Today marks the start of the Made in the USA Giveaway Hop, hosted by Happy Mothering and A Year of Jubilee Reviews through the Green Moms Network. As part of this hop, you’ll find dozens of blogs with eco-friendly prizes packages worth $25 or more – all made in the USA! After entering my giveaway, be sure to visit the other blogs listed below the Rafflecopter form for more chances to win! All giveaways in this hop will run through July 13 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Good luck!
In our quest to be healthier, happier, and more eco-conscious, one of the bigger tasks I’m working on is moving away from plastics. It can seem like a daunting task when you really take a step back and look at everything in your home. Well you know the old saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and you can’t expect to just start living plastic free all at once. The small steps you take are the momentum to keep you moving in the right direction and ultimately those steps as a whole create the larger picture.
I’m sure most of us think of the kitchen first when it comes to plastics in the home, but how many of us even consider drinking straws when we are thinking of a place to start making this change or switch? I don’t buy plastic straws and have to confess that I’ve been known to grab a few extra when at Starbucks to keep on hand for the occasional smoothie. So when I’m thinking about where I can start first with ditching the plastic, straws get overlooked. Guess what, my drinking straws will never be overlooked again thanks to Glass Dharma.
Glass Dharma is a wonderful company that creates amazing glass straws out of Fort Bragg, California. At Glass Dharma, there really is a great range to choose from and even room to customize a bit. You have the choice of sipper, tea, smoothie, and bubble tea for diameters. Not only that, but you can also choose from shorty (6 1/4″), standard (8″) and extra long (10″) when it comes to length.
Their shorty sipper straw is the smallest and it is a great size for little ones. My 18 month old isn’t a fan of sippy cups and the one she did like has a straw top and leaked everywhere. The second she saw me using one of my other straws, she started really acting as if she wanted her own. She’s a picky toddler, I’ll admit it. She only likes to drink milk from bottles, not even water, and usually only does water in a sippy. Very rarely she’ll drink chocolate milk or something in a sippy. The first day of using a sipper straw, she drank about 3 adult glasses of grape juice total–something way put of her norm. Since that first day, she will finally try drinking basically anything as long as her special straw is in it. I think it’s so adorable because she’s never attached to anything really (blanket, stuffed animal, thumb) but she even reaches for her straw when I’m packing up her sippy and back up bottle in the diaper bag. We’re leaving July 5th on vacation and I’ll be taking 2 straws with us. 😉
Something I have to personally attest to is the durability of these glass straws. When they arrived I immediately began opening each individual box and showing them to my hubby. The iced tea straw is what I would consider to be about the standard size we are all used to. Mine has lovely blue dots on it. =) What I didn’t realize what that when I went to put the iced tea straw back into it’s box, the other end was already open so it went right through and onto the hard wood floor. Imagine my moment of terror as I watch my brand new piece of glass straw art go crashing into the floor. In this case, there’s good news…and better news. First, my straw didn’t break, chip, crack or get damaged in any way. Second, Glass Dharma has an unbelievable lifetime guarantee against breakage. If your straws get damaged, you just send them in and they will either be carefully repaired or replaced. Obviously, this doesn’t mean you can just go testing them out by purposely damaging, but I think we’re all decent people.
The straws are made from a very durable borosilicate glass which is resistant to thermal shock, hypoallergenic, dishwasher and microwave safe. You know that nice brand name, Pyrex?– it’s made from the same type of glass. =)
My hubby’s personal favorite is the bent straw in the smoothie size. As much as I don’t want to admit it, he’s an avid gamer on the computer. A bent straw allows him to be a little lazier drink hands-free so that he can keep one on the keyboard and one on the mouse. Because it’s a smoothie size, it’s great for cold summer treats, yet it’s not so big that it makes it hard to drink thinner liquids such as water.
Glass Dharma straws are a wonderful alternative to plastics and far surpass the quality. If you still aren’t convinced, think about this:
*Glass straws work well for both hot and cold beverages –no more burning your mouth on hot cocoa. *The glass is such a high quality and free of harmful toxins so you don’t end up with anything harmful seeping into your beverages.
*You can help avoid staining to your teeth by using a straw if you drink a lot of darker drinks such as teas and coffee.
*They are great for toddlers transitioning from a sippy cup.
*They have a lifetime guarantee.
*They will custom make a straw for you if you have a special container or for special needs.
*You can feel better knowing that not only did you use one less plastic straw now, but think of how many straws you would have bought in the future.
*They are lovely and add a little bit of beauty to your day and make you smile. =)
Get your own set of beautiful Glass Dharma straws!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Amy says
My 15 month old has learned how to use a straw, but why is it that kids like to smash and chew on the end? It’s really annoying if I am sharing a drink with them and when it comes back to me the straw is flattened. Can’t do that with glass! I can’t decide which straws I would get, but some of each length and diameter would be nice.
Linda says
I’d get the smoothie size. I like the glass straws because they are reusable and cheaper in the long run. No more buying disposable straws!
The Frugal Greenish Mama says
I would love to try out their glass straws! We use stainless straws and would love to try the shorties 🙂
Maggie says
for some reason oe won’t let me pin it anymore 🙁
Sarah says
I’ve had a glass straw in the past, but it broke (remember, they’re round and WILL roll of the table and WILL shatter LOL) I want another one because, frankly, I just enjoyed using it. It was cheaper than other straws and perfect for smoothies! Def want the smoothie or bubble tea size!
stacythemagnificentmommy says
id switch to them bc they wont have that plastic taste!
AnnaZed says
I loath plastic straws. I particularly hate seeing them as refuse on the beach.
In our home we just don’t have the throw-awy kind. We do have a couple of those cups with the plastic straws that you wash and reuse, but I would much much much prefer this glass version. So beautiful.
I would like the SMOOTHIE 12mm x 10″
The Rafflecopter calls me ‘Margot’ since it is accessing my facebook where I am ‘Margot Core’; the Rafflecopter connects to this
email: annazed10 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Olivia L says
I’m interested because they’re reusable. I’d love to try the Ice Tea size straws.
annie says
If you didn’t get paid to write that review, you need to email it over to Dharma Glass STAT! These straws sound amazing! Thanks for sharing.
jennifer says
i want to switch because i’m trying to cut down on the plastic in my life! i would love the sipper straw, and the ice tea staw
ellen_levickis says
i would get the smoothie size. i have rigid plastic ones that are about the size of the bubble tea straws and i don’t like how big they are
katy w says
we’re trying to do away with all plastic and would love the iced tea sized!
Stacy says
I hate to use anything disposable, so I want to win to have a nice reusable option. I would get the Ice Tea straws.