Tupperware Township, 50 States:
Lurking within the confines of closed American cabinetry, is tupperware…a universal population.
Rubbermaid food storage containers are an incredibly durable breed. A COMPLETE 24 Piece Servin’ Saver Set, is indeed a rare breed. Rubbermaid products rarely survive long arduous journeys in “packs” and are most often sighted in various stages of disarray. The “singles” tend to get stolen, relocated, tossed or trashed, and rarely inhabit any dwelling over 90 days. The Rubbermaid “couples” refuse to die, though their respective halves meet unfettered fate due to dreaded lid divorce, bottom loss, and the demise of sloppy seconds.

The 24 Piece Rubbermaid Servin’ Saver “township” includes the following:
1 - 1.5 pt. Round cylinder container
1 - 1.5 qt. Round cylinder container
1 - 14 oz. Round container
1 - 1.5 qt. Round container
2 - 12 oz. Rectangular containers
1 - 1 pt. Bottle
1 - 1 pt. Sandwich saver
1 - 4 oz. Round cylinder container
2 - 1.7 pt. Round containers
12 lids and 1 Spout (for the Bottle)
Base containers are clear plastic and have traditional almond colored lids.
All pieces are microwave, dishwasher, and completely “toddler” safe.

Memory Lane:
In its former glory, my complete Rubbermaid “kingdom” was once a beautiful and functional thing. The lids nested snugly together, easily exchanged among multiple bases, and also stored neatly beneath them. The clear un-mottled bowls and sandwich containers stacked and stored beautifully, and nary a drop of liquid ever leaked or spilled from any of the convenient snap tight containers. Every happily married “couples” stayed safely sealed through various drops, bops, and occasional plops.

The large quart rounds conveniently stored hot soups and cold salads. The medium ounce rounds and rectangular containers, easily housed single servings of sides and leftovers. The tiny pint rounds stored small snacks and dips, and the sandwich saver sheltered most mountainous sandwiches. The drink container held Tupperware Towns "fountain" - or, a meals worth of juice.

These clever container sets made it through a multitude of hand washings, midday microwave rendevous, and returned from occasional “lend outs” unscathed. Food stayed fresh for reasonable lengths of time, and when expired you’d never know it, unless of course, you opened the lid.

Fast Forward:
Nearly eight years later…the Rubbermaid “singles and couples” still serve me well, though worse for wear and missing various members, they are alive and somewhat kicking. What remains of my once pristine (and formerly complete) set, now bares the crusted white scars of boiling liquids, their lids are slightly warped from a few hundred rounds in the scalding dishwasher, and all have been scratched and marred from my determination to scour away “left overs”. Several bowls and lids bare tell-tale peachy stains of spaghetti’s past, while others have long since clouded over. All but sixteen from my original 24 piece set have surrendered their lives and/or lids to “borrowing”, donating, boxing, packing and three major life changing moves. My tupperware has seen 8 years of marriage, 8 years of food and a toddler who uses them for much more then “storing food”.

Mighty Mt. Tupperware, Further Uses and Parting:
Using various servin' saver bricks, my daughter and I have constructed many mighty wobbling homes -housing dolls, stuffed animals, and lots of other misfit toys. In one fell swoop she knocks them down, laughing and giggling with a two year olds joy, and in our eyes these "tupperware towns" are a precious sight to behold.

But as with all things, time takes its toll, and we tend to buy new things to replace the old...

As we packed up the last of our “tupperware town”, I all but fought back a strange flow of tears. Not from navigating “modern style” Stack-n-Stores, Take-n-Tosses, complicated Collapsibles, and cheap "generic" bowls, But because it’s difficult trying to replace the past 8 years! I clung to my daughter as we stood in the doorway, watching her father tote away our bag full of "homes". Waving as we watched him go, I think we both felt sad, and strangely alone. Only minutes had passed, when my husband abruptly returned. He was mid-way to the dumpster when a familiar tune started "tooting" inside the trash bag. My daughters favorite trumpet!!!...But Wait! Could it be? Had my tupperware also found its way back to me?!! I ran outside and saw the bag, its familiar contents scattered in the trunk, I can't believe how happy I was that "tupperware town" made it home!

My daughter taught me a lesson, in her innocence she understood, that if mommy could give something important away then she could give something away, too. Had it not been for her tiny trumpet, some great traditions might have come to an end. I'd never again eat cereal (from my favorite spaghetti stained bowl) the cabinets would fall silent, and blueprints for future "tupperware towns" would never again unfold. Stuffed animals would continue to go unbathed, and my daughters dolls would lose their homes. I'd no longer have the joy of aggressively scouring plastic, no lending leftovers to favorite friends, or hunting through mountains of mismatched parts -when special dinners drew to an end. All the juice, all the salads, the chicken wing bones, the yummy sandwiches and midnight snacks, would no longer have their homes.

I'm forever grateful for my daughters compassion, she saved a perfect set of Rubbermaid Servin' Saver bowls.

Recommended: Yes