If you missed the WHY behind this post go to @hawsbeeshoney and watch the highlights "Plastic 1" "Plastic 2" and "Plastic 3" in that order!
For the Baby:
I used THESE GLASS BOTTLES with Brighten. (Full Disclosure I exclusively BF so we didn't use much). I used this brand of water bottle for many years before switching to hydroflask and they use amazing quality American glass that I trust 100%.
I plan on getting THESE STAINLESS STEEL BOTTLES for Sage for that short period when she has started drinking water but before we give her a water bottle. The glass one was a little stressful even though I never had any issues and before I switched to a stainless steel water bottle I used that brand and I never once broke a glass water bottle either- and I've dropped those! It was always the dang plastic lid that broke! Maybe I'll get both because the thing that worries me about the stainless steel bottles is seeing into them to know they're clean!
For the Toddler:
HERE are the plates we use for Brighty. They will probably remind you of what you get your pizza on at a pizza restaurant - except smaller. They're a little bigger than a small plate, haha, I know, I'm so descriptive. You know how plates come in a set and there is the bigger one and the smaller one? Whatever the smaller one is called, it's a little bigger than that. They're not insulated and the bottom can get hot but it also means they cool down faster. (Needless to say don't microwave metal).
HERE are the bowls we use for Brighty- they are insulated and they are pretty plain. They are a good price and a good starter set. We use them more than the cups so I didn't want to have to wash a bowl AND a colored silicone sleeve every time I washed them.
HERE are the cups we used when she was smaller. They come in a pack of 4.
They have a silicone straw so if you're worried about your little running around with a stainless steel straw this is a good option for you. They are a a perfect petit size for little toddlers. We just recently upgraded (brighten is 3) to the bigger one below for smoothies, but she still uses these for other things like beet/carrot juice and almond milk. I love the feature that they have a lip around the straw halfway down because Brighten use to love pulling straws out of her cups and flinging them around- which makes a huge stain filled mess! Oh, one last thing I like about them is they come with a lid with a straw hole and a lid with no hole so I can actually put snacks in them for Brighty and stick them in her backpack when we go on trips!
HERE are the cups Brighty uses now for her morning Smoothies and bigger juices. The straws are stainless but they have a little silicone protector at the top. We've never had a problem with her running around with a straw in her mouth but I know that's a worry for some people. These are some of the most affordable cups we have purchased for her and they come in a 6-pack. The only downside was there is no pink cup- Brighten was ok with that though and settled for purple. We are going to take one to each grandparents house to replace the smaller ones and keep the other four here. We have the 16oz size (she drinks 2 full) when she drinks her smoothie, she uses her hydro for water and I'll link that below.
HERE IS THE HYDRO Brigthy drinks her water from. She has 3 pink ones and a yellow one. She use to use her yellow one for smoothies in the morning when she was a lit younger and I was worried she would spill them everywhere but we still use it for water. I am looking for replacement straws that are not plastic but for now we just swap them out occasionally so they are emitting less micro-plastics. (You remember me talking about how older plastic emits more palates, micro-plastics and BPA right?). If I find a good one I'll add a link to it or let you know where I got it. We love hydro flask because if she throws them and breaks the insulation seal they send us a new one and we send back the old.
For Older Kids:
These little lunch tins were recommended to me by a friend who did a collab with them and I've found a few others that are similar.
As your kids get older it will probably get easier as you can switch to glass and not worry about things breaking but if you have destructive kids, or they're not allowed glass at their school, I would suggest those cups they make milkshakes in at places like Denny's and Red Robin LIKE THESE for around the house. They're cheap and not insulated.
For Adults:
Trent and I use THIS STANLEY CUP but they're always out of stock and THIS DUPE OFF AMAZON (I actually like the lid better on this but it doesn't stay cold as long as the Stanley). We use them with a pack of multi-size multi-width stainless straws we got at some random isle at Costco and I'm not sure they still have them. We use them daily for our morning smoothies and juices. (If you're not trying to drink a juice slowly or on a long hot car ride I would say the REDUCE cup DUPE I mentioned should keep cold plenty long (and either are a lot better than the mason jars we were using before that got warm pretty fast).
HERE is the hydroflask Trent and I both use for water. (We have them in pretty much every single size and lid shape and our favorites have always been these 40oz with the straw lid- they're a little heavy but it is handy to not have to refill more than 1x per day. We tried the half gallon one for hot days beekeeping and it was just too big. We use it to keep water cold on long trips and transfer our water into our other bottles but it's a little too big for carrying around so we opt for 3-4 of the 40oz ones instead. So unless you're really trying to make a big statement or have no other time to get a consistent arm workout in I would suggest the 40oz. Like Brightens they have a no-exclusions warranty if the seal breaks so that is why we buy, and love this specific brand. If you're gentle on your water bottles then I sure you could get away with a cheaper brand. For hikers, travelers and explores like us we suggest hydro flask.
For Cooking:
I use mostly wooden spatulas and spoons. I have a few silicone covered spoons and things too.
I use THE EVERYPAN for most cooking since it's really non-stick. Like most of our other pans they are ceramic coated. Some cheaper brands are starting to peal though and I'm sure it's not much better to ingest than teflon so we are looking for new pans. I've been doing a lot of research but haven't found exactly what we want yet.
We are looking into Hexclad so if you have this brand lemme know if you like it in the comments!
For baking and storing leftovers I use glass pyrex that comes with their own unique lids rather than plastic bags and Tupperware. I love pyrex because it's USA made glass so it eases my mind about lead contamination. This makes it really easy to reheat in the oven or toaster oven right in the original glass it was cooked in and save time/water/dishsoap... We store Soups and broths in Mason jars to save room in the fridge and to avoid leaks since not all pyrex is airtight. To avoid plastic leaching into foods place a piece or UNBLEACHED PARCHMENT PAPER on the glass and the lid over it (I only do this if I am storing the food while it's still hot as plastic leaching happens at 50x the amount when heated.
I still us ziplocks but I line them with UNBLEACHED PARCHMENT PAPER BAGS first.
