heaven forbid in the pool) is ten times worse.  

For that reason, my family used the cups pictured below for years.  

Then, awhile back I was at a friend's house and she gave the kids some water in a small metal cup.  When I saw it, my wheels started turning.  What an amazing alternative.  Why had I never thought of such a thing?  She told me that her sister bought them for her in India and she would get some for me. I was thrilled when, a few weeks later, she presented me with four of these:

And they were great!  But as much as I loved them, they were tiny--too small for an adult--and there were only four of them.  

So I did a little research and ordered myself four additional stainless steel cups:

You can order your own here.

And they've been great too--durable, safe--everything you'd want for your kids.  But for me one thing has been lacking: appearance.  They just aren't very pretty.  And let's face it, someone who spends her days blogging about "pretty stuff" cares about this kind of thing.  Not that it's been enough to make me revert to plastic, but I've always been on the lookout for a more attractive, unbreakable alternative.

I finally found it in the form of the enamelware tumblers pictured below.  They're pretty (to me), sturdy, safe, and as an added bonus, they remind me of my grandmother's enamel cookware, so there's a sentimental element as well.

If you're interested in buying your own you can do so here.  And if you have another unbreakable alternative to plastic ware, I'd love to hear about it in the comments.  

(Oh, and, as usual, no one paid me to write about this stuff.  I just thought some of you out there might be interested.)

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