Less Mess, More Yes

Organize After the Holidays!

By Michaela Coyle of Sterilite Corporation

Countdown to Christmas is here! Soon all of that running around, holiday shopping, and food prepping will come to an end and you will be ringing in the New Year!

But first, we need to store the decorations, leftover wrapping paper, ornaments and festive wreaths. It’s so important to organize these items and store them safely from year to year. Here are some must-have holiday storage products!

The new Sterilite 40” Wrap Box is perfect for storing away even those taller rolls of wrapping paper until next season. It’s slim and stands up vertically which makes for efficient storage. When it’s time to start wrapping the clear Wrap Box is easy to identify and keeps contents protected from dust and damage, which is a plus!

Un-decorating the Christmas tree may not be as enjoyable as decorating but it’s a must when trying to get your house back in order. Using the Sterilite Stack & Carry- 2 Layer Ornament Box makes it easy to store ornaments away and it’s adjustable to fit small and large ornaments in the same box.

Totes or storage boxes are great for storing larger decorations, but when you need to store an artificial wreath, it can get tricky. The shape is unique which is where the Sterilite Nesting Wreath Box comes in handy. It has a built-in wreath hanger which will keep the wreath in place and maintain the shape from year to year.

Once you have all of your storage ready to go, you can sit back, celebrate the holiday, and plan for the smoothest transition into the new year.  Appreciate the quality time with friends and family, and enjoy all of the delicious food. Happy Holidays!

How to Throw an Epic Halloween Party!

By Cassie Beigel of Sterilite Corporation

With Halloween right around the corner, why not get into the spooky spirit even more this year by throwing an epic Halloween party? Have family and friends come dressed in their costumes and make it one to remember, with everything from festive drinks to haunted décor. With these party ideas, all guests - kids, teens, and adults, are guaranteed to have a good time!

The first step to planning an epic Halloween party is decorating. Transform your home into a haunted house with pumpkins, streamers, spider webs and more. The Sterilite 64 Qt. Latching Box is perfect for storing away these spooky decorations. The festive Purple and Orange lids and tinted base make the stored contents easy to identify so there’s no problem locating them year after year.

The Sterilite Ultra•Seal™ 8.1 Qt. Bowl is the perfect container to make a ghoulish punch in for guests to enjoy. Add in food coloring or candy spiders to a favorite drink recipe for a fun Halloween themed twist. Along with other festive treats or candy, place this punch on the table with a ladle in the bowl to make it easy for guests to help themselves throughout the party.

It’s important to have an activity to keep the kids entertained during the Halloween party. Bobbing for apples has been a popular seasonal fall game for years. Not only is this game exciting but it is extremely simple to set up with very few supplies needed! The Sterilite 18 Gal. Tote is the perfect size for the kiddos to bob for apples in. Fill the tote about 3/4ths of the way with room temperature water, and add 5 apples or so to the tote. Have the kids take turns getting timed on how fast they can pick up an apple out of the water with their mouth without using their hands. Of course, make sure the winner gets a prize!

Let the festivities begin - Happy Halloween! 

Snack-eriffic On-The-Go Solution!

By Meredith Bernstein of Sterilite Corporation

Kids are back in school and fall sports are quickly being kicked into high gear! It’s difficult keeping up with schedules and getting kids where they need to be - and all prepared… and fed. Finding time for snacks can be a struggle and sometimes completely forgotten in the hustle to keep up with the day. If the kids remember at home, they are often reaching for the junk food instead of the nutritious options to keep them fueled up.

Plan ahead with the Divided Case and have a good mix of nutritious options with the other favorite snacks. It has removable trays, and one tray is split into separate sections, allowing for the perfect assortment. Plus, if this is being split amongst two children, no one has to keep count of who ate how many and rather just assign certain sections to each kid. Some ideas for snacks include:

• Fruit: Strawberries, blueberries, grapes, mandarin oranges
• Vegetables: Peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes
• Savory snacks: Pretzels, chips, crackers
• Drinks: Juice drinks, water

The Divided Case is designed to be able to stand up on its side so it fits easily in the car and takes up little space when setting up on the sidelines.

Once the game starts, release the latches and open the case. The lid stays open on its own so it’s very easy to start reaching in and enjoying snack time. Plus, with the easy-to-clean plastic, there is no hesitation to place it on the ground.

If there are multiple people snacking at the same time, take out a removable tray as needed. It can be a little easier to take what you want from one removable tray at a time and then switch trays with the person sitting next to you.

Once the All Star is done playing one sport, he can snack with ease in the car on the way to the next game. The variety of snacks will keep him energized and ready for game 2!

Soak Up the Last of Summer!

By Michaela Coyle of Sterilite Corporation

Summer is slipping between our fingers as the end of August quickly approaches and it should be cherished. Whether you’re planning for your fantasy football draft or a Labor Day celebration, a cookout is a great way to soak up the last of summer!

Preparing for a hosting event can be stressful but creating a list and prepping early can make it less stressful and more enjoyable with friends and family.

Getting everyone together can be difficult when coordinating with busy schedules and weekend obligations but make the rest easier by grabbing the Ultra•Seal™ food storage containers. You can store all the extra food and keep the leftovers as fresh as the day they were prepared.

The Sterilite Ultra•Seal™ 16.0 Cup Rectangle is the perfect size for those colorful kabobs. Chicken, steak, peppers, onions all on a skewer and grilled to perfection.

There are multiple other sizes of the Ultra•Seal™ food storage containers to choose from for the array of fruit salads, pasta salads, and garden salads you’ll be sharing. For the assorted chips and other snacks, the Sterilite 6 Qt Bowl is the perfect party size.

One of things that will be most missed about summer is the chance to cook outside so take advantage of this weather and soak up the vitamin D while we still can!

Back to College Ready!

By Cassie Beigel of Sterilite Corporation

While enjoying summer days on the beach under the sun, the last thing someone wants to think about is heading back to college for the start of the fall semester. Unfortunately, bags don’t pack themselves and getting prepared to move into a college dorm room needs to happen at some point during the summer fun. Going back to school can be overwhelming and it’s difficult to remember all the things one needs to pack for a new dorm room. Dorm rooms typically aren’t the biggest which is why it’s important not to overpack and be clever with fitting all necessary belongings in that one room. Maximizing storage is essential when there is limited space!

The Sterilite Wide 3 Drawer Cart is a perfect storage solution that doubles as a great nightstand to keep next to the bed in a dorm room. The cart’s three wide drawers can hold anything from textbooks to clothes to bedside necessities. Instead of carrying a heavy nightstand from the car to the new dorm room on move-in day, this cart has casters on the bottom making it easy to transport and move wherever needed.

Community showers can be a new concept to many when moving into college for the first time. The luxury of being able to keep all bathroom and shower products stored in the bathroom doesn’t exist when living in a dorm. The Sterilite Bath Caddy is perfect for holding shampoo, toothpaste, body wash, and all other essentials to and from the bathroom. Keep this caddy somewhere in the room where it can be quickly grabbed on the way to the bathroom to take a shower or brush teeth before class.

Of course if someone lives in a dorm, they’re going to need something that makes bringing laundry back and forth from the building’s laundry room as effortless as possible. The Sterilite 1.75 Bushel Ultra™ Wheeled Laundry Basket was practically made for a dorm room! Its wheels and handle make it extremely simple to transport clothes and take away from the dread of laundry day. This basket can even be used as a hamper for storing dirty clothes.

These three items will make living in a dorm a lot more manageable. Good luck and happy moving!

Rainy Day Art Station!

By Cassie Beigel of Sterilite Corporation

When the kids get out of school for summer vacation, it can be difficult to think of ways to keep them entertained every day. Of course the pool, beach, or park are great spots to go on a beautiful sunny day, but what about on a rainy day? Being a mom stuck inside with the kids all day because of poor weather can be exhausting, which is why it’s ideal to prepare for those days with activities to keep the kids busy indoors for hours. A great idea is to set up a rainy day art station in the corner of the playroom or living room and stock it with all the essential art supplies for your kids. Art and crafts allow kids to express their creativity in a safe and fun way, so it’s a win-win for everyone!

Of course practical storage to contain art supplies is important for keeping this art station neat and organized. Everyone knows how messy kids can get so something that is easy to take supplies in and out of comes in handy. The Sterilite Stack & Carry 3 Layer Handle Box is perfect for holding both smaller and larger craft items. Each layer can be unstacked for easy access to the items in closed. The top layer has a divided tray which is perfect for storing smaller items such as stickers, pompoms, and stamps while the bottom two layers can be used to store larger items like scissors, glue, and paint.

If a child loves to draw pictures to be hung up on the kitchen fridge or wall, markers and colored pencils are probably their favorite art supplies. The Sterilite Pencil Box can hold every color of the rainbow in colored pencils and the lid snaps tight so that the contents inside shouldn’t be going anywhere - no more colored pencils rolling onto the floor!

Paper for the kids to create beautiful masterpieces on is the last essential needed to complete this rainy day art corner. The Sterilite Wide 3 Drawer Unit can conveniently fit paper as big as 12”x12”. Colorful construction paper, scrapbook paper, and printer paper can be held in each of the three clear drawers where it is easy to identify and access.

Now that the art station is complete, all the art supplies needed will be available to the kids at any point they feel the urge to create. This art station is guaranteed to keep the kids busy for hours this summer where their imagination can shine!

Composting Made Easy!

By Cassie Beigel of Sterilite Corporation

It seems that even though everyone knows the benefits to composting, people still find excuses to put it off. It’s too big of a project; people don’t want a big container sitting outside their house, whatever it may be everyone has thought it at some point. In reality it can be much easier than that. Although the process can seem intimidating, it doesn’t take a farmer or a green thumb to be good at composting. All that’s really needed are some food scraps and materials that are most likely already in or around the house.

Two Sterilite 18 Gallon Tuff1 Totes will be used to hold the compost. Using storage totes to compost is a great alternative for people who live in apartments or who want to make it a project with their kids. The containers can be left on the patio, small balcony, or wherever is most convenient. Now there shouldn’t be any more excused for why not to compost.

Air needs to circulate around the compost in order to help it decompose faster, therefore, holes need to be drilled into the totes. These air holes should be drilled around all sides of both totes and in the bottom of the top tote which will nest inside the bottom tote. Space these holes about 1-2 inches apart, using a ¼” drill bit. Once a good spot has been found to keep this compost bin, it’s time to fill it with the materials that will eventually turn scraps into compost!

The top tote will be filled with composting material and should consist roughly of ¾ of dry ingredients and ¼ of wet ingredients. Wet ingredients include the typical items that come to mind when people think of composting material. This includes fruit scraps, vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, coffee filters, etc. Keeping a Sterilite 1.6 Gallon StepOn Wastebasket in the kitchen to fill with unused scraps will make gathering these wet ingredients an effortless process.

Examples of dry ingredients to add includes dirt, fall leaves, strips of cardboard, pine needles, twigs, etc. Once the compost bin is filled with a mixture of wet and dry ingredients, seal the top tote with its lid. The bottom nested tote will be used to collect any liquid that drains from the bin. (also known as “compost tea” which makes an incredible fertilizer.) Finally, the composting process is ready to begin!

Shake the composting bin every day or so to make sure the compost stays oxygenated and well mixed. Try to maintain the same moisture level of the compost as it was in the beginning. If it gets too wet, the compost will start to grow mold and more dry ingredients should be added. Compost generates heat naturally so if the compost feels cold to the touch, it is most likely a sign that it needs more moisture and more wet ingredients should be added.

Compost can be created any time of the year, as long as the air temperature stays above freezing. When sticking to this process, the compost should be ready for use after about three months. Try composting now and the garden will be flourishing in no time!

3 Ways to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle this Earth Day

By Cassie Beigel, of Sterilite Corporation

Earth Day is coming up! Did you know the average American produces around 1,700 pounds of garbage per year? Through recycling and reducing our footprint, each of us can make a difference. Let’s dive into 3 small changes that can have a big impact over time.

 

Reduce your waste with reusable plastic

Hunger can strike at the most unexpected time, and it’s impossible to plan for with kids. Most people pack a snack - such as crackers or grapes, in a plastic bag that will end up in the garbage immediately after the snack is finished.

Not all plastic is created equal, instead of constantly going through these one-time use plastic bags, try a reusable food storage container. It’s a better environmentally sustainable option to reduce our footprint.

Sterilite’s Ultra•Seal™ 3.1 Cup and 4.5 Cup Rectangle Food Storage are perfect for keeping snacks fresh, and can be reused as many times as desired. And when they’ve held their last snack, they can be recycled - by getting remelted, and remolded.

 

Reuse and repurpose those threads

Time to clean out the closet! Many people have clothing sitting in their closets they no longer wear; it’s taking up space and when one’s man trash is another man’s treasure it’s time to kiss it goodbye. Kids are a prime example of this, they outgrow things before they can even wear them sometimes!

Recycle these clothes through donation! Give to people who will wear them versus throwing them away.

Start off by keeping an 18 Gallon Tote in a centralized location - where family members can put clothing, they find they don’t wear anymore. When the tote is full, bring it to a local donation center so that these once-loved items can have a new home.

But what about those jeans you ripped in an unfortunate bowling incident? Or that time you spilled red-sauce all over your favorite white shirt and swore you’d find a hack to remove the stain… 4 years ago? There are places for these items too. A quick google search for “local textile recycling” should help kickstart your journey.  

 

Recycling System

Another simple way to start being more environmentally friendly is by creating a recycling system in your house. Because of convenience, many people tend to throw things away that should be recycled.

Labeling three Under Sink Wastebaskets as metal, paper, and plastic will keep recycled material organized and ensure it is disposed of in the correct way. Be sure to rinse out jars and cans, these items can attract bugs at the recycling enter (or worse, in your home) and once the items become infested with critters, they’ve lost their chance at being recycled and will likely end up in a landfill. Recycling centers do their absolute best to recycle what they can, so help them by doing your best – help them help you, and mostly importantly help our planet.

Recycling can seem daunting, but more than likely you’re already doing it. So, let’s all up our game, and help the planet just a little bit more, one step at a time.

 

For more tips, tricks and ideas of how you can lessen your foot print, head over to our Pinterest page and see what systems other people have set up that may spark inspiration!

 

Shoe Storage For Days

By Cassie Beigel of Sterilite Corporation

Many people say that shoe shopping is a form of therapy. It’s hard to have too many shoes. The only problem people may run into is finding an effective way to store their growing shoe collection. Spring is right around the corner which means it’s almost time to start packing away the boots and bringing out the sneakers and flats. Switching out wardrobes for the season change is the perfect opportunity to find a new storage solution for shoes.

Closet Solution

The first instinct many people may have is to throw their shoes on the floor of their closet when getting home after a long day. This makes it difficult to find a pair to wear in the future and the shoes can get beat up getting moved around. The 6 Quart Stacking Drawers are the perfect solution to prevent from scenarios like this. The clear drawers allow someone to quickly pull out the shoes needed when in a rush getting dressed in the morning. They can be stacked on top of each other as tall or as wide as desired to best utilize available closet space.

 

 

Best in Show

Another solution for keeping shoes organized is utilizing the odd storage spaces in the home, such as the upper closet space or under the bed. These areas are perfect for storing shoes that may not be worn as often. The 6 Quart Storage Boxes fit perfectly on 16-inch wire shelving in the closet and it’s see through base allows the contents to be identified with ease.

 

Critter-proof those absolute favorites

Many people have a pair or two of nice shoes that they won’t wear anywhere that could ruin them and they want to keep them looking as new as the day they were bought. The 7.5 Quart Gasket Box will ensure that a pair of shoes will be kept safe when not being worn. This box’s gasket seal protects from water, dust, and other outside elements that could potentially destroy a loved pair of shoes. They can even be stored in areas like the attic or garage and will still be kept looking brand new when ready to wear.

Winter Road Trip!

By Michaela Coyle of Sterilite Corporation

Being indoors by the toasty fire is always a sure way to keep warm from those chilly winters in New England but sometimes the family will get stir crazy and it’s a must to plan a fun adventure out of the house. Picking something the whole family gets excited to do is important, so off to the Ski Mountain!

Preparing for a long car ride where the day will be spent at the mountain, it’s important to gather all of the necessities. First things first, food! Pack some lunch/snacks for the family fun time and the Sterilite Ultra•Seal™ items are the best food storage containers. The Sterilite Ultra•Seal™ 4.0 Cup Square is perfect for a sandwich and will keep it fresh for the long haul.

Now that the food is squared away it’s time to grab winter sports gear so that everyone stays nice and warm on the ski trip. The 30 Gallon Gasket Tote is an ideal durable solution for those items to be stored away in the tote to keep those smelly boots away and when storing in your basement, the contents are safe from the elements, dust, and pests.

Last but not least, keeping a first aid storage box in your car for those emergency situations can only help not hurt! The Sterilite 12 Gallon Latch and Carry is comfortable to carry and the ideal size so it doesn’t take up too much space in the trunk.

Now that the car is packed, grab the warm necessities such as mittens, gloves, and hats on the way out the door. Keep these winter must haves in an easy to access location! The Sterilite Weave 3 Drawer Tower and Tall Weave Basket are the perfect solution to keep these supplies organized and out of sight!