Find-a-Fountain and help the Earth

We just found new friends – lovely people who really care about the environment, and are doing something about it. And what they do is Aquatina. – Yes, I am sure you recognise the name from the Dragon’s Den. But in case you haven’t seen it just yet, Aquatina makes collapsible pocket-bottles. These 500ml bottles compress to 1/3 of their original size when emply – just right to fit in a pocket or a handbag. It’s a fabulous idea, very convenient, great design and most importantly, eco-friendly. It’s also brilliant for when out-and-about or travelling… especially with kids!

Did you know that globally, we throw away 150 billion water bottles every year? Line them up (nose to tail) and they’d stretch to the moon and back…50 times! Very few are recycled. Most bottles end up in landfills taking decades to decay.

Inspired by this, the guys behind Aquatina are launching Find-a-Fountain – a charity to encourage the use of free drinking water. Simply go to http://www.findafountain.org and you will be shown the nearest water source where you can fill your Aquatina for free. So far, its mainly London, but soon your help will be needed to map the rest of Britain!

The team behind Aquatina has spent weekends and lunch hours scouring the UK capital for free water sources. All the ones they’ve found have been mapped on the site. And it’s not just fountains. There are coffee shops, bars, pubs, shops and even offices where you can fill your Aquatina.

Aquatina are looking for sponsors to help build their website, restore drinking fountains, develop a FaF app, and to promote the drinking of tap water. If you think you can help, please get in touch – it’s great if we can all make a change – not tomorrow, but today!

And with our Summer Competitions just around the corner, stay tuned for more fresh & exciting news from Aquatina!

Leave a Comment June 24, 2011

Weaning From the Bottle to Cup

Weaning from the bottle is one of the significant developmental milestones that your baby or toddler will go through. It is important for the child, because it shows the first signs if independence. Imagine his joy that he is now drinking like mommy and daddy, and soon will be able to do many more things for himself.

Generally, a baby will be ready to make the transition from the bottle to cup sometime between the ages of 9 months and 18 months. There are two main things that should happen for your baby or toddler to be weaned from the bottle. The first is that your baby’s sucking needs has to slow down or stop. The second is that he has to be able to control his hands and mouth well enough to drink from the cup.

To help the transition from the bottle to a cup, there are some things that you can do early on. During those first few months of your baby’s life, you should only use the bottle when it is time for your baby to eat. Don’t give your baby a bottle in bed. If you give your baby a bottle in bed, she will begin to associate the bottle with comfort and security, not just with food. This is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to make the process of weaning your toddler from the bottle a successful and easy transition.

What other techniques you’ve tried and they work when it comes to making the transition from bottle to cup? When it’s a good time to start? Please share your tips or personal experience with your kids below for your chance to WIN a lovely Twist N’Pop Straw Cup from BornFree®.

4 Comments June 30, 2010