My “Hydration Station” hack!

To support my efforts in drinking more water and tea (instead of coffee and Coke), my friend gave me a water distiller/purifier. My kitchen is small, so I put it in my breakfast room on a beat-up hutch I’d been thinking of painting or tossing. (Mostly tossing). He then repurposed part of an old computer desk for shelves.

Next, I lightly refinished the hutch. It had definitely seen better days (and better decades).

Above is a picture of the top of the hutch (in early stages) and the as-yet-untouched table drop leaf. Note the deep, deep grooves and scratches created by someone’s cat (not mine). I started with sanding, but the grooves were so deep I decided to try to make the grooves blend into and become part of the design, instead.

Above, the hutch after sanding and a two-paint process that camouflaged many, many more cat scratches. Obviously, seventy years ago this hutch had been used as some lucky cat’s scratching post.

Now my “hydration station” has hot and cold water, a big box of my favorite morning tea (Twinings Irish Breakfast), an assortment of flavored and herbal teas, and packets of Emergen-C. Cups, glasses, and Contigo to-go cups are within easy reach, so it’s super easy to grab a sip. Finally, there’s room for a few festive decorations I can switch out with the seasons. Poinsettias in a skull mug from a Christmas pirate show. A stuffed snowman. A walnut and pine Tim Bramer bandsaw box (a gift from my friends Paula and Ward in Fancy Gap). And one of the 101 Dalmations (obviously caffeinated) speeding past the teas.

My “Hydration Station” adds personality to the room and has effortlessly increased my water intake, AND was made from “about to be tossed” furniture. An unexpected bonus – my kitchen/breakfast area is small. Having something tall that fills the space against the wall brings the eye up and makes the room feel bigger – more so than just hanging a picture.

About The Shelf Contents …

Is Emergen-C Vegan?

Most flavors of those little packets are. Pink Lemonade and Immune Defense are (or were) sweetened with honey.

Immune+ products with Vitamin D are not vegan (they used, or use to use, a Vitamin D derived from lanolin from sheep’s wool). Always check the ingredients!

Are Herbal Teas Vegan?

Most are; some aren’t.

Honey is the non-vegan ingredient that crops up most often. This is usually easy to spot as honey is still seen by many as desirable and is often party of the label – like Honey Chamomile Tea.

Dairy is sometimes an ingredient. One tip off is if the tea is called “creamy” – Creamy Caramel or Creamy Chocolate. Also, dairy tends to turn up in teabags or loose tea more at fancy, high-end tea shops than the shelves of your local supermarket.

One final thing to consider – the cloth of your teabag. Is it paper? If it’s fabric, it might be silk – made from silkworms!

Always read labels!

I hope this upcycling project has inspired you! Have you tried anything similar?

What’s your favorite healthy beverage?