Spork Yeah!

What can I say, simple stuff makes me happy. I'm no longer wooed by the plastic crap that once cluttered my kitchen. Somewhere in the process of getting rid of the toxic junk, I discovered these adorable bamboo sporks and they've become one of my favorite eco-geek finds!

We've been using them for over a year now in our lunchboxes, on camping trips, on hikes and picnics. They're very durable and easy to wash, but what I love most is the portable size.

With the release of the new Spork & Cork set a few months ago, I started thinking of clever ways to tote a few extra sporks around in my purse to make it easier to refuse plastic disposables at a moment's notice. Ha! Altoids to the rescue! Altoid tins are notorious for their many crafty uses and, yes, they are the perfect size to hold 2 Bambu Sporks. Now I'm armed with a clean spork wherever I go!

Kids Spork -easy to hold for babies and toddlers!



Bambu brand sporks are made from sustainable, organic bamboo and are free of bleaches and dyes, so I have no worries about toxins leaching into our foods. The funny thing is that the sporks are also stain resistant and don't absorb flavors, so I don't have to worry about food leaching into our bamboo! Spork yeah!


Use my personal referral code rc4bvha when you shop for Bambu Sporks at reuseit.com and save $5 on your first order of $50 or more.

Litterless Lunches For Back-To-School

After a year of waste-free lunches we've built up pretty nice stockpile of plastic-free food containers to transport lunches to and from school. Last year we actually used less a dozen plastic baggies throughout the entire school year which is kind of awesome! When you pack lunches on-the-go in reusable containers with reusable utensils it's surprising how easy it is to reduce your pile in the landfill to only a handful of garbage.

This year we're adding a few new items to our litterless lunchbox collection, but for the most part we're happy that we invested in quality products last year that even with daily use will probably last a lifetime.

I've featured our favorite and most used lunchboxes and accessories here for anyone who is interested in making this the year you stop using disposables and start living a little more green.

To-Go Ware 3-tier & 2-tier Snack Stack



To-Go Ware 2-tier Snack Stack & 3-tier Carry Bag

Bambu Spork



To-Go Ware stainless steel stackable tiffins are amazing! They are exremely durable, easy to pack and damn sexy too, (in a crunchy kinda way). Of course, we were ecstatic when they released the new 2-tier Snack Stack earlier this year. It's freakin' adorable, but more importantly, it's perfectly sized for smaller lunches and it fits in the 3-tier cloth carry bag that we already have! The individual containers in the Snack Stack are just about the same size as the 3-tier, but it's a few inches shorter in height, so without the extra tier we have a little extra room in the bag for an ice pack or piece of fruit like a whole apple or banana. The top container on To-Go Ware tiffins can also be used on thier own which makes them even more versatile. My only concern with buying the To-Go Ware tiffins for school lunches is that the latches can be a little hard to open, especially for young children. Otherwise, they rock! We have several sizes and use them for picnics and take-out too.

LunchBots stainless steel food containers are also fantastic. They come in an assortment of sizes and some have built-in dividers which make them perfectly suited for bento-style lunches. The lids are much easier to open than the To-Go Ware tiffins, so they are a great choice for pre-school children, but don't let my kid-friendly recommendation fool you...LunchBots are strong, sturdy and simply designed which also makes them pretty badass if you ask me!

ECOLunchboxes are nifty because they come in sets that can be stacked and latched together, but the top container can also be used on it's own. The rectangle set is very petite and probably best for those with a smaller appetite. Small lunch kits come in handy and don't take up much room in your pack. My teenage daughter loves this one!

Klean Kanteen is the only water bottle that we currently use because we know it's a brand that can be trusted to be completely safe and free of  BPA. I love that they even have a stainless steel replacement lid, so you have the option to not have any plastic come in contact with your beverage. They come in an assortment of spiffy colors and sizes, so it's easy to find one that fits your needs. Yes, they are a bit on the expensive side, but totally worth the investment! I even been lucky enough to score a few at a local thrift store (DI) for a buck or two.

Condiment and dip containers are a big part of our lunch packing routine. They are a lifesaver when it comes to transporting salad dressing, toppings and even small portions of side dishes and desserts. Our favorite small-sized lunchbox containers are definitely the To-Go Ware Sidekicks because of their simple design and the fact that they come in two awesome sizes. Hummus, anyone?

With the exception of the water bottles, all of the products featured here are dishwasher safe! Don't you just love stainless steel? Having a nice organized cupboard, free of plastic clutter and junk has made my mornings so much easier and knowing that we will never outgrow our lunchboxes means that we'll end up buying less in future years.



Use my personal referral code rc4bvha on any of the reusable lunchboxes featured in this post at reuseit.com and save $5 on your first order of $50 or more.

Nubius Organics also has a great selection of waste-free lunch essentials for back-to-school.

A Squid Out Of Water

This blog has always just served as a landing page of sorts for all my other online adventures, but you may have noticed that it has recently taken on a new life. The reason being, I have been cut-off, in a way, from the little corner of the web that used to occupy the majority of my work day. It was not a choice, not mine nor theirs. The interruption came from an outside intruder.

I was alone when it all went down. The attack came without warning and was over before anyone or anything had a chance to fight back. The sly beast must have creeped in quitely, sitting dormant until the timing was right. The plan worked. No one suspected a thing until it was too late. Everything went black and my trusty sidekick eMachine was weak from the battle and we were out of ammo. He put up a strong fight, but in the end he was no match for the viral bandit. I couldn't bear to see him suffer any longer, so we said our goodbyes and I pulled the plug. We buried him under an old quilt in the back corner of my closet.

I was grief-stricken. The mourning period lasted much longer than I expected. Many moons later hope returned and I finally felt it was time to let go and move on. I spent more time with my old friend Asus Eee who had gotten sluggish in his old age. His processor had dementia and it swirled into a frozen slate whenever I visited my old swimming hole. After a while, I gave up and stopped trying.

I was a squid out of water. I was scared. I was frustrated. I didn't know what to do next. I was beached and seeing all the other squids swimming freely and soaring into deeper water made me feel sad, but I didn't want to be. I had always been a happy squid and knew that I would have to find a way fill the emptiness in my heart until I found a way to dive back in.

So, here I am. A lost squid stranded on an island blog. If I could send a message in a bottle, it would probably go something like this:

"Dear Mr. Godin,


This month marks the anniversay of my fourth year on Squidoo and unfortunately I can't log in to my account to celebrate, so save me a cupcake and don't throw the confetti just yet. If my ship comes in, I'll return with flippers on. Until then, know that I miss you and please keep sending those paychecks.


p.s.
If you happen to bump into Steve Jobs, please tell him that this island could use a Mac.


Love always,
enslavedbyfaeries"

Despite the frustration and expense of losing my only computer fast enough to keep up with the inner working of Squidoo's lensbuilder, I have to admit that I'm learning to like blogging and plan to devote a bit more time to it in future months. Please bear with me while I learn to adapt. :)