Need to bag some stuff? Look at these groovy new ideas!
‘B’ is for Bags and today I look at some great new incentives on the market and some new ideas for what you already have. Not only does it make sense to keep bags organised, but in a lot of cases having an organised bag where items are stored separately can be the way to keep yourself healthier. I recently saw a segment on The Doctors where they took swabs from gym bags which showed traces of Ecoli, fungi, fecal bacteria, Pneumonia, Chloroform and even some germs that can lead to heart inflammation. Blah!
And why? because usually everything is just thrown in the bag without thought. Shoes are thrown in the bag ‘unwrapped’ and their soles land on sweaty towels and underwear that then touch things like books, earbuds and headphones from portable music players, and the mouthpieces of drink bottles. I even know some people who will easily throw wet clothes in with dry. So don’t be lazy people, get your bags organised, save time and keep healthier, and while you’re at it, pass the wisdom on to your kids at an early age.
Handbags
Yes, they come in all shapes, sizes and styles. Have you ever had the dilemma of moving stuff from one bag to another only to realise that you left something in your other bag? Frustrating? Yes … Fixable? … Yes again! What you need is a nifty hand-bag insert which moves from bag to bag. Howards Storage World have them in two colours and three different sizes. They come with compartments for all your bits and pieces, and have an opening at the top so that you can access each compartment easily. I never leave home without it! There is also a really pretty diverse range on Etsy by BABCIM which I really love, so if you’re after a more original bag insert. They’re also a great gift idea. Over the years I’ve bought several for women I know.
Kids Toys
How about these nifty Zip Bins for kids toys. These bins unzip to form a decorative flat play mat to encourage imagineering games and work for anything from train-sets, cars, blocks, little dolls, action figures you name it. The beauty in these is that when play is over, sweep all the little bits in the middle of the mat and then zip em’ up to form a decorative bag that stands on it’s own. Available are the Train Depot Zip Bin, Fairy Castle Zip Bin and the Country Stable Zip Bin.
Another variation on the theme comes from Brikbag especially for Lego play. A wonderful large drawstring bag that the kids can play on and then when play is done, all you have to do is gather up the drawstring handles and voila Lego contained and put away in literally one swoop. Of course, if you want to save yourself some cash, this can also be done with an old sheet tied up with wide ribbon and dumped into a plastic crate. *Check out What To Do With Lego for more ideas on organising, storing, displaying and more!
Travel Bags for Kids Overnight Stays
If you’re constantly traveling for business or pleasure or have kids that are constantly going from one parent to another on contact visits you will know that keeping things sorted out and from getting lost or left at the other house can be a nightmare. Organize.com have some great products on-line, I couldn’t go past this set of 5 Personal Valet Bags via FordEx Group which have BIG labels on them and also these neat waterproof zip-up shoe bags from Korjo, which have a clear window in them for easy identification. For little ones with smaller feet, it would be easier to put their shoes into clear zip-lock bags for protection. Talk of tick the box! Problem solved, love it! Again, the cheap and simple fix would be to use marker pen and re-use those plastic shopping bags.
Pantry Bags
Now most of you would know how I like to use my ziplock bags of various sizes for many uses around the home, including inside the pantry where I will enclose a whole opened 1/2 used packet with a bag to seal in freshness when nothing else is available. Well GLAD have a new product on the market called GLAD Snap Lock Pantry Storage bags. These nifty bags have a gusset in the bottom to allow the bag to ‘stand-up’ on it’s own. These bags are also thicker and come with measuring indicators. They don’t say whether they come in a variety of sizes but I reckon they’re worth a try. While also on the subject of groceries be sure to find out what a Fregie Sack is by clicking on the link. All Australian and a brilliant idea!
For those crafty ones out there, here are some more groovy bag ideas in my other article Bag Yourself A Crafty Idea! And be sure to check out my other article for many recycling options for all those plastic grocery bags.
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