Stasher reusable silicone bag

I’m working on reducing the amount of plastic we use in our kitchen. I’m particularly concerned with using plastic free school lunch containers, so I bought a silicone storage bag to review. If you’d like to know more about why, please visit my previous post about this.

Today I’m reviewing a reusable, microwavable silicone bag called the Stasher. This is not a sponsored post, but any Amazon links below are referral links since I’m an Amazon affiliate.

The research out there indicates that silicone is safer than plastic, and specifically, it’s heat-safe. One negative is that it CAN hold onto odors. I wash our silicone containers, plates and bowls with unscented dish detergent. That seems to do the trick so far, but we’ve only been using these containers and dishes for a couple of months.

A web search will show you that there are tons of blog posts dealing with removing the smell from silicone. I guess that’s good and bad. Good because people have solutions; bad because it must be a common problem!

Some people use baking soda or vinegar. Others have success just putting the silicone in their ovens for 15 minutes or so there are different things you can try if you’ve discovered your silicone is starting to smell.

Stasher reusable silicone bag:

The Stasher bag currently comes in a snack size, a sandwich size, and a half-gallon size. They’re not cheap. It’s $11.99 for a sandwich bag, but you can use it over and over indefinitely, so eventually it pays for itself since I’m not buying plastic throwaway sandwich bags anymore.

Our Stasher filled with grapes. The green container is a Lifefactory glass container…review coming soon!

There are cheaper silicone bags on Amazon, but I chose Stasher for a couple of specific reasons:

One, silicone needs to be 100% food-grade silicone without fillers; otherwise the silicone could contain plastic fillers, the one thing I’m trying to avoid in the first place. There are nearly a thousand reviews on Amazon of people using Stasher, and many of the reviews mention doing a “pinch” test on the silicone, and that Stasher passes.

Now, I don’t know that the “pinch” test is entirely scientific. Basically, you pinch the silicone, or bend and squeeze it, if you see white, then the silicone has fillers in it.

But even if it’s not a scientific test, the Stasher is sold at Crate & Barrel, the Container Store, Bed Bath and Beyond, Bloomingdales, etc. It’s been reviewed by the Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, the Food Network, and so many more. Because of this, I do have faith this is quality silicone.

Two, the Stasher closes differently than most other silicone bags out there, and it’s easy for my 6 year old to manage. It’s a little difficult to explain, but if you look around at silicone bags on Amazon, you’ll see that most of them have a plastic stick-looking thing that slides over the top of the bag to seal it.

I read reviews saying that type of top was tricky for kids to handle on their own, so these kinds of bags may be better suited for food storage in the home than a school lunch container.

The Stasher closes almost like a throwaway plastic sandwich bag. It’s pinch-lock seal, and my son can open it and close it on his own.

We use the Stasher to send sandwiches and burritos to school. Occasionally I’ll put something like grapes in it. Since many people use Stasher for sous vide, I could probably put things like mac ‘n cheese in it, but I haven’t tried that yet.

The Stasher is microwavable. I explained to my son that first he needs to make sure the bag is opened to allow steam to release, but then he or his teacher can put it in the microwave. The first few times he used it at school, I wrote on it with a dry-erase marker, so his teacher would know that it’s microwavable. I also emailed her about it. We’ve had no issues using the Stasher as a plastic-free school lunch container for us.

Our Stasher with a burrito inside. The green container is a stainless steel container by LunchBots. I’ll be reviewing that one too.

I usually wash the Stasher by hand with unscented dish soap, but it can go through the dishwasher. When my son comes home from school, I immediately rinse the Stasher even if I don’t wash it right away. I think that probably helps keep the silicone from picking up a food scent.

For drying it, I use a spatula to hold the Stasher open to air out, and then I place it upside down overnight in a sink drying rack. I read a review online about a Stasher growing mold inside, but I think as long as you keep it open when it’s wet, that’s not going to happen.

I use a wood or silicone spatula (nothing sharp) to hold open the Stasher while it air drys.

So yeah! We like the Stasher! It’s also available in different colors and patterns, so that’s fun too!

Disclaimers again:

As I said up top, this review is completely independent. I did a lot of online research myself, scrolling through product reviews before I ended up purchasing this item at full price. I recommend this product, but that’s just my opinion, and you may find that this product doesn’t work well for your family. Also, the Amazon links are referral links. That means if you purchase anything through the links, I’ll receive a small amount of money from Amazon. When that happens, I save it all up until I have enough to buy…well, things like silicone bags and glass food containers to review!

Do you use silicone in your kitchen? Do you have any plastic-free products you really love and want to share with us?

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Is 30 really the new 20?

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My little family- November 2013. Courtesy of Emily Knight Photography

On Friday, I will turn 30. I’ve actually been debating telling people I’m 28, because I haven’t accepted yet that I’ll no longer be a “20s something.” I hear people talk about aging gracefully, but I’m not ready to age! I will not go quietly into the night!

At 20 years old I was tan, unmarried, and considerably thinner. The world was at my feet. Or that’s how I thought at the time with my youthful arrogance.

Now I’m a wife and mother, and I haven’t yet accepted this new identity. Heads don’t turn when I walk into a room. Men don’t “check me out” when I’m juggling my flailing shrieking toddler in one arm and digging for my keys with the other. Teeny boppers standing at the clothing racks next to me give me this disgusted look. I can read their minds: “You’re so OLD. You’re too OLD to shop here. Gross.”

I realize, of course, that it’s okay to be a mother and wife, and it’s okay to be 30. It’s wonderful and beautiful to be these things. I just haven’t wrapped my head around it yet! Most days I do, but not every day. Not when I’m facing the big 3-0 this week.

But I am learning to focus on new things, as I “find” myself. There’s a wonderful little community of moms here in the area that I’ve met, both from church and other Navy wives. They’ve been a real encouragement to me as we meet up for play dates, etc. And I try to be encouraging to them as well, if they need it.

With the help of an awesome friend and running buddy, I’m training for a half marathon in April. I’d like to do a full marathon after that. I ordered the Brazil Butt Lift Workout DVD program (don’t laugh!!!!!!) to tighten, well, everything. I’ve cracked down on not only how much I eat but what I eat. I try to make healthy, nutritious meals for my little family.

And wouldn’t you know as I’m typing this, an iCal Alert pops up on my laptop screen in front of my face. Just in case I forgot it was my birthday on Friday, IT’S MY BIRTHDAY. Happy birthday to me!

I may not have the body I did 10 years ago, but I can take good care of the one I have now. I try to dress the one I have now in clothes that flatter my shape and age. And I finally went to see a doctor about my adult acne. Now that I’m not pregnant or breastfeeding, I can take medication for it. I’ve also started using StriVectin-SD cream on my forehead wrinkles.

StriVectin-SD was created as a stretch mark cream, but somewhere along the way, it was discovered that it helps with wrinkles. It works too! I’ve used it in the past and noticed results after a month, but stopped when it made me break out a little on my forehead. Now that I’m taking the acne medication, I thought I might as well start using StriVectin-SD again. I’m taking some before pictures, and then I’ll take some at 30 days, so I can show you the results!

My mom wasn’t using her tube of StriVectin, so when I was there for Thanksgiving, I totally stole it. =D (Okay, I told her I was doing it, so not really stealing.)

When I used StriVectin in the past, there was only one or two kinds available. Now the brand has numerous products. With a coupon, you can purchase a StriVectin Gift of Discovery 3-piece kit at BeautyEncounter.com for $35.95.

When your purchase from BeautyEncounter.com, you can get points back on your purchase (BE Perks). Besides shopping rewards, they give out free samples and have free shipping in the domestic US for orders $60 or more. So it’s a pretty cool site! They sell all kinds of products, including sunblock (very important for any age!), fragrances for women, flat irons, makeup, and bath accessories. They even have the Batiste brand of dry shampoos- my favorite!

I believe it’s important to take yourself, inside and out, no matter your age. For me that includes attending church services, learning more about God and fellowshipping with others, and doing my personal devotions and praying regularly. It means exercising and eating a mostly whole foods diet (except for flavored coffee creamer…that’s my one vice…I love the stuff, even if it’s not even real cream!). Staying positive and keeping busy is also a part of it, especially since my husband lives away from us right now (out of state Navy training). And for me it also means regularly putting on makeup and styling my hair, even if I don’t feel like it!

I don’t know. Maybe I’ll wake up Friday morning and realize that nothing has really changed…and then I’ll be okay. 🙂

Have you ever faced a mini “identity crisis” or a birthday you weren’t thrilled about?
Note: I did receive compensation for this post. However, the opinions expressed above (and there are many of them) are my own. They may differ from your opinions or the opinions of others.
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Giveaway: Cozywoggle carseat-safe jacket, 11/25-12/9

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Welceome to the Cozywoggle giveaway!

Hosted by Miss Frugal Mommy and sponsored by Cozywoggle

About the Cozywoggle

cozywoggle can be worn in 5-point harness car seat“Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children between ages 2-14, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Part of the problem is that young children are often strapped into their car seats while wearing a heavy coat, with the straps loosened for comfort. In the event of an accident, the coat compresses, leaving the harness loose and increasing the child’s risk for ejection from the car seat and/or the possibility of injuries from the loose belts. Cherlyn Jenkins, mother of two young boys, has developed a solution – the Cozywoggle, an innovative new coat that keeps young children safe in car seats.

When Cherlyn Jenkins learned that young children shouldn’t be placed in car seats while wearing their coats, she had a newborn and a toddler. She needed to find a way to keep her children warm, while also keeping them safe. She couldn’t find any coats or jackets that were proven to be safe in car seats, so she created one herself.

As parents, we excel at safety-proofing our homes, putting up gates on our stairs and latches on our cabinets, but then we inadvertently jeopardize our children’s safety by putting them into their car seats wearing traditional coats. Crash tests conducted at an NHTSA approved lab, MGA Resarch, have demonstrated that wearing the Cozywoggle while riding in a car seat is safer than wearing a traditional coat. In fact, the Cozywoggle was proven to be as safe as riding in a car seat without any coat at all.”

The Cozywoggle:

  • Is the ONLY product that looks and acts as a coat, but is safe to be worn in a car seat.
  • Is made from heavy-duty wind/water resistant polyester, and is lined with cozy fleece.
  • Can be used with any 5-point harness car seat – either forward or rear-facing.
  • Comes in sizes 12 months, 18 months, 2T, 3T, 4, 5 and 6.
  • Is stylish (and looks like a “regular” coat), warm and washable.
  • Has been crash tested in a lab and proven to be safe in a car seat.
  • Can be worn in a car seat and all around town.
  • Is easy-to-use and is a convenient, all-in-one solution for busy parents.
  • Can be purchased from this website.

You can learn more about this great product in Miss Frugal Mommy’s review!

Now for the exciting part!

One fan is going to receive a Cozywoggle in the size and color of their choice (a RV of $74.99)

Enter to win in the Rafflecopter widget below, all entries will be verified, one entrant per household or you will immediately be disqualified. Winner will be contacted via email and has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Open to Us residents 18+

Good Luck!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Note- My Life: A Work in Progress did not receive compensation for this post and is not responsible for prize fulfillment.

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