navigating the sippy cup adventure

my sister in law {Auntie Kate} likes to joke that i have every brand of sippy cup possible. and well, it's close to being absolutely true. granted i've been collecting sippy cups since 2007...most of them have not made it since then, but a few are close. being a new mom with {Ben} i wasn't sure which ones to get, so i got a couple different kinds, then i would forget one & have to buy a new one while out or saw one i liked & would buy for him. i kinda have a cup collecting addiction and i'm sure {Matt} would completely agree.

here's what i discovered from my experiences & preferences:

* best transition to sippy cup: nuby or silicone spout cups 

although they don't last long because once they figure out it is a better chew toy thank cup, you get a mess everywhere. buy that point, i'd think they were ready for a bigger kid cup anyways. 

* best water bottle: nalgene grip n gulp for no spill & camelbak .4L for older kids
the nalgene has a fun hole for a handle that my boys love putting things in or carry it by, a valve that stays put & it's lasted the longest of all of my cups. and my boys often times treat cups like they are balls, not just dropped, thrown on the ground or down the stairs. 
the camelbak works great for {Ben} who's 4. he can open & close the top by himself. {Gabe} has the same and i often times find the straw top open and laying on the ground & slowly leaking. thankfully it's only water!
* overall favorite: playtex cups
the valves stay put they have endured pretty well overall. insulated ones are also a preference in our house, especially when it comes to milk drinking. room temperature milk makes me want to gag just thinking about it. plus, they have CARS characters & that's always a winner in our house.


now i did try stainless steel water bottles for {Ben} because if i was getting one for myself, i should for my kid too. turns out he couldn't handle it. it hit the ground a few too many times. 1. it turned into a dent & scratched mess. 2. the sound of that thing hitting the ground every time about killed me. 3. it was definitely more expensive and i was a wreck about keeping tabs on it. it became the one cup we lost & i have no idea where it went. figures!

{gabe} the guzzler

bonus: with so many sippy cups belonging to different kiddos, this is one way i've managed to mostly keep them to 1 cup a day and reduce their fighting over cups. bumpy name orbit labels. it started out with {Ben} because i hated the stickers his cup collected in the nursery at church. now...it's more of a mama sanity saver. they have pre-printed or customizable labels available. love them!