I swear I'm not a hoarder. I'm really not!
But, between the items I receive at blogging conferences (swag), the clothing that Angeline grows out at a rapid pace and all of the items we order online through Amazon Prime, my family room always looks like an episode of Hoarders!
I wish that I could say that my daughter was the messiest person in our house - she is a teenager, after all - but that wouldn't be fair. Sure, her room is a royal pig sty (what teenager's room isn't a hot mess?), but she is pretty good about keeping her mess contained to her own personal space.
And my husband? He travels so much for work that he isn't really home to make a mess!
Yep, it's all me.
But my house isn't always like this! It builds up a bit, and then every few months, I grab a Glad Black Bag and fill it up and call the VVA (the Vietnam Veterans Association charity) to come pick it up. They collect household items to resell to thrift shops and use the funds to benefit local Vietnam Veterans. I tell you, with the mish-mash of stuff that ends up in those bags, only Glad Black Bags actually do the trick, because they don't tear like other bags do!
All of that stuff fit nicely into two Glad Black Bags! Now I just have to wait for the VVA to come get them!
Cleaning up big messes is not an uncommon occurrence at our house; with all of the parties we throw, by the time Christmas morning rolls around, I have become a pro at cleaning up the mess!
With 5 kids in the family running around, ripping open gifts and throwing wrapping paper and ribbons in the air, it can get kind of wild and crazy! My mom and I have devised a system that works pretty well at preventing the house from becoming a complete disaster on Christmas morning: we have a large Glad Black Bag in the living room, and as the kids begin opening gifts, we begin throwing wrapping paper, ribbons and boxes directly into the Glad Black Bag. Once the kids begin taking all of their new toys out of the boxes and dismantling them, we just keep throwing all of those cardboard inserts and spare pieces right in that bag.
Once the opening of gifts is over, someone takes the Glad Black Bag outside and all that is left over are a mountain of toys, new clothes, etc!
My favorite thing about Glad Black Bags is that they don't tear! No matter what kind of boxes or cardboard we throw in them, they don't tear - even all of those weird plastic pieces don't scratch through the bags!
Does your house get a little wild and need Glad Black Bags? You should check out the After The Wild Life Facebook tab on the Glad Facebook page! Like the page and play the Missing in the Mess game as well, it's a lot of fun!
I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Glad. I received products to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.
Maryann
we use the bags to store stuff quickly for big parties or what ever.
Mellisa
Speaking of Glad, I really need to go though all of my kids all toys and clothign before Christmas!! These things are great for packing as much as you can into one bag.
Mumseword
wow they don't tear? I must go look for them here!
Anne - Mommy Has to Work
I like how stretchy they are!
Jennifer
I've used these before and they work really well--they do not break! I have some super cheap bags right now and they are terrible. This is one area where cheap just doesn't cut it!
Brett
We do the SAME thing Christmas morning! Glad is our trash bag brand as well. No ripping. We actually have 2 bags strategically placed on opposite sides of the room. I overdo Christmas and there's lots to open and with 3 kids, it adds up fast. So we're a 2 bag for Christmas family. Recycling has its own bag...maybe we're a three bag?
Beeb Ashcroft
Love that your donate to the thrift store for Vietnam veterans - thrift stores are such a win-win, the cause benefits and we get rid of excess! (Or pick up things we need at a bargain!)
Liz
You kinda said it all when you said it doesn't tear. I get so frustrated with that because I tend to stuff those bags to their busting point. I'm all about pushing the limits, apparently.
Tesa
We love donating to the vets too. It's such a great service for such a great cause and the Glad black bags are perfect for it. We enjoy using them for the holidays too. They really make cleaning up a breeze.
Nichol
I love Glad they really do a great job for big messes, like my craziness with cleaning. I hate junk and fill a bag daily, it is true. Love that you donate for VV!
Ashley - Embracing Beauty
I'm a huge fan of Glad bags too! They are great at holding a lot without tearing. I have a few bags waiting for the Vertans to pick up too!