Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how to make it easier to make healthy choices around the house: bright, colorful fruits and vegetables out on the table, and sliced or otherwise at-the-ready in the fridge. A cold pitcher of water front-and-center.

In Davis, our water is sourced from wells and the taste doesn’t exactly have me running to the tap. So when Soma (the people behind that beautiful carafe) got in touch about trying their lovely new 10-cup water filter pitcher—a size that makes sense for our family—I was eager to give it a try.

Of all the habits I’d like to form, starting the day with a glass of water really should be simple.

I’ve noticed that when we bring home oranges or berries home (these strawberries were just picked at our local field!), we all reach for them first. I want that to be my relationship to water.

Have you heard that thirst and hunger cues are actually the same? I sometimes open the refrigerator door with neither cue (prompted more by restlessness or ritual), but there are many times I would be satisfied by a glass of water when I have instead grabbed a snack. In fact, a friend once told me that she drinks a glass of water before ordering at a restaurant or going grocery shopping—to try and keep from making decisions she’ll later regret.

(Sidenote: I promise you that counter did not stay clean and strawberry-free for long. Skyler is such a mess when she eats—thus, no shirt.)

Some of my highlights about the new Soma pitcher:
⋅ Obviously, it’s lovely to look at: simple lines with a sustainable white-oak handle. It looks good, and that’s no small thing when you’re trying to start a habit—something I learned here.
⋅ The filters make the water taste better! Made of coconut shell carbon, the filters have been tested by the Water Quality Association and shown to remove chlorine and improve taste. They last through 40-gallons of use (about two months).
⋅ The new pitcher uses the same filter that the Soma carafe does (so if you’re already subscribed to receive replacement filters, you can use those in both).

I remember reading an article in a beauty magazine about secret weapons, years ago—the ultimate hairbrush, the lipstick that gives you fuller lips, the anti-aging creams—and what really struck a chord was when one doctor (a dermatologist, I believe) said something to the effect of everyone is always looking for that one magic thing, and spending so much money to find it, when it already exists: “water.” “And,” she added, “sunscreen.”

Virtually every article I’ve read on the topics of health or beauty since has reminded me that I need to be more vigilant about my consumption.

I’d prefer to open the refrigerator and let the sight of a beautiful pitcher filled with filtered, clean-tasting water do that.

How about you? What’s the habit you’d most like to form? 

*If you are like me and drinking more water is on your list, I’ve got some good news: the first 100 readers to use the code onefreefilter will get credit for 1 free replacement filter with their first Soma order.

P.S. It’s not lost on me that while I whine about trying to remember to pour some of my abundant drinking water multiple times a day, there are 748 million people around the world who don’t have access to clean water. I’m happy to learn that for every Soma filter purchased, clean drinking water is donated through Soma’s partner, charity: water—a non-profit that is dedicated to bringing clean, safe drinking water to people in developing countries.

This post is sponsored by Soma. Thank you for supporting Hither & Thither. 

Related posts: