Tuesday, April 24, 2012

109 Snack Attack Part 2

Being a pretty busy family, one of the things we have done to make things easier when on the go, is whip up a basket of pre-portioned snacks each week.  We have been doing this for quite awhile now, in fact, I originally shared the process here.


Just to recap, when we get home from the grocery store, we spend a couple extra minutes making individual sized snack portions by dividing out bulk purchases into smaller grab and go baggies.  Why?  It's great for the entire family to quickly grab a healthy snack on the go.  It is easy for the kids to pick a quick, healthy and portioned snack out when they get home from school, or to toss one in their backpack for an after school activity.  I love that the items are portioned out and that no one is eating fist-fulls out of a big bag of chips or eating a couple crackers and forgetting to seal up the package.

What I didn't love was the daily/weekly process of washing out the baggies and hanging them to dry in the kitchen.  It was time consuming and unsightly and needed to be done frequently.  After a few washes, into the trash those baggies went.  I know, I know, it's an awful, very un-earth friendly thing to do.

I have been wanting to change our ways for awhile now, but I have been stumped as to what to do.  Individual grab and go containers run anywhere from $5-8 per piece for the good stuff, a couple of dollars for the cheapo grab and go stuff {which doesn't seem to have a long life either}.  We are a family of five and make up about thirty plus snack containers per week.  Doing the math, that could cost us about $150 for nice, long lasting snack containers.  No thank you.

So, I had been putting it off, discouraged about the price.  And yes, I even checked the dollar store but quite honestly, most items didn't seem like much of a step up from a plastic baggie and wouldn't last multiple washings before ending up in a landfill as well.

But, in the spirit of the recent Earth Day, I decided to spend a little more time researching options.  Although I typically prefer glass storage, it's really not ideal {or the safest kid option} for grab and go snacking.  What I ended up selecting were Ball Plastic Freezer Jars...


They come in different sizes {I went with the 8 oz and 16 oz}, they are BPA free and are freezer and dishwasher safe!  


I was a little hesitant at first since the price per container was pretty good and I was nervous I was getting another couple washes and then done type of container, but after I opened them filled them and we used them a few times, I was sold.  I think these babies will last us a good while.


A much better solution than all those baggies.  Easier clean up, and it protects the snacks when they are tossed into a travel bag or backpack.

I also love that they screw together, both the lids and containers, for easy peasy storage!



I just tossed them back into the green basket...



Which lives on a shelf in our pantry.

So that was one of the few things I decided to do to be more "green" around here.  More to come in the near future about some other changes we are making.  How about you? Anyone else make any recent updates or changes due to the recent special day?  

109 comments:

  1. I have three of these and love them! I purchased them over a year ago to make homemade strawberry freezer jam. Since then, I've used them for many purposes (freezer, pantry snacks, fridge). They are great!

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  2. Hooray for choosing an earth-friendlier option! Not to mention those little 8 oz. containers are ADORABLE :)

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  3. Ok, I am definitely getting these for our snacks. What a difference a jar can make! Thanks for the awesome post!

    xoxo
    Kristin
    theocdlifestyle.blogspot.com

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  4. Fabulous idea :) I so am going to take some time and get a few bins that fit in our cabinets to make some awesome snack drawers! :)
    thx for sharing!

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  5. We've used these for a while and they are great, countless washings and they are still going strong!

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  6. I love the Ball freezer jars. I have them in lots of sizes :)

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  7. AWESOME! I love your portioned snack idea, but we are a waste free family and could not get on board with the baggies. I am sold! Thanks for posting!

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  8. Love this. Thankfully it is just me and P, but when we have kiddies we will totally be doing this1 :D

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  9. I was at Dollar Tree today and they have adorable baskets that would work to hold the snack containers... I agree- I wouldn't buy the snack containers from that store, but the bigger container to hold them for $1.00 is a great price... At the store here they had plenty different sizes and colors!

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  10. What an awesome idea! My husband and I are terrible at snacks, we end up eating way more than we should. This would be a perfect solution!

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  11. I just ordered these and am anxious to put them to work! Thanks for the reco!

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  12. Ok, so storing your snacks in the jars....Is it for convenience or health? Just because the idea of separating the snacks into containers rather than leave them in the packaging is sparking my curiosity as to why. I think they would be IDEAL for health reasons....we all know having a full bag of goldfish in front of us usually disappear before we want to admit we ate it all.

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    1. Oh, it is totally for both reasons for us. So many times I could/would take a package of cookies, chips or crackers to the couch and then feel awful twenty minutes later. Yes, the individual snacks are quite convenient, but it absolutely curbs over eating for both the hubs and I and the kids.

      xoxo!
      Jen

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  13. I love using those for fruit/yogurt/granola parfaits.

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  14. So, these are sturdier than the Gladware and Ziploc plastic containers? Also, have you had any issue with the snacks going stale over a few days to a week? I've slowly accumulated many of the reusable snack bags, but my DS just now told me (after over a year of packing lunches) that his items are often stale by the time they get to lunchtime. So I'm looking for something better. Thanks!

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    1. They seem to be much sturdier than the Gladware, which is why I selected them. And nope, they are pretty airtight so no stale snacks here. :)

      xoxo!
      Jen

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  15. Thank you for such an awesome find! I've been looking for something to get rid of plastic baggies for the husband's lunch for awhile but couldn't find just the right thing!! I think these will work pretty good!! Not to mention they are like cups, which is what he prefers b/c his hands stay super filthy at work and he doesn't like touching his food when he's on the go! (FedEx guy!) There isn't always a bathroom to stop at while he's out delivering and he's on a very tight schedule to get deliveries/pick ups on time. He takes sanitizer but his hands are still black after using it sometimes! (ICK!) So anyway, all that to say I WILL BE GETTING THESE!! :)

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  16. We use those, too. I think we've had ours (well, the ones that haven't been lost) for at least three years. The plastic's a tad bit cloudy but they still work. I think I'll pick up more; I always need little snack containers.

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  17. This is such a great idea. I've never thought about pre-making snacks! Something so simple but so handy! I will definitely be trying this! xx

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  18. These are going on my shopping list for later this week. Brilliant and easy to toss into the diaper bag too.

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  19. Jen, you always come up with such neat ideas. Glad you found something that works for you and your family. :)

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  20. What a great idea, we also have a snack basket in our pantry and I have the same issues with the snack baggies- I love having the ease of the ability to grab and go, but hate the waste that it produces. I will definitely have to look into this :) Jen- where did you find the containers, did you have to order them or are they in stores? Thanks!

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    1. Hi! I found them on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SN0WH0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=iheaorga-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000SN0WH0 and had free shipping. But I am pretty sure they are in most stores as well, in the canning section.

      xoxo,
      Jen

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    2. I love love love this idea! I went online via Jen's link and saw them at Amazon, but did some more checking around and found them on CLEARANCE right now at Kmart for $1.50 per package!

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    3. Thanks for the Kmart tip!

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    4. Thanks so much for the Kmart tip. You saved me some $$$ , I just cancelled my amazon order which I placed 5 min ago and got my nearest Kmart store to hold some for me. Thank you :)

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  21. Jen I am curious what kinds of snacks you let your children have, you live a very healthy lifestyle so I'm curious to know. Thanks!

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    1. We do try to be healthy when possible. Our favorite snacks are:
      Rice Snacks, Organic raisins, homemade trail mix, Annies "bunny" crackers, Granola Bars, Pretzel Thins and Apple Cinnamon Sticks. We also love celery, carrots and apples. :)

      xoxo,
      Jen

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  22. These are the best! We make our own freezer jam and have used these for a few years. Even going between the freezer, dishwasher and being stored for a few months they have lasted great for four years. I've only had to buy more because I love them so much we plan on using even more :)
    Ashley S

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    1. That is so awesome to know! I am excited that we found a solution that will last for years! :)

      xoxo,
      Jen

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  23. wow! what a great and earth friendly idea for your family... will have to try for us soon!

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  24. Another bonus about reusable containers is food doesn't get crushed! I'm definitely going to do this.

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  25. Love the idea of using those containers! I have a snack bin for my 6 kids but I find that they over do it on portions so it would be great to divide the servings. Might save me a bunch of money too ;o)

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  26. Hi Jen! I have been reading your blog for a few months now and I love everything you create! Your posts are always so relevant! I too have been trying to figure out how to eliminate plastic snack bags in our house. Everytime I throw one away I feel so guilty! I just bought a Living Social deal for Re-Pac reusable bags. I'm hoping this will work for our household. I need something small to carry in my diaper bag with snacks for my toddler!

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  27. Great idea to control snacking, especially for my 4 year old.

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  28. Love this idea! I hate when snacks get all crumbled and dusty after being in a plastic bag!

    www.hardlyhousewives.com

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  29. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have been freaking out about this exact problem - with two year old twins and the need to prep ahead as much as possible, this is an absolutely brilliant plan! Off to the store for some of these pronto!

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  30. What an awesome idea... as a family of 5 as well and my kids loving snacks I am def going to do this, especially with summer coming and we'll be on the go alot. Thanks for the idea :)

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  31. I did a special day of school for my toddlers homeschool. We worked on learning how to plant things, made a snail garden out of an old, broken aquarium (a humane way to keep the snails and slugs out of your garden as you attract them to the aquarium instead of killing them), and even made a few pledges. She pledged to feed the birds and snails (so we've been doing this as part of our morning chores-the snails get cornmeal, the indoor bird gets fresh water and food, and the outside birds get fresh birdseed). I pledged to upcycle or buy used whenever possible.

    So today I spent the first part of nap organizing her art supplies on an antique brass shelving unit we got at an estate sale and used thrift store glass containers. It is so pretty, functional, AND eco-friendly!

    I love that you are using these containers. My mom uses them for the same thing and has for about a year and a half! We put our food in upcycled glass jars and I put them in our diaper bag to go. Because I only ever use the thick glass ones we have never had a problem with them breaking from our almost 2 year old dropping them (which has happened frequently since I also use them in our homeschool). :) Glad you found a solution!

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  32. Thank you for such an awesome idea! Definitely doing this!

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  33. Just found your blog last week and I'm now pouring over every inch of it and implementing so many of your ideas here at our house. We live on my husbands salary only (police officer) and we have 5 little boys (4 of whom are currently in soccer). He and I just had this conversation today about the waste of the baggies (although we have nearly zero food waste now!) and you've given me a great idea with the plastic containers! Our pantry looks amazing & there is now so much room!

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  34. How cute - great idea!

    Allyson
    http://cupcakescandycanes.blogspot.com

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  35. I am so glad to see this post. I watched to HGTV episode (and love your blog!!) and cringed at all the ziplocs. Love the ease and concept of that, but hate the thought of so much waste. So yippee!!! GOOD solution! I posted about our current efforts here: http://thesestones.wordpress.com/2012/04/17/going-green/ and also am thinking about getting these! http://www.etsy.com/listing/95598071/reusable-eco-friendly-snapping-paper?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_includes[0]=tags&ga_page=1&ga_search_query=reusable+paper+towels&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery
    Christine

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  36. I love these things! I found them at WalMart a while ago, during canning season. The larger containers (32 oz.) are great for homemade ice cream. The plus is, they don't crack in the freezer, like the cheaper Ziploc and Glad ones do. I would like to pick up a few more before ice cream season kicks into high gear, but they're not so easy to find...

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  37. Great idea! I've been wanting to stop using baggies also. My son goes to kindergarten in the fall, and what has me perplexed are the lunch boxes I've seen. Can you, or anyone else commenting, recommend a good one that will hold a lot, but not be too cumbersome? What do your boys have?

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    1. We have PlanetBox. They are awesome and very sturdy lunch boxes! http://www.planetbox.com/

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    2. Ooh, I've been wanting to get my son a PlanetBox. They are so expensive though, I wanted to know before buying: do you (or your child) have problems with the food spilling, or mixing, out of the little cubbies?

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    3. We use www.laptoplunches.com. No spills, and super reasonable my boys have two each. Google laptop lunches coupons for discounts or free shipping ;)

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    4. The food does not mix or spill! I make sure I keep yogurt/cottage cheese/hummus in the small round containers that come with the PlanetBox. They have a rubber seal that prevents leaking. I could see if your child opened the box on its side (rather than flat) it might spill. We have not had that problem though. They are a little pricy but they are really well made and I appreciate the fact that they are not plastic. Plus, the insulated bag has a spot for an ice box and a few pockets for napkins.

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  38. Hello, this is such a great idea! They're so reasonably priced too. My son is in the 3rd grade and we have to pack snacks everyday. This would save me a ton of time. I just recently found your blog this past week and I'm just in love with it. I really wish I found you before the family binder printouts were no longer free :( That's how I initially stumbled on your page from pinterest.

    Keep up the great work. You're doing an amazing job helping all the busy moms out there!

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  39. I have a bunch of these and I LOVE them! I use them for everything, but especially for freezing soups. They're a great size, hold up in the freezer, nest, and look nice!

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  40. We use baggies too and I want to get these instead! Thanks for passing on!

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  41. I didn't know that people actually wash out ziplock bags....I'm so impressed! Those containers look like a great solution that could work for a lot of different things....great idea. I'll have to try and remember to look for some.

    DeAnna
    http://systemofadeez.blogspot.com/

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  42. Oh yess! I use these things for all sorts of stuff. They are fantastic. I truly wish I had the space to use them as snack containers....but this is still such a good idea!!

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  43. I have seriously had the exact same dilemma..thanks for solving it for me!

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  44. I used those for my daughter's homemade baby food! She had very low iron, so I was literally making huge batches of beef stew and adding iron rich veggies, pureeing and then putting the puree in the freezer already portioned out in a cute little jar! Loved it! Best baby food purchase ever!

    I liked that they were a tad on the bigger side (compared to baby food sized meals) becuase I added a little bit of baby oatmeal to soak up the beef broth in the stew. It was perfection. I even managed a 7 day vacation with her thanks to these jars.

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    1. Wow you're an awesome mom for doing all that!!

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    2. I certainly agree, Nadia! And it's much more healthy for baby because its fresh, too!

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  45. I love this idea. I too have been using snaplock containers but I will definitely be on the look out for something like this. My little boy is always trying to get in the pantry to get food and I find if I have already portioned everything up I can just left him choose something from the snack box and I know that it is healthy.
    I have just started making homemade granola bars (I'm going to put the recipe up on my blog) which are amazing. They are so yummy and you can pretty much use whatever you have in the pantry. Such a cheap alternative to buying bars from the shops.

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  46. I pinned this and I'm buying them right now, I can't stand all those plastic baggies either! oops, the bay is up, so gotta run:) I guess I'm not buying them *right* now.

    Jessica
    stayathomeista.com

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  47. I do something similar, only I use the Avent Via storage containers that I had from when I was pumping and nursing. I wanted to buy more but they are expensive! I don't remember paying that much for them, but the lids click together similar to your Ball jars, I'll have to go look for those in the stores :)

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  48. we use these too, you can get them at a real good price @ Walmart. They are very handy!

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  49. Amazon has great prices on these as well. We love to use them for kid-sized smoothies. I poked straw holes in a few lids so when we freeze our smoothies, I can take them out the night before and let them defrost in the freezer. Then add a lid with the hole and a straw and my daughter has a nutritious breakfast to slurp down on our way to school. I have to admit, I even dip into the smoothies with this method because they are so convenient!

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  50. I did something similar to this, but with a bit of variation: I purchased pre-packaged items (i.e. peanut butter crackers, applesauce, juice boxes, etc.) and put them in a quart-sized baggie. I would include a spoon and napkin, juice, carb snack, fruit cup (applesauce or mixed fruit) and put them all in a baggie. I had a large box of them on a shelf in the garage. The nice things was that it was a complete, healthy, snack that was perfect for baseball practice, etc. When the kids were finished, we would bring home the fruit cups (to use for planting seeds) and the baggies, which were kept for the next packing party. :-) It was user friendly, portion controlled, healthy, and quick (the BEST part!).
    I love the idea of using the freezer containers. Having a hard container to put snacks in also minimizes/eliminates the problem of "crush crumbs." Wonderful idea! :-)

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  51. I just bought these at Wal Mart. I'm using for make ahead smoothies! I will have to buy more for snacks. Thanks for the idea!

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  52. Not sure if these are available internationally but I have been using the same system in Australia using the Philips Avent Breastmilk Storage containers - same properties - fridge, freezer and dishwasher safe AND BPA free. Cups stack and lids can also lock together. Reasonable priced too

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    1. Thanks AussieMum! I was reading through and wondering whether I'd be able to find something similar here!

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    2. I am using the same containers here in Luxembourg. I wanted to find a good use for them after I stopped breastfeeding. I am also using babyfood containers for the same purpose. My only problem is they are rounfd: I would prefere square containers since they fit better in the cupboard/fridge. I am a neat freak, prefering great looking storage that saves space at the same time :).
      Bee

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  53. This is brilliant! I have to do this in our house as well since snacks just disappear if they aren't pre-portioned. Also, I do this for school lunches so that the school lunch sides don't get eaten by accident, leaving nothing to pack in lunch bags. This idea is a great alternative from the baggies. I hate how many we go through, so this will save my $ and the environment! Where did you get them?

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  54. Jenn thanks again for another awesome idea! I was going to suggest Itzy Ritzy reusable snack bags which I have for my little ones, but some snacks end up getting smooshed. I'm adding these to my ever growing wish list (all of which came from your blog).

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  55. I echo everyone with "What a great solution!":) My daughter is going to kindergarten in the fall and I'm sure we will have after school activities and a greater need for something like this with lunches every day.

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  56. I just made 12 make ahead smoothies earlier today and put them in the 8 oz jars. I'm gonna have to poke some straw holes in some lids like a previous poster mentioned....good idea. They are so worth the "investment".

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  57. These are really great and the price is right! Thanks for sharing. I think they will be great for me as my snack portion control! Thanks for sharing!

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  58. One question...any residual weird taste leftover from the plastic? My picky kiddos won't eat stuff that has been in a baggie more than a few hours, because it "tastes funny", but I would love to save money by portioning out snacks at home. Excited this could be my solution!

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  59. These seem like a great. The lids look really secure too.

    Mrs. Delightful
    www.ourdelightfulhome.blogspot.com

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  60. Our family started using these at Christmas when we packaged goodies for friends & teachers (with a tag and ribbon) hoping that they would be re-used in their homes. Since then we have been using them ourselves for leftovers, veggies for lunch and snacking and especially for homemade spaghetti sauce in our freezer. I had previously used recycled glass jars but thawing them quickly was a problem. I love that I can microwave defrost these containers and that they stack so niceley in the freezer. They have been used many times and do hold up nicely as compared to other plastic storage. Glad to see others are putting them to great use.

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  61. Thanks for doing the search work for me! I've wanted to move away from ziplocs, but couldn't find a solution that I liked for a price I could justify. Love these! I use reusable containers for school lunch and snacks, but didn't want to buy the same for pantry snacks. Good to hear they stay fresh; that's been my concern. Thanks, Jen!

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  62. Great Idea! I have toddlers who need snacks all the time it seems, so I have been using the baby dishes in the 'take and toss' line as our individual snack containers. Cute small and with good fitting lids. I don't toss them, I just hand wash and they dry quickly. They were low priced, I will have to check out the ones you suggested! Good job getting away from waste...now to get us all away from plastic!

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  63. I had a set of First Steps (I think that was the name brand) snack cups that had regular lids and also lids where 1/2 slid around to create an opening when my children were toddlers. When they graduated to grade school they wanted those little juice pack drinks--but we couldn't afford them. Then, I discovered little plastic, reusable juice boxes in the same size and shape! I just filled them with my wholesome and thrifty juice and then washed them out at night. Now that my kids are teens those little snack cups and juice containers are laughable because they are soooo tiny. But I absolutely adore this idea of using the Ball freezer cups! They come in several sizes--why didn't I think of this? I tell ya, nothing's worse then witnessing your great big teenage boy grabbing the crackers out of the box with his bare hands and chowing down! My girls and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts for a GREAT solution!

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  64. I have been searching for non-plastic freezer storage for years and have yet to come up with any good options. Maybe I might have to finally bite the bullet and succumb to plastic. These look like a nice option for small portions of homemade broth or other liquids.

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  65. Hi Jen, this is off topic but I was wondering if you are still doing Style Tiles currently? My kitchen needs some help:)

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  66. Those look great! I'll have to look into them for our kitchen.

    I never liked buying plasticware for parties knowing it would end up in the trash so I recently bought about 60 inexpensive metal forks to use when we have birthday parties and other big get-togethers. They've already paid for themselves, plus we've contributed less the the landfills than we would have if we were still using plastic. A win-win!
    -Lisa

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  67. Hey, just wanted to drop in and say how much I appreciate you taking the time to post this excellent info! Thank you!

    Reusable Containers

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  68. This looks great! Did you ever look into finding square containers? I feel like maybe they were store better.

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  69. Thank you for sharing this excellent idea!!! I just added them to my Amazon cart!

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  70. Great idea! Just wondering how easy are they to open for little hands?

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    1. Not for sure, since my little guy isn't old enough to need to open them, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be too hard. The lids screw on to the jars, but not tightly (like pickles or pasta sauce--I can't always get those off!). Maybe someone else knows for sure?

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    2. My 18 month old cannot open them, but my 3 year old, with a little effort, can. Hope that helps.

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  71. We have these at home and I love them!! We use them to freeze any extra leftovers in and I carry a couple days of milk in them to work to eat with my cereal in the mornings. And we carry cut up oranges and grapes in them fairly often! And once or twice I've even had to use the bigger ones as an impromptu vase! I never thought about using them as snack containers though, so thanks for the inspiration!! I love that you try to be friendly to our planet! Thanks for always sharing about it!!

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  72. Those are awesome! I recently bought lunchskins for sandwiches so we'd cut down on our plastic bag usage. These would be great for snacks that are hard to eat the right portion size of.

    www.wannabebookworms.blogspot.com

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  73. Awesome Jen! I will have to try those. I used to do the baggies too, then I stopped because I felt as if I was wasting them but then it caused a problem with the girls going into the pantry and just grabbing the snacks without portion control. I love this. Thanks for sharing.

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  74. My mom had gotten me a few of these to use in packing my son's lunches for school, and I love them! I never even thought of buying more to use for portioned snacks to keep in the pantry. I think I will start!

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  75. Jen, I have been writing this reply in my head since you posted. I have so many things I want to say. Hopefully I remember it all! :) First of all thank you from my heart for this post.

    I loved the original snack post but could not bring myself to implement your strategy for a couple of reasons. One, I cannot stand the crumbly snack mess and two, my ADHD kids would leave the baggies everywhere. I would find them shoved between mattresses, in backpacks, under the couch, behind the entertainment center and so on.

    I don't know if you know anything about ADHD kids. They do not eat during the day due to their meds, they cannot follow three step directions, and do not sleep hardly at all. Overall they just cannot sit still. My Madeline, who has the hardest time, has lost an extreme amount of weight. She was already tiny to begin with. She does not eat unless it is between 12-5 am. I recently purchased 6 ziploc versa glass containers to put preportioned healthy snacks in the fridge. It has been working amazingly. I have not found any empty jars of peanut butter, whole cans of fruit, or empty (large) bags of chips shoved under the mattress since I have started.

    I could not, however, bring myself to purchase the 28 that I would need to for each of my 4 kids to have a weeks worth of after school snacks. At $4.00 a pop I just can't afford it. The ball freezer jars are perfect! I found them at Walmart and bought 4 packages at $3.00 immediately. I still need 2 more packs, but apparently you have quite the following in our county because that is all they had left. :D

    Next step, to figure out how to get their room cleaned up and organized in a way that works for 2 ADHD girls. I painted a couple of months ago but in the middle of the night Madeline peeled the paint of one of the walls. Back to square one. Wish me luck! Thank you for all of your inspiration and leg work!

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  76. Great idea! I also hate buying plastic ziploc baggies and am always trying to come up with an earth-friendly solution. LOVE these containers, and plan on implementing your snack system for my ALWAYS hungry 5 y/o!

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  77. You label everything else...I'm surprised you haven't labeled these with your name/contact info so they come home from outings whether your kids remember them or not!

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  78. Love this! I was thinking about getting these containers to make freezer jam, but it's a brilliant idea for snacks. Plus, you can see what's inside without having to open the lid.

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  79. Hey Jen have you checked into some of the awesome products at Reusit.com? They have amazing...and affordable options there!

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  80. great idea and fantastic labels! are those available for download??

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  81. Love this idea! I take my dog to daycare several times a week (I know it sounds crazy), and have always used disposable baggies for her food. My husband and I also take a baggie of snacks to work most days...so wasteful! This will help us out so much!

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  82. Oh I love those containers! I have an 8oz. set (just one) that I bought for making freezer jam, but they double for home made yogurt too. I haven't used them for pre-packing snacks but that is a really great idea and I really should try it. My kids tend to snack a LOT and have no idea what a serving size really is! The Ball containers go on sale in the summer and fall too, once canning season begins.

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  83. I just recently came across your blog and spent quite a bit of time looking at all of your organizing genius-ness! I did a search today for your pantry, because that's what I'm trying to organize in my home right now, and found this post about the ball jars. I ran to my local Wal-mart today and bought both sizes, I can't wait to clean them up and start using them for my kiddos snacks. We go to our local YMCA almost daily and I'm always needing to bring snacks for all 3 of them and these little jars will come in handy. Oh and I love that they're BPA free!
    Thanks for the tip!!!
    ~Beth

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  84. Thanks for the tip! I am going to start doing this for my family. Gonna check out the rest of your blog :)

    Marz
    www.hecticharmony.net

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  85. Hi! First, I LOVE your blog! You have so many fantastic ideas. I wanted to let you know that Ball is changing the style of these containers to be a pop-top. I ordered some directly from Ball and they are no longer making the screw top kind. The new style lid comes off a little too easy for my liking (as far as storing snacks go), so I just wanted to pass that along. Amazon still has the other style so I did stock up but wanted to let anyone know if they were thinking about getting them to hurry up because this style is going away :(

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  86. Oh my, I am so doing this! I just found you recently and I've been browsing your blog daily to catch up. :) This is such a wonderful idea...I hate all the boxes and bags in my cabinet. This may also help from going stale as well! Thanks so much!

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  87. I have been doing this exact thing for about 5 years with my foster children. It was great with the variety that they had to chose from, no complaints. Just think I could be a blogger. I have lots of ideas for families with a lot of kids.

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  88. I actually use these for my protein shakes. They are perfect.

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  89. I can't wait to try this for my after school kids. (1 girl and 6 boys) they are so hungry when they get off the bus and this would allow them to choose without scouring my pantry. Lol l love the portion control this gives cause we all know nothing is worse on a bag of pretzels or crackers then a hungry growing boy...except 6 ;) thanks and keep the great Ideas coming!!!

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