How to Make Flavored Water and Stay Hydrated with Contigo

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I never enjoyed the taste (or lack thereof) of water but it’s important to stay hydrated so I found ways to make it happen. Today I want to show you how to make flavored water with several of my favorite flavor combinations and share how I keep on top of my water intake with Contigo Water Bottles.

This post was sponsored. All opinions and experiences are mine. Contigo is my favorite water bottle brand so I was excited to work with them on this project. Please note there are affiliate links in this post.

Growing up we had one choice for what to drink – water. Water was boring. Water didn’t taste good – especially when everyone elese had fun colorful sugary drinks. When country girl met city water it was even more disgusting. Ice cold flavored water became my “lifeline” to stay hydrated but it never stays cold long enough. I tried different flavor enhancers and just couldn’t get into them. I wanted that fruity flavor without sweetener so started experimenting with homemade flavored waters. (I’m sharing some easy favorites below).

But I still had a problem since I only like it ice cold AND am always on the go. A glass of water is hard to haul around and gets warm so fast so I tried different water bottles. Some water bottles just didn’t hold up to a beating, weren’t easy to hold, leaked, or didn’t keep my water cold long enough. Does this sound familiar?

What is the best water bottle to buy?

You’ll find just about every suggestion out there for the very best water bottle to to buy but I think there is one water bottle everyone needs – a Contigo stainless steel water bottle. I’ve been using them for quite a few years now and these water bottles hold up to a beating and go everywhere with me. Any time I need to replace a water bottle they are the only ones I buy.

What are some of my favorite features of Contigo water bottles?

We have several styles and like them all but the design of this Contigo AUTOSEAL® Chill Bottle is my favorite so far (I say go for that 2-pack but you can also find single options).

 

Color options – Who doesn’t love picking a water bottle that matches their style? I’m not ashamed to admit I’m more likely to carry around a water bottle that has pleasing aesthetics and colors that match my style. I have a black matte and aqua bottle while my husband has the plain stainless steel with blue trim. My daughter tried to convince me to get her another one (the pinkk, of course!) but she already has one so it went back on the shelf…for now.

It is leak and spill proof – For real! I don’t know how often I have tossed it on the passenger seat of my car and it hasn’t leaked once. The lids truly seal with AUTOSEAL® technology. Do make sure you thread it on properly though as it will leak if not on right.

Stays cold up to 28 hours – YES! It really does! They use Thermalock™ Vacuum Insulation to ensure this and, even better, the bottle doesn’t sweat. I’ve put ice water in it by my bed at night and still had ice water in the morning!

The spout – the handy flip top cover protects the spout top from getting dirty and you open the spout itself with a little button on the back of the bottle, making it an easy one hand operation. If you’ve ever attempted to stay coordinated on a treadmill while grabbing a sip of water THIS MATTERS. Best of all, as soon as you release the button it seals the spout again. And no straw required. I ALWAYS lose the straw on water bottles.

Easy carry – I’m one of those people who likes to load up my arms and shoulders with everything possible to make it a “one trip” event. The carry handle built into the top flips up easily so I can loop it over a finger and keep my hands free for other things like grocery bags, gym bag, etc.

Easy clean – The stainless steel base is easy to wash, and I can enjoy my favorite flavored waters without it absorbing the flavors. The lid can be placed in the top rack of the dishwasher.

Make that water bottle earn its keep! I’ve gotten a few comments on the price of the Contigo water bottles – is it worth it? If you’re not convinced already, I’ve had this water bottle for 2.5 years and still have one that I bought about 4 years ago. They get used all the time. In that time, we would usually go through multiple plastic and glass water bottles that were half the price. I’d say that’s worth it. I still do a better job drinking my water now that it stays ice cold too.

So now we’ve solved the problem of keeping water cold, how about losing the boring flavor?

Here are five fun flavored water combos you can make yourself whenever you want to! It’s super easy and you can mix, match, and try new things depending on what ingredients you have at home. The sky’s the limit, but I’m sharing my favorites.

Blackberry and Basil Water

• 4 cups water
• 6 blackberries cut in half
• 1 basil leaf folded in half and sliced thinly

Pineapple Coconut Lime

• 4 cups water
• (6) 1 inch cubes fresh pineapple
• 2 slices lime
• 2 oz. coconut water

Strawberry Mint

• 4 cups water
• 1 strawberry, sliced
• 2 mint leaves, chopped

Blackberry Lemon Ginger 

• 4 cups water
• 3 blackberries cut in half
• 3 thin slices lemon
• 3 thin slices fresh ginger

Watermelon Cinnamon

• 4 cups water
• 3 thin wedges watermelon
• (1) 2-inch cinnamon stick

So now that you have 5 tasty flavored water combinations, you need the steps to prep it for the best flavor infusion.

1. Prep water ahead of time so it’s ready when you need it. I prep in the evening so it infuses overnight.
2. Cut produce and put in bottom of water container. I like to use 1 quart jars and an extra water bottle.
3. Fill jars/bottle with water.
4. Keep infused water in the refrigerator until ready to use or put it on the counter a couple hours before using if you prefer it room temperature.
5. As I empty a jar I refill it with fruit I froze just for fruit-infused water and put it at the back of the rotation.

TIP: When I make my flavored water I cut the rest of the fruit up for fruit salad or freeze in individual bags for smoothies or flavored water.

Finally, you need to create the healthy habits to ensure you drink your water and stay hydrated.

Create water goals. If you aren’t drinking ANY water, start out with an easy goal. 1 water bottle a day is 24 ounces (3 cups). Once you hit that goal add 1 more water bottle (6 cups) and keep on adding until you hit your ultimate goal.

Stay on track. Starting out it was easy to forget to drink my water. I set reminders on my phone to remind me to drink some water every hour until my body got used to water and “demanded” it.

Note it. Use a water tracker or note taking app to keep track of how much water you drank. When you are on the go it’s easy to forget when you refilled that water bottle.

Find the right temperature. Do you like ice cold water or room temp water? Play around with the temperature until you find the one that works for you. For the longest time I tried drinking tap temp water. Once I started adding ice I drank so much more.

Failure isn’t in the cards. One of the biggest hindrances for me is feeling like I fail when I don’t reach a goal. Each day is a new start. Didn’t hit your goal yesterday? Start fresh today.

What are some of the tips you’ve used to stay on track with drinking enough water? Let us know in the comments!

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