Less Mess, More Yes

May Day Baskets: A Celebration of Spring

By Lauren Mason of Sterilite Corporation

April showers bring May flowers! May Day baskets are a fun springtime tradition. Back in the 19th century, people rang in the first of May with these charming baskets. They would take all the flowers they had gathered at the end of April’s showers, arrange them in a pretty basket along with some gifts, candy, and homemade baked goods.  Then they would deliver the May Day Baskets to family and friends, ring the doorbell, and run away. It was a way of welcoming in the warmer weather. 

The May Day Basket tradition is still practiced by some individuals, but it is unfamiliar to most. I believe that we should all make an effort to bring this lovely tradition back! It is a great craft that you can do with your kids and it is fun, inexpensive and easy to make. With a little ribbon and Easter grass, Sterilite’s storage basket and large storage basket make for a perfect May Day Basket.

Below are some reasons why we should continue this May Day Basket tradition:

• Giving is anonymous: Reciprocity is not expected. You leave the basket on the doorstep, ring the doorbell and run. It is a nice version of "Ding Dong Ditch." When you receive a May Day Basket, you do not feel obligated to give one back. It is just simply an act of kindness.
  
• Children learn the fun of giving: On almost every other holiday, children receive gifts but they never experience the true joy of giving.  May Day Baskets will teach kids how great it is to do something kind for someone else.
  
• Spring has sprung: May Day Baskets are a fun and simple way to celebrate spring and welcome in the warm weather!

 

Happy Spring!

The Secret Trick to Perfect Iced Coffee

By Lauren Mason of Sterilite Corporation

Coffee is an essential part of my morning routine. Whether it is hot coffee, iced coffee, or a shot of espresso, I am not fully awake until I have my coffee. Now that spring has sprung, I’ve been drinking iced coffee more and more. It is the perfect drink for the warm weather. Do not get me wrong, I love drinking a warm, comforting cup of coffee first thing in the morning. But once it hits 80 degrees outside, it is definitely time for iced coffee!

The best part about iced coffee is that you can make it right at home! It is quick, easy, and inexpensive. Most people simply pour hot brewed coffee into a cup full of ice and call it a day…but I find that method to be extremely flawed. When you pour the hot coffee over the ice, the ice starts to melt, making your drink diluted. Who wants watered-down iced coffee? Luckily, we have a secret tip that will make your homemade iced coffee taste even better than the baristas make it: Coffee Ice Cubes!


Follow these simple steps to make the perfect iced coffee: 

1. Brew your coffee the night before using good-quality coffee beans and put it in a pitcher. You should make 8 cups, which will completely fill our 2 Quart Round Pitcher.
2. Make your coffee ice cubes: Pour some of the coffee into an ice cube try and let it freeze overnight.
3. Put the pitcher in the refrigerator, so the coffee stays cold until morning.
   (Note: the longer the coffee sits in the fridge, the stronger it becomes)
4. In the morning, place 5 or 6 coffee ice cubes into a tumbler and pour the coffee over the ice.
5. Add milk, half and half, or your favorite coffee creamer 
6. Stir and Enjoy
   

Coffee makes life easier, but homemade coffee with coffee ice cubes makes life better!!

Crate Gardens: Ideal for Suburbs and Cities!

By Janna Schiavo of Sterilite Corporation

The second week of April is national garden week. A flower garden can add curb appeal to your yard and a vegetable garden can provide sustainable organic produce. Even if you don’t have a yard, a crate garden will allow you to enjoy the benefits of a garden. Crate gardens are ideal for urban farming, they fit nicely on an apartment balcony, or even if you have a yard they are an easy way to make a raised bed. Raised beds offer advantages such as precise control over the soil quality and better drainage compared to a regular gardening pot. In addition, the modular portable nature of the crate raised beds allow you move to your plants to get better sunlight or take them inside to protect from frost in the fall.


You will need:
Landscaping fabric
Crates, like the Sterilite Storage Crate
Potting soil
Mulch (optional)


There are two different methods you can use to create the lining: a sewing method that will be a little more work but has a neater appearance or a quick and easy no-sew method. These instructions are based on the Sterilite Storage Crate which has interior dimensions of roughly 14” length by 13” width by 10” height.

Sewing Method:

1. Cut the fabric pieces
   For each crate cut two pieces of landscaping fabric, a bottom piece that is 15” by 14”, and a continuous side piece that is 55” long and 13” wide. 
2. Sew the side piece to the bottom piece.
   Start by lining up a corner of the long edge of the side piece to a corner of the bottom pieces. You can pin them first to ensure they stay properly aligned while sewing.
   
   
   
3. Sew along the final corner edge.
   There should be one loose side of the lining where the 13” edges of the side piece meet. Sew along this edge to complete the lining.
   
   
   
4. Fill with soil
   The height of the liner should be taller than the crate so you can fold the edges over to prevent the liner from falling in as you fill with dirt.
   
   

No sew method:

1. Cut the fabric pieces
   You’ll want two pieces a bit wider than the crate so that there is overlap in the corners. For the Sterilite Storage Crate two pieces of fabric that are 16” wide by 36” long will work.
2. Lay the pieces inside the crate
   Lay the first piece inside the crate leaving a little bit of an overhang on the edge. Then lay the second piece across the other crate in the other direction.
   
   
   
3. Fill with soil
   To prevent the liner pieces from falling into the crate as you fill with dirt you can use binder clips or clothes pins to clip the lining to the edge of the crate.
   
   
   

The garden crate offers increased drainage will protect the plant from overwatering which can cause the roots of your planets to rot.  However you can have too much of a good thing, be sure to keep an eye on your plants to make sure the soil is not getting too dry.  To help prevent the soil form over drying you can mix in a little mulch that will help the soil retain water and allow you to water less frequently.  Adding mulch will also make the crate lighter and easier to carry.