# A Waste Free Lunch Story from a Reuseit Mom + an Offer to Win Her Fav Lunch Pack- Congrats Ell-Bell



## Chris Elias28 (Feb 28, 2011)

*Congrats to Ell-Bell!!! You have received a PM from us. Reuseit will send you your prize!*



Hi Moms!

The following story is from Natalie. She is an employee of Reuseit.com, a company that provides convenient & fun reusable products to help households reduce their carbon footprint. More importantly, Natalie is a mom of a 5 year old, named Teno. She kindly shares her story of what she just experienced in getting her first child back to school!

We thank her for this personal story and for giving our members the chance to win the "6-pack" Lunch Kit she chose for Teno.

*A Waste Free Lunch*

For three years I've been helping eco-minded moms choose safe, kid-friendly lunch items for their families. "Save $85 a year by switching to reusable snack and sandwich bags," I'd tell them. "Choose a leak-proof water bottle and stop buying juice boxes!" It all seemed so simple to me, the mother of a toddler and an environmental know-it-all.

Then something happened. Teno, my precocious little 5-year-old, became a kindergartner.

Suddenly I found myself overwhelmed by the idea of a waste-free lunch. What will I pack? What if he can't get the cap off his water bottle and he spends his whole day thirsty? What if his yogurt goes bad and he gets food poisoning? How on Earth will he remember not to throw away his napkin?

Ok, Natalie. Deep breaths. You can handle this. This is your job! Think of the 5 Steps to a Waste-free Lunch. Take it one step at a time.

1. Choose a reusable lunch bag.

After considering various materials (recycled PET, organic cotton, etc) I decided to go with a reuseit™ Made in the USA Insulated "6 Pack" Lunch Bag. The top-loading design makes it easy to pack a lunch without squishing anything. Made from lead-free nylon, it's a durable bag that will help insulate and keep the food inside fresh.

I also picked up a PackIt Insulated Lunch Bag for variety. It's a bit large for a 5-year-old's appetite, but we've been using it for camping trips until he gets a little bigger (and hungrier.)

2. Pick up some food containers.

I chose a variety - insulated, stainless steel and safe plastic. I figured they'd be perfect for pasta, fresh cut veggies and I could use the thermal ones for soups in cold weather. Not that he eats soup, but I like to be prepared.

3. Replace plastic baggies with reusable snack and sandwich bags.

This is where I could have spent days making a decision. I am easily distracted by cute things, and these are all so cute. I decided on some of the boy-friendly designs from ReUsies and a couple of solid-colored bags from reuseit™, just in case he decides he's too much of a big boy for patterns. They're both machine-washable, so I can send sandwiches, cut veggies and other snacks to school without wasting plastic baggies and send them through the wash when they need a clean-up.



4. Napkins, utensils and more&#8230;

Teno has been using his spork at the dinner table for years. He thinks it's really funny, and I don't mind having one utensil to wash instead of two. So that was an easy choice for his lunch bag. I used transfer paper and my home printer to customize a set of organic cotton napkins - craftier moms than me might embroider them or create fun felt appliqués. I threw in a reusable ice pack to keep everything cool, and I was almost done.

5. Skip the juice boxes and bottled water - choose a reusable bottle.

Again, I went with a variety here. My son uses a lot of different water bottles at home, but it was important to me that the ones I sent him to school with were leak-proof. How sad would it be if his whole lunch got soaked? I decided on a few Nalgene MiniGrip bottles because they're lightweight, dishwasher-safe and they won't leak. I also picked up a few more of Teno's favorite bottle - the CamelBak stainless steel bottle with a built-in straw.



For the past few days, I've been serving Teno his dinner packed in his different lunch items so he can get used to using them and I can get an idea of different things I should pack. Doing this helped me to realize that some aluminum water bottles I'd selected were too hard for him to open, and it gave me a chance to talk to him about bringing all of his cool lunch stuff home every day so I can wash it and pack another lunch for the next day.

While I can't say he's terribly excited about the idea of having to wake up early every morning for school, he is very excited about his lunch bags and his fun napkins. And now that all my fears and worries about lunchtime have subsided, I can feel good about packing him a healthy lunch every day, reducing our carbon footprint, and even saving some money because I'm not buying all those disposables. Plus, it's freed up plenty of time for me to worry about what he's going to wear, whether he's going to get into trouble and all the other fun fears I have about sending my firstborn off to school!



To help you send your kiddo off to school with a waste-free lunch I'd love to give a "6-pack" Lunch Kit (a US-made insulated lunch bag, a matching snack and sandwich bag and a reusable ice pack - $29.95 value) away to one Mothering.com reader.

Plus, reuseit.com is offering $5 off your order of $50 or more*. Just enter *MOTHERING* in the coupon field at check out. *Order expires 9/20/11, one use per customer, cannot be combined with other coupon codes.

*To enter to win the lunch kit!*


Go to Reuseit.com and check out the fun products we have (required)
Come back to MDC and post one thing you found interesting on our site (required)
If you haven't already, "Like" Reuseit and MotheringMag on Facebook (optional)
*Details:*


You must be a member of Mothering.com/community.
Only one entry per MDC Member. Additional posts will not be considered an entry, but feel free to comment and keep the conversation going!
You must have at least 7 post to be considered for this prize.
Mothering will be using Random.org to fairly choose a winner. 
This chance to win the "6-pack" Lunch Kit closes on Monday September 12th at 5pm, PST.
*Thanks!*


----------



## zebra15 (Oct 2, 2009)

The compact insulated lunch sleeve aka the mans lunchbox looks interesting.

I like ya before!


----------



## HArmbruster (Sep 2, 2011)

Consider your variety as back up items for when your child forgets his lunch box at school. Mine forgets about once a week. Depending on what is in it or what day it is, I don't always walk back into the school when I pick him up. I just pack up another lunch box the next day. However, if there was ranch or soup in the lunch box or if it is a Friday, I will go back in for the lunch box! Oh and we did the practice runs too. We knew his thermos would keep his soup the right temp and he could open it on his own!


----------



## illumini (Dec 2, 2006)

http://www.reuseit.com/store/togo-ware-2tier-stainless-steel-food-carrier-p-669.html This is awesome! And I've liked you already.


----------



## CourtBChase (Sep 11, 2006)

I totally want one of these: http://www.reuseit.com/store/innate-mcsup2sup-stainless-steel-food-container-p-1919.html I love that the top turns into a bowl. We already have a bunch of the lunch bots containers, and those are great too.


----------



## crbyard (Apr 10, 2006)

i have bought many great things from reuseit.com. Great company! I have been waiting for them to sell planetboxes (which I really covet) so that i can combine shipping with some other great products like glass dharma straws and insulated food containers.


----------



## Toolip (Mar 7, 2008)

Wow! This is so cool! I would love some of these stainless containers http://www.reuseit.com/store/lunchbots-stainless-steel-food-container-trio-p-1743.html They look awesome! Tons of cool stuff


----------



## 34me (Oct 2, 2006)

I love these http://www.reuseit.com/store/light-fire-kids-spork-p-1969.html . Only one utensil to keep track of in my ds's to go ware!


----------



## Doussou (May 22, 2005)

I can't wait to try some stainless containers for my kids' lunches, and those lunchskins are so cute!


----------



## goodjoan (Jan 8, 2005)

I had no idea there were so many green lunch options! Hubby likes to pack his own lunch but feels limited by options because anything wet or runny would leak out of the plasticwear we have.

http://www.reuseit.com/store/aladdin-leakproof-stainless-steel-food-p-3088.html

He's been on the hunt for a good wide mouth thermos that isn't plastic or glass. Something he could fill with soup or stew. This bad boy just got on my xmas shopping list!


----------



## sundaya (Jan 26, 2010)

I love the lunchskins snack and sandwich bags. How cute and practical!


----------



## MelissaMarie (Jul 21, 2006)

I thought the collapsible lunch containers were really neat. I love the idea of keeping a set in the car for restaurant leftover as an alternative to disposable doggy bags - what an interesting idea! I never thought of that.


----------



## redclover (Mar 5, 2008)

Love the variety of stainless steel water bottles! (my favourite is Sigg, but isn't it great that there are so many!!)


----------



## rpeluso (Aug 2, 2009)

I had no idea there were so many green options for lunches/kitchen storage, etc.! I love the sandwich and snack bags--especially how there are different ones to choose from- sacs, wrap-n-man, snack taxi-there's something for everyone to choose from!


----------



## katy_bug (May 8, 2009)

Great story - I have been looking for a source of reusable napkins, sandwich bags and produce bags for a while and was not aware that reuseit.com even existed. Everything there is so cute, especially the napkins! I am going to be taking your advice for my lunch and my husband's lunch. We have a couple of years to wait until our kids go to kindergarten.


----------



## *MamaJen* (Apr 24, 2007)

Eek, that photo of all the Starbucks garbage was pretty interesting!


----------



## rere (Apr 21, 2005)

I really like the stainless steel containers.


----------



## noodlepopsmom (Jun 6, 2004)

I think I am in love with the LunchSkins Reusable Sandwich Bags!

I have been looking for a ziplock alternative for lunch packing! Thanks for the post!


----------



## vonvonnie (Jun 25, 2005)

I love shopping with you guys, a lot of teachers at my son's school love his waste free lunch, and I send everyone to Reusit to get started! We have the laptop lunchbox, a few Klean Kanteens, 2 sets of Fabkins and the built NY sleeve to keep his drinks cool. Aside from lunches, my favorite purchase ever from you guys was the Reisenthel Modern Shopper tote (I think it's also called the bottle tote). I've had it for years and it still looks new. I have the loud pink floral one & really need the olive. I'm glad you all still carry them.

And for anyone who is worried about them throwing away their lunch items, if you create a totally waste free lunch, there is nothing to throw away, hence no need for them to even walk by the waste can .


----------



## goatvillegirl (Jul 27, 2011)

My favorites are the reusable lunch bags. I'll certainly pick up some of these soon. http://www.reuseit.com/store/lunchskins-sandwich-p-1883.html


----------



## Einhorn (Jul 6, 2002)

I liked that you could get the to-go-ware bamboo utensils without a case (to replace forks with broken tines at less cost. I also liked the go tube and http://www.reuseit.com/store/kids-konserve-stainless-steel-food-container-nesting-p-1989.html which we'll have to try. 2 of them are shorter than the to-go-ware sidekick, which we like, but it only fits in the center of the top section of the kids to-go-ware lunch kits.

thanks for a lot of good ideas. we already do a reusable lunch but I got some great new ideas.


----------



## sunnysky (Jan 5, 2008)

Oh, I love the Klean Kanteen tiny bottle with sippy cup tops, that would be perfect for my one-year-old, and of course the lunch skins reusable snack bags are awesome! Great prints! I am on the hunt for something for my hubby to pack his lunch in too, so those black and dark colored lunch boxes and kits look awesome as well as the bento boxes! Love them!

Will go like you on facebook now! Great company!


----------



## Ell-Bell (Nov 16, 2002)

I didn't realize there were sleeves for my KK and Sigg bottles available at reuseit.com! This will help with the "sweating" that they do and avoid getting the content of my bag wet.


----------



## Asche (Jul 19, 2010)

Ok... I LOVE so many things on that site that I created a shopping cart and filled it up... Total is just under 200 dollars, lol. The things I loved the most were:

People Towels Reusable Hand Towels, 100% Organic Cotton, Love Not Waste
Cryopak Flexible Ice Mat, Set of 2 (36 pouches total)
To-Go Ware RePEaT Bamboo Utensil Set with Recycled PET Carrycase, Merlot Cover $12.95
Airtight Snack Containers, Set of 3
LunchSkins Snack Bag, Aqua Dots
Wrap-N-Mat Large, Made in USA, Red Check

And I plan on buying them all as soon as I get the money! Totally worth it. I am most excited about the Wrap-N-Mat and the Hand Towels. I think those will be the neatest and the ones that will help the most will be the Utensil Set and the Snack containers, to keep me from buying so many individual packaged food...


----------



## wytchywoman (Nov 14, 2006)

I REALLY like the stainless steel lunch kits as well. What I like best is all your variety!!!!! this goes way beyond packing lunches.


----------



## Shield (Apr 5, 2009)

Great article and great website! Our family has been using the Laptop lunch systems for a couple of years and they work great-I love that I can pack good healthy food and not worry about wasteful or harmful packaging. My only complaint is that the lids don't always fit on the containers correctly, which leads to spilled food in the box, so I had to get rid of a couple of the containers for that reason. I'd like to checkout the Lunchbot system. Also it really helps to have more than 1 set of lunch box systems since life is busy and it is hard to wash the lunchboxes every single night.

thanks, Erica


----------



## lisab541 (Feb 16, 2011)

*I loved the Dabbawalla Lunch Bags, so cute!*


----------



## townelin (Sep 17, 2008)

Not so much related to lunch, but I purchased the pack n tote grocery cart helper a few months back and looove them.


----------



## areawoman (Oct 11, 2010)

The robot lunch bag is *adorable.* I also love the selection of reusable snack/sandwich bags. I've never thought of that before -- we've been re-using the disposable ones, which do eventually have to be thrown away. Great ideas!


----------



## MsBridget (Jan 17, 2011)

http://www.reuseit.com/store/togo-ware-3tier-stainless-steel-food-carrier-p-1392.html This with

http://www.reuseit.com/store/togo-ware-cotton-carrier-sling-p-1206.html

I'm a midwife and often will have an entire day out of the house for prenatals (I do in-home care, no office). This is awesome. My youngest teen loves taking a bento box for her lunches and I have to send a daily snack in with the 2nd grader.

I don't have a dishwasher (thank God) or a washing machine (adding on a mud room soon to our ol' farmhouse)... but I'm guessing the bags would come just as clean with a hand scrubbing?

I wish we had these http://www.reuseit.com/store/wrapnmat-regular-p-137.html on our camping trip. It would have been nice to have a ready-made placemat!


----------



## AmberLu (Feb 6, 2011)

I have never seen glass snapware before. We used to use Lock & Lock plastic containers before we switched over to all metal and glass.


----------



## jayersgould (Jul 19, 2005)

Reuseit.com has a lot of cute kids' water bottles that would be perfect for a school lunch.


----------



## 3tammuz (Apr 30, 2008)

I really like the choices of lunch containers and the variety of prices. Love this site. The article was great. Thanks!


----------



## biophdmom (Feb 24, 2010)

I love the variety of food containers at REuseit! The Lunchbots Stainless steel containers are great...will have to pick up a few of those! Also, I love the Nalgene food containers! We use these at work (a research lab) and they are great, but I've never seen them marketed for food. What a great idea!


----------



## suzanned8 (Mar 8, 2010)

We are big fans of the Wrap-N-Mat to replace plastic baggies, but now I have my eye on the WasteNot Saks Snack Bags. It would be great to pack snacks and fruit in them, and also to carry them around to put in leftover snacks!


----------



## kcparker (Apr 6, 2008)

lunch box.......................$ 15

4 plastic containers...........10

1 aluminum container..........5

Nalgene food jar..................5

spork....................................7

sandwich bag.......................9

organic cotton napkin.........12

nalgene bottle.......................7

camelbak bottle..................19

icepack.................................2

Total..................................$91

I know you can do it for less than this by thrifting, making your own napkins, etc. but yikes! I am not spending that kind of scratch for stuff that is all too easily lost/thrown in the trash by accident/forgotten on the playground, etc. What's wrong with reusing yogurt tubs, bread bags and sending foods which need no wrapper? Obviously, I am not out to win the contest here.









Also, everyone should know that ice packs don't keep food in the 'safe zone.'


----------



## bodaciousmom (May 19, 2008)

I ADORE the FABKINS napkins for kids. My daughter might have to fight me for them. they are almost to cute to wipe a messy mug!


----------



## jldumm (Sep 6, 2006)

why have i not found reuseit before now. how exciting to have all the great things in one spot. this totally fuels my obsession with lunch packing. do not tell my husband. I love the spork and the stainless straws.


----------



## boyceo (Jun 13, 2011)

I love all of the "Plastic Bags Blow" products! We have gotten rid of all of our plastic, and I hope other households will do the same!


----------



## cheryl mama (Jun 26, 2007)

Reuseit.com is new to me. I love that you offer so many different items from different manufacturers, so I can easily compare all the options on one site.

These bento containers are now on my list:

http://www.reuseit.com/store/lock-lock-leakproof-bento-food-containers-p-2838.html#product_details

It would be nice to pack several things without using several tiny containers (that's what I'm doing now because I don't have a larger container with sections). I know my daughter can open and close this type of box, and the reviews look great. I will be getting some reusable shopping bags, too!


----------



## LilyHall (Jun 13, 2006)

I like the Insulated Lunch Bag by Four Peas (http://www.reuseit.com/store/insulated-lunch-four-peas-fairy-pink-earth-pink-polka-small-p-2864.html).


----------



## Viv Vetrono (Aug 15, 2011)

I was most impressed by the glass straws, and bamboo case....what a fabulous find!!!!!!......as ALWAYS. and thru the years raising 11 children, MOTHERING has been my guide, and has always taught the best parenting, nursing, and birth skills ........thank-you....PEACE


----------



## erschwartz (Jul 18, 2005)

Liked the large range of products offered under one "roof". We own Kleenkanteen bottles and Wrap 'n' Mats but would like to purchase other items as well.


----------



## CindyCindy (Jun 13, 2006)

I didn't realize how many different kinds/types of produce bags there were! Can't wait to get some!!


----------



## Marni Karaffa (May 13, 2011)

Love the GoodByn!


----------



## hchilscher (Sep 6, 2011)

I'd love to get these spill proof reuseable water bottles. We have a few, but not spill proof and we spend a good amount of $ every month on Capri Suns, not to mention the waste.

http://www.reuseit.com/store/sigg-kids-reusable-water-bottle-p-533.html


----------



## NatalieMS (Feb 17, 2010)

Some parents do find thrifting to be an economic option, but for those who are looking to buy their kids something new for the school year here are some numbers to consider:


One year of disposable lunches: Brown paper bags ($26 @$4/50 pk) + snack baggies ($85) + bottled water or juice ($260) = *$371*
One year of reusable lunches: Cloth lunch bag ($7) + reusable water bottle ($12) + wrap n mat ($7)+ snack bags ($2) + hemp napkin ($8) = *$36*
Wastefreelunches.org estimates that eliminating disposable packaging and single-serving items can save families $250 a year.

I personally haven't found many ways to reuse single-serving lunch items like empty yogurt cups or bags of chips, but reuseit does have some resources for people looking to reuse other disposables: http://www.reuseit.com/take-action/diy-resources


----------



## NatalieMS (Feb 17, 2010)

That is a really excellent point! My son's school composts food waste, and his lunch is waste-free. So other than dropping his apple core into the compost bin, he never goes near a trash can.


----------



## indigolilybear (Nov 28, 2001)

ooh, love the stainless steel, especially the ones that bundleup!


----------



## smackie (Aug 20, 2008)

i love the glass waterbottles! i've never seen those before and i'm not a fan of drinking out of metal. thanks for the clue!


----------



## P.J. (May 18, 2010)

Wow, you really have a wide and interesting product range!

I found the Orka by Mastrad Vegetable Keep Sacks interesting. I could use something like that, as I notice many veggies need to be kept separate, and we don't have much counter room in our kitchen. We have a real veggie/fuit organization problem, and this would be one idea to solve that!

As a side note, I already have the Eco Charge Solar/Pull Flashlight, and I use it every day when leaving and going back into our bedroom during and after putting my son down for the night. I sit it on the windowsill to charge during the day. We don't even live in a very sunny area, but even so there have been few times I've actually needed to pull to charge it, and the battery has never died. It's great! Highly recommended.


----------



## hshallop (Sep 6, 2011)

I love the lunchskins sandwich bags! And all the stainless steel containers are awesome too.


----------



## midnightmommy (Apr 14, 2008)

http://www.reuseit.com/store/laptop-lunch-bento-p-2971.html I am in love!


----------



## chirocrowe (Sep 6, 2011)

Very interested in the snackTAXI Sandwich Bags...I've been wanting an alternative to all those baggies, baggies, baggies!


----------



## mahhyphen (Aug 17, 2011)

WasteNot Saks Snack Bag, Carnival Bloom would be great for all 30 of the little fingers in my house AND I love the fabric design!


----------



## mossimo12 (Sep 29, 2005)

I love the idea of sending soup or pasta to school in a thermos. The Thermos Nissan 10 oz Stainless Steel Food Jar, looks like it would be a perfect size.


----------



## thrrrnbush (Aug 16, 2002)

I've never considered sipping tea through a straw before, but these fascinate me- http://www.reuseit.com/store/loose-leaf-straw-wisdom-wands-p-2325.html. It's so pretty and look at all the tea leaves my Irish mother-in-law could read afterwards.

Thank you for this well timed contest. I'd love to win, but even if I don't it was a good nudge. I'd been meaning to go back to reuseit and buy another water bottle for my daughter. Contest entered and shopping done


----------



## amandasue24 (May 23, 2011)

I love the muslin produce bags and ALL the food storage items - it's too hard to pick just one! The reusable sandwich bags are such a great idea; I hate using so many plastic bags.


----------



## MixerMama (Dec 7, 2009)

My daughter went to her fist day of preschool today. I didnt; realize we were supposed to send her with a snack (oops). i haven't had a lot of luck finding the right combo of items to form a good package for her. I love the choices at Reuseit.com. I also had never even thought about a glass straw. Brilliant!


----------



## royals95 (Aug 28, 2005)

Cool website! I now have it bookmarked. I like these for the kids and these for me!


----------



## mullenmom (Sep 6, 2011)

i love the rebel green reusable lunch bag in the pretty planet print. so cute and recognizable, you'll instantly know it's yours. i thought it was great that it came with an organic cotton napkin too!

i just joined and this was the first article i read. it's so helpful because my baby just started kindergarten!!


----------



## rkonomos (May 3, 2010)

I love the idea of the Laptop Lunch Bento Box 2.0 (http://www.reuseit.com/store/lunch-lunch-bags-boxes-c-248_249.html). Would love to use that instead of baggies.


----------



## crazyrunningmama (Dec 16, 2006)

I like the little containers with removeable inner trays. So you can use it for a lot of one thing or bits of a few things, ideal for a 5 year old!


----------



## mamaboss (Jul 23, 2008)

This would be perfect for DH to have a hot lunch while he's working! http://www.reuseit.com/store/thermos-king-stainless-steel-food-with-spoon-p-2660.html


----------



## monica3674 (Nov 20, 2006)

The cloth napkins on your website are such a great idea!


----------



## MrsTee (Jun 24, 2011)

I love all of the varieties of reusable lunch bags. I had no idea so many different options were available! This is defnitely something our family will be utilizing! Thanks


----------



## lao (Jun 21, 2010)

I LOVE the stainless steel "bendy" straws!! I had seen glass before but did not buy because I was afraid I would break them! I wonder if these can be cleaned-maybe with a chenille straw?

Great products!

Lisa


----------



## mytwomonkies (Mar 26, 2011)

Love, love, LOVE the stainless steal food containers!! That's the first time I've seen them and now I want some!  And I "liked" reuseit on facebook


----------



## richella (Nov 30, 2004)

Can't decide what I like. I like the Earthlust steel water bottles, but then again I might choose one made in USA if I were buying. Really impressed with how much stuff they offer is made in USA. Also I like the Lunchskins, the reuseit baggies, and lots more.


----------



## naturekate (Jun 22, 2006)

These are our favorite. I can pack one utensil every day without worrying that she has the right thing. I stuck a small label sticker with her name on it on the handle, and we've used two of them for 3 years now, that's a lot of lunches!

http://www.reuseit.com/store/light-fire-kids-spork-p-1969.html


----------



## gratefulmum (Oct 17, 2003)

I love lunchskins! I saw a women with one at the park the other day and was fawning over it!

http://www.reuseit.com/store/lunchskins-sandwich-p-1883.html


----------



## littlelady33 (Dec 26, 2009)

I love the light my fire black sporks!! I like your site...I'm going back to do some shopping, thanks!


----------



## Carlyle (Mar 31, 2007)

These sandwich "wrap-n-mat" things look brilliant: http://www.reuseit.com/store/wrapnmat-regular-p-137.html We re-use plastic bags right now, but they are a pain to wash, and often my sandwich falls apart when I am stuffing it inside. This would solve both problems as it looks easy to wash and just wraps right around the sandwich. Brilliant!


----------



## crystalalene (Feb 6, 2007)

Thanks so much for this reminder. I am so glad to find a resource for containers of different sizes.


----------



## granolagina (Mar 2, 2003)

I really like the reusable sandwich and snack bags. I hate those plastic ones! I own 2 sandwich bags for my son but I really need some for snacks too. Plus I love the colors available.


----------



## HopefulJo (Dec 28, 2009)

I've never seen a replaceable-head toothbrush! What a great idea.


----------



## magicbelly (Dec 19, 2007)

woah. stapless "staplers" blew my mind. liked on fb too.


----------



## _meliska (Aug 10, 2007)

I get tons of compliments about my son's Goodbyn, but now he doesn't want to use it everyday, and so we're using my lunchbag for him. I'd love to get him a new insulated bag along with these (http://www.reuseit.com/store/%C2%A0humangear-gotoob-mini-reusable-container-p-1934.html) for his yogurt and these (http://www.reuseit.com/store/lunchskins-sandwich-p-1883.html) for his sandwich, veggie chips, etc.

(And I already like you both on FB. ) )


----------



## anthroamy (Apr 1, 2008)

Love this: http://www.mothering.com/community/t/1328151/a-waste-free-lunch-story-from-a-reuseit-mom-an-offer-to-win-her-fav-lunch-pack#


----------



## Toposlonoshlep (Jan 14, 2010)

The stainless steel straws are awesome! I have a picky 2 year old for whom I make super smoothies every morning. He drinks almost twice the smoothie if it's through a straw, but I hate messing with the plastic ones and this would be SUCH a good solution! "Liked"!


----------



## ferencfamily (Jun 27, 2011)

Oooh! I have found a solution to storing my fresh produce in Ziploc bags...which I'm vowing to rid myself of! The Flip & Tumble Reusable bags look awesome- bring them to the store, avoid the plastic produce bags, wash the produce right in the bag and store them in the fridge! Perfect! Just what I was looking for!


----------



## proudmamanow (Aug 12, 2003)

What an awesome site...I love the replace disposables section. I am really getting into bento boxing my kid's lunch this year and this site has further inspired me!


----------



## bigkels24 (Sep 9, 2011)

Love the produce bags and nellie's dryerballs! Never been to this reuseit site before but think I will return! "Liked!"


----------



## VocalMinority (Apr 8, 2009)

I LOVE the "I'm Not a Plastic Bag"!!

I will admit, when any of my 3 boys leaves their lunch box at school, they use a plastic bag (meant to be an incentive to look in the lost-and-found or the bottom of their locker, for their lunch box).

However, your very witty "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" is like a plastic bag without the shame; PLUS it's more reasonably priced than most school-lunch boxes; PLUS it looks like it would have plenty of room for reusable containers! That's my biggest challenge, in packing lunches. I have two teenage sons and a 'tween, so they want a lot of food in their lunches! But a sandwich box, a side-dish container and even a small drink container strain the zippers on most lunch boxes, even the soft-sided ones. So, where's a Mom to put the container with fruit (which the 'tween will only eat if it's sliced...); the carrot and celery sticks and dip; and the cookie?

What a great idea you have!

Update: I just bought two.


----------



## Awakeman (Feb 11, 2011)

I love making my kids waste-free lunches, and I want to check out the To-Go Ware lunch kit, snack stack, and 2- and 3-tier food carriers from reuseit.com. I am hoping to move away from plastics to other alternatives, such as stainless steel.


----------



## spyderchix (Jul 11, 2006)

I enjoy the reusit.com site and have bought quite a few lunch items for both my kiddos. I am thinking the fit and fresh kids value lunch pods may be next. I love the idea that the ice pack is attached. It won't take up all the space of the ones we currently use or could be used concurrently. Living in AZ, I am always fearful of putting anything that need refrigeration (like cheese sticks or milk) even in thermal stuff. This might be a nice option!


----------



## tanajimenez (Sep 9, 2011)

I'm digging the Camelbak Kids reusable water bottles. It's time for my boys to ditch the sippy cups!


----------



## Awakeman (Feb 11, 2011)

I love the To-Go Ware stainless steel lunch kit, snack stack, and 2 and 3-tier carriers. I make waste-free lunches but want to move away from plastic to other alternatives. Great site!


----------



## BennyPai (Jul 22, 2005)

I've visited Reuseit.com and found a lot of things to add to my wishlist! My favorites were the LunchSkins Reusable Sandwich Bags. I'm in Maine, and I think the red lobster print is adorable! One of my daughters would LOVE the brown wolves print as well. 

Another of my favorite items was the CamelBak Stainless Steel Kids 12 oz water bottle. It's the perfect size to send to school and seems like it would be easy for my children to use. The butterfly design is cute. I am impressed with the sporks, as well. My girls would love those!

I've liked Reuseit on FB.

OK, my fingers are crossed.







Winning the 6-pack lunch kit would help us make the shift to reusable lunch accessories. Right now, I'm using disposable sandwich bags for my 1st and 2nd grader's snacks and lunches, and I don't feel great about it.


----------



## ekbreaux (Aug 16, 2011)

I like the shape of the snack and sandwich bags. Some bags I cant get my hands into, but these look well designed.


----------



## katterpiller (May 2, 2006)

Your story resonates with me! My son started kindergarten this year also. Last year I found the Wrap n Mats and love them!

The website is fun to browse through! I love all the patterns and variety of pocket-style sandwich and snack bags offered. Especially nice to see was the large sized Wrap n Mat for a big sandwich.

I also appreciate the search option on the left side of the page where I can filter my search by type of product I would like to replace! Awesome!

WOO HOO!


----------



## Nicole Delaney (Sep 12, 2011)

Man's lunch set!!!!!!!!!! We totally need this. Hubby uses baby's b-milk cooler, lol i don't need it because i don't pump or go to work, so i re purposed it! the ladies he works with get a laugh


----------



## leberglj (Jan 4, 2011)

I loved the bottom four squares: Top Facts, Myth Busting, Feature Image, Feature Video. A great source for information. For products, I like the utensil set with case! Very cool way of keeping the lunch bag clean


----------



## homentexas (Mar 31, 2011)

I love the reusable lunch snack bags! Gotta get me some for the kiddo, and maybe the mommy too!


----------



## Lisanne (Jun 11, 2008)

Those lunch bags are awesome! I love the place for the ice pack. I think I need some of those reusable produce bags. I try to not use the bags, but you really need them for apples, plums, peaches, etc. Oh, and the LunchSkins sandwich bags. So cute!

I like Reuseit and mothering on FB


----------



## khitmutgar (Jan 4, 2007)

the cotton muslin bags - like this one: http://www.reuseit.com/store/reuseit-produce-snack-organic-cotton-muslin-p-689.html remind me of the bread bags my friends in Italy use. I don't know why i never thought to use one for a sandwich - after all it's practically the same use! - but now i will. love this!


----------



## magreen (Oct 12, 2010)

I'm glad you don't sell stuff with lead! haha...I also found the light my fire spork a great consideration for kids. thank you!


----------



## cparkly (Jul 21, 2009)

I liked the reusables for real men section.


----------

