      
Storage and
Organizing
Versatile Totes
Sometimes I go to a
dollar store with the idea of picking up a new notebook or a spool
of ribbon for a craft and end up browsing the aisles to see
what’s new. Other times, I go just to see what’s been added to
the shelves since the last time I was there. Part of the fun of a
dollar store is that you never know what you might find, kind of
like a flea market only cheaper.
I
love discovering an item that inspires dozens of different uses
and this plastic tote certainly fits that description. If, like
me, you have limited space in your kitchen, one of these totes
makes a compact receptacle for small recyclable items such as pop
cans and shampoo bottles. I hang mine on the door knob behind the
kitchen door and empty it into the blue box outside, just as I
empty the kitchen garbage, once a day or as needed. Give it a
rinse under the kitchen tap, a quick wipe and it’s ready to go
again.
If you're on a budget but love organization, check out
coupons by answers.com to keep your space tidy.
My sister-in-law discovered that this 8 ½” high x 13 ½” long
tote works well as a garbage receptacle in the mini van. It fits
perfectly between the two front seats and is held in place by
looping the handles over the seat belt clips. Use it as a
toddler’s toy tote, a waterproof beach bag or help to organize
all of those mitts and scarves in the wintertime by assigning a
different color to each child and placing them in the front
closet. I’ve used one for a magazine rack, a knitting bag and as
a place to round up the dog's toys when I reluctantly pull out the
vacuum cleaner. In fact, anytime you want portable
storage with a splash of color, you can’t go wrong with these
totes.
I found this Plastico 10 gallon
lidded tote at Dollarama for three bucks, a wonderful bargain that
can be used to store everything from kid's toys to Christmas
decorations. It only comes in black, so if you want to use it in a
child's room, for instance, pretty it up with some stickers. Get
ideas for using dollar store stickers creatively in Sticker
Situations.
Please See:
Storage
and Organizing
for more storage options.
Decorating
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