Fun Drinks to Help You Get More Water
I am sure the title of this sounds way more exciting than it actually is.
I have been after a goal of drinking more water since January. There is just one problem. Being that I hate drinking water.
I know I am not the only one with this problem but, being a good mother, I try to emulate good practices for our children so I’ve been finding ways to drink more water. I’ve also been mercilessly dragging them along in the quest to quench our thirst.
In the spirit of being helpful, here’s what we’ve been using:
I’ve been drinking Advocare Spark for about 5 years now. My dear friend Natasha introduced it to me in a season of my life when I had started the kids in Classical Conversations, was juggling a website, a new job, and had a ridiculously long bout of insomnia. There were months on end where I didn’t get more than 2 hours of sleep…There were some days I truly didn’t know if I was going to make it, I was so exhausted. The great think about Spark is that while it does have caffeine it also has vitamins and minerals to boost not only your energy but your brain function. I love that it comes in a ton of flavors, tastes great, and it doesn’t leave me jittery like coffee or soda.
*I will give you a little tip here…the package says to mix a scoop with 8 ounces of water. I actually mix one scoop with 2 and a half cups of water. So each time I have Spark I’m drinking quite a bit of water. Also, occasionally I let the kids have some spark, figuring it’s better for them than soda but my kids prefer just half a scoop because of the caffeine.
The kids love these packs. They are fairly inexpensive. I love that most of them are sugar free, or at least have less calories than pop and fruit drinks. These are easy to transport for a variety of options. When we go on vacations it makes packing drinks easy to just take their reusable water bottles and some of those drink packets. Some of the ones that we really love are the lemon tea ones from Aldi (they were $1.09) for 6 of them last week. And the kids love the Starburst Blue ones. If you are local to us, there is a discount store in Mentone, Indiana named Rabers where we can usually stock up on them for about $1.00. Deal!
I find these at TJ Maxx or Homegoods. My sister-in-law turned me on to these for their coffee flavors. I like the fruity flavors that can be used for a number of things. We currently are using one called Mermaid which is pretty blue color and is a tropical flavor. They last a long time because you only put 1 tbsp (I use only about 1 teaspoon) for every can of La Croix. So it takes for ever to use it up. I can usually find these for anywhere between $3-5.
Citrus Fruits
I love keeping lemons and limes in our house for waters. Just a bit of juice gives it a nice zip. When I am feeling particularly kind I’ll cut a lemon into wedges and make the kids lemon shake ups. Never made one before? Just take a large-ish sized mason jar, cut half a lemon into 4ths, add 1/4 cup of sugar. Put a lid on tight (we then cover with a towel to help with any leaks) and have your kids shake the living daylights out of it. It’s like being at the fair!
I use Young Living Oils because they are organic and are distilled without the use of harsh chemicals. I love using oils like lemon, grapefruit, lime, peppermint, or citrus fresh in my water. You only have to add one or maybe two drops to a completely full hydroflask…It really adds so much flavor and is good for you! Here’s my link if you’d like to join and purchase something.
Bubbly Waters
There are so many brands of sparkling or “bubbly" waters as my kids call them. It’s a nice change from flat water. Or plain water as we call it here in Indiana ;) I love mixing these with the Jordan’s Skinny Syrups or I’ll add a drop of essential oils to them.
Iced Tea
If you’ve never made iced tea than you are missing out on how wonderful a nice fresh glass of tea tastes. I grew up with southern grandmothers so iced tea was something that was always made in their houses and at my moms house. All you do is take 4-5 tea bags, throw them in a saucepan and fill it with water. Bring that puppy to a boil and then turn it off. Let cool then pour over ice to enjoy. Or put in a pitcher in the fridge without the ice. Ta-da! My kids love iced tea. It is a nice treat with honey too.
All of these I realize aren’t just plain old water but I think that drinking them is better than not drinking any water. I enjoy drinking different drinks through the day which makes life fun and interesting. And bubbly! I’d love to know if you, friends, are water lovers, or are like me and struggle with getting enough water in each day. And if you are on the struggle bus too, what do you do to liven up the party?
After all, we deserve to have fun drinks all day long, right?
