Ode to a Mason Jar

 When it first became clear that I hated plastic, the first to go was our Tupperware. “All of it—out!” I decreed, gleefully tossing into a heap the recycled take-out containers, the thicker store-bought stuff, water bottles we’d run through the dishwasher until they practically melted. Chris looked at me, baffled. “All of it? Right now?”

He was right: I was acting hastily. We had no back-up plan, nothing in which to store the thousands of leftovers that seemed to pile up nightly. Scrambling, we grabbed the first thing available: mason jars my aunt had given us, along with some canned yummy peaches and green beans. And somehow, the mason jars stuck. Three years later, we’re still using them. I remember how mortified I was to take them to work. I would set it on my desk surreptitiously, but to what avail? Trying to hide a mason jar full of lamb stew is like trying to hide a silo in your backyard. 

When we had Lucy, the ban on plastics was in full-force. We scoured Babies-R-Us for the bottom-shelf stock of glass bottles. Nipples were washed by hand, never in the dishwasher.

“What if she drops it?” asked friends, their eyes wide.

Most of my child-rearing beliefs come down to this: if it was good enough for Grandma, it's good enough for me. Lucy did drop her bottles; they never broke. We never had occasion to see it smash against the wall, as Lucy was drinking out of a cup just shy of her first birthday—a milestone that came with its own set of angst. Most children’s cups are made of plastic. After a brief flirtation with a European-made sippy cup (many of the harmful chemicals found in plastics have been banned in the EU), an attempt to get her to drink from a missile-sized Sigg bottle, we at last found our true calling, with—you guessed it—a half-pint mason jar.

I’ll say it again: if it was good enough for Grandma, it's good enough for me!

Comments

[Rhonda]

You must just cringe when you come over to my house. We are the plastic museum. I had no idea you were so anti plastic.

Randy and I had the same hopes and dreams for natural toys wen we were pregnant with Sara... then we realized that our dreams did not work well with our first loves; Barbie and Legos. LOL.
After a while we just gave up. But I applaud your efforts.
Meanwhile, what about metal enamel mugs or anodized aluminum drinking cups? I know you can still get them!