How does your garden go?

If you watch the Grommet videos very closely, you might occasionally spot the Lexington Farmers Market in the background – it’s the perfect setting to shoot some video for stories like ChicoBags (creator of reusable produce bags). Every Tuesday, from early summer into the fall, dozens of farmers and artisans set up shop on our village green, just across the way from Daily Grommet headquarters. And last Tuesday, Donna, Daily Grommet’s master of finance, headed over to meet Charlie, “the Boston Truck Farmer.”

It turns out, the guys who produced the award-winning PBS documentary, “King Corn” had started a new movement last year by growing a garden right in the bed of their old Dodge truck and driving it around to urban farm sites. This year, there’s a fleet of 25 trucks scattered across the country doing the same — and Charlie, from Arlington, MA,  is the Boston truck farmer.

Charlie will be visiting 25 sites throughout the season, and we’ll be watching for the next time he’s back in our neighborhood so we can check in on his garden’s progress.

lexington farmers market

I especially like how these guys describe what they’re doing as a “mobile community farm” … as well as a “public art and education project.”

You can take a look at  www.truck-farm.com to see if there’s a truck farm in your neighborhood and find out more about this cool project.

Eco Friendly Finds

Going “green” it is for anyone who wants to take one step today towards doing better by the Earth. Here are several products that can help you get started.

Pearls Premium

 If you love a green lawn but dread the maintenance, check out Pearl’s Premium grass seed. It was developed by environmentalist Jackson Madnick, who spent six years researching lawns that grow slowly, require less water and don’t need chemical fertilizers to thrive. Grow an easy organic lawn this spring.

ChicoBag

These reusable grocery and produce bags are designed to maintain optimal humidity and air flow which will keep fruits and vegetables fresher, longer. ChicoBags eliminate the need for single use plastic bags – a much more earth friendly way to grocery shop!

 

eGear

Tap the sun with the eGear 5-in-1 solar travel kit. The base stores energy from the sun, and you can use it to power five different attachments: a small LED flashlight, radio, fan, reading light or USB charger. You just choose the component you want, then slide it onto the body until it clicks into place.

 

 

Rickshaw

The “Zero” nylon messenger bags from Rickshaw Bagworks is designed to eliminate wasted material. Scraps created during production are used in the bags and shipping materials, so nothing gets tossed. Read more about this here.

 

BaLLS

Why toss wool balls into your dryer? We’ve discovered lots of reasons. They’re a clean, natural alternative to conventional dryer sheets and fabric softeners. They can cut drying time by as much as 40%. Plus, these handmade wool dryer balls are great for reducing static electricity and fluffing out wrinkles.

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Evan Healy

 Evan Healy takes a different approach to skincare. As a trained aesthetician, Evan believes in the skin’s ability to achieve optimal balance with just a minimum of help. All the products in her evanhealy line are made from organic, plant-based ingredients, and there are no perfumes added. These organic skincare products will have you looking great and feeling wonderful about the ingredients you are putting on your skin.

 

Lunette

Let’s start with the obvious question: What is this thing? Lunette is a sylicone menstrual cup, a reusable enviornmentally-friendly alternative to tampons and pads that collects the menstrual flow rather than absorbs it. 

 

Better Life

Sage, lavender, chamomile and coconut oil sound more like ingredients in a facial cream than a household cleaner,  but that’s the beauty of these incredible cleaners from Better Life. More than 99% of the ingredients used in Better Life’s non toxic cleaning products are natural or derived from natural, renewable resources.

 

Zkano

The name Zkano is derived from a Native American word that describes “a state of being good.” That sentiment perfectly captures describes these organic cotton socks – good for the environment and good for the people who wear them.

Looking for more eco-friendly products? You can see more by browsing our  Green Product gift guides.

MYdrap from Spain to the US

At Daily Grommet we love to tell the story behind the products that we feature. Today’s story spans generations and continents. If it weren’t for the act of courage taken almost a century ago around the world, this story wouldn’t be able to be told today.

Buy MYdrap napkins on a roll here.

MyDrapThe founders, Antonio and Maria Guasch were workers of a textile company. They were fed up with the abuses of the owner and decided to open their own factory. After many difficulties the company was founded in 1925 in Barcelona. A few days after Antonio Guasch died. Maria did not give up and she went ahead with the business in a time when women were supposed to be at home with babies. Maria had to work extremely hard to start her fledgling business and educate her son and daughter at the same time.

Her son, Jacinto Guasch took over the business and later, in 1980, the company opened a new factory in Monistrol de Montserrat, near Barcelona at the foot of the mountain. During the next 10 years the company had two factories, but in 1990 the factory in Barcelona was closed and all the production was moved to Monistrol. The old factory was sold when the old industrial area of Barcelona was converted for the Olympic games of Barcelona 1992.

After a heavy textile crisis in 1991-1992 the company realized that the sector was extremely vulnerable to foreign competition coming from Asia. With the clear goal of innovating they developed their seamless technology.
This technology allowed them to develop innovative and high quality product at a competitive cost.

MYdrap fabric napkinsThey first created Rolldrap, cotton cloths in a roll, in 1996. Today they are leaders in the Spanish market of cotton cloths for the hospitality market and the product is expanding through Europe. In 2005 they explored the possibility of developing other products that would use the same seamless technology. The idea of manufacturing textile napkins on a roll was the first step. The success in the hospitality market was immediate. The concept of a disposable textile has captivated hotels, caterers and restaurants all over the world.

Following the success of the MYdrap napkins for the hospitality market they developed the same concept for the retail. In 2008 they registered the MYdrap brand. The concept of cotton napkins in a roll available in a range of colors and sizes has been an immediate success. The product has expanded all over the best stores in Europe, Japan and Canada and we wish to do the same in the USA.

MYdrap on the Today Show

After being featured as one of ‘Today’s Style Fashion Emergency Fixes’ a couple of weeks ago (see the video below) the MYdrap team has been invited back and will be featured this Thursday, April 14th. We can’t wait to cheer them on and watch the US market embrace this product. Grandma Maria would be very proud.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Enjoying the Great Outdoors

Now that we’re (finally!) thawing out after winter, we’re busy searching for excuses to get outside and enjoy the warmer weather. From camping and hiking to road trips and cycling, we can’t wait to get moving again.

hiking guide

Our tester, Paraag Maddiwar, used the Voltaic Systems solar charger to charge his iPod twice and his camera once during his hike at Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania last month.

One of the challenges with a weekend camping trip or a hike, however, is that it’s not always possible to recharge your camera, cell phone, or iPod. We’re more than happy to leave the laptop at home, but who doesn’t want to listen to music and take pictures while enjoying the great outdoors? With the travel solar chargers  we’re featuring today, solar charging is easier than ever. So now we definitely have no excuses to stay inside!

As we plan our getaways, we’ve been turning to a few websites  that are worth sharing:

National Park Service – This is the first place to look when you want to find parks near you or near your destination. The website even has a handy sorting feature where you can search by topic or type of activity.

Tripleblaze.comHere you can find advice on the best camping and hiking sites as well as equipment reviews. They even have information on guided trips.

BestHike.com – There are lists for every continent on this website, and you can update information to add your own knowledge of the trails — a great hiking guide.

ABC-of-Hiking – This website has active forum discussions and is a great place to obtain how-to information as well as advice on hiking locations. 

BootsnAll – This is a one-stop travel website with information on flights, advice on destinations, and opportunities to find travel partners. BootsnAll is a great place to look if you’re planning a trip overseas, and there’s plenty of information about how best to enjoy the outdoors in great hiking destinations like New Zealand. 

Do you have some great resources that you use when you’re planning an outdoor getaway? We’d love to hear about them!

10 products for green thumbs and brown knees

You’ve always been cool as a cucumber, the chief cultivating officer of your luscious home garden. Each season you break new ground,   ready to try out the latest gardening products and showcase the breadth of your gardening gifts. This stuff is for you.
unique gift idea - Jill-able Vase

Jill-able – Say it with a Vase

Add to the pleasure of cut flowers with these unique, reusable vases that fold completely flat for easy storage. Buy Jill-able’s portable and collapsible flower vase.

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 Garden Gift Ideas | Self Contained Garden System

EarthBox® – Self Contained Garden System

This no muss, no fuss organic gardening system is simple to set up, and you don’t have to worry about soil conditions, over-watering or weeding. Buy the EarthBox® flower and vegetable container gardening system.
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 Moultonology Garden Bon Bons Moultonology – Garden Bon Bons

From compost and clay you get… bon bons? A sweet gift for expert and novice gardeners. Buy Moultonology’s Garden Bon Bons herb seed balls.
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 GatorHyde Garden Hose
GatorHyde – Garden Hose

Keep your lawn and garden green with the GatorHyde hose. It’s durable, lightweight and kink-free, plus it’s made with recycled materials. Buy the GatorHyde heavy duty lightweight garden hose.
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 John & Bob's Smart Soil Solutions

John & Bob’s – Smart Soil Solutions

John and Bob’s soil solutions can literally add life to your plot of earth by replenishing missing microorganisms and enriching the soil’s nutrient base. Buy John & Bob’s soil conditioning system.
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 Sky Planter - unique gift ideas

BOSKKE – Sky Planter

The Sky Planter suspends ferns, orchids and herbs from above, saving space and resources while decorating the ceiling and purifying the air with plant life. Buy the Boskke hanging upside down modern planters.

 Pearl's Premium Lawn Seed
Pearl’s Premium – Lawn Seed

Make the transition to an organic lawn with Pearl’s Premium lawn seed. You’ll enjoy less mowing, less watering and no runoff from harmful chemical fertilizers. Buy Pearl’s Premium grass growing seed.
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 Rosie's Workwear Overalls

Rosie’s Workwear – Overalls

These rugged, protective overalls do the job of typical workwear, but they’re fit and constructed especially for women. Buy Rosie’s Workwear work overalls for women.
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 Bionic Gardening Gloves - Garden Gift Ideas

Bionic Glove – Ergonomic Gardening Gloves

An orthopedic hand surgeon designed these leather gardening gloves with strategically placed pads to reduce blisters, calluses and hand fatigue. Buy Bionic Gardening Gloves.
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 Worm Composting System Cascade Manufacturing

Worm Composting System – Cascade Manufacturing

Nourish your garden with homegrown worm castings and you’ll produce lovely green leafies that would make an organic farmer beam with pride. Buy the Worm Factory organic home worm composting worm bin.
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Simple steps to a clean, green holiday season

Daily Grommet friend (and resident “green” expert) Leslie Reinchert,  is here to help us with our green holiday cleaning. You may remember Leslie, author of  The Joy Of Green Cleaning, from several Grommet stories. She has helped us discover many great green cleaning products  over the past couple of years (Eco Me Home and Charlie’s Soap just to name a couple).

Today, she’s putting us up to a challenge — start cleaning for the holidays with her simple (green) cleaning steps.

By Leslie Reichart

Green Holiday Cleaning

Leslie Reichert

Wash, press, repeat

 Let’s start by getting all your table linens ready for the day of the dinner. You can start washing and pressing them now and store them in a drawer until you need them. Make sure you get the linens clean and green by using a green laundry detergent. Charlie’s is a safe laundry detergent that will wash away any old stains on your table cloth and cloth napkins. And since it rinses totally from the fabric so there won’t be any scent to conflict with your sweet smelling home. Click here to learn more about Charlie’s Soap.

A quick polish

Polishing your silver used to be such a terrible chore, until now. Make sure you buy a can of Cape Cod Silver polish so that you can wipe them clean the week before Thanksgiving. Just use their treated sterling sliver polish cloths and wipe all your silver so it is sparkling for dinner. Click here to learn more about Cape Cod  Polish Company.

green cleaning products

 

A little elbow grease

Next, start cleaning your home now, so you don’t have to go crazy the day before your guests arrive. Take care of your home and your guests by only using green cleaners. Since so many people are sensitive to different chemicals, try making your own all natural cleaners. Use the Eco Me Set so you can have some help making the different cleaners you will need to clean the entire house. With some simple ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda and some essential oils, you can clean your home easily and without toxic cleaners. Click here to learn more about EcoMe Home cleaners.

Freshen up that fridge

The grocery store is the last place you want to be a few days before Thanksgiving.  But you also want to have the freshest fruits and veggies available for your Thanksgiving dinner. Now you can shop ahead with the help of  BluApple. This little addition to your veggie drawer will make your fruits and vegetables fresh for your big dinner and you can avoid having to be at the grocery store during the big rush! Click here to learn more about BluApple.

One last wipe

 
Okay, your guests will be there in seconds. Do a quick clean with this microfiber cleaning cloth called E-cloth. Just wet it with water and you can wipe down all your appliances, your furniture and even the front glass door.  Everything will be sparkling clean when they arrive. E-cloth can clean your windows, stainless steel and granite without using ANY cleaner. It’s perfect for that last minute clean up. Click here to learn more about E-Cloth.

 

 green holiday cleaning                                                                                                             

 Tackle the kitchen  

Show your guests how much fun it can be to help you clean up after dinner. By using the stylish dish washing brush from Full Circle, your guests may actually fight over who can help you clean up the kitchen. These green scrub brushes are made from sustainable, biodegradable materials that look good on your counter and feel good in your hands. They will make your guests feel good inside and out while they help you clean up. Click here to learn more about Full Circle Sponges.

Thanks Leslie for sharing these tips and motivating us all to get started on our own green holiday cleaning!

Weekly Grommet Wrap Up

Want to upgrade your lunchbox? How about a solution for your achy feet after a night on the town? Check out this week’s Grommets, we think you’ll like them!

Ecosystem, Blank Writing Journals made from Recycled Materials, Journals Notebooks, Blank Writing Journals, Journal Notebook, Lined Journals, Recycled Journals, Green Journal, Eco Journal, Unlined Journal

Ecosystem Life Journals These modern, colorful notebooks from ecosystem are made of 100% post-consumer recycled paper. They come lined or blank, perfect for jotting down thoughts or sketching a quick picture. Pen or pencil, crayon or charcoal — the acid- and chlorine-free paper loves them all. Tiny perforations make it easy to remove a page when you want to, and the flexible covers can be wiped clean with a damp cloth so they keep looking new even after months of use. ($14.95) Buy Ecosystem’s recycled blank writing journals here.

LZojirushi, Lunch Jar | Insulated Lunch Container, Lunch Containers, Food Jar, Insulated Lunch Container, Lunch Jar, Insulated Food Jar, Food Storage Jars, Zojirushi Lunch Jar

Love In A Lunchbox. The Lunch Jar is a stainless steel container into which three covered bowls fit, stacked on top of each other. The sturdy, insulated thermos keeps hot things hot (like soup, chili or pasta) and cold things cold (salad greens, carrots or cucumber slices). The set also comes with a forked spoon and a cool carrying tote. ($46.95) Buy the Zojirushi lunch jar here.

Earthling Crayon Set, Recycled Crayons, Star Crayon, Recycled Crayons, Crayon Recycling

Earthling Crazy Crayons. Our recycled crayon bundle includes a box of Eco Stars. With 20 stars in each box­, you’ll have 100 nice sharp points of color for your artistic masterpieces. Or use two points at once to create parallel lines. You also get a Can of Worms, which is (fittingly) nine earthworm-shaped crayons that are perfectly sized for little hands. As a special bonus, our bundle also includes one star-shaped crazy crayon with two colors swirled together. ($17.95) Buy Earthling recycled crayons here.

Falksalt, Gourmet Salt: Flake Salt - Natural, Unrefined Salt Harvested from the Sea, Gourmet Salt, Flavored Salt, Rosemary Salt, Salt Crystals, Natural Sea Salt, Buy Sea Salt, Sea Salt Crystals, Flake Salt

Falksalt Gourmet Salt. This pure sea salt is naturally unrefined and harvested by hand from the Mediterranean Sea. The evaporation process can take up to two years to achieve the proper texture and flavor – but this extraordinary seasoning is worth the wait. It’s salty, not bitter, and the purity of the sea salt flakes translates into a light sweetness that enhances the flavor of your favorite dishes. (Boxed set of four – $24.95) Buy Falksalt gourmet flake sea salt here.

AfterSoles, Rollable Women's Ballet Flats, Black Ballet Flats, Gold Ballet Flats, Silver Ballet Flats, Women's Black Ballet Flats, Women's Ballet Flats, Rollable Ballet Flats

AfterSoles Ballet Flats.  We’ve all been there, wincing in pain after a night of standing, walking and partying in strappy stilettos. Sure, you could take off your heels and dance barefooted for the last few songs. But if shoeless isn’t your style, we’ve found a chic solution for aching arches.  AfterSoles are slim ballet flats that roll up to the size of a cell phone. ($14.95) buy rollable women’s ballet flats here.

Weekly Grommet Wrap-Up

Here’s a round-up of what we featured this week:

Built NY Lunch Tote and Lunch Bag, Insulated Lunch Bag, Insulated Lunch Tote, Built NY Lunch Tote, Kids Lunch Bags, Lunch Bag Purse, Neoprene Lunch Bag, Lunch Bag Tote, Built NY Lunch Bag, Lunch Cooler Bag, Neoprene Lunch Tote, Thermal Lunch Bags, Kids Insulated Lunch Bags

Lunch Totes You’ve got the makings of a great lunch — yogurt, banana, pastrami on rye — but can your lunch sack handle it? These can. Adorned with vibrant, colorful patterns, Built’s insulating lunch totes put brown bags to shame. They’re made from neoprene, which keeps the cool and also stretches a bit to fit all your favorite lunch foods. (Starting at $22) Buy the Built lunch tote and lunch bag here.

Salad chopper

Toss & Chop.The weather’s been hot and steamy, perfect for a no-mess supper like a Cobb, Nicoise or chef’s salad. But, oh, all that chopping. Luckily, there’s a shortcut thanks to Wendy Silver, salad lover extraordinaire. A decade ago, Wendy envisioned a way to make short work of salad prep, chopping a bunch of ingredients at the same time, right in the serving bowl. The Toss & Chop became her cutting edge reality. ($22) Buy the Toss & Chop here.

Zagg, InvisibleSHIELD Screen Protectors, iPod Skin, Phone Screen Protector, iPod Protector, Screen Protector Film, Mobile Screen Protector, InvisibleSHIELD, Zagg

Zagg – InvisibleSHIELD. After finally buying a smartphone, it’s easy to obsess about scratching the screen of your favorite new (and expensive) toy, or finding it smeared with your 3-year-old’s fingerprints. If only there were some sort of protection without sacrificing clarity….presto, the invisibleSHIELD from ZAGG. ($19.95) Buy ZAGG’s screen protectors and skins here.

BusyBodyBooks, Family Organizer: Mom Planner - School Planner - Family Calendar, Day Planner, Family Calendar, Family Organizer, School Planner, Day Planner Organizer, Mom Planner, Mom Calendar, Family Organizer Calendar, Mom Day Planner, Spiral Planner

BusyBodyBooks. BusyBodyBook offers planners for the 2010-2011 academic year and the 2011 calendar year (there’s also a magnetic wall planner). Both spiral-bound organizers feature casual, colorful cover designs. Their slim, lightweight size might even make you forgot for a moment just how busy life is. ($29.95) Buy the BusyBodyBooks family organizer here.

Recycled School Supplies

ReBinder. Pick up this ReBinder Green School Supply Kit with everything a child needs for the entire year. Absolutely all of it comes from recycled fibers (85% of them post-consumer). The 30-piece pack includes recycled CD cases and sleeves plus plenty of notebooks (with blank, lined and graph paper) and folders. But the piece de resistance is truly the signature ReBinder. Its 3-ring core can be removed and placed in one of the two included replacement covers when the original wears out, so you don’t need to buy a whole new binder. (Starting at $19.95) Buy ReBinder Recycled School Supplies here.

Update from the Yurt Alert

We first told you about Kate Pokomy and her extremely ambitious efforts of crocheting a yurt (which, when complete will be 10 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter) last year. We have been recieving her updates and following along with her progress and now have finally had a chance to really catch up with Kate.  Here is what she is up to:

by Kate Pokomy

Hi All! It has been one Sheepie Summer! The summer started with lots of sheep shearing festivals, which I visited around New England. We went to one while it was still cold out in Lincoln, MA at Drumlin farm and a warmer one at the MA Wool and Sheep Festival where we saw the very same shearer! All this wool action  drove my desire to get down to work on the yurt now that the weather was warming up and I spent Memorial Day weekend up to my eyeballs, literally, in wool!

We had received delivery of the Dorset and the Icelandic wool we’ll be using for the yurt and while the Icelandic was pre-skirted by the amazing team at MackHill Farm in NH we needed to skirt the 180 lbs of Dorset. It was NOT clean. I did it all over the course of three days with a little help from mom and dad. On the last day it started to rain on us! We skirted and bagged that wool so fast — nothing worse that wet, slightly dirty wool, stinky!

With the wool all skirted we took a sample over to the mill (Fiber Dreams) where it will be cleaned. We’re at the point now where we’re figuring out the perfect blend so that when the two wools are combined it will be strong and more easily feltable. We don’t want to end up with wool where each segment of cord is going to take two days to felt up! That’s where we’re at. Soon we’ll have all the wool back, clean and feltable! Then we can get started on the segments and the building! More to come! Thanks so much for your ongoing support.

Thanks for the update Kate! Keep us posted on your progress.

Weekly Grommet Wrap-Up

Yet another week of cool and interesting Grommets. Here’s what we featured this week:

Rickshaw Bagworks, Nylon Messenger Bags, Cool Messenger Bags, Mini Messenger Bag, Small Messenger Bag, Rickshaw Bags, Nylon Messenger Bag, Water Resistant Messenger Bag

Rickshaw Bagworks The “Zero” messenger bag from Rickshaw Bagworks is designed to eliminate wasted material. Scraps created during production are used in the bags and shipping materials, so nothing gets tossed.  When it’s time to retire the bag (think years and years from now), it’s recyclable. (Starting at $35) Buy Rickshaw Bagwork’s nylon messenger bags here.

Lunchskins, Reusable Cloth Sandwich Bags, Reusable Sandwich Bag, Cloth Sandwich Bags, Eco Friendly Sandwich Bags

Lunch Skins. Here’s a statistic that will spoil your appetite: Every day, more than 20 million sandwich bags from school lunches wind up in landfills in the U.S. Printed with cool graphics, LunchSkins are made from a food-safe cotton that the founders hunted down in Europe, where it’s used by patisseries and bakeries. The durable material can withstand exposure to heat, so you can pop LunchSkins in the dishwasher after use. ($16.50) Buy LunchSkins here.

Acupressure Mat

Yantra Mat USA. Yantra Mats are 100% cotton, with non-toxic ABS plastic spikes. Simply lay on the mat on your back to stimulate the spine and relieve back/neck pain, or lay on your stomach to promote better digestive and respiratory health. The longer you use the mat, the more endorphins will be released, and you’ll feel calm and uplifted as your circulation improves. (Starting at $49) Buy the Yantra Mat here.

Aerial7, Cool Headphones with a DJ Style, Audio Headphones, DJ Headphones, Best Headphones, Headphones Noise Cancelling, Music Headphones, Headband Headphones, iPod Headphones, Cool Headphones, Colorful Headphones, Tank Headphones

ARIEL7 Headphones. Aerial7’s Tank headphones bring the sound to match their hip looks, from low, rumbling bass tones to crisp highs. Thick cushions comfortably cocoon your ears, and the ear cup swivels so you can listen to music with one ear, DJ-style. The headphones come with two cables: a thick coiled cable for standard music players, and a thin, straight cable with a built-in microphone for use with an iPhone, BlackBerry and other cell phones. ($80) Buy Aerial7′s cool headphones with a DJ style here.

Bungalow Bags, Collapsible Storage Bins, Under Bed Storage Boxes, Oversized Tote, Collapsible Storage, Collapsible Storage Bins, Collapsible Storage Boxes, Collapsible Storage Totes, Collapsible Toy Storage, Under Bed Storage, Under Bed Storage Boxes, Under Bed Storage Containers, Under Bed Boxes, Large Tote, Oversized Tote

Storage & Travel Bags. All the Bungalow bags are collapsible for easy storage and have reinforced riveted handles, so they can carry a lot of weight. They’re also water resistant and wipe clean easily. Zippy designs combined with easy functionality — what a fabulous way to celebrate your stuff and at the same time feel virtuously organized. (Starting at $20.00) Buy Bungalow’s storage essentials here.