Less Mess, More Yes

Great Grades Begin with Great Organization: Your Guide to College Dorm Room Storage

By Tim Serrilla of Sterilite Corporation

As summer winds down, it’s time to get ready to head back to college! If you are shopping for your dorm room, making it feel like home is a top priority.  

Did you know that the average college dorm room is only 12 feet by 19 feet? This means that everything you bring must fit in 228 square feet of space. That means that if you have a roommate, you could be faced with the task of storing all of your items in just 114 square feet (even less if you have a messy roommate). This may seem daunting, but Sterilite has a host of products that will make organizing your college dorm room easier than ever. 

In most cases, the small closets in dorm rooms are simply not large enough to house all of your clothing. The 3 Drawer Wide Cart is ideal for storing all elements of your wardrobe. The clear plastic drawers make it easy to identify what is inside allowing you to spend less time searching for clothes and more time studying. Also, the width of these drawer carts ensures that there will be plenty of room for whatever you need to store. The Sterilite line of drawer carts also comes with casters so they can be moved easily. Whether you are creating a mobile closet under your lofted bed or adding a convenient bedside table, Sterilite drawer carts are a great way to use the limited dorm space efficiently. 

A college workload means many things – long papers, group projects and late nights cramming for finals. The best way to fight the blues of burning the midnight oil is to have all of your study materials prepared for whatever project lies ahead.  Fortunately, Sterilite has the perfect assortment of desktop storage products to ensure that you are prepared to tackle your college assignments. Get desktop clutter under control with the 3 Drawer Desktop Unit. This small storage unit features an open-sided frame with clear drawers so that the contents can be viewed from any angle. Also, the flip-top lid allows you to easily access frequently used items. This product is the ideal container for all your small school supplies including: pens, highlighters, sticky notes, calculators, and more. 

Hitting the books is a major part of college, but let’s not forget that there is time for fun as well. Down time between classes and group projects should be spent relaxing, not searching for your favorite DVD. With Sterilite Mini Crates you’ll be able to get the most out of your free time. These small crates are the perfect size to hold CDs, DVDs, playing cards and whatever else you need to maximize your enjoyment while taking a study break. These items clip together to make a modular storage system – perfect for your desk’s upper shelf.

Great grades begin with great organization. So, whether you are trying to consolidate desk clutter or store all of your clothes, be sure to get a jump on your college semester with Sterilite products for your dorm room!

The Dorm Life

This post is written by our guest blogger, Amanda Kuzak, Northern California's Premiere Professional Organizer and Estate Liquidator. Her blog, Kuzak's Closet, has been awarded best blog of Silicon Valley in 2012 and 2013. She has been featured in Getting Organized Magazine, Back Home Magazine, and is a contributing author of The Spirit of Silicon Valley. You can find her at www.kuzakscloset.com/blog/

As summer time comes to a wrap, “Back-To-School” organization is a big must to kick-off the start of the learning year right. Getting odds and ends sorted can really set-up an individual for daily success and a perfect time to start building those great habits is with college bound students.

Whether they are heading for the dorm or staying at home, a common challenge for college students is limited space. Living out of a small area can quickly amount to clutter thus picking effective storage containers is key. Sterilite has two great options this back to school season, both which are stackable for compact organization. Instead of throwing small items like beauty or electronic accessories in a tangled drawer mess, the Sterilite Stack and Carry box is an ideal alternative, allowing you to not only see what you already have but also move it to where you need to use it. For example, your make up from your room mirror area to a shared bathroom space. Other things that can really contribute to room mess, for female and males alike, are accessories such as belts and sunglasses. Instead of scrambling for that favorite pair of sunnies only to find out that you stepped on them, Sterilite ID Boxes are an excellent way to keep these pieces in one place and clearly labeled for easy finding. These boxes also come in other sizes as well.

 

Pickling Your Overgrown Garden

By Jen Montbleau of Sterilite Corporation

With summer in full swing, gardens everywhere – especially mine – are overflowing with produce. When the cucumbers are piled high, it’s time to get pickling!

Cool and crunchy, delightfully sweet or sour and capable of going from snack to sandwich without a hitch – that's what I call a good pickle. Did you know that they're a cinch to make at home? Or that you probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen? You don't even need to set aside the afternoon; you can make a couple of 6 cup containers in less than 30 minutes. Here's everything you need to know on how to make your own batch of homemade pickles.


Kirby cucumbers are the classic pickling cucumber. They hold up better than other cucumbers during pickling, remaining firm and crunchy instead of becoming soft. But whatever kind of cucumber you have growing in you garden will work just fine.

You can also use these recipes as a template for pickling other vegetables. I’ve seen people do okra, green beans, beets, garlic, and even carrots. If you feel like branching out into other parts of the garden, give it a try!

No matter what cucumber or vegetable you use, make sure they are ripe and feel firm – avoid limp or wrinkly vegetables. Use a colander to thoroughly rinse your vegetables and then dry them. Before pickling be sure to cut away any bruises or blemishes.


How to Make Dill Pickles
The main flavoring for dill pickles comes from fresh dill or dill seed. Aside from that, these pickles are made with very basic ingredients of equal parts vinegar and water mixed with salt and sugar. A few peeled and halved cloves of garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes help round out the flavor of the pickles. You don't have to stop there, either! Play with mustard seed, celery seed, black peppercorn, or any other spice that pickles your fancy.

Ingredients

• 16 dill sprigs
• cucumbers (enough to fill your container and cut as desired)
• 1-1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups cold water
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 6 garlic coves, peeled and halved
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Wash your food storage containers and lids well.
2. With a colander rinse cucumbers. Trim away the blossom end of the cucumber, which contains enzymes that can lead to limp pickles. Leave the pickles whole, cut them into spears, or slice them into coins.
3. Pack the cucumbers and dill sprigs into your container until you are a 1/2 inch below the top of the jar, without smashing them.
4. Combine the vinegar, salt and sugar in a small bowl whisking them together until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
5. Whisk in the cold water.
6. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
7. Pour the brine over the pickles, filling to within 1/2-inch of the top. If necessary, add a bit of cold water to the containers until the brine covers the cucumbers.
8. Store the pickles in the fridge. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age – try to wait at least 24 hours before popping them open. Refrigerator pickles will keep for several weeks.

How to make Sweet Pickles
If you don’t favor dill pickles, this sweet pickle recipe is just as easy as the one above. Keep the ratios the same, and you can make more or less brine to suit the amount of pickles you want to make.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• chopped fresh dill weed or parsley
• cucumbers (enough to fill your container and cut as desired)

Instructions

1. Wash your food storage containers and lids well.
2. With a colander rinse cucumbers. Trim away the blossom end of the cucumber, which contains enzymes that can lead to limp pickles. Leave the pickles whole, cut them into spears, or slice them into coins.
3. In a separate bowl combine the vinegar, salt and sugar in a small bowl whisking them together until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
4. Mix in remaining ingredients.
5. Pack the cucumbers into your container without smashing them.
6. Pour the brine to cover the cucumbers.
7. Store the pickles in the fridge for about three hours before eating. The pickles will improve with flavor as they age. Refrigerator pickles will keep for several weeks.