Neat Chic Organizing

I keep several cloth bags in the trunk of my car. I pull them out when ever I'm headed to the store. I enjoy using them and feel "greener" when I do. I won't lie though, I do often forget to bring cloth bags with me, and end up with tons of paper or plastic after unloading groceries. 

Waste and clutter is constantly on my conscious, so I choose to reuse and re-purpose plastic bags as often as I can. For example, at my house, we use them as bathroom trashcan liners, to pick up doggy messes in the yard, for shopping at Aldi's,  and use them carry lunch to work. But is this enough?

How does your family re-purpose single use bags? Have you made the switch to cloth bags? What do you think about efforts in CA to ban single use bags? Would you like to see a similar effort in Missouri?

Want to learn more?

This month the Bag Monster and his giant nest of 45,000 single-use disposable plastic bags is coming to visit St. Louis. This is kid-friendly, interactive, traveling exhibit, is on a nationwide tour to create awareness about the waste and pollution caused by plastic bags. Check it out!

Monday, Aug 30
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Tremain Shelter
Creve Coeur Park - North end of lake
2143 Creve Coeur Mill Rd.
St. Louis , MO

It's back to school time. The heat of August is burning and homework and carpooling has returned.  Neat Chic Organizing makes four simple suggestions for back to school success! 

1. Implement school alarm clocks and bed times a week before school starts.

2. Set up a family calendar where everyone can see it. My Neat Chic family uses and recommends Cozi, which can be used online to schedule the whole family. A calendar, shopping and to-do list can be printed and personalized for each family member. We use the iPhone app and it rocks!

3. Set up a "loading dock" for kids to load and reload their stuff as they come and go. Give each kid a hook for their jacket and backpack.

4.Avoid over-scheduling family/school/sports activities. Down time is essential for low-stress families!

I just recycled my extra plastic flower pots at the Summer Winds Nursery in Chesterfield. The nursery, along with many others in the region, are a collection site for the Missouri Botanical Garden plastic garden pot recycling program. It's the largest program of it's kind in the United States.  Last year alone, the program recycled 130,000 pounds of horticultural waste. Recycled plastics are used for playgrounds, fences and other green products.

St. Louisians can participate by bringing their plastic flower pots and trays to one of the St. Louis metro area collection sites. You can find additional information on the MOBOT website: http://www.mobot.org/plasticpotrecycling/. The program runs now through September.

Plastics Accepted:
Cell packs
Hanging baskets
Trays
Pots of all sizes

Not Accepted:
No household plastic
No food plastic
No clay pots
No soil
No metal hangers
No plastic bags

Downsizing can be very emotional, especially after the loss of a loved one, divorce, or retirement. Families collect "stuff" for years and it's not always easy to let go. There are a few tricks and tips that can  be used to make downsizing easier on the heart.

First, get a good friend to help you take an inventory of what you have. Pare things down into categories, then begin weeding out items by keeping only the things you love, need or use. Put keepsakes in proper storage and label everything. Call on a charity to pick-up items that are heavy and bulky. Load up your car with smaller items and donate them to the Goodwill or other charity. Make use of your municipal "bulk" pick-up day, and be certain to recycle plastic, paper and boxes. Sell a few things by having two garage sales in one week, one on Wednesday and one on Saturday. Use online sites to post your ad for free.

For more tips on helping seniors downsize, check out the latest Neat Chic Organizing news release online at the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Rid  your house of electronic clutter this Saturday. Recycle that 20 pound monitor that's been hiding in your closet. Toss out the old washing machine that you've been meaning to have hauled away.

Kirkwood High School - Essex Lot
Saturday, April 17
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Drop off anything from batteries to toasters to TV's, VCR's and Washer/Dryers. The event will be free to all.

Landfills are loaded with electronics that contain dangerous chemicals and worse, much of the stuff could have been refurbished or even donated to charity. Do yourself a favor this Saturday and declutter your house and recycle your electronics.

For more information go to: http://www.neat-chic-organizing.com/events.html

This spring, St. Louis families can recycle, donate items and properly dispose of hazardous chemicals without any cost by utilizing free community events.

Check out our events web page for a list including information about a clothing swap, neighborhood beautification opportunities, plastic garden pot recycling, electronics and hazardous material collections, as well as a book donation and a shoe collection effort. Those wanting to add their events to the Neat Chic site can submit them online.

The task of getting organized is multifaceted, but the common thread in any project involves properly disposing of unwanted or unused items. It is important to adopt environmentally friendly approaches during the purging process. This spring is a great time to get started!

A press release about the events site is now online at the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Getting your closet organized? Have shoes to donate?  Donate like-new shoes to “Share-A-Pair,” a new initiative launched by MERS-Goodwill and GO! ST. Louis. This is another amazing program to help families clear out their (shoe) clutter and also give back to the community.

A Shoe-Mobile receptacle is currently on display at South County Mall from March 15-31.  Donated shoes will go to MERS-Goodwill for resale,and those that are not usable will be recycled. All shoe types are acceptable, but athletic shoes are preferred because they encourage a healthy lifestyle.

Go! St. Louis is a local non-profit organization that promotes healthy lifestyles and fitness through various community programs.

It's raining, so it's the perfect day to bring your kids to an inside eco-craft event in St. Louis. Today and tomorrow is the Upcycle Exchange and Indie Craft Revolution.  Donate your post-consumer products so artists can create and get discounts towards crafts. Did you clear out some clutter recently then leave the box in your garage? Donate it today!

Saturday, March 13th 10 am-6pm
Sunday, March 14th from 10 am to 4 pm
St. Louis Artists’ Guild

More info at the link above.

The latest  feature on the Neat Chic Organizing website is an up to date listing of St. Louis area events relevant to getting organized, donating your gently used clutter, and recycling! Check it out under the "Pics, Tips & More" link.

This week is a Chic event for all you shoe divas out there. Have a gently used or new pair that you don't need anymore? Donate them to the Go-St. Louis and Goodwill "Share-a-Pair" Program.