I have been eyeing off planetbox for a while. We will be buying something this week for Ponder’s lunches and will report back on what we buy and whether it works.
1 Like
My dad and brother and nieces and I have all used ss tiffin boxes and highly reccomend. Either Amazon found or from Indian stores. I personally did not ever successfully destroy mine.
Brother’s family has used a range of other ss boxes for cold lunches - any with plastic or silicone lids they lose or destroy lids.
For adult use I’ve landed on using a Stanley thermos - construction worker quality so it stays warm or cold. Better price than thermos or the trendy brands. My coworker bff and I also find that one quality thermos results in an emotional attachment (she cried for days when hers got lost on the subway after years together and we had to come up with a story for ourselves about it’s new home). And then having just one we cared for it better. As an adult the just one theory is one I’m playing with. Helps me with keep cups, thermos and water bottle…but how the girl on YouTube manages on one hair elastic I will never know.
4 Likes
Um this. My hair destroys an elastic at least once a week or I lose it. I have at least 10 elastics floating around my house at any one time…I can’t imagine just having the one.
5 Likes
I find when I wear my hair in a braid I use the same one day after day. It wouldn’t work for a messy bun or ponytail even, because the elastics break, but end of a braid is easier on them.
3 Likes
Yes same here. I have some of those small stretchy ribbon elastics that I use for braids, and they do last a while. But I need the thick, regular elastics if I’m doing a pony/bun, and I go through those so fast! My hair isn’t even so thick, it’s just SO curly
3 Likes
Do you think this would work for dill and parsley too? I have a single plastic bag that might do the trick!
4 Likes
It should work for any green, though you’ll need to snip the stem end if it’s scabbed over.
7 Likes
What rural said. It’s kind of like treating them like flowers so they stay hydrated longer
6 Likes
I do this too! It’s worked better than any other method I’ve tried.
When I live by myself I store a lot of things upright in jars of water - herbs (all of them have done well), carrots, celery especially. Sometimes lettuce in a bowl, just freshen up the root end. Then I use the water for watering my houseplants.
Hair elastics - I seriously find these all the time and if they’re clean looking I just wash them in hot water with shampoo. I haven’t bought hair ties in years.
Stanley thermoses are my favorite. Mine has lasted 25 years so far. I do have a travel size metal container that was a memento of my kids’ college years but my old school Stanley has my heart.
4 Likes
I definitely have used found hair ties. Usually washed with hand soap. My hair also releases hair elastics to new homes
The funny thing about your answer is that the youtuber with one hair elastic is using a found elastic. She says it lasts forever and isn’t sure what kind.
5 Likes
I can name several kinds it isn’t.
6 Likes
I’d never pondered the dish towel in the veggie drawer. That is amaze. We basically store all our stuff in whatever it comes in (semi-effective) or sometimes in hand-me-down plastic tupperwares once it’s chopped (e.g. leftover onion or bell pepper, highly effective for these items). Being able to make the veggie drawer better would be wonderful.
4 Likes
Yes, especially since mine are opaque! Now I have a dish towel sticking out just barely saying “uh hello, hi, yes, don’t let the food in here go bad”
3 Likes
I was on a mega “less plastic” kick this spring, but coronavirus has caused quite a setback.
I got the glass containers @anomalily linked to for meal prep (we have some nice stainless steel tiffin-type containers too, but I can’t see in them and forget to eat what’s inside). Bringing reusable cups & containers to restaurants and cafes (this isn’t possible now due to virus). Shopping in stores for less shipping packaging (has also taken a hit due to virus). Buying less stuff overall.
But sometimes it all feels a little futile since ~97% of US waste is industrial/commercial, and only 3% is household. The numbers are based on outdated 80’s & 90’s data, but seems like we’re still in the same ballpark.
5 Likes
Hair elastics - I have the ones like old telephone cords or coils. I bought a few packages last year and I think I’m still on my first one? I use it almost daily, and it will shrink back down. I also have thin fine hair and need to wrap it 3-4 times.
I stopped using coffee filters in my machine. It had the metal basket, and for years I would use a filter with it. I stopped - saved some money along the way. I also put the grounds in the flower beds every day unless the weather is complete crap or snow on the ground.
I have the reusable mesh bags for produce etc, and have the SO trained to use then on his own too.
4 Likes
I’ve been irritated for a while that my city/the waste mgmt company has composting, but the building owner finds it too expensive to subscribe (it’s extra for multifamily bldg service). Then someone on here mentioned having a compost bucket and I found out about bokashi! Our bucket is about half full now, will report how it works out in apt circumstances (we do have a big, gardening friendly balcony and I have been saving old/used soil). So far it smells like fermenting food trash while open (and like, an hour after), but odorless while closed, which is what we were expecting! Also, bf found a local company that uses waste from beer production to make the inoculated bran you need…win-win-win!
For herbs: paper towel (could use cloth napkin or something?) in a tupperware works pretty well.
For ziplocks: we got russbe brand reusable ones as a xmas gift, I like the thin, stiff plastic they use for the stuff I don’t like to put in containers, like cheese, deli meats and onions. Wax wraps also work well for some of that… I still try to lean toward containers, since they are more durable, but they don’t work well for everything.
Any advice on freezing meat? I am using a lot more ziplocks since quarantine started to store next week’s protein. (We have reduced red meat and upped plant-based protein but still have fair amount of poultry and fish.)
3 Likes
Meat will hold for a week in the freezer in freezer paper. It’s what we used to use for longer than that.
Edit: looks like some freezer paper is now coated with plastic instead of wax. Figures. But you can always just use wax paper. Freezer paper used to cost a little less because the wax coating was only on one side, but that was the only difference.
2 Likes
You can’t thaw it under water in paper though… 
1 Like
Hm. I might be ok reusing a bag to thaw a paper wrapped meat package? Less meat contact. Pondering.
2 Likes
Running water to loosen the paper is it sticks, but not submerged, I agree. I thaw in fridge or microwave (or instant pot) so haven’t considered that.
3 Likes