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Showing posts from February, 2020

Store Away those Winter Items!

Right now, the snow is falling in Ohio, and spring seems kind of far away, but the reality is it is actually less than a month away! It's time to start thinking about spring cleaning! Getting your house out of “winter mode” can be very invigorating. In fact, storing away those seasonal items will free up space in your house and allow you to live more clutter free! This post is not about how to wash windows and air out your mattresses, but you’ll feel so much lighter when we’re done because you’ll have space in your house! So let’s dive right in! Clear totes allow you to see the clothes you put inside! First, go through your closets and dressers and remove winter clothes. It’s handy to keep a sweater or two around in case the weather gets a little nippy, but when you’re in the sweltering heat of July, having your Christmas sweater taking up space. Bulky items like sweaters, sweatpants, fleece jackets and pullovers and such can be easily stored in a plastic storage tote.

Get that Garage Clean!

Garages are a place to park your car...or they are a place to dump your junk. There is usually very little middle ground. What a garage should be is useful! So how do you get to be the place that you want it to be? Organization, of course! It can be a scary word, but it does not have to be! Getting your garage in order is something that will pay dividends in the the warmer weather months because everything will be easily accessible for your outside work! So let's get started! 1. Tools Do you have a toolbox? That sounds like a silly question, but it is a thing many people do not have. If you are a homeowner (or even a renter), it's time to have a stocked toolbox. You don't have to have tons of tools, but having a set of regular screwdrivers, a few wrenches, a hammer, and a set of hex tools (yes, those are handy to have!) and you will be set. Keep them in your toolbox. You don't have to have one of those giant toolboxes that roll around, but one that you can easily mov

Building a Survival Kit

Typically in Midwest states like Ohio, we think of building a survival kit to have during warmer weather months because of the threat of tornadoes and floods. We tend to forget that it is also important to have in the winter when blizzards or ice storms can wreak havoc. Power can be knocked out for days, and travel can be treacherous. This year has been a quite mild winter, but weather can change quickly, so it is still important to be prepared. 38 Quart Heavy Duty Storage Container First, have a container or two that is easily carried to put your supplies in. A plastic storage tote like the one pictured here is the perfect type to use. It has secure latches to keep the container closed and mostly air and watertight. Also, be sure to s tore loose items in airtight plastic bags for extra protection. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a downloadable list of what to put into your survival kit. Water  -  one gallon of water per person per day for at least thre

Organizing Your Kids' Toys

Any parent knows this struggle. Well-meaning and generous grandparents and relatives lavish gifts upon your beloved children. These children, surrounded by plenty, ignore most of the toys. The ones that are played with are left out, making your house look cluttered, or worse, to be stepped on by an unsuspecting foot in the middle of the night. You could do the normal thing of just shoving them into a toy box following the old adage: "Out of sight, out of mind." The problem with that is that your kids won't be able to find pieces and parts of things and then toys will get neglected, devaluing the generosity of those who gave the toy to them. How do you take control of this chaos? The easy answer? Organization. The tough part? Actually doing it. So let's get started! 1. (This will be painful😂) Get all of the toys out of whatever containers, boxes, nooks and crannies they are hiding in, and put them in a central location. Have room to spread out. 2. Find the tra