Today I want to talk about sippy cups. It’s stupid, I know. But I’ve had some real trouble over here in the Jones household with finding a good-looking sippy cup that doesn’t leak!

Let’s take a little trip down memory lane. Remember this post? I’ll quickly refresh your memory.

First, we tried the Gerber Graduates sippy. Jack didn’t like (and still doesn’t like) tilting the cup to drink. He prefers a straw. Okay, no big, right?

Then we tried Tommee Tippee Explora, only to find that it’s nearly impossible to clean. Take this bad boy apart and you’ll never get it back together again!

Next, we tried the Nuby Flex Straw, which we’ve had a bit of luck with. It’s easy to clean so we use it for his milk, but I don’t let him have it anywhere but his high chair because it leaks.

Then, as you know, we got him a Camelbak kids bottle. We loved this one for four months or so until it started leaking. He managed to bite a large hole in the bite valve (my sister’s kids who are 3 and 5 have done this to theirs too). It leaks pretty badly, and buying a replacement straw is $7 and only a temporary fix. It’s inevitable – it’ll happen again and again.

At this time I was also shopping for a new waterbottle for myself. I found the Embark cup from Target (image via Target) and gave it a try. Once dropped on its side, it was gushing water. Half of the bottle leaked all over my carpet in a matter of seconds. Thus, that one got returned.

I finally went back to the sippy isle for the billionth time and grabbed a set of two Playtex Lil’ Grippers with straws (image via Playtex website). Definitely not the cheapest or the most attractive option, but they have a money-back guarantee that guaranteed me no leaks. It was great for about two days, and then the squeaking started. Every time Jack takes a big drink, the air releasing back into the cup makes an obnoxiously loud squeak. It was then that I remembered, “My sister’s girls had these cups! I know this sound!”

Guess you can’t win ’em all, right? We’re either stuck with a cup with Dora the Explorer on it or one that squeaks like a horn and is made by a tampon company. (anyone else find that strange?)

(p.s. I got a new waterbottle! I was tired of  trying to keep my camelbak clean, so I tried the Thermos Sipp (image via Target). I love it! It’s modern and beautifully designed, and makes the water look appealing to drink. Leak-free, highly recommended!)