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Switch from plastic to glass cups for kids

The cabinet full of the plastic kid’s cups is one of my least favorite. Slowly I keep migrating them out of the main glassware cabinet to a lower kid-friendly pull out drawer. We have a wide variety of plastic sippy cups ranging from ones we got when our daughter was born, to newer samples sent to me when our third child arrived. It’s a hodgepodge of clutter and one I’m so ready to move on from.

In addition to dealing with “I want that color” issues with our plastic collection, it may be in everyone’s best health interest to switch to glass. Last year, the rumblings started about BPA-free plastic cups not really being any better than their toxic predecessors. They are still leaching chemicals that can disrupt our children’s endocrine system. Pass please.

Thankfully, there are so many great options for kids to transition to glass cups earlier than ever before. With easy to grip silicone sleeves, durable glass and small sizes, here’s a few of my favorite ones we use in our house.

Cute Silikids glass cups

Silikids Siliskin Glass Cups

These are cute and the easiest for the kids to handle. They have an easy to grip outside made with silicone that is dishwasher safe. Although silicone is a plastic, it’s considered one of the safest on the market as it’s the slowest to leech chemicals into your water, food, etc.

While these are my kids favorite ones to fight over, they are breakable if they are not careful. Our 20 month old also wants a “big kid” cup and grabbed this one off the table. When he was done swiping someone’s juice, he dropped it and it cracked inside the sleeve. Good news is that there was no mess. Bad news is that glass is still not gravity’s friend.

This cup comes in a 6 ounce size which is just right for children transitioning from sippy cups to big-kid cups. We have the Tart (orange) color but I think the Sea color is my personal favorite.

Mason Jars

We stock our glassware cabinet full of different size mason jars as drinking glasses and a quick place to grab large ones for our homemade yogurt. For the kids, we are often using the half pint size jars. I got so tired of them spilling their milk when they use the lightweight plastic cups. I can’t say the spills have magically stopped, but the sturdy mason jars have held up really well. Try mason jars as kids cups

Duralex Glasses

One other option I have recommended to friends are the Duralex cups. I got our daughter a set when she turned three and all three pieces are still in tact three years later. No small feat considering how often they have fallen off the table or dropped into the kitchen sink. Since our first purchase, we have added the small bowls and plates to our collection. The 4.5 ounce size is great for kids transitioning from sippy cups to cover-free cups. Big enough to use long term, but small enough to fit in preschool hands comfortably.

 

Have your own glass cups on hand and want to give them a try? Silikids also has these fun silicone covers that can be used with a straw. This is great if you want to use what you already have. I haven’t tried them out but I love the fun colors they are available in.

What are the kids using in your house? 

Note: I received Silikids cups and adorable placement to facilitate this story. All opinions shared here are my own. Amazon affiliate links are also included which means you help support this site at no cost to you if you make a purchase. Thanks! 

Have you ever been confused about the rules about nonstick pans? Can you use them or not?  For a long time I’ve tried to avoid using them, but when you are cooking eggs there really isn’t a great alternative. There    are a bunch of new “healthy” alternatives to the old Teflon pans many of us grew up with.  You want to look for PFOA and PTFE-free pans, which means is doesn’t release the same cancer causing toxins that Teflon releases when scratched.

Green Nonstick Pans

Below is a collection of well priced green pans that offer the ease of nonstick cooking. Most have either a ceramic coating or a Thermolon coating.

Oh, and if you have an old non-stick pan that is really scratched, get rid   of it. Don’t pass it along. It’s one of those items that shouldn’t be passed along to a new home. You can also extend the life of nonstick pans by using silicone cooking tools and a  Silpat Non-Stick Baking Mat.

5 Green Non-Stick Pans to Love

 

What are your “must have” kitchen pans?
I’m sharing this post over at Your Green Resource.