Our Tuesday Lunch

Sunbutter on gluten-free blueberry waffles and chia gel with maple syrup, coconut milk, lucuma powder, and frozen raspberries

The chia gel is in a mason jar with a Tattler BPA-free lid! I've been researching for a long while, looking for something to replace the BPA coated lids for our mason jars. My favorite option until recently was the Weck canning jars with glass lids. I never ended up ordering those though, they are pretty pricey, and I really didn't want to purchase jars when we already have so many. When I stumbled across the Tattler lids in the Lehman's catalog, I was thrilled. They are BPA-free, come in 2 sizes to fit both regular and wide mouth canning jars, and are reusable. The best part was that the mister was going to be driving within a few miles of Lehman's that very week, so we didn't have to pay shipping charges, or make a special trip. I haven't canned with them yet, but have used them for bulk storage, and making chia. They are just as easy to use for those purposes as the metal lids, without the extra bonus of leaching toxins into our food. Yay!
Another way that I've found to get BPA out of our home; We buy our sunbutter in a 5 lb bucket. It's less expensive since it's bulk, but it also has the benefit of a BPA-free container. We used to buy the smaller jars by the case, but didn't like that the lids had BPA. We fill a smaller sized container with sunbutter, so that it's easy to grab out of the fridge when needed, and leave the bucket tucked in the back of the fridge. It wouldn't work if you have a mini fridge, but for a bulk buying family, it's great.

Reusable Review, extra cute edition!!

We've finally had to replace the reusable shopping bags that we've been using for many years with some shiny new ones from Reuseit.com. I chose the Baggu Reusable Shopping Bag set of 5, and the Blue Avocado Cruiser Kit. They've gone on a few grocery trips with us, and so far all thumbs are pointing up. The Baggu set folds down into a tiny stuff sack and the bags are extremely light weight (and durable). They are shaped like a traditional plastic grocery bag, only a lot bigger and in better colors. I never would have dreamed of fitting 7 boxes of cereal into such a light weight grocery bag, but these can handle that and more! I found them to be very comfortable to hold, the doubled handles don't cut into my hand at all. Since they are so light weight, they will air dry quickly after being washed.



I chose the Blue Avocado Cruiser Kit because I was looking for a PVC-free insulated bag to help get frozen items home without melting. The large patterned bag holds more than a paper grocery bag worth of groceries and seems very sturdy. We went shopping on a very humid and hot day, and even with a pit stop on the way home, none of the cold items in the (huge!) insulated bag were thawing and the interior of the bag was quite cold. This kit also comes with 2 large produce bags that are made out of an open mesh that is easy to see through. It's so great to be able to toss my Baggu bags into the Blue Avocado bag and have all my grocery reusables in one tote-bag sized bag that I can easily grab on my way out the door.

Reuseit.com has generously offered a coupon code to PirateBootieBlog readers! From now until Aug. 23rd, enter code bootiebaby10 at checkout for 10% off your order. Thanks, Reuseit!

Coming soon; Reusable Review, Lunch Edition!!

Sorry, Hun, I've got a new love. Um, I mean, Reusable Review Time!!!

I think my husband may be just a bit jealous. I've been taking my new Reisenthel Kid's Market Basket everywhere I go, and talking about it a bit too much I think. I do think it's pretty perfect though, and has made loading the kids into the car so much easier. I just pre-load the market basket with our Kleen Kanteens full of water, a few random snacks, sunscreen, and a wetbag containing a few extra pair of tiny undies and shorts, and we're ready to head out the door at a moments notice. Even with all that stuff in there, there is still a little room to toss in a book or some crayons and stickers to entertain the kids at a slow point in our day. It's allowed me to eliminate that frantic run around the house collecting all the necessary bits and stuff, and I've actually been on time a few times this week! One feature of the basket that I think is great, but haven't needed to use yet, is the drawstring closure. I find it a bit easier to just leave the cover tucked inside so that I have easy access to the contents, but I think it would be really handy if I didn't want to advertise what I was hauling around, or if I had slightly overstuffed it and needed help holding everything in .

Another fun thing that I've been using this week is the Orka Silicone Lids. My home is almost completely disposable-free, and one of the things that I've missed having is plastic wrap. Not enough to buy it, but there was the occasional wistful sigh. I was pretty thrilled to find the Orka lids, and hopeful that they would be able to satisfy my need to avoid disposables as well as keep food fresh.
They are a little clunky since they have to be larger than the container that they are covering, and I found it occasionally challenging to fit them in the fridge (especially on CSA pickup day). They depend on suction to keep them on the container, and if bumped at the right angle, they can pop off. This could be a problem with soupy, drippy foods, but is fine for more solid items. I'm thinking that using them to transport wet foods could be a problem unless the container was very stable in the vehicle. The only other thing that I experienced that is obvious when you stop and think about it, but that didn't occur to me to stop and think about, is that the container can't be totally full. You need to allow space for the lid to be pushed down into the bowl to create the suction. This isn't a problem, but does bear mentioning. My opinion is that the benefits outweigh the negatives, and I really do think they the job they are made for. They hold their suction well, and I'm guessing that the silicone will last a really long time. The multi-function aspect is pretty cool too, since they can also me used as a trivet and potholder. The kids like suctioning them to the floor and then trying to pull them up with a pop, that's always a bonus.

Starting today (7/12/10), Bootie Baby Blog readers can save 10% off anything and everything at Resuablebags.com by entering bootiebaby at check out. The code is case-sensitive, can't be combined with any other coupons, and expires on 7/26.

Also, check out all the new arrivals at ReusableBags.com, there are some great new lunch items that would help make packing lunches fun and eco-friendly! Subscribe to the Reusablebags.com/Reusit.com mailing list (half way down the page on the left) or "Like" them on Facebook, and get special access to next week's "secret sale".

Product Safety for the People!!

I've been asked so many times about plastic safety and household toxins, that I decided it was time to compile a list of the sites that I use to research these issues. I'm definitely no expert, but I do tend to err on the side of caution (especially where my kids are concerned) and like to have as much info as possible about the products that we use in our home.

US Consumer Product Safety Commission's database for recalls and product safety alerts
This is a searchable database, and you can also sign up for their RSS feeds. They have it set up so that you can get the feed for all recalls, or just the category(ies) that you are interested in.
This is a direct link to the CPSC infant/child product recalls. 

HealthyStuff.org also has a searchable database of recalled items. The database is searchable by brand or type of item, and is particularly useful for looking up many items at once (after a birthday party, baby shower, etc.). Categories include: Toys, Children's Items, Pet Products, Cars, Apparel and Accessories.

Recalls.gov is yet another database. This one has a broader range of categories; Consumer Products, Motor Vehicles, Boats, Food, Medicine, Cosmetics, Environmental Products.You can sign up for  email alerts, and report dangerous products.

Skin Deep Database. I use this one often. The Skin Deep Database is a guide to cosmetics and personal care products. The have thousands of entries which are rated by the safety of their ingredients. They recently put out a sunscreen guide that is fantastic. I've gotten into the habit of checking the database whenever we are thinking about trying a new product, and I feel like it's such a quick and easy way to help us eliminate as many toxins from our home as possible. The Skin Deep site is an offshoot of the  Environmental Working Group webpage (another great informational site).


Another favorite of mine is ZRecommends. This blog is written by parents who are passionate about the safety of the products that they bring into their home (although it's turned into a lot more). They do green kid's product reviews, and write amazing product guides for almost every baby item out there. More recently they have started to research other household items as well.

 The Soft Landing Blog was one of the first sites that I found when I started researching safer plastics and it is still one of the sites that I visit regularly. They also have some great product guides, and work hard to bring their readers the information that they need to make informed decisions. They also have an online retail shop where they only stock the safest kid's gear. 

SafeMama is an all-purpose eco-kid (and mama) product safety site. With reviews, recall notices, and cheat-sheets, it's a great resource. Not just toys and diaper cream, they also highlight news issues of importance to families striving to make safer choices.


Here are a few of the retail sites that I trust to have high safety standards. I feel like they take the time to research the quality of the items they sell/make, as well as have great customer service.
The Soft Landing Thoroughly researched products,extremely high standards.
Earth Mama Angel Baby has wonderful skincare products for mamas, babies, and mamas-to-be
ReusableBags.com I've gotten many of my reusables here (disclaimer: I am a Reuseit.com ambassador, but this endorsement is my own, unsolicited opinion. I shopped there long before becoming an ambassador.)


And, just because I think it's important to know what you are eating,
FDA Food Safety Recalls RSS feed / FDA Food Safety Press Release database


Feel free to add your favorite sites in the comments!!

Bring it in!

All the reusable bags you own don't mean a thing if they never make it into the store with you. I just received this static-cling window sticker from www.conservingnow.com. It's removable, double sided, and Free! I'm usually pretty good at remembering to bring my bags when I shop, but I'm hoping that seeing the sticker out of the corner of my eye when closing the car door will help with those times that I'm too busy or distracted to remember on my own.  I chose the rectangular tree design, but they also have a round one with an image of the earth.

*Please excuse the terrible webcam pic of the sticker :)