Montessori-style Toddler Activities

On my quest to find more structured activities for Weston, I've been putting together some activities he does at Montessori for home use. His teachers tell me that he loves the "practical life skills" shelf which includes pouring water from cup to cup, sorting beans and other things that involve tactile movement. He also loves these little animal figurines that they have in class.  So these are the first two activities I've put together.

Animal Matching Game

This has turned out to be one of Weston's favorite games.  I don't have any pictures of us actually playing it because I'm usually holding the flashcards while he picks out the matching animal and we don't have a professional photog following us around all day.  I found some free flashcards at KidzClub  and downloaded all of the sets. So far, I have only put together the Farm Animal and Wild Animal sets. I printed them out on some old cardstock I had laying around, laminated them using these self-laminating sheets (which are super easy to use), and cut them out.  I also purchased a Farm Animal , Wild Animal and Woodland Animal set of figurines from Amazon.  Side note: the size of the animals in the wild animal set are much smaller, but other sets were a little expensive for what I needed them for.  When we play I usually hold up a card, ask Weston what the animal is, and then ask him to find it in his figurines, which I've laid out on the floor or table.  Of course he gets a lot wrong so Dennis and I work with him on identifying the correct animals and it's fun to hear him pronounce animal names.

Beans

I am sure this has an appropriate Montessori name, but I just call it beans.  I filled two empty containers with two different types of beans.  I also gave Weston a funnel and some other empty containers to play with.  This kid sat for almost an hour and just poured beans back and forth, picked them up and put them in the containers, and poured them into the funnel. I set up a little table with a tray to capture any bean spillage near the kitchen and I was able to make dinner while he played beans! When he was done, he promptly spilled the beans on the floor instead of the containers....so there is a little downside to this game. But he did help me clean them up. So there's that.

 This last one is so blurry, but I just love the look of concentration on his face! Hah!

Let us know if you try out one of these activities and how they work for you!  Happy Learning!



*Affiliate links used for figurine supplies.

Kids Book Club

I don't know about you guys, but my little guy is ALWAYS ON THE MOVE! If he's not bouncing on the couch he's bouncing on me or chasing the kitties, or dancing, or knocking down his 'choo-choo blocks (towers we build with blocks around his train track), or throwing pillows of the couch, or climbing on the chair, or.....this could go on forever so I'll just stop here.  I've been trying to instill some quiet time and/or more structured play, mainly so I can just have a moment to sit down and breathe, but also to help him develop his fine motor, practical life, and creative and critical thinking skills.  One of the things I've been trying to remember to do is set aside some time each day to read with Weston.  Part of what makes reading to a toddler so fun is that they really get into the story and love to play along to whatever you are reading! Some days this lasts a few minutes and others we can read for an hour!  He's even starting to pick up books and "read" on his own!

There are a million children's books out there and it can be hard to choose ones that you think will really resonate with you and your kids, so I wanted to share some of the books we love to read!

I love You as Big as the World by David Van Buren
This one of our favorites. I probably like it more than Weston does. A little bear and his parent wander through nature while telling each other how much they love each other.  Bears, nature, and love.  What more can you ask for? We also like have Weston identify things in this book, like "find the moon," "where's the birdy?" and we always find time to snuggle and do nose-kisses while we are reading this one.

I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak.
We love to make faces and demonstrate all our 'silly side, mad side, happy side, sad side' while reading this book.

Ten Tiny Toes by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak
This is such a fun read. It has definitely helped us teach Weston his body parts and we always end up in a tickle fight!


What are some of your families favorite books?
Happy Reading!

Peck Farm- Hawk's Hollow- Butterfly Garden

Peck Farm (4038 Kaneville Road Geneva, Il 60134), is another one of our favorite places to go when we're looking for some outdoor activities that can't be done in our backyard. Peck Farm also contains one of our favorite playgrounds- Hawk's Hollow and a beautiful Butterfly Garden.  If you live in the area and haven't been yet, this is a must!  And it's definitely worth the drive if you live further away. Bring a picnic lunch and sprawl out on the shady lawn of the Interpretive Center or eat under the picnic shelter.  Check their websites or the Geneva Park District's Programs webpage  for interpretive programs too! There is always something going on!

Peck Farm

Peck Farm has an interpretive center, nature and bike trails (both paved and unpaved), a sensory garden, a picnic shelter/amphitheater, a silo and a barn.  When Weston was a baby I used to love taking long walks around the lake while he slept. On the south side of the lake there is a wonderful overlook where you can sit and reax and watch the wetland wildlife (or catch a few Z's)!

Check their website for hours of operation as they change with the seasons.

Photo Cred: Geneva Il Website

Hawk's Hollow 

Hawk's Hollow located just

Red Oak Nature Center and Lippold Park

Hello friends!  We hope you are enjoying your summer!  Weston and I have been spending our days together blowing bubbles; throwing balls, playing in the sandbox; playing 'run', which involves running up and down the length of our yard well he yells "Mommy, run! Daddy, run!" and tackle, which involves Weston running around in a circle and then into our arms while one of us falls backwards; and exploring our side of the Fox Valley.  One of my favorite parts about living in this area is that there are so many fun outdoor activities to do.  We need to get our fix in the short 6 months we have before we batten down the hatches and hibernate during the Midwest winter.

One of our new favorite places to go is the Red Oak Nature Center and Lippold Park.  It's located on Route 25, just north of Route 56/Butterfield Road, in Batavia (2343 S River St

Batavia, IL 60510).  We love it here!  The Red Oak Nature Center

Monday Motivation

This week's Monday Motivation has been well played out, but if you haven't seen it yet, be prepared for a WTF moment.  I don't really understand metamodern performance art, but he's right.  We should all stop making excuses and just do it.

Thinking Positive and Motivation Monday

Hello Friends. Sorry I've been MIA.  We have had a ridiculous month filled with chaos.  In the past month,we have had water in our basement 5 times. Carpet has been torn out. Walls have been torn down. Drains have been clogged and unclogged. Turns out our basement window wells are not properly waterproofed, so while we take care of that- everything from down stairs is upstairs. Toys are everywhere, tools are everywhere, beer and wine glasses are everywhere. The dog keeps escaping while we are trying to get stuff in/out of the house and backyard. It has rained almost every day in the past month and there is mud everywhere- EVERYWHERE!-  while we attempt to waterproof the window wells  (tutorial coming soon) in between rainstorms, work, and family functions.  On top of that, I was asked to come back to work full-time, only to be dropped down to part-time and told that the funding for my job may or may not be renewed come September- making it impossible to plan for childcare and our future; I dropped my cellphone in the toilet; and Weston has been running a high fever for a few days.

I'm pretty close to my breaking point. But when I write it down and sort it out- it's really not that bad, right?  So, we flooded. So, there is crap everywhere. For every crappy thing that has happened there are a million things to be thankful for.  My amazing, loving, smart little

Tips on how to talk to your friends and family about gun safety

A few weeks ago we were invited to a BBQ at a family members home. This couple does not have children and happen to own a few guns, one of which I know they keep in a pretty accessible place in their bedroom. The invite took place through a text and I replied that we would love come, but I asked if they could lock up the handgun while we were there. I was met with resistance and, long story short, I told them that we wouldn’t be coming if the handgun was not in the safe.

After looking back through the text messages, I realized that (a) my message probably seemed a little brazen- “Hey, we’ll be there, but only if you lock up the guns?” and (b) it was actually a group text message, so all of this family member’s friends had also been privy to the conversation. Knowing this person, I also realized that she probably thought I was attacking her or judging her for owning a handgun (which I wasn’t). So, rather than continuing the discussion over email, I called her. I apologized for sending the request through a text message and explained that I wasn’t trying to offend her and her husband, and that I realized what I had written probably sounded really rude, but I didn’t really mean it that way-- such is the nature of a text message. I explained that I believe in a person’s right to own a firearm, but I would appreciate it if that firearm was in a safe while we are there with our son. And if it wasn’t that we wouldn’t be attending the BBQ.

It turned out, I was right, she did feel like I was attacking her, or somehow implying that she was a hillbilly who kept guns all around the house. And she was also a little embarrassed that it went to all her friends on the text message. After my apology, I clearly laid out why we wouldn’t be able to attend the BBQ if the handgun was not properly locked in a safe. By age 1, a toddler can squeeze your finger with 7 pounds of pressure, approximately the same amount needed to pull a gun trigger. He’s curious. He’s smart. He wants to know what everything is. He wants to touch everything. I could think of at least ten ways my son could find his way into that room where the gun is stored and easily pull that trigger if he were to find it. It’s absolutely ignorant to think that it couldn’t happen to you or me. And I’m not just worried about him shooting himself- what if he finds it and shoots another person? If a person wants to own a gun- that is their choice and their right, but along with that right comes responsibility. I was still met with some resistance, but I continued to firmly, but politely press my point. By the end of the conversation, I had convinced her that the best place for the handgun to be while kids were over was in the safe.

It was an incredibly uncomfortable conversation to have, but it was necessary. I held my ground and I didn’t back down. It was one of the first times I felt like a threatened Mama Bear! Since then I’ve had conversations with other couples who have found themselves in the same sort of situation with their family and friends, and they too felt it an incredibly necessary conversation to have. I don’t expect our friends and family who don’t have children to run around and childproof their homes when we come over, but I do expect that if they invite us over, they take into consideration the potential dangers in their home...especially if one of those dangers is a deadly weapon. We move the knives away from the edge of the counter, we make sure access to pools is limited, we make sure dogs are friendly with kids, we remind parents of food allergies, we move harmful chemicals away from reach, and we should start making sure that guns are locked up.

If you are struggling with ways to talk to friends and family about gun safety this is one of those times where it’s best to just do it. Don’t over think it. Don’t worry about offending anyone. You’re not the bad guy for wanting to keep your kid safe. If you are still a little unsure about how to broach the topic- check out the Mom’s Demand Action For Gun Sense in America Be Smart Campaign. They offer a short video and downloadable PDFs with tips on how to talk to friends and family about gun safety.

MAKE IT PART OF A GENERAL SAFETY DISCUSSION

The main thing I learned from this situation is that it’s not the question but how you ask the question. It’s probably not best to try to have the discussion over text message. There may be some information you are trying to clarify that is difficult to convey over text. Try to have the conversation in person or over-the-phone. Text messages can seem dry and rude, especially since the person cannot hear the inflection and/or concern in your voice. If you have a regular checklist you go over before play date- include the question “do you have any firearms and how do you store them?” as a checklist time. You may be nervous the first few times you ask, but it will get easier with time. If they indicate that they own a firearm and are not willing to store it safely, you may want to rethink your visit.

DON’T WAIT TO BE ASKED: VOLUNTEER INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR OWN HOME

If you plan on having children over, offer the information before other parents have a chance to ask. This way you take the pressure off of them to ask what they may think are uncomfortable questions and they will realize things like safe gun storage are on your radar, so they may not be as surprised when you broach the topic before coming to their house.

REMEMBER: IT’S NOT ABOUT THE GUN; IT’S ABOUT WHETHER IT’S SECURED

Ask nicely and don’t judge. Some people hunt. Some people would like a firearm because it makes them feel safe. It doesn’t matter why they own one, it only matters that it is stored properly while your child is over.

USE TECHNOLOGY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE

The Be Smart campaign suggests using technology to your advantage and texting or sending email if you think it would make it less uncomfortable. I think that this would work in many cases- you just have to know your audience.

DON’T FORGET TO TALK TO FAMILY

Don’t forget to talk to anyone for that matter. If you’re child will be in someone else’s home- make sure you know how they store their firearms.



Has anyone else encountered a similar situation when talking to friend or family about gun safety?  Do you have any tips to help navigate this subject?  Let us know in the comments below!


Additional Resources:

Be SMART Campaign
Every Town for Gun Safety
Mom's Demand Action for Gun Sense
Guns Within Reach- Parents Magazine
Before the Play Date, the Gun Talk - CNN

Baby Sign Language

Hello Friends. Today I want to talk to you about baby sign language. You may have heard how teaching your baby sign language can reduce fussy tantrums and the frustration your child may feel when she/he cannot verbally express what they want or how they are feeling. But researchers also believe that it improves your little one’s confidence and self-esteem and aids in speech development!

A few years ago, I watched my friend and her toddler communicate through baby sign language I thought it was the coolest thing. So when I had Weston, I knew it was something I wanted to try. I don’t think Dennis was fully on board at first, but after he saw how it facilitated communication between us, he was all in. I remember the first day Weston used a sign. He was sitting down, whining, and when I asked him what he wanted- he looked me in the eye and made the sign for milk! So I fed him and he stopped whining! It was glorious.

I learned the alphabet in sign language when I was in third grade but I didn't really know much of anything else. So a random google search led me to Baby Sign Language.com  an absolutely FREE guide to teaching your little one sign language. I started with the Quick Start Guide which consists of some videos and drawings that taught me some basic signs as well as how to teach them to my son. Essentially you just make the sign and say the word while you are doing the activity and they eventually catch on. Babies are smart. I started signing with Weston really early, like around 4 months, but you can really start at any age. Babies, however, generally won't pick up on signing until around 8 to 10 months, so it's important to not get frustrated if your child doesn't start signing right away. Weston picked it up around 8 months.

We eventually taught him the signs for:

Eat/Hungry
More
All Done
Drink/Thirsty
Mom
Dad
Eat
Milk
Diaper (for diaper changes)
Ball
Up
Down

.....and those have pretty much gotten us through until now. He is really verbal now, so we use signing less and less, although he does still continue to use some signs. I am thinking about continuing to teach him, so he can maybe learn American Sign Language when he gets older. Baby Sign Language.com offers charts, flashcards, and books for sale, but money is tight so I've been sticking with the free online resources they provide, like their dictionary.

I should note that we are not an affiliate of Baby Sign Language.com and we are not receiving anything in return by advertising their website. I just find it awesome that its free and easy to use! The woman in the videos presents each sign clearly and efficiently and I love her enthusiasm in these short 30 sec videos.

I should also note, that baby sign language is not the be all and end all in communication with your toddler. I do feel, however, that it has strengthened our relationship because he is able to communicate to me what he needs and I am able to give it to him. But there are definitely times when he wants something he can't have at the moment and then, well...there's a tantrum. But alas....I guess that's what happens during the toddler years.

Are any of you using baby sign language or have you in the past? How has it worked out for you? Would you recommend it to other parents?

Let's all Just Be a Little More Supportive

I recently found myself in a heated discussion with some of my extended family members (both men and women) about breastfeeding past 1 year. Someone mentioned that a friend of ours was still breastfeeding their 18-month and I said Oh, that's nice. I wish I was still breastfeeding, to which was met a chorus of Oh my gosh, that's gross! and If their old enough to ask for it, they shouldn't be breastfeeding! and Really, you would be doing that? I really just wanted to kick everyone out my house, but we were having such a good time up until that point, so I decided to use the opportunity to try to educate them. When I pointed out that up until very recently, many of our female ancestors breastfed their children for 2,3,4 years and that in many countries, is is the norm, there was an overwhelming That's disgusting! My sister-in-law was the only one who had the decency not to say anything rude. My husband on the other hand, was voicing his opinion loud and clear about how gross he thought it was.  Bad move, honey.

I eventually told everyone that it's really none of their business when a mother decides to stop breastfeeding and since its not affecting them they shouldn't even really be concerned about it. The conversation ended but  I was pretty upset for the rest of the day. When my husband and I talked about it later,he didn't understand why I was so upset. So I asked him how he thought it makes me feel that if I was still breastfeeding our son that he would think I was 'gross and disgusting'.  Because there are days that I really wish that I was still breastfeeding our son. He's a very well-fed child with a varied and extremely nutritional diet, but I always wonder if he's missing out on something extra that I can't provide him with anymore. We eventually worked it out, but its frustrating to think that this conversation even had to happen!  Less than 100 years ago, or if we lived in a country that is more supportive of breastfeeding, this wouldn't have even been an issue! I'm sick of explaining to people that breastfeeding (babies and toddlers) is not gross and that is a completely natural thing that has occurred for hundreds of thousands of years -- and it's how humanity got to where we are today.

For the record, and as my husband pointed out, I once said that I thought breastfeeding a toddler was weird. However, that was when I was a young and ignorant 25 year old, uneducated in the ways of motherhood- way before I became a mother and learned about breastfeeding, the relationship is creates between mother and baby, and the nutritional and immunological values breastmilk has. And I feel just awful that I judged mothers who were just doing what they thought was best.

The point is, is that we all need to just stop judging each other. Part of the reason Kathryn and I started this blog is that we wanted to share the different experiences we have with motherhood. There is not one right way to parent and for every handful of similar experiences we have, there are a handful of things that people just do differently. Sure, you are entitled to your opinion, but if someone else's actions aren't harming you or someone else, what is the point?  Some women can't breastfeed or don't want to. Others want to do it as long as they can. Some women don't care who sees them breastfeeding and others are more modest about it. At the end of the day, we're all just ladies try to feed our babies. So carry on sisters - do what you think is best for you and your babies. Let's stop judging each other and start being more supportive.  If everyone was just a little less judgmental we'd all save ourselves a lot of stress and probably be a little more happier at the end of the day.

Guide to Plastic Alternatives

We’ve all heard about the dangers of BPA and pthalates leaching into our foods. And if you haven’t, I encourage you to read the articles listed in the resources section at the bottom of this page. Especially these two: The Scary New Evidence on BPA-Free Plastics and the Big Tobacco-style campaign to bury it and These popular plastic bottles may be messing with your hormones. Also, please check out the Environmental Working Group's Guide to BPA.

I first heard about BPA almost five years ago, when my sister was shopping for a BPA-free shower curtain because she was concerned about the chemical leaching into her sons bath water. The more research I did on the chemical, the more I tried to eliminate it from our lives. I immediately scrapped all of my old plastic tupperware and drinking cups—even my beloved Nalgene—and switched to BPA-free plastics. I tried my damnedest not to buy anything in a can, since most canned foods are lined with BPA. I stopped heating food in plastic containers in the microwave, since chemicals in plastic can leach into your food when heated. We also stopped using non-stick teflon pans as well, because when heated at high temperatures, teflon releases PFCs, chemicals that “may kill pet birds and cause people to develop flu-like symptoms (called "Teflon Flu" or, as scientists describe it, "Polymer fume fever")," and switched to cast iron and stainless steel.

When we registered for our baby shower, we didn’t even consider glass bottles or dishware—we figured the baby would be throwing things all over the place in just a few months so we asked for BPA-free plastic and melamine dishware (how could you not want those adorable, colorful Jonathan Adler Owl bowls at Buy Buy Baby?!). I don’t know why, but I never even considered what other types of chemicals might be leaching out of the plasticware, into our food, and then into us—especially our sweet baby boy—until I stumbled upon an article discussing how some studies have shown that even BPA-free plastics leach potentially harmful estrogren-mimicking chemicals as well as other chemicals, such as pthalates, that can significantly lower testosterone levels.

I realize its almost impossible to live without plastics. And I am not writing this post to fear-monger you into throwing out your plastic. What I do want to do is make sure you are equipped with the information to help you make an informed decision. I’ve provided a list of resources that I’ve found helpful, but I encourage you to do your own research and make a decision that you feel is best for your family. As for me, over the past year I’ve been slowly ridding our house of unneeded plastic food storage, food prep, and utensils-even my lovely melamine mixing bowls- since this is where most exposure happens. I’ve replaced almost everything with glass, stainless steel, bamboo, or silicone. It's still a work in progress and yes, we still do occasionally use plastic food storage and utensils. But we're definitely more conscious about what we eat out of and when we can, we try to avoid it all together. Note: Silicone is considered an inert substance and a safe alternative to plastic. However, there is not a lot of scientific evidence that proves or disproves this.

If you’re ready to rid your kitchen of plastic—recycle those plastic cups, dishes, mixing bowls, colanders, measuring cups and spoons, water bottles, cutting boards and anything else you can think of and replace them with ceramic, china, glass, stainless steel, bamboo, or silicone. There are many affordable options at almost every store. It's all about your taste and budget.

For baby specific items, check out some of my recommendations below.

BOTTLES

I absolutely love the stainless steel bottles by Pura Kiki because they are multi-functional and all parts are completely plastic free. Only stainless steel and silicone here. As your baby grows, the bottle converts from a bottle to a sippy cup with the change of the nipple. The company is in the process of developing a straw attachment so you can get even more use out of the bottle, which will hopefully be out in 2015. If your baby doesn't like the Pura nipple, the system is compatible with Avent Sport Spout, ThinkBaby, Born Free, Dr. Brown's Wide Neck, MAM, Pigeon, and UPIS nipples. You can even use them as snack containers by popping on a silicone sealing disk!! Bottles come in 5 oz, 9 oz and 11 oz sizes and are also sold in sets. Silcone sleeves in short and tall can be purchased separately. I haven't been able to find the Pura Kiki brand in any stores near my home but Amazon has a great selection. You can also buy products directly from Pura's website. Visit Pura Kiki for information.

Thinkbaby is another innovative company with a stainless steel bottle option. Bottles come in 9oz and like the Pura bottles, convert into a sippy or straw cup. You can also purchase a neoprene sleeve made of limestone. You can also buy products directly from Thinkbaby's website. Visit Thinkbaby for more information.

Lifefactory has a similar system for glass bottles. Any standard size nipple is compatible with this bottle. Wide neck nipples are not. Each bottle comes with a silicone sleeve. Bottles and silicone parts are BPA/BPS-free and phtalate-free. The flat caps and straw caps contain plastic parts that are BPA and phtalate-free. Bottles are sold in 4 oz, 9 oz, 12 oz and 22 oz sizes as well as sets. The 22 oz bottles make great teen and adult water bottles as well. You can also buy products directly from Lifefactory's website.Visit Lifefactory or more information.

As I've stated previously, I loved the Avent Natural Bottle and just realized that they come in glass too! They are sold in 8 oz sizes and in sets.These bottles are really easy to assemble and for us, most mimicked the breast. They are also available Buy Buy Baby and Babies R' Us.

SIPPY & STRAW CUPS

The Pura Kiki and Lifefactory bottles discussed above grow with your child and adjust from bottles to sippy cups to straw cups to snack holders with the switch of the lid. But if your just looking for a plain ole' sippy or straw cup I suggest the Thermos Foogo series. Sippys and straw cups both com ein 10oz sizes.

If you are looking for a glass option but are wary, Green Sprouts makes a glass sip'n'straw cup that is encased in PVC- and BPA-free plastic. The sip'n'straw comes with a silicone spout, silicone sipper and a shock absorbent rubber base. The liquid never touches the plastic. They come in a 4 oz size and are also available at Buy Buy Baby.

SNACK CONTAINERS

Again, the Pura Kiki and Lifefactory bottles adjust into snack holders with a switch of the lid, but if your looking for something different, Thermos Foogo also makes a 10 oz snack holder..

ECOLunchbox, Kids Konserve, LunchBots,and PlanetBox  all make stainless steel lunch containers for safe, easy, on-the-go eating.

UTENSILS

When it comes to utensils- spoons are spoons and forks are forks, right? There are a plethora of options each claiming to be the next amazing tool to help your kid eat. I don't believe there is a single utensil out there is going to help your kid become a great eater—half the time Weston just uses his hands. But when he does use utensils, we use the Oxo Tot Feeding Spoon. They're inexpensive and hold up to a toddler who loves to throw them and bang them on things. Other great silicone spoon options include Sweet Baby Carrot, Boon Benders, and Gerber Graduates; all perfect for little hands learning how to eat with utensils.

Kiddobloom has a great stainless steel silverware set as does Oxo and Vital Baby. All are affordable and made for kids.

Miraclekoo makes the cutest bamboo set for kids! Bambu makes a simple, affordable fork and spoon combo and Urban Infant Kids makes a great travel set.

Spuni offers childrens spoons made from medical grade TPE (thermoplastic elastomers) and polypropylene or wood. All of their materials are phtalate, BPA, BPS, and PVC free. I'm not quite sure if this is a joke, but it looks like you could also purchase a customized Spuni for $12,000 in either gold, rose gold, or platinum. Uhhhh...yeah.

BOWLS AND PLATES

Like utensils, bowls are bowl and plates are plates. EcoLunchbox, Lunchbots, and Thinkbaby all have great, affordable feeding sets and trays.

Silicone options include bowls and trays from Kinderville, Green Sprouts, and Lexnfant make some great silicone containers for toddlers.

EcoBamboo has the cutest eating set and Bambu offers plain but beautiful bamboo bowls.

We use Anchor Hocking or Pyrex 1 and 2 cup glass bowls. You can usually find these at Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Meijer, Walmart, or any other big box store. I like the Tru-seal lids, but haven't been able to find them anywhere but Amazon. We purchased a set of six 1-cup containers for Weston to use. We purchased about 8 of the 4-cup containers for general family food storage—soups, chili, leftovers, etc. In my opinion they are the perfect size for individual portions and they can be warmed up in the microwave (sans lid) with no worry.

I encourage you to do your research and choose the products that are best for your family. There are so many options out there!

Did you recently make the choice to rid your kitchen of plastic? Let us know what products you chose!Are there any products you absolutely love, but we neglected to get on our list? Let us know and we'll help spread the word.

RESOURCES

The Scary New Evidence on BPA-Free Plastics and the Big Tobacco-style campaign to bury it

These Popular Plastic Bottles May be Messing with Your Hormones

Just How Harmful are BPAs?

Pots, Pans, and Plastics: A Shoppers Guide to Food Safety

BPA-free Plastic Risks

Melamine in Tableware: Q&A 

How Chemicals in Plastic Lower Testosterone

Common Chemicals May Lower Testosterone, Study Finds

Guide to Less Toxic Products

EWGs Guide to BPA