Hasta La Ideas

Now that the winter months are in full swing, this is a great time to sort through some of your winter gear. There’s likely to be a few items that you use a lot along with others that you hardly use anymore. Get everyone who lives in your home involved (if possible) so that they can select their favorites and identify items that can be donated to charity.

As you go through each area of you home, remember to look inside closets, under bed storage bins, the attic, the basement, your garage or shed, and any other areas that the following items may be hiding:

• Coats and jackets. Chances are, you reach for the same one or two pieces of outerwear all the time. And, that’s okay. We all have our favorites. Consider donating the ones that no longer fit (or that you don’t like) to One Warm Coat or a local homeless shelter or another charity wanting outerwear. Winter is the best time to donate these items so they can be used.
• Hats, scarves, and gloves. If they don’t fit you anymore (whether in size or style), it’s time to pass on your hats and other winter accessories to others who will put them to good use. Check for winter clothing drives hosted by schools, community centers, or houses of worship in your neighborhood.
• Footwear. Consider donating the boots you no longer wear to Goodwill or Soles4Souls. Both organizations will accept shoes that are new or gently worn. If you have athletic shoes that are in disrepair, send them off to the Nike ReUse a Shoe program to be recycled.
• Sporting gear. If you have winter sports gear that you no longer want, participate in a ski swap to let go of your old winter sport gear (contact the ski resort you go to or local sporting goods shop). Your skis, sleds, snow boards, goggles, helmets, and other winter sport stuff that you no longer use can also be repurposed or recylced. Check out the recycling program at Snow Sport Industries of America, where items are disassembled and repurposed by other industries. Or, you can let Green Mountain Ski Furniture help you transform your old skis into something new, like tables, adirondack chairs, coat racks, and more. This might be a good option for junior skis.
• Blankets and sheets. You probably have a few blankets and flannel sheets that don’t fit the beds in your home that you can donate to a homeless, family, or pet shelter. Art for Humanity, located in Virginia, will allow you to drop off or mail used sheets (as well as towels and shoes) that are in good condition.
• Pet gear. Does your dog really love wearing that winter coat and matching boots? And, do you have enough room to store them? Check with your local veterinarian, SPCA, or animal rescue to see if they have a need for those items and other unused pet supplies.

Need help getting organized? Buy the DRM-free audiobook version of Erin Rooney Doland’s Unclutter Your Life in One Week today for only $8.99.

A design-focused vessel that addresses water transport and shortage issues

Cellbag is a quirky new snack-and-water carrier for day-trippers looking for on-the-go sustenance. Created by designer Mathieu Lehanneur and Professor David Edwards for ArtScience Labs, the adorable futuristic design can be slung over the shoulder on your daily commute, and comes in four distinct colors. The compartmental disc design was conceptualized by a group of Harvard students who—under the guidance of Edwards—were inspired by the form of actual biological cells. Now available, the CellBag marks the evolution of the early prototype developed last year, known then as “Le Pumpkin.”

CellBag can carry several liters of water on one side, with half of the compartment reserved for easy-access storage of dry goods. While this model has an urban audience in mind, the end goal of the expandable design is for use in areas with limited water. The container tubes can be conveniently linked together to form a full-body water-bearing bandolier, with the idea that these linked, telescoping tubes will be used to transport large amounts of water from distant sources to communities in need.

The humanitarian brand is donating all profits of the initial run to the EARTH Water Association and is launching its own initiative to deliver CellBags to the community of Moretele in South Africa. CellBag is available through The Lab Store for 75€. Check out their video to see the bag in action.