TIP #4: Skip the Squeezie Bottles

As you know, our one, simple Blisshaus rule for the grocery store is: Just...   skip...   the plastic! Simple? Yes!Easy?  Not so much, right?   Picture this: you walk into the store, determined to steer clear of plastic, and suddenly it's everywhere! Plastic bags for your apples, liners in cereal boxes, shrink-wrap on cheese... It's like a plastic jungle out there! But fear not, plastic-free shopping is totally doable. And after just a few trips, finding those plastic-free gems will become as easy as pie! 🥧 ( hurray to the local pie company that packs their pies in cardboard boxes like the donut shop) Now, let's dive into some tips: Tip 1: Go Naked for Fruits & Veg Skip those plastic bags in the produce aisle and let your fruits and veggies roam free! Toss 'em right into your basket. Bonus points for stuffing spinach into cute cotton bags. I promise, your checkout clerk will be totally chill as they weigh your apples - no need for plastic bags. Tip 2: Buy Paper-Wrapped Loaves of Bread  Say no to plastic-wrapped bread that lasts for ages. Grab those freshly baked loaves in paper bags instead. They're tastier and have fewer additives. Then, at home, wrap your bread up in beeswax cloths or simply a cotton towel to keep it soft for a few days. (toasting also revives your bread should it start to dry out) Tip 3: Be Your Own Olden-Days Milkman Ditch those plastic jugs for milk in good ol' glass bottles from local dairies. Pop your empty glass bottles in the dishwasher and get a sweet refund when you return 'em. And hey, we get it, sometimes you need those giant plastic jugs, especially with hungry teenage boys around! But we know you'll love your glass bottles in the fridge - they look cute, save the planet, and support your local farmer - now that's what we call a win-win-win. Tip 4: Go Old-Fashioned for Soda & Juice With soda, simply reach for cans instead of big plastic bottles. Glass bottles are where it's at for juice and water. They're way better for the environment and keep that fizz intact. At home, we simply drink tab water and fizz it up with our soda stream maker - mountains of plastic bottles saved. Now THAT's worth popping a (glass) bottle of fizzy champagne!  Tip 5: Squeeze the Condiments Bottle Before You Buy It & Buy Only Glass Skip the squeeze bottles and opt for condiments in good ol' glass jars. Show off your ketchup-bottle-banging skills and enjoy those family dinner memories when a big blob of ketchup lands on your plate! And there you have it - combined these 5 steps easily eliminate half of the plastic waste you produce at home. Plus, remember, it's not all-or-nothing. J ust aim for the plastic-free option whenever you can. You'll feel like a plastic-dodging superhero in no time!- after all, we are still smarter than the average plastic bottle! 😘 Photo courtesy to our beloved Straus Family Creamery in Northern Cal. This is not an ad - we just love you, Straus, so much. Thank you for the great work!

Every Bit Counts: We don't need to be perfect, we just need to start F O O D   F O R   T H O U G H T   [2.5 minute read]     "I don't think I can do a Blisshaus kitchen, because I don't buy at the bulk bins""My family is not ready to skip all plastic"" I can't imagine life without Ziplock bags" These are the top three worries we hear from the most lovely, well-meaning folks when we talk about switching to Blisshaus jars for their kitchens. The thing is, we don't need to switch to bulk bin shopping and zero waste in order to Have a cleaner, better organized kitchen +Help save the planetWe just need to start. Bit by bit. Try This Tiny, New Habit:Pack your snacks in re-usable snack tins. The Baby Steps: Skip the 100-calorie snack-size baggies at the store Buy a giant bag of your favorite snack instead * * Yes, it's ok to grab the big plastic-bag of chips, pretzels, nuts, or cookies for now. It's ok, really. Let's just focus on getting started bit by bit. Pour the chips/cookies/pretzels/nuts into your Blisshaus jar Jumbo Jars are best for chips and pretzels We like Tall Boys for cookies and nuts Then, when it's time to pack your snack for school (a big hurrah for going in-person again!) fill your snack into a snack tin And voilá: You just helped save the planet! /  1  / You reduced food waste since the jars keep your snacks from going stale waaaay better than any bag or plastic container /   2  / You skipped lots of snack-sized plastic baggies   The facts: The average family of four produces 123 lbs of garbage each week. Over half of that is wasted food, the rest is packaging that might or might not get recycled.If we all cut our food and plastic waste in half, we will see a noticeable impact.  50% by many is more important than 100% by a few.Once you start using our Blisshaus tips on skipping plastic-packaged items, you'll see that it gets easier with time. Before you know it, you are shopping plastic-free almost all the time.We urge you to join us on this journey.The goal is progress. Don't let perfection get in the way to building a beautiful, earth-saving, new habit. Photo Credits: all photos by Blisshaus

BRING BACK THE HANDSOME MILKMAN... BOTTLE ... and skip that ugly plastic jug You might be lucky enough to remember the milkman. That handsome guy who made his rounds in the neighborhood. We truly should bring him back - complete with his uniform and spiffy hat!Short of that, skip the ugly plastic jugs in the dairy aisle and look for milk in glass bottles instead. The better grocers in your area likely carry one or two brands by local dairies in glass, for sure. This milk is more expensive than the milk in plastic jugs. But we think it's worth it because milk should be expensive and it should come in glass. Producing milk takes tons of labor, water, and land. Sometimes, if things are super cheap, there's a reason for it. Just say'n.Note: We understand that, if you have teenage boys at home who glug up gallons of milk, you might have to buy cheap gallons of milk in plastic jugs. Remember, 'near' plastic-free is better than giving up altogether - so if you need to, use your plastic-hall-pass for the jugs and let the teenagers glug away. Bonus Tip: Don't forget to get the $1-$2 refund on the bottle. When empty, pop your glass bottle into the dishwasher. Once clean, slip it into your grocery tote by your front door. That way, it's easy to remember to bring it back to your market for your refund.Photo courtesy to our beloved Straus Family Creamery in Northern Cal. This is not an ad - we just love you, Team Straus, so much. Thank you for the great work! And there you have it, another simple tip to skip the plastic. Show us a photo of your gorgeous glass bottles in your fridge: Tag us at #blisshaus or send us your photos to hello@blisshaus.com.We love to see & share how all of us are healing our planet one kitchen, one trip to the store at a time! Wishing you many blissful moments in your home, - Wiebke & the Blisshaus Crew