Less Mess, More Yes

Planning a Bridal Shower This Summer? Here’s How To Be a Step Ahead Of It All!

By Heather Kilduff of Sterilite Corporation

June is here and with wedding season upon us, bridal showers start to fill up the calendar.  I tend to plan a lot of showers, be they bridal or baby. I enjoy being a part of the planning and preparation. Invitations, games, prizes, favors – you name it, I’ve got it covered. Here are some of my secrets to staying organized so the chaos doesn’t spoil the fun!

Invitations
I prefer to prepare well ahead when it comes to invitations. Once the design has been selected, plan on ordering at least 15 extras (including envelopes) just in case a guest or two was forgotten on the original list. To keep the invitations looking their best, I keep them in a FlipTop storage container. I keep postage, mailing labels and the list all in one box. This way I know where to find everything I need for those last minute additions to the party.


Table centerpieces
Adding that special touch to each table is a must. Flowers or candles are nice – whatever your choice, it will need to be transported to the venue the day of the shower. I like to use the bottom of a storage box. The size depends on how many you have and how tall they are. Transporting your centerpieces in a storage box will save you hassle the day of the shower. (Tip: try stuffing newspaper in between each centerpiece to protect them against breaking or spilling.)


Games
Oh the games we all know and love! I usually prepare these a few weeks in advance too. I like to keep game cards, pens, tape, and any other necessities in one box. I prefer to use a Clip Box to keep everything neatly organized. The latches keep it securely closed and it’s easy for me to pack up and carry around.


So there you have it – my bridal shower organization tools! Go ahead and give them a try, because you can never be too organized!

The Key to Weight Loss is … Organization?

By Adam Saball of Sterilite Corporation

With summer just around the corner, many of us are aiming to lose a few of the pounds brought on by winter’s over indulging. The problem is most of us live fast-paced lifestyles that often lead to poor dietary choices making it harder to lose the weight. Overcoming this obstacle doesn’t have to be difficult. By organizing your meals for the week ahead of time, you can eliminate the poor lunch-hour decisions and get started on the body you want for the summer.

Did you know in order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume? This means to lose one pound a week, you need to consume 500 less calories than you burn per day. The average take-out meal exceeds 1,000 calories alone. By replacing one meal with a pre-made home cooked meal, you can eliminate 500 calories with minimal effort. Planning meals is much easier than you may think. Allow me to use myself as an example.

Sunday is my day of preparation. I plan what I will have for breakfast and lunch during my work-week, leaving dinner as my wildcard (if dinner is the meal you struggle with nutritionally, by all means plan it out too).  For breakfast, I make a smoothie using these ingredients:

•    A glass of Simply Orange Mango juice
•    2 bananas
•    ½ cup mixed berries
•    1 scoop of vanilla whey protein
•    1 cup of Quaker Oats oatmeal

After my trip to the grocery store on Sunday afternoon, I put all my berries in one Ultra•Seal™ food storage container, and put them in the freezer. I keep my protein powder and oatmeal in two separate Ultra•Seal™ Dry Food Storage containers on top of the refrigerator. Each morning, I put everything into the blender and after a few seconds, breakfast is served and ready for my drive to work. Taking into consideration the time spent in line, the smoothie is much quicker than grabbing a bagel on the go (not to mention healthier!).

For lunch, I typically eat an Italian seasoned chicken breast with avocado and mixed vegetables. Each Sunday, I take a few minutes and grill the chicken, usually five breasts at a time. When they are finished, I let them cool and store them in another Ultra•Seal™ food storage container. It’s quick for me to take one from the refrigerator each morning while gathering my lunch. If chicken is not your favorite meat, try another. If meat in general is not your thing, make whichever foods you enjoy. When organizing your meals ahead of time, it’s important to eat the healthy foods you like.

By spending a half hour each week organizing your meals, you can cut out a large number of calories you would normally consume. The result will be those slimming changes we strive for.  Ultimately, we all have the power to make the small changes in our diets, so what do you have to lose? Give it a shot! Personally, I’m always looking for new recipes to keep my breakfasts and lunches exciting. If you have a particular meal you enjoy, please share!

May Is For Moving

By Michelle Wood of Sterilite Corporation

In college, you might as well have renamed May to Moving Month. Thank goodness my days of moving in and out of dorm rooms and into Boston summer sublets are over. Nevertheless, May is still a big month for moving, and when you own a pick-up truck, you’re bound to get a few phone calls asking for a favor!

This time, the moving request was a unique one. My mother-in-law needed help moving from one adorable beach cottage to another, and she wanted to bring her established garden with her. She had no intentions of leaving all her beautiful flowers and herbs for the next tenant to mow over, so it became my job to dig-up and replant. My green-thumb reputation had gained me the best moving-day job ever!  While the rest of the family moved the countless Sterilite totes she had packed with clothes, china, books, office supplies, etc., I was gently digging around roots and pulling up enormous lavender and rosemary plants.

Storage totes often come to mind when moving day is on your calendar, but my particular job that day called for a unique use of those totes. They instantly became the perfect container for root balls and saplings. Because the containers are waterproof, I was able to give the plants a drink as they awaited transport to their new home. The handles on the totes made loading and relocating easy. After a quick rise and dry, the totes where ready to be placed back into long-term storage. Needless to say, the totes were more valuable to moving day then the pick-up truck was.

Food Storage Containers Out Of Control? Get Them In Order!

This week's post is written by Professional Organizer Monica Friel, president of Chaos to Order based in Chicago and Atlanta. They have been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Hoarding: Buried Alive, as well as in Better Homes and Gardens, just to name a few. You can find them on the web at www.chaostoorder.com

As a professional organizer, it's a pleasure to take advantage of extra time to organize a drawer or cabinet in my own home. I recently tried Sterilite Ultra+Latch food storage containers and was happy to eliminate some of my dilapidated old containers that were mis-matched or missing tops. I recycled the old and started fresh with the Ultra+Latch 20 piece set. My overflowing drawer thanked me, and in my transfer of containers, I found some other good qualities about using the Ultra+Latch:

Nicely stacking. These containers stack well and are thin enough that I can stack several on a shelf in the refrigerator. I love to fill them with healthy snacks for the family, this way when kids look into the fridge, they can quickly grab something healthy.


Square shape a must. Always use plastic containers with a square shape if you want to maximize storage space. They are great in the freezer too where you can fill it tightly with individual frozen meals.

Label-able. The containers are translucent enough that you don't really need a label, but since I like to keep a labeler handy in the kitchen, I labeled the containers so my kids won't be able to tell me they didn't see what was in there.

Food stays fresh. The watertight seal keeps food fresher longer and helps prevent spills and leaks. I really did notice a difference. I haven't used them in the freezer yet, but I bet they would do well at keeping food fresh longer.

Well constructed. I've grown tired of those flimsy semi-disposable containers. I appreciate a well constructed piece that isn't going to rip, tear or melt in the dishwasher. The Ultra+Latch containers made the mark.

If your plastic containers are in need of an overhaul, I suggest you take a look at the Sterilite Ultra+Latch containers. The purchase can help get that plastics drawer organized, get your fridge in order, and even help you make eating healthy a little easier!

Make baking as simple as 1, 2, 3….

By Heather Kilduff of Sterilite Corporation

Have you ever wanted to bake a treat, only to find that your supplies are stale, disorganized or, worst of all, gone? Yeah, that’s what happened when I went to bake a pie for Mother’s Day. To prevent this same frustration the next time the mood strikes me to whip up a treat, I decided to get organized!


First off, I gathered all of my baking ingredients: sugar, flour, corn starch, chocolate chips, etc. and gave them a dedicated space. I’ve now got one cabinet just for my baking supplies. This will save time and keep me from tearing apart my kitchen when I start my next confection.

To keep these ingredients fresh, I transferred most of them into Ultra•Seal™ food storage containers. They stack which saves space in the cabinet, and they make it easy to see when I’m running low on the staples.

Another benefit? Keeping these ingredients in opened boxes exposes them to moisture, which could contaminate them and make them unusable. These airtight, watertight containers help protect my ingredients which saves me money!

Now that I’ve got my supplies stored neatly in one place, my kitchen is an oasis of organization and I can’t wait to bake again!

Cinco de Mayo Treats!

By Heather Kilduff of Sterilite Corporation

I never go to a party empty handed. As a matter of fact, some people would say I have a tendency to go a little overboard. Mexican flag cupcakes are a favorite of mine, in honor of my Mexican heritage and pride. A treat for all ages, nothing says Cinco de Mayo like these green, white and red delights.

I like to bring a dozen or two. One dozen fits perfectly in a rectanglar Ultra•Seal™ food storage container. The container makes them easy to transport while keeping them fresh and delicious.

Go ahead and bring ‘em to your next Cinco de Mayo celebration – they’re sure to be a hit!

Mexican Flag Cupcakes
Adapted from allrecipes.com
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 350º F (175º C). Line a muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder then add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The cupcakes are done if they spring back when touched.

Frosting
Two 8 oz. packages cream cheese
¼ cup sugar
One 8 oz. tub whipped topping, thawed
4 kiwis, peeled, sliced
10 fresh strawberries sliced
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with whisk or mixer until blended. Stir in whipped topping and spread over cupcakes. Arrange fruit on cupcakes to resemble the Mexican flag.

April Showers

By Holly Kennedy of Sterilite Corporation

The rainy days of April are some of my favorite days of the year. It’s perfect weather to curl up with my knitting projects and a good audiobook without feeling like I should be outside doing yard work.

As an avid knitter, twice a year or so, I like to go through my yarn stash. It's good for the yarn and it's good for me to see what I have. I take this opportunity to get rid of skeins of yarn I know I won't use and to make sure the skeins I love are well protected.

Inspect
Let’s face it, wool is moth food. We all like to believe that there’s no way moths can get into our yarn stash, but the truth is, it happens. So when sorting through your yarn, inspect each and every skein for signs of pests. If you find a suspicious skein, don’t put the rest of your stash at risk – get rid of it!

Purge
Every knitter knows that sometimes you wind up with more yarn than you need for a project, or, if you’re like me, you buy yarn thinking you’ll find a use for it someday. This leads to an abundance of unloved yarn taking up your precious space. So when organizing your stash, get real and let go of the yarn you’re not going to use. Ravelry and eBay are good places to sell your unloved skeins and recoup some of the money you spent. Or if you’d rather donate the yarn, town libraries will often take yarn for their knitting groups to use for charity knitting projects.

Protect
Now that you’re sure all of your yarn is pest-free and you’ve pared down your stash, it’s time to protect the skeins you want to keep. I love to use gasket boxes for my yarn.

They hold a good number of skeins, plus they keep out dust and moisture. Find a system that works for you – whether you sort by yarn weight, by manufacturer or by color – and keep up with it. And for added protection, try tossing in a lavender or cedar sachet. Moths hate these smells and they won’t harm your yarn.

So now that you’ve seen my stash, I challenge you to get organized and share photos of your yarn stash on Sterilite’s Facebook page!

Happy knitting!

Need a little boost to organize those crafts and toys? Look no further.

By Heather Kilduff of Sterilite Corporation

A dear friend of mine sent me this photo asking for a storage solution for her garage, which appears to have been overtaken by toys, activities and everything else imaginable. My first question to her is “what is all this stuff and do you really need it?” I was not surprised to hear her say, “of course I need all of it.” These are games, activities and craft supplies that she needs to keep her children entertained on those rainy April days when they are unable to play outside.

Okay then, first things first. Storing small items out in the open does not work unless you have a system in place. Start by using taller shelving units, and then opt for see-through ShelfTotes, that are designed to fit the shelves properly maximizing space. This system will allow you to store multiple items in one spot thereby avoiding dozens of smaller storage boxes that don’t properly stack atop one another. This is what makes the space appear messy and disorganized.

The next step is to organize each tote by its contents. For example, crafts are all stored together in the craft tote – feel free to label them as such but when using see-through totes, you’ll be able to see the contents easily enough. Try to keep the heavy totes and totes that need to be accessed by the kids regularly on the bottom shelves for safety and convenience.
Lastly, make it a rule of thumb for the whole family that everything has a home within this space. If it doesn’t have a tote to live in, it doesn’t belong in the garage. I think my friend’s husband might like this rule – let’s see if he follows it too!

Thinking of organizing your garage too? Go for it! De-clutter, reclaim your garage and think spring!

Dog Food Dilemma No Longer

By Cheryl Mailloux of Sterilite Corporation

Three years ago, I rescued a golden retriever named Molly. Though she is really adorable, she is an aggressive chewer and at 100+ lbs, obviously loves to eat! Most of us know when it is time to stop eating and take home the doggie bag, but not Molly. Having tried to cut back on her food a bit to improve her overall weight, I quickly learned that I could no longer leave the dog food bag on the floor in the pantry as someone would eat until her heart was content.

So, I searched and searched for the right container to solve my dilemma with very little luck. I had checked out the local pet stores, but they didn’t offer containers large enough to store a 15 – 20 lb bag of dog food. The ones I did find were not covered and were too bulky for the area I wanted to store the food in. I came across this utility bin that was just the solution to hold a 20 lb bag of food while keeping it fresh. The latches were an added bonus to ensure someone couldn’t stick her paw in the cookie jar.

What? You want me to go through my trash? My adventure into the world of recycling…

By Michelle Brooks of Sterilite Corporation

When my city announced that there would be a mandatory recycling program put in place, I thought, "great, one more thing for me to do?" I have a full-time job, I’m raising three active teenagers, and now I have to sort my trash? Ugh! But, I must say I am pleased with how the program has been implemented. The city provided one trash bin and one recycling bin for each household, to be picked up weekly. But one big rule was in place – what you throw out must fit inside of the bins!

I thought, seriously? A family’s weekly garbage would certainly overflow that single trash bin, right? I discovered it wouldn’t, if I recycled! This restriction made me think about what I was throwing away – and made me sort – so I could be sure all my garbage would fit and not be left behind on trash day. Sorting and recycling helps to reduce the overall number of garbage bags going to the landfill … which is, of course, a good thing.

So, what did I do? I needed to set up a system – one that was easy to put into place and easy to follow – after all, it needed to be “teenager-friendly” to be effective. I placed an open wastebasket under my kitchen sink for garbage, neatly kept out of sight.

I have a separate covered wastebasket for recyclables which is in a key location –right next to the fridge. Glass, cans, plastic, and paper – it all goes in there. When either wastebasket fills up, we take them to the outside bins for emptying and start all over again. Simple.

I found that with a plan in place, recycling isn’t as much of a chore as I thought it would be. We sort as we go which limits the mess involved. My kids participate in our efforts and understand the importance, which is perfect, and we know that we are doing our share to help the environment. Now, if I could only train them to look for the recycling symbol, they may not constantly ask ... “Mom, is this recyclable?”