10 Things That Help Me Drink More Water

Isn’t she just stunning? I’d always thought about getting a carbonator, but to be honest, I just wasn’t crazy for the look of the ones I was seeing on the market. But when I spotted this sleek, stylish carbonator, I was all in. Not only is it simply gorgeous, but it’s also incredibly easy to use. Within seconds of opening it, it was set up and bubbling my drinks to perfection. Note that Aarke doesn’t sell its own cylinders of CO2, but other brands, such as SodaStream, work perfectly in the Aarke. Since getting my Aarke, I’ve essentially kicked sugary sodas to the curb in favor of my own carbonated creations. My favorite? Sparkling water with fresh mint and a squeeze of lime. And to top it all off, the machine is so beautiful that I consider it eye-candy for my counter and don’t mind leaving it out.

For a more budget-friendly option, many of my HGTV colleagues use SodaStream. The Aarke and SodaStream Fizzi One Touch have a few significant differences. One is price. The SodaStream is more than $100 cheaper and often on sale. Also, this particular SodaStream model requires a plug, whereas the Aarke is manual. And depending on your taste preference, the Fizzi One Touch features three buttons on top for various fizziness levels.

Not interested in bubbling your own brews? These canned sparkling waters are a personal favorite, and I genuinely have to stop myself from drinking the entire 24-pack in one week. It may also be essential to note that I am usually not a fan of canned sparkling waters. I agree with the Ryan Reynolds adage that they have “just enough flavor to piss me off,” but these have just the right amount of flavor and sweetness that I can get behind. That said, if you aren’t a fan of stevia, they may be more of an acquired taste. I, however, am a stevia stan, and these sparkling waters are so good.

Speaking of stevia, when I realized I’d need to give up most other drinks in my effort to drink 100 ounces of water a day, I started looking for a flavor enhancer that wasn’t filled with sugar or worse, mystery chemicals that have caused headaches for me in the past. When I came across Stur, which touts natural ingredients, I was excited to try it, and it did not disappoint. They have so many great flavors, and you can add as little or as much as you’d like to make drinking water a bit more fun. I’m partial to pomegranate cranberry, orange mango and black cherry, but I’ve yet to try one I didn’t like.

As far as water bottles go, this has to be one of the cooler ones I’ve tried. It pairs with an app to let you know how much water you should be drinking on any given day and glows when you need a reminder to start sipping. And since the amount you need to drink is personalized based on factors like weight, sex, if you’re pregnant or nursing, and even the weather and altitude, the amount you need to drink is adjusted every day. Plus, if you need a little accountability to reach your goal, you can connect your app with friends who also have the bottle to track each other’s progress and even set up competitions.

Once I was in the habit of drinking more often, I made the switch to a 30-ounce YETI tumbler paired with a stainless-steel straw. There’s just something about a straw that makes sipping a large amount of water so much easier, and three to four of these a day became totally doable. The only downside? As much as I love drinking out of a straw, the constant lip pursing felt like a good way to get premature mouth wrinkles, and I began searching for a solution. Enter this weird and wonderful straw tip designed to prevent mouth pursing while still allowing the user to reap the benefits of a straw. Was it weird at first? Definitely. Did I quickly learn to love it and actually enjoy using it? Yes. It’s strangely comforting, actually, and not just because it helps me on my constant quest for perfect skin.

Another bottle worth mentioning: The LARQ. Not only does it look like a work of art, but it actually utilizes UV-C LED light to purify your water and the bottle itself. You read that right: It’s a self-cleaning water bottle that eliminates 99.9999 percent of bio-contaminants. I grab the compact 17-ounce insulated bottle anytime I’m going somewhere where I plan to refill from a public fountain (which I’ve traditionally avoided at all costs), but people even use these bottles to drink out of natural water sources, and I hope to bring it with me when I'm back to traveling internationally. They’re pretty incredible. Use it at the gym, for long days traveling and in any situation where you don’t want to constantly be refilling your bottle but want clean, safe water on hand.

Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say a little something about this super-sealing straining bottle. On a trip to China several years ago, I noticed all the locals walking around with water bottles filled with loose-leaf green tea. As a tea lover myself, I was so intrigued by this way of taking tea that I immediately started my hunt for a water bottle that would strain tea leaves. Why was it so hard? I knew I wanted something easy that never leaked and could be tossed in my bag on my way out the door. Most tea straining bottles are double-walled glass — beautiful, breakable and rarely dishwasher safe. This bottle, however, is made of durable BPA-free plastic with a seal I never have to worry about. Plus, I love that it’s still clear so I can see the pretty tea leaves free-floating in my water. And while I’m not a matcha drinker, reviewers swear by this bottle for that as well.