When you think about it, the whole bottled water thing is amazing. I’m not that old, but I remember when there was no such thing as a water bottle. I played sports and danced and we never, ever drank water. I don’t even remember being thirsty! We had a water fountain and that was enough.
Now, of course, we’re obsessed with water. I’m sure it has something to do with the research that shows drinking water will help us lose weight…though the water craze seems to match up with a growing problem of obesity in our country. So that doesn’t even make sense. Water has not helped us lose weight…at least not the bottled kind.
I have had times where emptying out my car has resulted in the throwing away of nearly a dozen water bottles. And keep in mind, I have ONE child. Now, admittedly, my one child only drinks water. She drinks no soda, no juice, only has milk when she’s eating Oreos. Water only. But the waste of water bottles is really sad.
About a year ago, I stopped buying them. I bought her a really good Thermos and I filled it with water and ice from our filtered fridge. This is usually enough for her, but when she rides (horses) she can easily go through her whole Thermos in half a lesson…and there is no water fountain where I can refill. So guess what I buy for refills? Bottled water. I am definitely buying LESS, but I still buy it because once you’re out, your sources of good tasting water can be very limited!
(And by the way, my daughter, as someone who only drinks water, is pretty choosy. She likes the stuff out of the fridge just fine, but she HATES Dasani and only tolerates some other brands. Dasani, as a Coke product, is the only water sold at many places…including Disney…although, I know the spots where I can get her Evian or iced water in a cup. But they are few and far between! I try to pack up a lot of water…but damn, you can only carry so many Thermoses!)
My favorite, for the record, is Fiji water. I consider it a huge treat!
So…what about you? Do you go through a lot of bottled water? Do you try to use refillable containers? Do you throw out as much as I do and feel horribly guilty about it???
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Blazing Midsummer Nights
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I’m the same way when it comes to bottled water. Used the Brita pitcher until I got a new fridge and it has filtered water. I use thermoses myself at home and when I am in the office I have a filtered water cooler. Each of my kids use Nalgene bottles filled with filtered water. but you got to do what you got to do sometimes and buy bottled water for long trips in the car.
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Yes Yes Yes. Poland Spring and our Fri recycling box is massive each week, filled with bottles. I’ll drink anything but as you know, I HATE – well what’s that FL bottled water called again? LOL.
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Zephyrhills! It’s so funny that you hate that one because it’s so popular here. But they all taste differently to each of us. I notice the difference with Dasani and I’m not a fan, but I’ll drink it if that’s all there is.
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I refill water bottles from my filtered water system. But I think i waste more than i drink. :)
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I have a case of bottled water for emergency use, that’s it. When I decide I need to carry water with me, I use a Nalgene bottle. If the water gets warm, so be it. I use straight tap water, because it’s tested frequently in our area and tastes fine.
One bottled water you couldn’t get me to drink in the desert: Aquafina. What a horrible taste it has. I’d drink Diet Pepsi (blech) before Aquafina (which is also a Pepsi product)
Diet Cokeaholic
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That’s the other one my daughter can’t stand! Not as much as Dasani, but very close. She prefers Zephyrhills (which Carly hates!) and ultimately, Evian.
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Great topic for today, Jules. I do drink a lot of water, and only buy soda on rare occasions. I boil and filter my water at home; a practice I learned growing ip in Jamaica. I also have numerous water bottles so that I don’t have to buy any. However, when I run out or am in a place where I must get water, I usually buy Poland Springs. I have tried Fiji and it is good too. I don’t like Dasani at all. It has a weird after taste.
I didn’t know water was supposed to help you lose weight…you learn something new everyday. I wondered why it became such a hot item for everybody nowadays, especially since water has been around for ages…lol!! I hope you all have a great day.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
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Fiji is good, but it’s too expensive to buy for everyday use. I buy it when I’m at Barnes & Noble or Starbucks…or when I’m traveling and a convenience store has it. It’s so clean tasting.
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I don’t feel as guilty since I’ve started putting the plastic bottles (minus the cap) in the recycle bin.
I used to drink the water from the fountain at work – until they had an issue and there was a water advisory where you had to boil it before consuming it. Now I bring a bottle with me.
I don’t like Dasani or Aquafina (soda companies making water?). I prefer Ice Mountain.
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I try to use a refillable thermosy type thing (I bought a HUGE Starbuck’s refillable cold thing to put what in? Water!). Very nice. My husband laughs at it.
I like good old Kirkland brand (only because it’s cheap) and keep it in the car for emergencies and for when one needs water in the car when travelling. My boys think it’s fun just to drink water from a bottle. I keep telling them, it’s only for special occasions.
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I wish I could keep water in the car, but it get so hot here that one scorching afternoon in the car makes the water dangerous to drink. That’s why I throw out so much!
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Stick a decent cooler in your car — something nicer than those stryofom ones… I would think that if you stash some water in it… it won’t get ‘hot’ even if you don’t have the cooler with ice in it..
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During the summer, I don’t put it in my car (there is something about the plastic changes the water and it has cancer causing chemicals in it). I doubt the PNW has that problem, but if you live in a warmer climate, I would not recommend leaving water in your car (or if in the summer, it’s hot).
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I keep one case of bottled water in the house for an emergency. Otherwise we take travel mugs and fill them with ice water when we go someplace.
If I’m somewhere I can’t refill the mugs then I might buy an occassional bottle of water.
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Julie -
I guess we are one of the fortunate ones because our local water is wonderful. We actually used to have a well and loved it. It cost of a pretty penny when we had it done because we had to drill so deep but it was thru rock so the water was clean, clear and naturally cold.
Eventually the town brought in water and even though we didn’t have a problem with our well (or water) we had to hook up to the system. Fortunately the town also has a plentiful clean water supply but it just doesn’t seem to be as cool and refreshing as our own well water was.
No bottled water in our home – it’s always fresh out of the tap. When traveling we fill mugs as well as a jug or two and take it with us. We often drive to visit relatives in other states and have found over the years that the water quality can vary not only state to state but town to town as well.
When our sons were growing up we always looked for low-sugar or sugar free options to replace soda so sugar-free apple juice or Juicy Juice was always a big winner and could also be made into popcicles – great way to have water and fun as well!
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My favorite bottled water is High Bridge Spring water which is bottled near here but you can’t find it here, makes no since to me. I know this is true spring water because I grew up near the springs and have been to the plaint.
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I use nalgene bottles filled with ice and filtered water from my frig. I often keep an extra nalgene filled with water in my small frig at school (I’m a teacher) to replenish when I empty the morning bottle. The hubby loves flavored water as do some of the kids, so we still recycle a lot of bottles each week.
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Man, when The Only was playing softball, we’d buy bottled water by the case–Ozarka was our choice. Now, I have a Brita pitcher in the fridge and we refill from it. I use my Starbucks “thermal glass” around the house. If we’re headed out and we aren’t sure of water quality, I have a Brita Fill-n-Go bottle–but the old 24 oz style that’s been discontinued. Add some ice, top with water and it filters as you squeeze and drink. Here’s a link for what’s currently available at 20 oz.: http://www.target.com/s/brita+water+bottle
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Another Nalgene person here.. with a filtered fridge & brita pitcher… Did you know that if you stop at a fast food joint and ask for a small water.. you’ll get a cup of ice water… but be very clear that you don’t want to purchase bottled water… I know this is true at Micky D & Wendy’s
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Tap water here and a 6 pack of bottles in the fridge for when the tap water tastes funny – maybe once a year due to snow melt, etc.
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At home I drink filtered water from the refrigerator. My husband buys bottled water for work since he is on the road all day. Since we now have daily recycling I don’t feel too guilty.
I agree with your daughter on Dasani. I will only drink it when I have no choice. I miss Poland Springs from when I lived in New England and I think Zeyphrhills is fine.
I also really like Glaceau Smart Water. It has electrolytes added. You can find it at Disney if you really hunt for it.
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My bottled water is from the tap and cooled in the refridgerator
Works for me 
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I have a Brita pitcher to filter my water. When I first moved to the town I now live in I moved from having well water, which tasted so good, to city water with all the chemicals in it, especially chlorine, that I could not stand the taste. That is why I bought a Brita. I do buy bottled water for emergency use or when someone else is with me. I have a couple of reusuable naglene bottles for myself. I do sometimes buy bottled water when I’m traveling but I try not to. I reuse those bottles!! When I am finished with them I never throw them away they go to recycling. If you are throwing away those bottles please start recycling them. You do have to throw away the cap, they don’t recycle & must be removed from the bottle.
I buy watever water is available. I’ve never noticed a difference in taste maybe due to the fact that I don’t buy it often. Usually I buy my bottled water at Trader Joe’s. Good price, tastes like water!!!
I don’t think the popularity of drinking water is due to weight loss, it is due to the fact that our bodies need water to function properly. So many people are trying to function with a dehydrated body. If you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. Water may in time help you loose some weight especially if you stop drinking soda of any kind.
Great topic today.
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I have 3 kids – 12, 9, and (soon to be) 4. We use too many water bottles, but I also have some nice, solid ones that I run through the dishwasher and refill when I know we’re going to need it. And yet, there’s the 24-pack in the trunk for unplanned trips to the park where the water fountain sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t! And I make my kids drink warm water.
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We probably go through about 4-6 cases of bottled water a week. For a family of 4. I consider us all pretty serious water drinkers. My daughter doesn’t like Dasani, but honestly they all taste the same to me. We drink very little soda, and I don’t really worry about throwing away the water bottles because if we were drinking soda or juice or milk it would come in a plastic container as well, which would be thrown away. The convenience of bottled water encourages us to drink more water, which is healthier for us.
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I drink some bottled water. there is a 5 cent deposit on the bottles in my state.
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I find that there is way too much waste with the water bottles in my house. I was buying the 16 oz Poland Spring bottles, but I guess 16 oz was too much for my kids. The 8 oz bottles weren’t big enough. I would find water bottles all over the place with just a few ounces left in them. Finally I found 12 oz bottles by Aquafina. The bottles are sturdier than the Poland Spring bottles so I can WASH and REUSE with our home filtered water! :) We’re all ok with drinking water at room temp (except for hubby, who likes it ice cold) so that makes life a little easier as far as storage. For some reason though, the kids don’t seem to want to bring the metal water bottles to school with them – the metal bottles are usually used when on bike rides. I know P.S. changed their bottle design to use less plastic, but that made the bottles very difficult to reuse as they crack easily. Glad I found the sturdier 12 oz bottles!
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We have a filter and ice maker on the fridge and I am happy with that. I may buy a bottle when I am on the road and need something, but here in NY there is a 5 cent dep on the bottles, so they go back. If I have a partial bottle, I usually dump it in the dogs bowl or on a plant. At least it doesn’t got to waste. I do like to keep a bottle of Mio on hand,esp the sweet tea, to dump in my water at work. We have a cooler and go thru a lot of water. Since The Spawn moved out, we don’t have any where near as many bottles as we used to.
But I still want my Diet Pepsi more.
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I drink bottled water because the water in Nashville taste yucky. I also take recycling every week for work, since I go through at least a case of water a week just at work. I’m not super picky on the brands, but like certain ones over others. I too am not a fan of Dasani and love Fiji. However, Fiji is pretty much only sold in Walgreens around here. I usually buy the kirkland brand from Costco because it is super cheap and taste really great.
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I use a Brita Water system… I only buy bottled water by the case when I have a party. Which is not too often.
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I only drink distilled water. several years ago my dad had bone spurs, someone told him to start drinking distilled water, he did and they went away and he has never had another one since. I had knee problems but after drinking the water for several months, that got better. after all this time tap water has a bad taste.
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I got a stainless steel water bottle for my birthday that I carry water in, and before that I used my refillable Bill Miler’s Tea bucket lol! I still use it too. It’s a huge thermos-like mug from a bbq place here in central Texas. When it comes to bottled water, I hate Dasani too! It leaves a horrible aftertaste that I can’t get rid of. But Fiji tastes good cuz it has no taste at all which, imo, is what water is supposed to taste like. I avoid bottled water as much as possible though cuz of the negative environmental impact. Seeing that HUGE trash island in the pacific ocean on the Oprah show years ago just bothered the he** outta me like nothing else. I’m all about reduce, reuse, recycle now lol.
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I go through a lot of bottle water I take 3 to work with me everyday. I don’t care for how the water at work taste.
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I use stainless steel water bottles.