Monthly Archives: December 2022

Space is something that most of us don’t seem to have enough of these days, especially when there are children in the picture! Clothes, craft supplies, toys, and furniture can all contribute to your homes overall clutter-factor, especially after Christmas and birthdays when gifts pour in from family and friends.

Whether you need bedroom toy storage, or a solution for a playroom or living room, we have the perfect Poundstretcher solutions for you. Don’t let the clutter stress you out any longer – get organised by reading up on our best toy storage ideas below. If you prefer to browse in person, why not visit your local Poundstretcher store? Find your closest location using our Find a Store page.

 

1. Affordable, tough drawers

If you have children who tend to play rough and you want something that will last for years, choose a practical solution that won’t break the bank. These toy storage ideas are perfect for bedrooms and playrooms where they’ll get the most use.

With 4 roomy drawers, this 4 drawer storage tower made with sturdy black plastic makes the ideal toy storage solution. As well as having a simple pattern to give them a modern look, the drawers are easy to move around when empty, meaning you can place them wherever they are needed most without struggling. Drawer units like this are excellent when you’re on a budget or want furniture that can be re-used in different settings in the future.

Remember to anchor cabinets and drawers to your walls to prevent them tipping over.

2. Convenient and spacious lidded boxes

Functional and perfect for the space conscious, lidded boxes can be stacked up against walls to limit their footprint, making them perfect for smaller homes. They are great for storing toys that aren’t used very often or play sets that have dozens of easy to lose parts, and often have lids that are easy for your little ones to open up and help themselves.

80L recycled storage box with flip lid

Clear plastic boxes are a more practical solution if you are storing a lot of toys and want to be able to see what is in them without opening the lids.

• 120L Plastic Storage Box
• 80L Plastic Storage Box
• 65L Plastic Storage Box with Lid
• 42L Plastic Storage Box with Lid
• 3 Pack 28L Plastic Storage Box with Lid

 

4. Colour coded storage

Colour coding your storage is fantastic if you’re organising toys for multiple children. Give each child their own colour boxes and bags to make clean-up at the end of the day easier than ever before.These spacious 80L storage boxes come in bright red, green and blue.

 

 

3. Hidden toy storage cubes

When you’re limited on space, toys can start to take over your house quite quickly. Choosing hidden toy storage means you can tuck away the building blocks and dolls without leaving a trace when you’re having guests over, without keeping them too out of the way. Storage cubes are perfect for hiding toys in plain sight; utilise an existing bookcase or TV unit to play host to your cubes and use them to keep toys organised.

 

4. Easy to access baskets

Baskets are a versatile way to store toys, keeping them tidy and organised whilst leaving their contents easy to get to. The wonderful thing about baskets is they can be placed in many different locations, so whether you want something that can be tucked away neatly in a cupboard, or stacked up in the corner of a room, they are exactly what you might need. A large pink patterned basket would look wonderful in a bedroom or playroom.

 

5. Under bed, out of sight storage

If out of sight, out of mind is your storage style, under the bed storage boxes could be the best toy storage idea for you. They are spacious enough to keep a lot of toys in them, whilst being lightweight and easy to pull out from under the bed.

 

6. Use sleek, compact trays

Shallow, multipurpose organiser trays are ideal for storing smaller toys, building blocks, and craft activities. Pull out a few trays at a time to keep your children entertained. Then easily re-organise them to put them away at the end of the day.

 

Keep toys organised, for good!

Keeping toys tidy and put away may seem like a never-ending battle, but by choosing the right toy storage solutions, you can make it a battle that you win! If you haven’t found exactly what you’re looking for, you can find a full range of toy storage solutions by browsing our storage and organisation category.

Do you find cooking every night a stressful, boring task? If you seem to spend more time slaving over the stove than on what matters to you, you might be interested in learning how to meal prep for the week! Setting aside a few hours at the weekend to get meals ready for the week ahead can greatly cut down on the time you spend in the kitchen on weekdays, as well as shaving precious pennies off your food shopping bill.

 

What is meal prepping?

Meal prepping is the process of preparing all or most of the ingredients for your meals ahead of time so that when it comes time to cook, the hard work is already done. Fresh ingredients are either stored separately in sealed containers or mixed in the right quantities ready to be thrown into a pan or the oven. They can be frozen, too, to prolong the life of the meals.

Many people who meal prep will get their preparation out of the way at the weekend to make weekday dinners easier. As well as taking the stress out of cooking, meal prepping is a fantastic way to save cash by helping you stick to a food budget and ruling out last-minute takeaways because you don’t feel like cooking.

 

How to meal prep for the week

 

1.    Create a list of recipes

Having a list of go-to recipes will make meal prepping so much easier. Write down 15 – 20 meals that you enjoy, and once you’ve chosen your meals, find recipes (either in cookbooks, or online) and keep note of them. Writing out your recipes in a planner or notebook is an easy way to find them again in the future – or if you find them on the internet, you could bookmark them.

Get the family involved by asking them to share a few meal ideas they’d like to eat and add these to your master list. If you’re stuck for inspiration, sites like BBC Good Food have hundreds of meal prep ideas.

 

2.    Choose which meals you’d like to eat

At the end of the week, pull up your list of recipes and pick meals for each day of the week. You don’t have to meal prep breakfast, lunch, and dinner if you don’t want to – many people tend to just prep their lunch and/or dinner and keep quick breakfast ingredients to hand.

Top tip: Try to pick meals with similar base ingredients – this will keep your shopping list short and food costs down.

 

3.    Write up a detailed shopping list

Open each recipe and write the ingredients down in a shopping list. After you know what you need, look in your kitchen and take note of what you already have – crossing off anything you don’t need to buy. Don’t forget to check your herbs and spices!

When you go shopping, try to pick up produce with longer expiration dates to ensure your ingredients don’t go off before you get round to using them.

 

4.    Prepare your meal prep containers

As you get used to meal prepping, you’ll learn to know which containers work best for your needs, but when it comes to knowing how to meal prep for the week, there are some container staples that every bulk cook needs. These are a few of our favourites:

See product here	Plastic, tight-lidded containers, perfect for storing meal prep ingredients.   ·        Stackable ·        Washable ·        Reusable ·        Freezer safe ·        Microwave safe
See product here	Large, disposable containers perfect for storing batch cooks for the whole family.   ·        Easy clean-up ·        Large capacity ·        Not microwave safe
See product here	Long-lasting clear plastic containers with keep fresh seals.   ·        Washable and reusable ·        Secure lid with clips ·        Durable plastic
See product here	Plastic sealable bags, perfect for freezing stocks and soups.   ·        Easy to seal ·        Freezer safe

 

Pick up these and more in store – check our Find a Store page to find your closest Poundstretcher location.

 

5.    Get prepping

Now comes the actual preparation stage! Create piles of the ingredients you will need for each dish, and chop, slice, and cut each ingredient as needed. It makes sense to prepare multiples of ingredients at the same time; for example, if 4 recipes need a diced onion each, dice all 4 at the same time and divide between each meal.

Once your ingredients are prepped, place them into their relevant containers and seal them up, storing either in the fridge or freezer. If your recipe calls for cupboard staples like pasta or rice, you can pre-measure these too and store in bags or boxes so they can be grabbed when needed.

If you want to, you can go the whole hog by cooking and freezing some meals so that they are ready to be defrosted and cooked easily - this works perfectly for stews and soups.

 

Enjoy a more relaxed approach to cooking

Once you’ve gotten used to meal prepping and you have all the right containers, you can get used to enjoying your evenings without worrying about spending hours on cooking. Weekly meal prep might seem like a chore at first, but once it’s part of your routine, it is a great idea for anyone who has a busy home life, wants to save money, or has an interest in healthier eating.

2023 is fast approaching! Get New Year’s Eve party ready with Poundstretcher. From food and drinks to games and decorations, we’ve got all the essentials to celebrate bringing in the new year.

5Pack Confetti Balloons

It’s time to decorate and our confetti balloons are an ideal addition to any celebration. No party is complete without balloons!

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Giant Confetti Cannons

 

Nothing says party quite like confetti! Loved by kids, our giant confetti cannons are perfect for firing at midnight to mark the start of the New Year. Trust us, the mess is worth it!

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100 Classic Games

No party is complete without a board game! Play one on one or split into teams to compete for glory. You can go all night with this selection of 100 classic games.

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Battle Pong Game

Who said games are just for kids? This battle pong party game is sure to be a hit with your party guests. Get competitive and shoot your shot!

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Mason Jar Drinks Dispenser

Fancy a cocktail? Why not serve it up in our 5L mason jar drinks dispenser? Let your guests help themselves with this fun, fancy dispenser!

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8 Pack Diet Coca Cola

Stock up the fridge with our 8 packs of Coca-Cola. This crowd-pleasing drink is essential for any party. Serve alone with a lime wedge or as a mixer with your favourite spirit to get the party started.

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Mars Mixed Minis

Maoam Stripes

Who doesn’t love something sweet? Fill up a couple of bowls with these fun-sized chocs and Maoam stripes for the perfect grab-and-go party treat!

Ready to party?

Winter is upon us, and things are feeling a little chilly! Time to wrap up warm with our range of Thermo Ultra winter wardrobe essentials for the whole family.

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Kids Black Thermo Gloves

Spread the glove this winter with our Thermo Ultra gloves. Keep little hands warm with high-density yarns which keep warm air close to the skin, creating a thermal barrier that keeps out the cold.

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Ladies Black Thermo Socks

These socks could just be your sole mates this winter! With thermal insulation and heat-trapping technology our ladies socks are sure to keep your toes warm through winter. Available in pink, purple, red and black so you can stay cosy in style!

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Ladies Thermo Tights

Who says skirts and dresses are just for summer? Keep wearing your favourite outfits while keeping warm this chilly season with our thermal tights.

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Men's Thermo Navy Socks

Is there anything worse than cold feet? Available in three neutral colours, our men’s thermal socks are the perfect protection against the winter frost.

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Men's Grey Thermal Hat

Did you know, we lose around 10% of our body heat through our heads? So, a hat is a worthwhile investment this winter! Our men’s thermal hat is available in 3 colours and is sure to keep you toasty and warm.

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Men's Thermal Snood

Scarves are so last year! Keep warm with our thermal snood this season. With a high tog rating and brushed insulation, this snood is sure to keep you warm as you battle the elements.

 

Don’t let the cold weather stop you from enjoying the outdoors this winter. Wrap up warm and get out there!

Whether you live in a house or a flat, we could all do with some handy storage solutions to tidy up our small spaces. So if you’re sick of clutter and on the hunt for some new space-saving storage options, look no further than Poundstretcher! From shoe storage to garden storage, we’ve got plenty of products to help organise your small spaces and more. Check out our storage range today!  

Shoe storage  

You can never have too many shoes, even if they fill up every corner and crevice of your home! So never trip over shoes again with this 2-tier shoe rack, ideal for storing all types of footwear and providing a large amount of storage space to keep your home clutter-free! Keep it by the hallway door or hidden away in your wardrobe.  

Vacuum storage bags for clothes storage  

Sometimes, wardrobe space just isn’t enough, and we must resort to other storage solutions for our beloved clothes. If you’re struggling with closet space, this 5-pack of vacuum storage bags is ideal for storing various towels, bedding and clothing without taking up much room. Specifically designed with an airlock function, you can save up to 80% of space in your closet!  

Bathroom storage   

Sick of hanging your towels and dressing gowns off doors and shower rails? Try our over the door storage hooks, perfect for maximising your space and making your room look more organised. Apply the hooks to your door frame without the aid of screws or nails, and then hang your towels in the bathroom or jackets, belts and other accessories in the bedroom.   

Storage unit with plastic storage drawers  

When your cupboards are already crammed full, and you’ve got little space to work with, this storage tower with plastic storage drawers is the perfect way to organise your home. Store office supplies for work, socks and underwear for bedroom use, or even use them for toiletries in the bathroom. With a black, sleek design, it will look stylish in any room of your home!  

Garden storage box   

Not only does this 3-tier greenhouse look cute and organised in your garden, but it will also save you lots of space! Give your potted plants the protection and care they deserve with our compact greenhouse, ideal for gardeners working with small gardens, yards, terraces, and even balconies with limited space.   

Storing away some ideas for the future? Check out our entire range of storage products online, or head down to Poundstretcher to grab deals today! Use our handy store locator to find your nearest shop.   

Disney's Encanto is a magical musical loved by most kids. Why not treat your children to some gifts from the Poundstretcher Encanto range this Christmas? We've got everything from cosy Encanto slippers to Jigsaw puzzles for the Disney fans in your family.

The Magical Story of Encanto

The Madrigals live in a charmed place called the Encanto in Colombia. They live hidden away, with the magical secret that every child in the family has a unique gift...except Mirabel. Will Mirabel be the last hope for the family when the magic surrounding them is in danger?

Treat your Kids to Encanto Products at Poundstretcher

Keep your kids cosy with an adorable pink Encanto hat and gloves for wintery walks and school runs. We even have matching Encanto slippers to keep them toasty when they get back home.

Themed Games & Puzzles

Keep the whole family entertained with a night in playing Encanto themed snakes and ladders.

Or keep the kids occupied for hours while you do your Christmas wrapping with a 100 piece puzzle that reveals an Encanto image at the end.

Art with Encanto

Unleash their creativity with our Encanto diary set or colour your own canvas.

For more kids toys and games continue browsing our website. We also have our full range of toys, games, and plenty of other Christmas gift options in our Poundstretcher stores - why not pop in store today?