I’m always on the lookout for innovative uses for our storage solutions so that I can share them with you.  You may have read a previous post about an equestrienne’s impeccably appointed tack room. Today I want to focus on another use for that extra room. Many people turn an extra room into a home office or guest quarters or a combination space. In one instance the homeowner turned that extra room into an amazing home gym. In addition to the treadmill, there was a storage solution spanning the wall where all the bits and bobs that make a home gym a gym were housed. There were cabinets to hold bottles of water, fresh towels and cleaning supplies, cubbies for the free weights and floor mats, drawers to hold bands, and it even had a place for the 60 cm body ball.  And what home gym would be complete without a flat panel HDTV and sound system?  Those also had a place in the custom storage solution.  Regardless of the space you have, the right storage solution can help you reclaim it and make it work for you.

It’s that time of year when homeowners around the country clean out basements, garages, attics, closets and other storage areas. We diligently pull stuff we haven’t seen in months, years, perhaps decades from the recesses of our homes. What we do with it?

Over the next couple posts, you’ll get a clean-out plan and options on what to do with all the stuff you no longer want to store in your home, whether you want to hold a yard sale, sell your items online or donate them to charity and take the tax credit. 

Let’s start with the clean-out plan.

If you’re like me, the mere thought of cleaning out a room makes me want to watch television; then I stumble upon one of the programs that shows a house with a runaway clutter problem.  That usually inspires me to get off the couch and toss the junk mail, the silly email printouts and circulars into the recycle bin. But what if the task is larger? Rest assured, it can be done, and without a visit from a television crew.  The key is having a plan.

If you have visited our blog in the past, you may have seen our first post Letting Go Of Your Inner Packrat, which may help you to overcome feelings of guilt associated with letting things go.  Once you decide that it’s time to clean out, decide on a room, corner, section and gather:

• Trash bin
• Hazardous waste bin – check with your refuse service about 1 – what qualifies as hazardous waste and 2 – how you need to dispose of it.
• Recycle bin – paper, plastic, steal, aluminum
• Keep bin
• Donate/Sell bin

Then, begin the process of picking up each item and deciding in what bin it belongs. Be realistic and a little ruthless when choosing which items go into what bin. If you’re saving an item that belongs to a project, e.g. stickers, papers, paint, wingnuts, set it in the “keep” bin for the moment. Then, when everything is put away in its place, decide if you’re truly going to complete the project or if the item needs to be eliminated. The reward is a cleaner home and more peace of mind that comes with organized surroundings.

Be sure to check back for more summer clean up tips or sign-up to receive blog update alerts.

One of the leading new year’s resolutions is to “be more organized.”  While you’re organizing everything from your garage to your sock drawer, it may be a good time to organize your In Case Of Emergency Grab and Go Documents kit. 

The Grab and Go kit should include all the important documents or copies of those documents that you would not want destroyed in fire, flood or some other element.  

There are some great products on the market that will help you get organized and may even help you think through what you need.  Here is a list of things your kit should include: 

• Birth certificates
• Social security cards
• Marriage licenses
• Passports
• Bank statements
• Tax Records
• Deeds
• Car Information
• Insurance policies
• Wills
• Credit Card Information
• Monthly billing information, e.g. utilities, phone bills, etc. 
• Medical Insurance Information
• Medical information, e.g. doctor’s name, address, phone, prescriptions
• Pet Information, e.g. veterinary records, vet name, license information, obedience certificates
• Contact numbers
• Computer backup
• Important photos or scans of photos on display
• Valuables log with receipt or receipt information.
• Extra keys to your home and vehicles.
• Check list of things to grab on your way out of the house.

Here are some other things to consider:

• Place these items in a waterproof container. It can be as simple as a Ziploc® bag.
• Invest in a fireproof safe. It should be large enough to hold your information and valuables, but small enough to carry out quickly.
• Consider keeping an electronic record on a CD or thumbdrive or external harddrive. Scan documents and keep PDFs.
• Keep a copy of this information with a trusted friend or family member in another area. 
• Let your family know where things are. 

Decorating the house is usually the kick-off for the holiday season. However, unscrambling lights, discovering broken heirlooms and scavenging for important items can dampen anyone’s holiday spirit.  Planning for success is the key to pleasant kick-off of the holiday season!  Get your stuff organized with storage solutions that have been designed specifically for your unique needs!  Take the time to install shelves, cabinets and overhead garage racks to store your holiday treasures during the off season, so you’ll know just where to find them when it’s time.

Here are some tips to make your holidays a little happier:

• Use clear plastic storage bins to hold items for each holiday project, e.g. outdoor lights, outdoor decoration, mantle decorations, tree decorations, dinnerware, etc. This will allow you to see what’s inside, grab a bin and complete the project without having to search for odds and ends.
• Store extra light clips with your outdoor lights so you don’t have to search far to replace clips that may have fallen.  Fascia board grip clips, which are available at hardware stores, are a great way to hang lights for the winter holidays and patriotic bunting for the summer holidays. 
• Use a labeler to identify project boxes at a glance and ensure decorations get back into the appropriate box
• Store treasured, one-of-a-kind family heirlooms, like ornaments, in smaller boxes with adequate padding before storing in a large box. This will protect them in the event the large box is jostled.
• When the season is over, edit your collection to eliminate broken or unwanted items.
• Cure Knick-knack Overload by giving your regular home accessories a holiday this season! Instead of adding to your display, replace regular décor items with holiday items. The benefits to you are less dusting, your regular items will look fresh again after the holidays and the house won’t appear empty.

In addition to a well stocked pantry, a well stocked refrigerator is helpful, too.  Ensure you have plenty of string cheese, healthy fruit and cut veggies on hand to pack in lunch boxes. Added bonus: Cut veggies can double as after-school snacks and be added to dinners to boost veggie counts!

Try this spin on the traditional cut veggie tray!

Chopped Veggie Salad:

• 2-3 c. Chopped Veggies of Your Choice, e.g., celery, carrots, peppers, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower.
• ½-1 c of your favorite Italian dressing or vinaigrette or homemade lemon dressing!
• 1 c cubed mozzarella or 2-3 sticks of string cheese sliced into 1-inch pieces
• ¼-1/2 c. pine nuts (optional)
• Small can pitted olives (optional)

Combine chopped veggies and dressing in a zip top bag. Seal and let marinade in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.   Pour marinated veggies into serving bowl, toss in mozzarella pieces, olives and pine nuts. Serve alone as a tangy veggie side dish with pizza or pasta or spoon ½ c over salad greens to boost your veggie consumption!

Homemade Lemon Dressing:

Juice of 1-2 lemons

• 1 Tblsp Lemon Zest
• ¼- ½  c. Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Whisk together. Enjoy over veggies or add fresh rosemary and use as a marinade for chicken!