Today's Kool Idea: Snap Capp Reclosable Can Tops

We at The Daily Kool are huge soda drinkers. Oh yeah, we love them all...from Coca Cola to Orange Crush to Canada Dry Ginger Ale, each one of us has our own soft drink obsession. Are we the picture of good, healthy habits, or what? We're actually pretty good about drinking mostly water, especially since we've found Fiji, but sometimes, we just have have a can of soda with a nice meal. There's just something about the fizzy tickling sensation going down the back of the throat, coupled with just the right amount of sweetness...ah, instant satisfaction.

Because everyone has his/her own favorite, we tend to keep a variety of cold soda cans on hand in our fridge for family and company. Why cans, you ask? Yes, 2-liter bottles are much more cost-effective, but cans allow us to cater to everyone's tastes while monitoring intake at the same time...we make it a point to restrict ourselves to one can a day...with the exception of club soda. Cans of club soda (we like La Croix) are great for getting a healthier soda fix on the go.

Like most people, our biggest challenge with cans is keeping the soda from going flat...unless we drink the whole can at once, of course. We have no shame in admitting that we refuse to drink soda that has gone flat...we're kind of snobbish that way. We have tried out so many "fizz keepers" over the years, without much luck. A couple of weeks ago though, we came across these amazing Snap Capp reclosable can tops. Made in the U.S.A. (a big plus with us), plastic Snap Capps convert an ordinary 12 or 16 oz aluminum beverage can into a portable, recloseable and non-spilling bottle. Okay, we were definitely intrigued enough to try this one out.

We just love it when a product does exactly what it says! We purchased a sleeve of eight Snap Capps in different colors to test out at home. We chose Orange Crush for the test to make sure we used something that would clearly show up if the product leaked. After opening the can, we simply snapped the cap onto it. It took surprisingly little effort, and the Snap Capp made a clear "pop" when it was on correctly. We then twisted open the top cover, and drank from the soda as if it were a bottle. Wow, it really was a spill-proof seal...kool!

After a couple of sips, we put the can back into the refrigerator to let it sit for a few days. Our soda actually stayed fresh and fizzy for four days, which is about the same amount of time a two liter bottle will keep in our house. After enjoying the rest of our orange soda, we held onto the Snap Capp, squeezed the middle of the can, and popped it right off. A quick rinse with hot water, and we were ready to use it again.

There are so many things we like about our Snap Capp recloseable can tops. The assorted colors ensure that each person remembers which is his or her can...a particular advantage at some of our family gatherings. Spillage is much less likely, especially in the car or with the kids...as long as the cap is on, of course. Don't get us wrong. We didn't exactly shake the can vigorously for several minutes after putting on the Snap Capp...we're not sure we're all that interested in testing it that extensively, anyway. But, with normal use, we found the seal perfectly tight. Plus it makes drinking from a can safer; we don't have to worry about cutting ourselves on any sharp, metal parts. The best part is how much less soda waste we have...we no longer feel the need to polish off a whole can in one sitting. We just put the leftovers back in the fridge until later, without worrying about it going flat.

Snap Capp reclosable can tops are great for picnics, parties, in the car and even at the office. We even brought a couple to the zoo last week for when we treated ourselves to a couple of cans from the machine. The Snap Capp gave us the flexibility to walk around, without being encumbered with open beverage cans. We're definitely giving a couple of these to our fellow soda, energy drink and yes, even beer lovers!

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Today's Kool Idea: FIJI Bottled Water

Okay, we admit it. We are not big water drinkers, and never have been. Trust us...we've given ourselves lectures time and time again about the importance of drinking the requisite eight glasses of water a day, but who are we kidding? We can barely choke down two glasses, and that's with living in hot and humid Florida. While we take responsibility for our irresponsibility just as much as the next person (yeah, right), we wholeheartedly blame the Coca Cola company for our lack of commitment to healthy drinking. How dare they make Coke taste so darn good? We have been obsessed with Coke (the real stuff, not that diet stuff) for as long as we can remember. Scoff all you want, but our Coca Cola addiction has caused a real problem in our household. Our kids are at the age when "do as I say, not as I do" doesn't hold water (had to get that pun in). It's our job as parents to teach our children healthy eating and drinking habits, and the best way to do this is by example. But, we really don't like water. We've tried it all...tap water, filtered water, bottled water (whew, there are a lot of brands out there!), cold water, room temperature water, water with lemon (and/or lime). No matter what we do, the results are the same...blah, blah, blah. Are we prime examples of mature and responsible adults or what?

A friend of ours introduced us to FIJI bottled water a few months ago. She claimed that FIJI water is seriously the best tasting water on the planet (her words, not ours). We always believed that the concept of bottled water is a bunch of marketing hype. Then again, what do we ignorant Coke drinkers know anyway? The FIJI water company claims that theirs is much healthier than other bottled waters, due mainly to their artesian aquifer, which is located at the very edge of a primitive rainforest, hundreds of miles away from the nearest continent. By definition, artesian water comes from a source deep within the earth, protected by layers of clay and rock. Of the top ten bottled waters sold in the United States, FIJI is the only water originating from an artesian source. There is no opening, not even a porthole to the surface. As a result, the water never comes into contact with the air, protecting it from environmental pollutants and other contamination.

One sip of FIJI bottled water, and we were hooked. And it wasn't just the really "kool" packaging, though we admit that the square bottle is pretty nifty. FIJI bottled water has a pure, clean and crisp taste. In other words, it has no flavor whatsoever...just the way it should be. This is truly a refreshing change from the plastic taint so common with other bottled water brands. Don't just take our word for it, though...we certainly didn't. We were curious enough to hold our own informal blind taste test at home with a group of The Daily Kool family members. We gave each of our testers a small cup of each of the following: FIJI, Evian, SmartWater, Zephyrhills, Aquafina and filtered water from the sink. To keep it as fair as possible, we kept all the water at room temperature...apparently (according to some experts), the colder the water, the harder it is to tell the difference. All but two of our testers picked FIJI as their absolute favorite. Our older son was torn between FIJI and Evian, but eventually chose the latter. Our father was the only one who couldn't tell the difference between any of them...we all looked at Dad like he was nuts (including our four year old).

We know, we know. If we were truly environmentally conscious, we wouldn't be drinking bottled water at all...we'd stick with the tap. But don't forget, although we do recycle everything that we can, we've been die-hard Coke drinkers until now anyway. Baby steps, people...baby steps. Don't get us wrong. We absolutely understand and appreciate the controversy surrounding the concept of bottled water, but at least the FIJI water company seems to be pretty committed to doing their part for the environment. They have partnered with Conservation International to become the first “carbon negative” product in the industry and to save the largest rainforest in Fiji. To achieve this, FIJI first accounts for the carbon footprint throughout the entire lifecycle of their products; then, through a combination of meaningful reductions and carbon-reducing land use and renewable energy projects, the production and sale of each bottle of FIJI water will actually result in a reduction of carbon in the atmosphere by 120% of the footprint. They are also reducing the amount of packaging in their products and leading the charge to expand recycling programs and incentives. The company has an entire site dedicated to educating consumers about FIJI Green.

Here's the bottom line...FIJI bottled water has helped us eliminate the need for Coca Cola in our home, therefore helping us adopt healthier drinking habits for ourselves, and therefore in our children. Sure, it's certainly one of the most expensive brands around, but sometimes the old adage "you get what you pay for" really holds true. FIJI bottled water is, in our opinion, the best tasting water out there. We just might decide to take advantage of their monthly delivery service with free shipping. FIJI bottled water has definitely helped our family keep properly hydrated during this particularly brutal Florida summer. Now that's a "kool" idea!

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