I got some goodies from Klean Kanteen
Pip needed a drinks bottle and the Lifeventure flask I bought about five years ago has lost part of its rubber seal. It still works perfectly well at keeping things hot, but tea escapes everywhere if it's not upright. I spend a lot of time running around with kids, a buggy and a nappy bag, a flask that seals is kinda a necessity.
I looked about at what to get and discovered that whilst this wasn't the cheapest option, its definitely one of the better ones. I've been trying to think more carefully about what I'm buying, to get things that will last - and when they do come to the end of their lives can actually be recycled easily rather than being sent to the tip.
The parcel that arrived yesterday looked like this:
only a tiny bit of plastic packaging - although the tape was definitely designed to keep that box closed!
After dropping Sally off at school (her and Pip dashed off into the sports field the second I let them out of the car, and Sally immediately started running round the track - luckily we were in plenty of time so I didn't have drag her away and she enthusiastically completed her lap and we got to her classroom after her unnervingly healthy start to the day before the doors were opened) Pip and I went to a toddler group we've not been to before. We normally go to the twitter famous MERL for Friday Fledglings where they all run around outside, play with water, do forest school inspired crafts and generally get mucky, but his nursery day has changed so I needed to find him something else to do. Erleigh Elfins is sort of the same thing except there's less space and they get to feed the ducks at the end. It is held at a small nature reserve that is probably 2 miles from my house - 3 or so from the house I grew up in - and as far as I know I've never been there. Ridiculous! We need to do some serious exploring.
Its point so far as it relates to Klean Kanteen stuff is that I needed a flask of tea and Pip needed a bottle of water. Cleo is having a growth spurt at the moment and seems to need feeding every 20 minutes or so, I definitely need tea - I also hate having to interact with adults I don't know and being able to quietly sip a cup of tea makes me feel slightly less awkward. There were no leaks as it got shaken around in the nappy nag and the contents were still nice and hot. I also very much like that it is bright yellow, the closing mechanism is pretty cool and it has a nice drinking spout.
Pip's bottle is very cute. The opening is nice and robust for little people and it looks like it will wear well. Yes it was almost £17, but I bought Sally two of those Tommee Tippee bottles with the integral folding straw before I realised that they leak and the straw gets mould inside which is an absolute bitch to clean out. I also got her a new bottle to start school that is already chipped and the drinking bit is looking pretty chewed - this is all in the course of about three years, so long as Pip's bottle lasts longer than that the costs should balance out!
Feeding the ducks...
apparently the most fun is to be had when you chuck handfuls of food at them.
And this little muffin has at least been practicing comical smiley faces to make up for the all the screaming when I haven't provided her with food for twelve and a half minutes.
Other stuff I have discovered about Klean Kanteen
- they had standard sizes for their lids so you can swap them out for a new one or a different sort, toddler sippy, sports cap or screw top.
- they're members of a few organisations like 1% for the planet and B Corp
- they actually seem to make an effort to manufacture and ship their products in a sustainable fashion.
But they better bloody last forever.