Janelle Brown: Smarter Than Your Average Brown (Maybe)

[Celia Rubenstein]

1 hour ago, Kohola3 said:

Isn't it too hot in hell for an afghan?

From prior experience I happen to know for a fact that the ride there can be quite chilly. 

I'm just trying to think of everyone's comfort ...

[Roslyn]

On 5/20/2018 at 5:56 PM, ginger90 said:

Hhmmm

I'm a gardener and those gloves have not seen much work.  I can't imagine how many weeds she can possibly have with sand, concrete and rocks making up their landscape.  Is Janelle one of the wives that had the green carpet grass laid down?  If her gloves are a tool to measure her "exercise" there isn't much going on.

[ginger90]

[Gothish520]

1 hour ago, ginger90 said:

If I wanted toast, there's no way butternut squash would be a good substitite for me. But good for her for sticking to her guns.

I can't get too much on the Janelle hate bandwagon when it comes to food prep because my diet is bad and I'm lazy as hell. I buy everything as prepackaged as possible and and I know it's terrible. I totally feel her regarding the squash prep. This past Thanksgiving, I was assigned with bringing the sweet potatoes - I was so going to buy premade, microwave and then plop them in a serving bowl, but the amount I needed made the cost a bit much. I decided to bite the bullet and make them from scratch, and it was so freaking easy, and much cheaper than buying frozen premade. 

I totally get where everyone is coming from as far as the criticism goes with Strive though, because she is setting herself up as an expert and the results have not been there. 

As for the frequent, seemingly inane posts that someone questioned upthread, the answer to that is pretty simple - as an online "personality" with a "business', she needs to make frequent posts to stay relevant and engage followers. Gotta get those hits on Facebook. I think that's why she poses questions which could easily be answered with a quick Google search - she is trying to get people to interact on her page and keep them from forgetting about Strive. Frequent posts and interaction means she will pop up on everyone's feed.

[Natalie68]

On 5/17/2018 at 4:11 PM, Kohola3 said:

Absolutely.  People who plan on dieting end up with the boomerang effect, gaining it all back plus.  You have to commit to changing your lifestyle forever.

That's why some folks with gastric bypass fail. They cannot deal with the discipline required to change your eating habits for the rest of your life.  They fall back on old habits because it's easier.  Which is why that was never an option for me;  I know I lack that kind of stiff upper lip!

This happened to 2 people I know.  One is as large as she was when she got the surgery.  The other gained about 1/2 the weight.  I had another friend who had lapband and he had a host of problems with it before he passed away (not of anything related, it was an accidental OD of prescription meds).  Janelle will always be heavy.  She doesn't have the willpower or whatever to stick with a reasonable program.  Which is up to her but to try and sell herself as some sort of coach is a lie.  Any business that uses her coaching skills should not have any customers.

[Natalie68]

On 5/17/2018 at 4:29 PM, xwordfanatik said:

Very true that it's not quick weight loss itself, but a permanent change in one's eating habits.  It took me almost 60 years to finally do it.

I twice before lost over 60 pounds, and gained it all back, and then some.  The third time was the charm for me.  I make being active by walking 2+ miles 4-5 times a week, part of the change.  I eat mostly vegetables and lean protein, with some fruit, and some non-wheat grains.  I'm lactose intolerant, so I eschew dairy products.

I suspect Janelle will not be able to keep weight off on her own without a structured program, either.  She was sort of successful losing weight for a year or two on SW, and then seemed to gain it all back.  I had a stressful lifestyle with my awful job, poor eating habits, and little physical activity, for years.  Once I was able to retire and really want to change my health, it clicked.  Janelle dear, it's NOT about how you look.  It's more about how you feel, and you obviously don't feel good if you're having to nap three times a day.  

True, I'm not in her shoes, and don't have to deal with the drama she does (I absolutely could not, especially dealing with Meri) but she no doubt has access to many support groups in LV.  A Twitter audience does not seem to be working for her.  How her "Strive" thing is still alive, I have no clue.  She's not at all credible as a weight loss coach in the shape she's in.

Congrats!

No but you have normal life drama like everyone else.  Including Janelle.  Hers is different but no harder.  She needs to take her life by the proverbial horns and just do it!  Quit talking about it, quit taking pics of her food, and do it.  Like everyone else does.  I had some hard times in the last 5 years and allowed myself to eat my feelings (after I had lost close to 80lbs and kept it off 14 years).  I knew I would gain weight but I didn't care at that moment.  I was allowing myself to just be lazy.  Then I decided enough is enough and tackled it.  Seeing my weight on the MRI didn't help :).  I was up 25lbs so now I am only up 9lbs from my goal.  I also quit smoking and having ANY soda.  If *I* can do it, anyone can.  I did have a couple of 1/2 assed attempts over the last couple of years but I wasn't in the head space to fully commit until I actually saw the weight.  YIKES!  

[Natalie68]

23 hours ago, Galloway Cave said:

"It's good to remember that you don't always need a gym to be active." I can hear Janelle saying this in her deadpan voice. And what the hell does she think people have been doing for several million years? Most people don't go to a gym anyway. We get off our asses, go outside and walk, hike, ride a bike, walk the dog, work on the yard or a million other things we don't really call exercise but call living our life. I really wonder how this woman has made it this far in life- getting a degree, working in a State position, having children that turned out OK. She does not deserve the thread title she currently has.

I was going to say the exact same thing about Axel's eyes and chin but didn't want to come off as a bit...cruel. But I'm happy to see I am in the same hell-basket as a few others. I appreciate my fellow sisterwives. We need a Be Snarky pin from MSWC.

Yeah, imma gonna need that pin.  Can I be your plus 1 in that basket?

21 hours ago, Kohola3 said:

Isn't it too hot in hell for an afghan?

Nah, my feet are always cold

3 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Her Ezekial bread is hurting her stomach because she isn't used to the high fiber.  Stick with it a few days and it will be fine.  

[ginger90]

4 minutes ago, Natalie68 said:

 

Her Ezekial bread is hurting her stomach because she isn't used to the high fiber.  Stick with it a few days and it will be fine.  

I think this is Janelle in a nutshell. She seems to flip between what she’s trying. She needs to stick to something, develop an actual routine, IMO.

[Natalie68]

Just now, ginger90 said:

I think this is Janelle in a nutshell. She seems to flip between what she’s trying. She needs to stick to something, develop an actual routine, IMO.

I actually just sent her a tweet with my advice to stick to the bread.  Its really high in fiber and that can make you really gassy and upset if you aren't used to it.  Few days and its fine.

[Gothish520]

2 hours ago, Natalie68 said:

This happened to 2 people I know.  One is as large as she was when she got the surgery.  The other gained about 1/2 the weight.  I had another friend who had lapband and he had a host of problems with it before he passed away (not of anything related, it was an accidental OD of prescription meds).  Janelle will always be heavy.  She doesn't have the willpower or whatever to stick with a reasonable program.  Which is up to her but to try and sell herself as some sort of coach is a lie.  Any business that uses her coaching skills should not have any customers.

It happened to my husband's uncle. He was over 400 lbs, had the surgery and got down to about 200, I  believe, which for 6'3" is good and he looked thin. Then he slowly gained most of the weight back over the course of about five years and remained at that weight for about 9 years until he passed last month at the age of 56 from a heart attack. He knew for the last few years of his life that he didnt have long and that his weight would eventually kill him.

[ginger90]

Video from 2013:

 

Edited May 23, 2018 by ginger90

[lookeyloo]

14 hours ago, Gothish520 said:

It happened to my husband's uncle. He was over 400 lbs, had the surgery and got down to about 200, I  believe, which for 6'3" is good and he looked thin. Then he slowly gained most of the weight back over the course of about five years and remained at that weight for about 9 years until he passed last month at the age of 56 from a heart attack. He knew for the last few years of his life that he didnt have long and that his weight would eventually kill him.

Because its not really just about eating too much.  Its why, and that is the hardest to work on.  My friend had gastric bypass, lost a ton of weight.  Had the skin removal surgery which was torture as she described it.  After all of that, she managed to gain most of the weight back.  And rationalize to us, about how she only ate carrots.  She would order a meal in a restaurant and ask for a box and then put most of the meal in the box "to be two meals later" but we suspected she ate it in the car on the way home.  Very sad.  It would take a lot of qualified help to get over that.  I watched I think it was an Oprah or some show where people who slimmed down considerably didn't like that feeling and managed to figure out how to get around the gastric bypass - thinned out mashed potatoes with mushroom soup, etc. People eat for so many reasons, and few of them because they are hungry.  

[TurtlePower]

On 5/19/2018 at 6:37 PM, toodles said:

One word -Internet.  

If I had spent one penny on STRIVE, I would demand my ? back.

OMG. Janelle, there is such a thing as a stupid question. "I'm a certified health coach but don't know how to prepare corn. Instead of using the internet for recipes, I'm gonna ask my followers to get some attention while I make myself look like an idiot to the rest of the population."

[DakotaJustice]

6 hours ago, ginger90 said:

Video from 2013:

 

Just the face, but she looks much slimmer here, when she was working with Sean.

[ginger90]

[Galloway Cave]

*grabs a pillow, screams loudly into pillow for 2 minutes*

Yet another sit-on-her-ass-and-try-to-make-money scheme.

[Sandy W]

Janelle it seems is the only one that has qualified herself with marketable skills, if I'm not mistaken, she has some level of courses in accounting.  I would think that the local casinos and hotels would be an excellent source of employment for an individual with accounting skills.

Instead, she sits at home and spins her wheels, hoping to cash in on their "celebrity status" as a reality personality.

[ginger90]

Following in her daughter’s footsteps:

 

[xwordfanatik]

1 hour ago, Galloway Cave said:

*grabs a pillow, screams loudly into pillow for 2 minutes*

Yet another sit-on-her-ass-and-try-to-make-money scheme.

Without actually using any of the stuff in that box...and now Maddie is shilling it too.

Is there no end to their grifting for dollars?  @Sandy W, yes!  Janelle was the one that loved her office job, so WHY isn't she doing that now?  It's not like she has babies or grade-schoolers to dump on Christine anymore.

[Pickleinthemiddle]

15 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

Janelle was the one that loved her office job, so WHY isn't she doing that now?  It's not like she has babies or grade-schoolers to dump on Christine anymore.

I'm sure as long as they have the show there is no need to get an actual job yet.  Plus most companies would not allow them to take off and go on a two week vacation while being filmed.  Plus they would have to keep their employer's name out of the media.

[laurakaye]

If I'm not mistaken, when they shill products don't they have to use the hashtag #ad?  

And what an exciting box of random stuff!  Thing is, Janelle, you can't just eat the treats, I think the point of this is that you also have to - you know - exercise, too.

I wouldn't use a Brown promo code if it meant I got the stuff for free.

[ginger90]

[xwordfanatik]

I wonder what she means by "after work?"  Are they taping a new season?

[VedaPierce]

On May 20, 2018 at 12:57 PM, Galloway Cave said:

Why is she asking her three subscribers (if that many are left) for suggestions on how to cook corn in a healthy way that doesn't involve the BBQ or a grill? Those women live on Pinterest, just go do a search and find 1,000 recipes on there.

And if she didn't give out the recipe for her squash slop, why is she asking for recipes for corn in return? She should be paying her followers, since she's the one being encouraged, boosted, getting info from, and generally being coached by them. 

She's just such a dud. And I've yet to see anything appetizing shown by her dazzling food photos. I've learned more from you posters than I've ever learned from her. Someone here mentioned a baked potatoe with salsa, and I loved it. So thanks, fellow Strive-Snarkers, i guess that stupid venture is helpful in some ways?

[VedaPierce]

On May 24, 2018 at 3:47 PM, ginger90 said:

What the hell do any of those words mean??? What is she even talking about???

[VedaPierce]

On May 24, 2018 at 5:01 PM, ginger90 said:

Following in her daughter’s footsteps:

 

Where is the necklace?! I want to see the necklace! Stupid.

I bet they see Meri having some modicum of success with her pyramid scheme, so they decided to copy her and go out and find their own pyramid schemes! 

[Kohola3]

Looks like a bunch of junk to me.  Half to toss and half to re-gift to someone you don't like.

They act like crows, attracted to bright, shiny objects.

Edited May 28, 2018 by Kohola3
bird reference

[VedaPierce]

On May 25, 2018 at 3:13 PM, ginger90 said:

Is she kidding me??? lolololololo! You can have a burger, Janelle!! You can have it without the bun! Or a turkey burger. And I nice salad with tomatos and balsamic on the side, or some cut up watermelon....instead of the fries. Wth?? That green slop above is not sustainable, it's too much effort and frankly is weird when everyone is having burgers! You can't live like that! Nobody will stick to that! Carrot lentil curry. While everyone has burgers. It's either a milkshake, fries and a burger...or carrot lentil curry. Go take another nap, Janelle.

 

and btw...my fave food is Indian, or Turkish or Persian. Lots of spices, grilled meats, lots of salads, feta, chick peas/humus, grilled, fresh, delish...and EASY. her slop in the Tupperware is just....no.

Edited May 28, 2018 by VedaPierce

[Kohola3]

Nauseating.  Looks like something from the disposal.

[Sandy W]

24 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Nauseating.  Looks like something from the disposal.

I'm sure her kids still at home wouldn't eat that.  Janelle complicates her life by concocting these "healthy foods" for herself, then no doubt prepares something more edible for the rest of the family. Can you just imagine Kody's face if it was her turn in the rotation and she presented that for dinner?

She could make life so much easier (and easy does seem to be her goal), if she simply grilled some chicken, fish or lean beef along with a salad for herself and add some carbs for the rest of the family.  But. Janelle.

[xwordfanatik]

Janelle does everything the hard way, and decides it's too much work.  No wonder she just ends up spinning her wheels. 

[ginger90]

[Celia Rubenstein]

It would have helped if she made the slightest effort to photograph her food in an appealing way. Carrot lentil curry in a blah brown bowl next to leftovers in cheap disposable dishes photographed drone-style from above is not going to inspire anyone. She even managed to make all that lovely produce rather meh and unidentifiable. If she bothered to take the time to plate her food nicely or display these produce hauls in a way that didn't look like she just dumped everything out on the counter, it would be a start.

It won't make up for suggesting that leftover curry will satisfy you while everyone around you enjoys burgers and fries and shakes, of course. Because, yeah, that's BS.

There is just no real nutritional strategy being shared with her readers. That's bad enough.  But she actually models some really unhealthy, self defeating things that completely undermine her health coach whatever nonsense she is purporting to be. Letting yourself get to the pointing starving is mistake number 1 ... Revealing that an unhealthy meal had been promised to the kids as a way to "celebrate" is mistake number 2. Knowing that you're overly hungry but going through a drive through to get all this bad food anyway, knowing how tempted you will be,  is mistake number 3.  Goody on Janelle for holding out until she got home where she could enjoy her bowl of reheated leftovers, but everything she described that led up to this great display of strength should have been avoided in the first place.

Maybe Janelle wants to come across as relatable or something. People let themselves get too hungry and they promise their kids fast food as a treat all the time. It's not a crime. But if you are trying to be some kind of ... I don't even know what Janelle is trying to be. Whatever it is, it seems like writing a blog about your dumb decisions and how you had to fight to stay strong because you made so many bad choices isn't going to impress anybody. It certainly didn't impress me.

[DakotaJustice]

11 hours ago, VedaPierce said:

Is she kidding me??? lolololololo! You can have a burger, Janelle!! You can have it without the bun! Or a turkey burger. And I nice salad with tomatos and balsamic on the side, or some cut up watermelon....instead of the fries. Wth?? That green slop above is not sustainable, it's too much effort and frankly is weird when everyone is having burgers! You can't live like that! Nobody will stick to that! Carrot lentil curry. While everyone has burgers. It's either a milkshake, fries and a burger...or carrot lentil curry. Go take another nap, Janelle.

 

and btw...my fave food is Indian, or Turkish or Persian. Lots of spices, grilled meats, lots of salads, feta, chick peas/humus, grilled, fresh, delish...and EASY. her slop in the Tupperware is just....no.

 

She only has two kids at home. Gabe and Savannah. I'm sure Gabe has a driver's license by now. It's not like she was going to a sit down restaurant - it was a drive thru!!! Give the kids the money to pay for their food and hand Gabe the car keys. Tell them you are trying to stick to your diet and to have fun.   End of story. 

There are few things as annoying as having someone sit next to you longingly watching you eat something they "can't" because "I'm dieting".  She could work it into her diet if she wanted to and planned ahead. I wonder when the inevitable binge happened? Later that night or the next morning?

Oh wait...but she said she's not dieting, she's "living her best life". 

8 hours ago, Celia Rubenstein said:

It would have helped if she made the slightest effort to photograph her food in an appealing way. Carrot lentil curry in a blah brown bowl next to leftovers in cheap disposable dishes photographed drone-style from above is not going to inspire anyone. She even managed to make all that lovely produce rather meh and unidentifiable. If she bothered to take the time to plate her food nicely or display these produce hauls in a way that didn't look like she just dumped everything out on the counter, it would be a start.

It won't make up for suggesting that leftover curry will satisfy you while everyone around you enjoys burgers and fries and shakes, of course. Because, yeah, that's BS.

There is just no real nutritional strategy being shared with her readers. That's bad enough.  But she actually models some really unhealthy, self defeating things that completely undermine her health coach whatever nonsense she is purporting to be. Letting yourself get to the pointing starving is mistake number 1 ... Revealing that an unhealthy meal had been promised to the kids as a way to "celebrate" is mistake number 2. Knowing that you're overly hungry but going through a drive through to get all this bad food anyway, knowing how tempted you will be,  is mistake number 3.  Goody on Janelle for holding out until she got home where she could enjoy her bowl of reheated leftovers, but everything she described that led up to this great display of strength should have been avoided in the first place.

Maybe Janelle wants to come across as relatable or something. People let themselves get too hungry and they promise their kids fast food as a treat all the time. It's not a crime. But if you are trying to be some kind of ... I don't even know what Janelle is trying to be. Whatever it is, it seems like writing a blog about your dumb decisions and how you had to fight to stay strong because you made so many bad choices isn't going to impress anybody. It certainly didn't impress me.

What I don't get is that going to the drive thru is a "treat" for the kids. She's talked about taking the kids for pizza, taco Bell tacos, etc etc. No way is she feeding her kids carrot lentil curry.  

"Health Coach" i think she's more of an "Enabler Coach". 

If you can find it, read "Diary of a Fat Housewife" by Rosemary Green (1988-1990).  What Janelle is doing is exactly what the author did while she was spinning her wheels and yo-yoing her way to 300+ pounds at one point.

In this video - about a minute in the coach talks about how he used to post this clean eats like asparagus and tilapia on his social media when he was prepping for his first show, because he wanted attention "look at me I'm staying on track".  Now he looks back on that posts and similar posts (like Janelle's for instance!!) and thinks "why are you looking for a pat on the back or for sympathy for a situation that YOU'RE putting yourself in? Nobody told you to eat that way, nobody told you not to eat that, so you're not getting any sympathy or a pat on the back from me..." 

Edited May 29, 2018 by DakotaJustice

[lookeyloo]

At least her counter seems clean and her fridge shiny.  I wonder who does that for her.

[ginger90]

A new blog post. The one prior to this was in February.

 

Fear Faith (Trust) & Control

by Janelle Brown May 30, 2018

I have realized over time that there are three pretty powerful forces at work in my life.  They apply across many aspects of my world including my relationships and spirituality.  And, even more so, they play into my emotional eating patterns.

Those forces are… drum roll please…

Fear, Faith and Control

As I get older I begin to realize I have always been a FEARful creature.  I was plagued with self-doubt as a child, as perhaps, many of you were also.  It is hard to grow up as teen girl in the United States.  So many unrealistic and unattainable beauty ideals to live up to.

But before those teenage years I also had a whole laundry list of unreasonable and sometimes debilitating phobias, including dogs (after as a young child, I had to shield myself from a mean one); crossing the street (after a child at our school was hit and killed) and the beach (after I stepped on a jelly fish at the tender age of 4 and got stung badly).  I watched some of my children grow up with the same emotional composition, eventually growing out of it, just as I did.

How did I do this? I learned to act tougher than I was.  I learned to take care of myself.  I learned to TRY and CONTROL everyone and everything to ensure the outcome of, whatever the situation was, didn’t create problems for me.  

Optimal word being “TRY” in this scenario.

Often, very often, when the control thing didn’t work.  I would find myself retreating to the bowl of whatever or drowning out the doubt with too many slices of pizza (my “go to” emotional food choice).  Sometimes trying to soothe my anxiousness, and, sometimes, as illogical as it seems, with thoughts of “I’ll show you.  I am going to show you how powerful, how in control I am by eating this whole thing and no one is going to stop me.”  

I hope that many of you that struggle with emotional eating patterns as I do find this completely understandable.

 Then very slowly I began to understand FAITH.

Now, before you tune me out thinking this is a religious lecture, hang with me.  This isn’t about only that kind of faith, although for me, that does fit in here.  Maybe this kind of faith is more like TRUST.

Trusting that I could be flexible and adjust as everyone made their own choices.  And trusting that I would still be ok as these choices affected me. (In reality, I often fared better when I stopped trying to control and just let the choices of others just play out.) 

I am finding that as I fear less, attempt to control less, exercise faith and trust more, my life is becoming so much more PEACEFUL.  And guess what? The emotional eating is subsiding more and more each day.

 

Janelle Brown is a certified health coach.  As such she provides support, accountability and occasionally some cheer-leading for her clients.  She is passionate about helping real women with real life challenges navigate their way to increased wellness and quality of life.  Check out her website here https://strivewithjanelle.com/collections/health-coaching

 

[DakotaJustice]

Is it personal when a blog post consists of recycled, uncredited platitudes from other sources? 

Because I'm sure I've read all of this elsewhere, by better writers. 

*****

I had this thought this morning regarding Janelle. I don't believe most of us are "fat shaming" in our criticism/comments. She's just not qualified to do any of this, and she doesn't especially enjoy it, I don't think. 

She never writes about this subject matter with any real joy or positivity. 

Here's my opinion. 

Prior to the show and Robyn, I think Janelle was content with her lot. She didn't seem to worry about her weight, she went to work each day, apparently Kody was giving her adequate attention and so on. 

But then the younger, thinner 4th wife along with the show and having to make plot lines, shit even the real purpose of Strive is/was to be featured in the show ("as seen on TLC") and that's probably how she was able to convince those trainers to participate, for the exposure. Fitness is a competitive business. 

Now they're all gone because they probably realized they were wasting their time. 

IMO she doesn't want to do this at all but now she has to keep up appearances for the show's sake.

[ginger90]

[toodles]

1 hour ago, ginger90 said:

A mason jar is not a drinking glass.  I blame Pinterest for this trend.  The brownies live maybe 5 miles from me and I know there is a great Big Lots close by.  It's where I buy my glasses.  For the love of god, go to Big Lots and buy some real glasses.  Sorry for the rant, but I hate drinking out of mason jars.  Can you tell??

[DakotaJustice]

8 minutes ago, toodles said:

A mason jar is not a drinking glass.  I blame Pinterest for this trend.  The brownies live maybe 5 miles from me and I know there is a great Big Lots close by.  It's where I buy my glasses.  For the love of god, go to Big Lots and buy some real glasses.  Sorry for the rant, but I hate drinking out of mason jars.  Can you tell??

YOU TOO? 

Plus that looks like he's drinking salad dressing.

[Sandy W]

14 minutes ago, DakotaJustice said:

YOU TOO? 

Plus that looks like he's drinking salad dressing.

OMG, don't give Janelle any ideas.  Next thing you know she'll be stealing that idea and touting green smoothies as a healthy alternative to salad dressing. 

[Celia Rubenstein]

Mason jars are for canning dammit !!! My daughter has raided my stash and I'm down to nothing but half pints! 

I have a cupboard full of drinking glasses and a whole shelf in the pantry devoted to nothing but insulated cups and lids and every other drinking contraption the market today but the first thing she always grabs is a mason jar.

Whyyyyyyyy?????? WHHYYYYYYYY!!!!

[Kohola3]

Soylent Green out of a Mason jar.  Blech.

[sharkerbaby]

I love mason jars and use them for all sorts of things, including their original intended purpose.  I am frugal and utilize most things in a variety of ways so I have no problem when people use possessions outside of their initial purpose, in fact I appreciate the resourcefulness of new and creative uses for seemingly utilitarian objects.

Since we are talking beverages; I love that I can throw in my shake ingredients, close the lid, shake, and wa la... Moreover, I can take it in to work, store it in the fridge and whenever I feel like drinking it just shake it up.  My kids use them to when they make chocolate milk or any other drink mix.

So yeah, give me a mason jar any day!  And for any of you environmentally conscious folks out there, this one fits both REDUCE and REUSE 

[Kohola3]

21 minutes ago, sharkerbaby said:

And for any of you environmentally conscious folks out there, this one fits both REDUCE and REUSE

I am absolutely environmentally conscious which is why I use a stainless steel drink bottle for everything. I never get throwaway cups if I go to a fast food place, I fill my insulated bottle.  I don't like glass because of the possibility of breaking as I am not the most graceful person in the world.

I highly doubt that Janelle has Mason jars for environmental reason. Having seen the dirty Birth Central bathroom It's more like there that there aren't any clean glasses in the house!

[sharkerbaby]

17 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

I am absolutely environmentally conscious which is why I use a stainless steel drink bottle for everything. I never get throwaway cups if I go to a fast food place, I fill my insulated bottle.  I don't like glass because of the possibility of breaking as I am not the most graceful person in the world.

I highly doubt that Janelle has Mason jars for environmental reason. Having seen the dirty Birth Central bathroom It's more like there that there aren't any clean glasses in the house!

Stainless steel drink bottle - ack...  I'm weird but they are just too freaking cold for me!! (I don't like ice cream for this reason either).  Too cold to hold, most definitely too cold to put up to my lips and drink out of.  I once tried to use a stainless steel straw with iced tea - holy moly, i thought my lips were going to fall off they felt so frozen, it was down right painful to me.  So it's glass or plastic for me.

I wasn't implying Janelle or anyone else would use mason jars for environmental reasons.  That's not why I use them either.  As mentioned I use them because it appeals to my frugal side.  I simply mentioned the Reduce, Reuse to show an overlap for anyone who may appreciate it from a different perspective.

[deirdra]

Mason jars are great because you can store, freeze, reheat, reuse and eat out of them and not have a second dish/glass to wash.  Because they are heat tempered they are much harder to break than most glasses and they do not stain or leach BPAs etc like plastic containers.  When most of the kids are around, Janelle probably does not have much room in the dishwasher.  But I hate the feel of the screwtop ribs on my lips, so I make things with less water so they can be eaten like pudding with a parfait spoon.

Edited June 1, 2018 by deirdra

[DakotaJustice]

40 minutes ago, deirdra said:

Mason jars are great because you can store, freeze, reheat, reuse and eat out of them and not have a second dish/glass to wash.  Because they are heat tempered they are much harder to break than most glasses and they do not stain or leach BPAs etc like plastic containers.  When most of the kids are around, Janelle probably does not have much room in the dishwasher.  But I hate the feel of the screwtop ribs on my lips, so I make things with less water so they can be eaten like pudding with a parfait spoon.

But what kids are around really? Hunter is evidently there on school break, but apparently everyone save Gabe and Savannah have absconded. 

I can't drink out of a mason jar - something about the rim. I need a straw. 

As for breakage - I bought a set of Duralex Picardie glass tumblers in various sizes back in 1993 and use them daily. I still have most of them even though I've dropped them on occasion. They're the best!!

[Celia Rubenstein]

22 hours ago, sharkerbaby said:

I love mason jars and use them for all sorts of things, including their original intended purpose.  I am frugal and utilize most things in a variety of ways so I have no problem when people use possessions outside of their initial purpose, in fact I appreciate the resourcefulness of new and creative uses for seemingly utilitarian objects.

Since we are talking beverages; I love that I can throw in my shake ingredients, close the lid, shake, and wa la... Moreover, I can take it in to work, store it in the fridge and whenever I feel like drinking it just shake it up.  My kids use them to when they make chocolate milk or any other drink mix.

So yeah, give me a mason jar any day!  And for any of you environmentally conscious folks out there, this one fits both REDUCE and REUSE 

It's fine to use items for purposes other than the ones originally intended - provided such use is actually safe ... and not a money waster in the long run.

The lids that are made for mason jars are coated with BPA (the white layer) and when you shake your drink it comes in contact with the coating. Also the lid and screw top rim are made of tin which tends to rust and it can get into your beverage. When used for canning, the food doesn't rest against the lid so BPA contact is minimized, and the lid and screw top dry after processing, so rust is not usually a problem. But I can't tell you how often I have to toss rusty rims and lids I find in the sink, things I know my daughter has used even though they were not fit to be in contact with food or drink. And those kids and rings cost a lot more than you would think! Like a quarter each for name brand ones! You get maybe 2 uses out of a lid before it deteriorates to the point it's unsanitary (plus all that yummy BPA) then you need a new one. From a monetary standpoint makes no sense at all.

They do make reusable plastic lids , which are not cheap but definitely worth the investment. Just make sure they are BPA free. 

And remember that while mason jars are heat-tempered, they are not significantly more impact resistant than regular glass. They will bust like any other jar. Also keep in mind that you can't change the temperature of the jar rapidly because it will shatter. In other words, don't go dumping boiling water into a room temperature jar unless you want it to explode. You can add a little bit of hot water and swish it around to slowly warm the glass and then you can put something hot (but never boiling) in it.  And be aware that the more extreme the temperature of the jar contents - be it very hot or very cold - the jar is more fragile and prone to breakage because it is under stress.

I have to wonder why Janelle even has a mason jar in her house. Has she ever mentioned canning? Or was the jar the property of her son? He doesn't strike me as a drinking from a mason jar, hipster-type guy, but it appears the trend has spread so who knows.

[xwordfanatik]

Janelle may have bought jars believing that she'd actually get off the sofa and can all that produce she's now supposedly eating?

Too much work, and she's still "thinking about it."  Hunter drinking from it is most likely the only use it's going to get.  

I wouldn't buy or use them, but I see it's become trendy, like you all said.