bentoriffic

60 MILLION.  That’s how many plastic straws consumers use in a day.  Plastics account for 25% of the trash in our landfills.  One can’t easily escape the news that plastic is quickly filling our oceans.  We need solutions, and I met a mom who invented one.  I found out from a friend about GreenPaxx reusable straws and caps.  I contacted the CEO, Cindy,  and asked if I could review her product.  I did receive 2 straws and a cool cap to try in trade for a review.  I used them for quite a few weeks and let my children (2 and 4 year olds) play with them for a while to test their durability.  GreenPaxx is a brand new product.  They are silicone reusable, eco-friendly straws (available in pink or blue sets) and lids (called Cool Caps).

5 Great Reasons to buy GreenPaxx straws and Cool Caps:

1. They are eco-friendly.  The products arrived in a plain brown envelope wrapped in tissue in a minimalist fashion.  Many people want the glossy packaging, but it made me smile.  I was SO glad to get something that didn’t contain foam or plastic packing.  Also, none of the products (straws or cap) leech any chemicals into your family’s drinks.

2.The straws and lids make foods and drinks more fun.  I must admit I’m trying more new drinks for traveling myself and as a result my family is too.  With the colorful pink and blue GreenPaxx straws, my girls will try almost anything (within reason) that I put in front of them.  Try blending up a small bit of kale or spinach with some sweet fruits before your daily errands and watch your kids drink it up.  Your whole family will be developing healthy habits together.  Make eating healthy fun!

3. They are a permanent, versatile solution to replace plastic straws.  My 2 and 4 year old want their straws every morning now.  They drink more of their liquids than they did before because the straws are theirs and because they are pink.  I love that they take seconds (literally) to wash with soap & warm water, create no trash and are ready to reuse whenever I need them.  Their 2 part construction means nothing gets stuck in the bend or gets funny smells.  They are dishwasher safe too!

4. Stay better hydrated.  I would like to think I plan well for school mornings or before sports classes, but like many moms I’m often rushing around.  The straws and lids allow me to throw a lid on my smoothie or protein shake and go.  Normally it would go back in the fridge, and I would forget about it until later.  Or worse yet I’m have to put it in yet another container or it would spill all over my already kid decorated car.  My kids are fueling their bodies with healthy drinks from home now instead of something sugary or store-bought.  They get the health benefit, and my car doesn’t have the mess!

5. You are supporting a home-based small businesses.  Your money goes straight to a small business, a mom of 4 kids and an inventor.  What better way to keep our shopping local!   GreenPaxx straws and Cool Caps are available for sale on Amazon.com and on the GreenPaxx website.  I ended up purchasing some as gifts and more straws for our family at home after a few weeks of using them.  I plan on giving some more as gifts later this year (think teachers, smoothie and protein shake drinking friends and anyone who needs a great on-the-go gift).

Drawbacks?  There are no downsides to the straws in my opinion.  I only wish I had invented them myself.  They are innovative, can be used with just about anything,  come apart for easy of cleaning and they’re practically indestructible (as tested by my 2 and 4 year olds).  The products were used as instructed as well as being tied in knots, made into choo choo trains, hidden in rooms, stepped on and thrown.  They still look exactly like they did when they arrived.

The Cool Caps don’t fit every single glass in my home.  If you own tiny juice glasses or small toddler cups, they will not fit.  They also do not fit the enormous sized stadium glasses you may have sitting around.  They do fit all of my pint glasses, most mason jars and many drinking glasses.  We primarily use pint sized glasses on which the Cool Caps give a snug, leak-free fit.

I made my own version of a Vitamix recipe by adding in things I had at home.  I did purchase a Thai coconut especially for this drink, and it was worth all the work to open it!  My kids loved it too with not a drop left.  This is how I squeeze in extra vegetables by blending things like kale, collard greens and spinach with sweet fruits.  As long as it’s blended well, they devour it!

Kale and coconut smoothie recipe

1 Thai coconut water and meat

5 kale leaves, stems removed

2 nectarines, pitted & sliced

1 heaping pint very ripe strawberries

1 mango, pitted and peeled

The end result.

First things first.  GreenPaxx is offering the code SUMMER to everyone at checkout to save 20% off through September 14, 2012.

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN:

The Prize: 4 pack of GreenPaxx reusable straws

and a 2 pack of Cool Cap lids in your choice of pink or blue.

MANDATORY ENTRY:

* Visit the GreenPaxx website http://greenpaxx.com return here to my blog and comment on something you like about the website

1 ADDITIONAL ENTRY FOR EACH:

Like GreenPaxx on Facebook

Follow GreenPaxx on Twitter and comment below with your Twitter handle

Pin a GreenPaxx image on Pinterest from this review and leave me the link to the Pin below

CONTEST ENDS MONDAY, AUGUST 13TH, 2012 AT 11PM EST.  WINNER WILL BE DRAWN AT RANDOM BY RANDOM.ORG.

This giveaway is offered to US residents only.  Please do not enter this giveaway if you have received free products from GreenPaxx within the past 3 months.