I am somewhat of a reusable bottle collector/junkie and Reusit has been one of my fave stores to shop at for many years now. So I am thrilled that the lovely folks at Reusit are offering NatureMoms readers a great discount for two select CamelBak products. They are stainless steel resuable water bottles. One is perfect for all ages and one is designed for kids. They would make a great stocking stuffer/gift for the holidays and the exclusive code CAMELBAK60 will give you an awesome 60% discount. Enjoy and please share with anyone who may be interested in saving some money on these CamelBak products.

Valid December 12 and 13, 2011 only.

CamelBak Stainless Steel , 0.75L Reusable Water Bottle

CamelBak Stainless Steel, Kids 12 oz Water Bottle

Quite some time ago I got in the habit of drinking alkalized water as much as I possibly could. I was first introduced to the concept somewhere along my journey with cancer. Even mainstream doctors these days are acknowledging that cancer thrives in an acidic body and acid does a number on our cells in general. How can we expect our our body to remain healthy when we give our cells (the building blocks) an acid bath with acidic foods and water? You can’t… hence the reason behind eating lots of alkaline forming foods and making sure our water is treated so that it is also alkaline. Drinking alkaline water helps boost your immune system, it increases your blood oxygen levels and it helps prevent acid related diseases… cancer, candida, psoriasis, gout, high blood pressure, ulcers… let’s face it LOTS of disorders and diseases stem from an acid body. For more info I discussed this issue in my pH Miracle review and the wonderful book Crazy, Sexy, Diet has good info on it too.

Anyway, I started treating my water with pH booster drops to make it alkaline. You can get systems that work with your tap but those were horrendously pricey and would not allow for me to treat water when away from home. The drops also add up when you consistently buy them and you have lots of plastic bottles to deal with. So it was on my to-do list to look into some sort of portable product that will alkalize water. My mom actually beat me to it and bought one. She had great success with hers and I became convinced I needed one as well. She compared the pH level of the bottled water she was buying to the treated from her tap and she was amazed. The bottled stuff is way acidic! I don’t know why that surprises me but it did.

Lucky me was able to get my hot little hands on an Alkamate from Healthier Living 4 You. It is a spiffy stainless steel, portable alkalizer that has an amazing filter inside it. When you take the filter out and give it a little shake you’ve got a little Maraca thing going on. It has 13 unique minerals including Maifanshi stone, Muyu Jade, special clay, Tourmaline, nano silver, Kaolin earth, and others. It has two filters actually… one that stays in the inside the bottle always and one that needs changing after one year’s use. It does an amazing job of  removing many common contaminants and adding essential minerals to the water. It is definitely a keeper in my book.

Getting started was easy enough. I boiled some water and ran it through the alkalizer, letting it sit for 15 minutes. Then for subsequent use I just pour in some tap water or Brita filtered water and let it process for 15 minutes. When done the water tastes AMAZING. It just is just so tasty I can’t get over it. Way better than tap and even bottled water. I think I have noticed a difference in energy levels to, when I take it to the gym or for a hike/walk.

This past weekend I filtered water for the gym and for a 2.25 mile 10TV Commit to Be Fit hike. It took awhile to filter water for everyone that morning but it is so worth it in my opinion. I also did a test using pH strips to see if it really did the job or if it is hype. The pH strips do not lie. My tap water straight out of the faucet is acidic… although not nearly as bad as the bottled water my mom bought. After treatment in the Alkamate it was in alkaline territory. A+

It comes with a sleek, black carrying bag so that it is easy to take along with you. Just stick it in your purse and then you can filter water at restaurants, drinking fountains, etc. Most times I filter the water and take it with me in one of my other bottles but if I am going to be gone for an extended period of time I will be sure to take it along.

For more info check out Healthier Living 4 You and many thanks to them for sending me the Alkamate to review.

Is it almost that time again? My kids are already asking for homemade Popsicles using fresh juice, green smoothies, and fruit smoothies. Last I night I dug out our Tovolo rocket pops and star pops and perused online for one other set since the 5 of us can go through 12 pops on a hot summer day in no time. I won’t buy in a store unless they are marked BPA free or they indicate the type of plastic used. There are lots of cute options online though. Besides the ones I already mentioned (above) these caught my eye.

Ring Pops:

If your kids always ask for those sucker pops in the store this is a GREAT alternative!!

Orka Ice Pops (silicone):

Little Bites (silicone):

Stainless Steel Popsicle Molds:

A bit pricier but I love that they are plastic free!

Enjoy!

This week my toddler, Mr. Parker, has been digging on his new BPA free feeding gear from ThinkBaby. It is a complete stainless steel feeding system encased in safe plastic (polypropylene). It contains a baby bowl with lid, a soup bowl with lid, a bento box with air tight lid, a cup, a fork, and a spoon. They are free of BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead, and melamine.

My first impression of the set was that it is VERY attractive and functional. We got rid of the cheap plastic and melamine plates and cups a long time ago and started using regular dishes. But there is just something to be said about pint size dishes that can be tossed around without fear of breakage. I can’t recall if I ever mentioned this before but Mr. Parker has a one inch scar on his cheek from a glass bowl that broke. It was a very traumatic experience so I fully understand why many parents want kiddie dishes instead of adult dishes. I could care less about the expense of broken dishes but I care very much when I have to spend half a day in the hospital having my baby stitched up. :(  And I care that he is now scarred for life.

The Thinkbaby Feeding Set is very attractive, it is much more sustainable then pure plastic options, it is sturdy and functional, and much safer than other many other feeding products. BPA, PVC, phthalates, lead, and melamine are deal breakers.

This set is also perfect for travel and packing a lunch. This summer the family will be spending a lot of time at the zoo, the science museum, and picnicking in area parks. We plan on packing lunches in our bento boxes and Parker’s will be packed in this set. If I fill up a Laptop lunchbox for him, I would be wasting a lot of food… the Thinkbaby set is the perfect size for young kids. I think I will buy one for my 5 year old as well. They are not heavy at all so there won’t be extra weight to lug around either. They would be phenomenal for taking food to day cares and preschools.

My favorite piece in this set is the cup. It is the perfect size for my toddler and it has a handle so drinking is easier to master. Since we are not using sippy cups anymore it is the perfect solution. We use the cup more than any other item. The bento box is also great for snacks…either at home or on the go. Parker has been using the bento to eat his breakfast every morning of late… fresh and dehydrated fruit slices, sprinkled with crushed nuts and seeds. If he doesn’t manage to eat it all I just put the lid on it and stick it in the fridge until lunch. The bigger bowl is great for small salads and fresh cut veggies for dipping as well as soup.

I the only things I would change about this set are the utensils. I think they need to be bigger for toddlers and older kids. As they are, they reminded me of baby utensils…which is perfect for babies I guess but not so much for toddlers. I also wish they came in more colors. I would ideally like to have a set for my toddler and my 5 year old and each having their own special color would be awesome and would make traveling with these dishes even easier.

All in all though I think I can safely say this is my favorite set among the BPA free, safer kids dishes and cups. They are a good value for the money and I know we will get a lot of use out them. I would recommend them highly to other parents!

On the menu: Egg drop soup, a green smoothie with spinach and fruit, and sliced bananas sprinkled with dried cranberries, almonds, flax seed, and banana nut granola from Bare Naked.

Watch the video below to see Parker in action. He loved the green smoothie (of course) and the fruit…he would not touch the egg drop soup, he only played with it. He is soooo my vegan baby. ;)

I have always had a favorite water bottle and his name is Mr. Klean Kanteen. But step aside Klean because you may have been replaced. Okay maybe not replaced, but you will now have to share your coveted position in my cupboard. Make room for the sleek and ingenious Intak by Thermos.

I wondered how I would like the Intak but I can now say I am a huge fan and while the Intak is a reusable (green) water bottle it does have a big strike against it…it is plastic. BPA free, safe plastic but plastic none the less. But am an ardent admirer now and I will tell you why.

The Intak is a great sports bottle…emphasis on sports, activity, hiking backpacking, camping, etc.  In that respect the Intak wipes the floor with heavier stainless steel bottles. I personally do not like to take Klean Kanteens on hikes or when camping because it is heavy and when backpacking or day hiking weight is extremely important. Backpackers know the full weight of their packs down to the ounce…just look at backpacking gear in a sporting goods store and look to see how they put the weight on everything. Sigg is not as heavy but it also has another problem that it shares with KK. They are cold. If I put a cold liquid in either of these bottles, the temp transfers to the outside and it can be very uncomfortable to hold onto such a cold bottle, especially in winter. An insulated bottle somewhat fixes this but it adds weight. This problem is not as pronounced with plastic.

Also, when backpacking or camping I sleep with my water bottle in cold weather to keep it from freezing. I know I don’t want to sleep next to a cold metal bottle. ;)

Beyond that, the Intak has an ingenious design…the best I have seen. The bottle portion is long and sleek with ridges along one side to help with grip. It has an ounce measuring line on the other side so you can keep track of how much you are drinking. This leads to another reason why plastic as opposed to stainless steel makes a better sports bottle…you can see the water levels. Knowing how much water you have is important when backpacking or camping.

The Intak has a push button on the cap and with one push the top pops open so you can grab the bottle, pop the top, and drink all with one hand! To prevent you from accidentally opening it you can put a little metal flap over the button to keep it from engaging….perfect.

AND it also has a sturdy plastic loop on the back of it so you can attach it to a pack or belt if you want to. This is a great feature. It even rated a mention by The New York Times as a great bottle for sports enthusiasts.

It is made of plastic that is BPA free so you don’t have to worry about toxic leaching into your water. You can also put in on the top rack of the dishwasher.

It comes in blue and purple, green, and pink. If you are a die hard stainless steel fan they even have a SS version!! I have the blue one as you can see above and below. If you are in the market for a reusable bottle this is a good one! The $11.00 price tab is great too.

Update: 7/31/2011 – Still using this bottle and it is the one that I reach for quite often! When we went hiking in the Hocking hills region of Ohio just today I grabbed this lightweight bottle without hesitation and it was cinch to carry all day long.