If you must buy bottled water, look for this on the bottle

I am a huge fan of drinking water, but not a huge fan of plastic water bottles. Sure, I recycle all the cans and bottles that my family uses, but why even make plastic bottles at all?

A few months ago I voted on some artwork for Icicles Premium Frozen Yogurt - they were choosing a design for a new product - bottled water. We love Icicles and go there all the time because the store is just down the street from us, so I choose the label I liked best. I had no idea that I would actually be the one randomly chosen to win a $50 gift card and an entire case of the new bottled water.

I was happy about the gift card, but not too excited about a case of bottled water. I try my best not to purchase plastic bottles. At least I will recycle the bottles and the water tastes pretty good.

When I opened the case of water, I noticed something different about the bottles. They looked different and they felt different. It wasn't just the shape of the bottle, which by the way fits very nicely in your hand, but it was the feel of the plastic. Then I looked closely at the bottle.

So this is why it feels so good in my hand ...

The bottle is made from 100% recycled plastic. Unlike other plastic bottles of water that have a recycle symbol someplace small and out of sight, these bottles show it proudly. Not to mention the bright green background telling you that the bottle is made from recycled plastic.

Wait, that's not all, the bottle even says this

This means that all those plastic bottles we recycle were used to make this bottle. RPET stands for Recycled  Polyethylene terephthalate and the amount of energy saved making bottles from RPET is amazing. Aside from not filling landfills, bottles made from 100% RPET can reduce the carbon footprint by 65% compared to non-recycled plastic bottles.

So, if you must buy bottled water (and I know sometimes it can't be helped) look for 100% RPET on the bottle and always recycle your plastic bottles. 100% RPET is the eco-friendly way to drink bottled water and I applaud Icicles for doing their part in keeping the planet green.

Instagram Summer

I can't believe my summer vacation is over in one short week. Where did the time go? 

When I look back I think we didn't really do that much - and then I scroll through my Instagram pictures and realize we did. 

Days at the beach - impromptu trips for ice cream and frozen yogurt - visits to Aquarium of the Pacific, San Deigo Zoo, and his birthday at San Diego Zoo Safari Park - raising over $1,000 for the tigers - lazy days by the pool - sailing - time spent drawing - basketball at the park - Nighttime Zoo - Reptile Walk - Behind the Scenes Safari

  

Not bad for a summer vacation. This week we have another trip to the San Diego Zoo, a final trip to Legoland, and of course time by the pool and beach. 

The best part was that we spent time together. Late nights watching Animal Planet and NatGeo Wild were the best, but no Instagrams of that. 

Dylan still has another month of summer vacation (lucky kid) and I'm sure he will have fun at Nature Camp and with Grandma. I've been having so much fun on my vacation that I never got around to my to do list of chores, but that's ok, I'm sure they will all be there waiting for me next month. 

What have you been up to this summer?

Icicles in August?

Well, sure ... if you're talking about the delicious Icicles Gourmet Frozen Yogurt! For those you not familiar with Icicles, they are the go-to place for kids of all ages in my neighborhood. The other night I decided to surprise Dylan with a trip to Icicles after dinner and thought, "hey, I could write a blog post about this"

So here it is ...

So many decisions ... which flavor will he choose?

They had tons of new flavors ... Georgia Peach, Peanut Butter, Red Velvet, Raspberry, and of course the classics like Cake Batter, Euro Tart, Chocolate and Vanilla. Dylan went with a mixture of Vanilla and Red Velvet.

Now that he had his frozen yogurt it was time to select a topping. Oh my, so many decisions!

Fresh Fruit

Granola, Peanuts ...

Nerds, Gummies ...

Chocolate Chips, Cookies, and of course Rainbow Sprinkles!

And for those with a real sweet tooth, they have these!

I went with a combination of the new Georgia Peach and Cake Batter (plain, no toppings) and we got a cup of Peanut Butter topped with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups as a surprise for Grandma and Grandpa.

I love that you can get as much or as little as you want. How much you spend depends on how much frozen yogurt is in your cup. The self-serve is great for saving money and kids love making their own! Only $.39 an ounce.

I love using my prepaid gift cards too! Dylan won an Icicles gift card last year at school and today we used it to pay for our treats! Oh, did I mention they also have a Loyalty Card? Each time you buy a cup of Icicles Frozen Yogurt they stamp your card. After you buy 9 cups, the 10th cup is free!

Woo-hoo! Our next cup is Free!

Snow in August ... in Southern California ... NO, but Icicles in August ... Always!