Friday, May 6, 2011

GlassDharma glass straw review and GIVEAWAY!

I have a surprise for my amazing followers! I know some of you will remember a post I did a little while ago where I mentioned my love for Glass Dharma straws! Well, the makers of the original glass straw want to give YOU an opportunity to own and love one as much as I do- for FREE!

As I mentioned in my first post about this amazing glass straw- handmade in the United States- I've had mine for almost 3 years now! They have withstood being carried in my purse, dropped in the floor (although I don't recommend doing it on purpose), tossed by the kids, moved to 3 different dwellings while we were stationed at Fort Bragg, and not a single ONE has cracked, broken, or chipped! And if it had? Guess what! Their Lifetime Guarantee Against Breakage would have handled the replacement!

Bear in mind that they are not unbreakable, just guaranteed! Glass Dharma wants it's customers to be completely satisfied with their products, so if you're not 100% satisfied, they want to know and they want to correct it! If your straw breaks, they want to know and they want to fix it- or replace it! Now, THAT is customer service as it should be.

I believe that all of us here are planet-friendly people, but it wasn't until a few years ago that I realized just how huge a problem plastic straw waste is! Imagine just how many of those things end up trashed every year!? How could something so small be an issue?

According to Glass Dharma's website, in 2008, McDonalds ALONE claimed to serve 52 MILLION meals a day. How many of those do you imagine included a drink with a plastic straw? One little straw is no biggie, but tens of MILLIONS of straws being trashed every day (from only one company!) easily becomes the straw that broke the camel's ecological back! What an environmental disaster (waste created) and biological disaster (chemicals leached from the plastic)! Using glass straws from Glass Dharma is the perfect way to completely avoid contributing to the problem.


I was sent a box of straws- one Beautiful Bends (super cool bent straw), one Simple Elegance (the kind I've had 3 of for almost 3 years and loved!), one green Decorative Dots (a long one), and one amber Decorative Dots (a short one). Also included was a hemp carrying sleeve (natural hemp) and two cleaning brushes, which I will tell you makes cleaning them a breeze.

The Beautiful Bends straw is 9.5mm wide and 9" long, retailing for $8.50. The bend makes it perfect for use in a taller glass and I actually used mine while I was online researching the effects of plastic straws on the environment! It hung over the side of my glass slightly, so I never had to take my eyes off of the screen to ensure that I wasn't about to knock my glass off of the dining room table. Even if you're not a lazy sipper like me, they just look absolutely beautiful in a glass! 


The Simple Elegance straws come in a variety of lengths and widths. As the most cost effective straw, they are fantastic to have on hand for use by the entire family. Their simplicity makes them ridiculously easy to clean- and I truly think that my drinks just taste better when I drink them through a glass straw- these are perfect for the minimalist! I have taken to keeping mine in the fridge- talk about refreshing! While I usually don't drink hot drinks, thus keeping my straws in the fridge, they are perfectly suited for cold OR hot drinks, so use them in everything without worry of damaging them. They were made to be used!


The Decorative Dots straws are so neat! Doing this review was the first time I'd seen one of them, even though I've been lusting after them since I bought my first  set of straws. I love how fun they look and what's impressive to me is that there is no paint to make me concerned and no fading to take away from the beauty of your straw. The dots are colored glass (that come in blue, red, green, or amber), the same glass as the straws, which means that they are made of borosilicate glass, the strongest commercially available glass! The tall Decorative Dots straws are stunning and the shorter straws are now my first choice for my kids. They're strong, beautiful, and the colored dots make them perfect for color coding- no more mixing up the kid's cups!




I have been carrying my straw in my purse wrapped haphazardly in a cloth napkin for dining out, so I was really excited to try the hemp carrying sleeve! I was instantly hooked on the look and texture of the sleeve- it just looks environmentally responsible! I was sent the natural hemp sleeve (that retails for $12.00) to try out and that is definitely the one I would have ordered for myself. The fabric swatch, pictured below, gives you an idea of the color options you have if you're interested in a sleeve that isn't the natural hemp color- purple dawn, ocean blue, deep moss, and black pearl (that retail for $15.00 each). Regardless of the color, you can choose from 3 sizes to get the best fit for your straw!





Since I've had plenty of experience with the Simple Elegance straws and there were two of the Decorative Dots straws, we tried out the amber Decorative Dots straw and the Beautiful Bends straw to let you know how they work and what we thought of them! Do you know what that means for you guys?! I have two straws and two cleaning brushes to give to you!

Up for grabs, we have two gift sets, courtesy of Glass Dharma.

Set one:
A green Decorative Dots straw that is 9.5mm wide and 9" long. This straw does not normally come with a cleaning brush, but for our giveaway, it will! The cleaning brushes normally retail for $5.00 each. The green dots are absolutely beautiful and as an added bonus, keeps that pesky straw from rolling off of the table! Retails for $9.00 each on their website. (A total value of $14.00)



Set two:
A Simple Elegance straw that is 12mm wide and 9" long, making it perfect for drinking smoothies, even ones with fantastic fruit pieces that normally get stuck in the straw or never make it in! This is the mac daddy of glass straws and we have really enjoyed ours over the years! This straw has a cleaning brush in it's box! Retails for $8.50 each on their website, plus the cleaning brush! (A total value of $13.50)


This is mine, yours is new in the box!

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to communicate with the incredible people at Glass Dharma while we were planning this blog posting and the giveaway! What an incredible company selling handmade products, all made in the U.S- even the sleeves and brushes!

To win one of the two gift sets, here is what you do:

Mandatory entry, include your name and email address in this comment:
- follow "Where am I?"

Extra entries, please leave 1 comment per entry:
- like "Glass Dharma on Facebook" and let them know how much we appreciate this giveaway!
- suggest something you'd like to see more of here at "Where am I?"
- suggest "Where am I?" to a friend (and/or create a blog or Facebook posting about this giveaway), having them follow and let me know YOU sent them!

All in all, you can have 4 entries each.
I will use random.org to choose a winner on Friday, May 20th!

"Sip the world, taste the difference."
(and Happy Winning!)

46 comments:

Jill said...

wow, I'm the first taker, huh? Well count me in! jillmcourser@gmail.com Great giveaway!

karen said...

yay, what a great give away how exciting:) You know the other day when you mentioned your glass straw I thought what a great idea! id love to win one
my email is karzyjj@hotmail.com

karen said...

I liked them on facebook

karen said...

Id love to see more sbout your garden and cute chookies:)

Kory said...

Super cool giveaway lady! I love glass straws, I think everyone should have them!!

Samantha said...

Oh I am super excited about this giveaway. I have always wanted to try glass straws!

I follow you!

skurviee@gmail.com

Samantha said...

Oh and I definitely went and followed GlassDharma on Facebook. :)

Jill said...

I'd love to see more tutorials/how we did it type posts on your blog, since lots of the things you're doing on your "homestead" are things that we hope to do too!

biebergirl16 said...

What a GREAT idea!! I hope I win.
I "LIKED" them on facebook and will refer your blog. Again, lol.
doulaquita@att.net Thanks!, Tequita

biebergirl16 said...

I would like to see you write about the value of doula support! :)
Tequita

Beatrice said...

I follow Where am I?

Beatrice

beateakamp@gmail.com

Beatrice said...

I would like to see more recipes :)

I love recipes!!!

beateakamp@gmail.com

Em said...

i'm in eemartin2907@hotmail.com

and I would like to hear more about those awesome friends of yours! LOL... jk!

Kate said...

Awesome! I already carry around a fork, spoon & knife set :) Love it! krhalsey@gmail.com

Kate said...

I'd love to see some info on keeping bugs & pests out of the garden pesticide-free :)

Kate said...

Liked on Facebook :)

Amy and Meagan said...

I follow the blog! Amy, solitarycow@gmail.com

Amy and Meagan said...

Also liked them on facebook :)

devilwoman15 said...

I ordered some today for my Mom and I has a Mom's Day but you can never have too many, love the giveaway

devilwoman15 said...

oops forgot my name and email address Jean E. Sagarese and devilwoman15@hotmail.com

brandi d said...

I am "officially" following you ;)
Brandi
Jsangel_1@hotmail.com

How exciting your first giveaway ;)

brandi d said...

I am liked them on Facebook!

brandi d said...

I think you should do more recipies ;) or tutorials

Rachel said...

I like GlassDharma (anything with Dharma in the name, I'm cool with!) on FB and left them a note to thank them for this giveaway!

arizonarachel@hotmail.com

Rachel said...

I'm a new follower! Thanks for checking out my blog :)

arizonarachel@hotmail.com

Rachel said...

I'd like to see more giveaways on your site :)

arizonarachel@hotmail.com

Sassy said...

Count me in! :)

sassysasha817 at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

I am a follower! abbey@lovinglabor.net

Deaira Dea said...

following and so excited to find your blog! I carry my own chopstick in my purse would love to add straws to the pouch! :) Harmonni@aol.com

Deaira Dea said...

I came here for your "No-Poo" recipe and the others I LOVE making my own cleaners, and what not around the house. I love tips about how to live more sustainably. HArmonni@aol.com

Deaira Dea said...

following glass dharma on facebook too! Harmonni@aol.com

Unknown said...

this is a neat idea nicholesmith_2010@yahoo.com facebook follower

Courtney said...

Followed your blog! <3 Courtney
courtneyipeters@hotmail.com

Courtney said...

Liked GlassDharma on Facebook and expressed my appreciation <3

Courtney said...

I'd like to see more of your fabulous recipes, my dear friend! xoxo

Kate said...

By the way, I'm officially following you now, where I was unofficially following before... does that count? ;)

Anonymous said...

I'm your newest follower from Say Hi Sunday blog hop. I'm new at blogging, and need some followers to get up and running! Would love if you could follow me back, too :)

www.Kindertravels.net

Have a great rest of your Sunday!

shirley said...

I follow GFC
shirley
supergrand2009@yahoo.com

shirley said...

like "Glass Dharma on Facebook"-shirley e. left a comment.
supergrand2009@yahoo.com

shirley said...

I always like to see recipes to try.
supergrand2009@yahoo.com

Tiffany said...

I follow your blog
littlepk318@yahoo.com

Tiffany said...

Following Glass Dharma on FB
littlepk318@yahoo.com

Tiffany said...

I would love to see more about homemade supplies (soaps, no-poos, anything really) & more about changing over to reusable options.
littlepk318@yahoo.com

Jaunna said...

I'm following :) jaunna@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Following <3 obviously.

ohdeardrea@gmail.com

BrendaC said...

I am your newest GFC follower from the hop, would love it if you dropped by my blog at WV Stitcher . Have a fantastic weekend!