Plastic or Paper?

Paper or plastic?You may have noticed from our Valentines breakfast that we were eating on paper plates and drinking from plastic cups. It’s time I confessed- I am addicted to disposable dinnerware. When I was pregnant with Hannah and Rob was doing his summer internship, we lived in a tiny two bedroom house for the summer. It was actually a lot of fun living in close quarters, but Rob was working long days, and I just didn’t want to wash dishes. It is by far the worst household task to me! I hate scraping off the old food and scrubbing the little bits. I don’t know why it’s ok for me to put in my mouth and eat until after it has been cleared from the table. Then it becomes disgusting! Weird.

So, Rob suggested that we go all paper plates and cups. I resisted at first mostly because of the cost, and a little environmentalist guilt. But it was great! We even moved on to paper bowls for cereal and plastic utensils when we can get away with it. I have been using paper and plastic ever since. I still put off doing dishes, and my kitchen sink is never empty for more than an hour, but it would be even worse. I’m not sure when I will go back to real plates especially since I found these paper products that have biblical sayings on them. That will make things more classy right? …ok, so I won’t really buy these, but they’re funny. If only there were disposable pots and pans…

7 Comments

  1. Banna
    Feb 18, 2007

    I have environmental guilt on this one so I don’t use them regularly, although I have a stack that I use when people come over…it really is so much easier! i totally understand the appeal!

  2. Heidi
    Feb 18, 2007

    Biblical quotes!?! It’s like you’re SUPPOSED to use them. 😉

  3. Holly
    Feb 18, 2007

    For some reason, I have never minded doing the dishes. But, there are other household duties that I loathe. I can’t stand to mop, scrub walls or dust. If they discovered some way to cut corners on these tasks that also depleted the spotted owl population, I don’t think I’d lose too much sleep over it. Yes, I’m THAT heartless.

  4. Melly
    Feb 18, 2007

    Love it! Mark also suggested we use paper plates and things right after I had Wellington so that we didn’t have to do dishes, I thought he was a genius.

  5. Heather
    Feb 19, 2007

    My dirty little secret? I got sick and tired of running out of spoons, they are the most used utensil in our drawer. I even lost some due to overzealous little ones throwing them away with their empty yogurt cups (AHHHHHH!!!). So I now buy heavy duty plastic spoons, and we use them AND wash them like regular utensils. It’s a life saver for me. Also, I too always try to have a bunch of paper dinnerware on hand for when family comes so that I, or my Mom (who is too kind and always does my dishes when she comes to visit), don’t have to slave in the kitchen cleaning during any of the visits. And I am going to be getting a bunch to use for right after this baby comes. I know better than to try and do it all, and dishes are at the bottom of the list when I’ve just had a baby.

  6. Korby
    Feb 19, 2007

    I love using paper plates they make me happy. I should use them more. I am so busy some days that the dishes just have to wait until they can’t wait.

  7. anne
    Feb 22, 2007

    I knew there were people out there who did this! I love it!!! I hate dishes too, and when we have people come over for big fancy meals, like when in reality I should bring out the good dishes, I use paper. It drives my BF crazy, she is proper, but I love it!!! Way to go!!! My little secret? I use paper Towel to clean everything, never a cloth, icky icky icky. Paper towel then just toss it away, I love it!!! But i don’t think they are dirty little secrets.. they are clean little secrets!!