Home & Garden Blog » Organizing

The Battle of the Garage: Choosing What to Keep Snow-Free

brock — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:36:17 +0000

My entire life, I never had a garage, and in a state where winter seems to last 10 out of 12 months, that meant I had years of scraping off snow and ice from my car. When I moved into my current home, I was thrilled to finally have a garage.

I had dreams of walking into the garage after 8 inches of snow and not seeing any frost on the windows and not worrying if the bitter cold had drained the battery to the point that it wouldn’t start. For the first few years, I lived in a state of bliss.

Having a garage was everything I dreamed of, but then it started to get complicated. It was a one-car garage, and there was barely enough room for my car, let alone anything else that we may have wanted to store in there.

Unlike the attic or the basement, there are certain things that just belong in the garage, such as the lawn mower, tools, garden and yard implements, etc. Why? Because no one wants to lug a lawn mower up or down stairs once a week, sometimes twice a week, during the spring.

Slowly but surely, the garage began to become cluttered. A wheel barrel for my garden needs, a stepladder for when I need to get on the roof and take care of those pesky gutters, a few crates of oil for when I do the oil change, garden hoses and nozzles.

When I put the car in the garage, I began having a hard time getting the car door open, and eventually, the car was barely fitting into it all. The final straw was the garden tiller I bought, at which point my car moved back to the driveway.

Fast forward about three years, and once again I am scrapping frost off the windows while my lawn mower and tools sit all toasty in the garage. So far, the cold hasn’t gotten to the point that the battery had become drained, but that day will come. Every year, I promise myself that I will reclaim my garage for its true purpose, but when I go into it I have no idea where to put anything.

My friends have suggested building a tool shed in the garage, and I am sure that eventually I will get around to it, but for now, I’ll keep my scraper handy. One day the garage will be mine again, but that’s going to have to wait until spring.

The Home Improvement Mindset: It’s Different for Everyone

Ritika Puri — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:10:48 +0000

In school, I was always an A student, excelling in every subject that I studied. If someone graded my domestic skills, however, I’d probably get a D+. As is the case with many people, house-smarts don’t come naturally to me. I have to make a conscious effort to plan even the most basic home improvement projects ahead of time so that the end result makes sense. Believe it or not, I once ruined my roommate’s microwave while trying to make a Hot Pocket. The best part of the story? This incident happened last year when I was 22 years old.

If I don’t stay in control, I will resort to living out of a giant pile in the middle of my bedroom. It’s just too easy. At the same time, this lifestyle will start to drive me crazy.

So what do I do to tackle my big weakness? I aim for self-improvement by reevaluating my strengths. I’m really good at planning, budgeting, managing people, saving money, and making things look pretty. Knowing this about myself, I have started thinking about home improvement like how I would plan a college essay or professional project. What is my thesis or objective? What do I need to do to accomplish these goals? Is there a way that I can achieve better results or save more money?

I’m definitely not a professional interior decorator, but my tastes and talents are evolving and improving. I’ve even started to enjoy the challenge of a domestic project or two. In a few months, I’ll be better, and in a few years, I’ll be even better.

If you’re developing an interest in home & garden-related topics, use my experiences as inspiration to pursue new hobbies. Read lots of magazines to absorb a variety of perspectives – some concepts may click for you while others don’t. It’s okay. Just keep going, have fun, and don’t be afraid to make the mistakes. What’s the worst you could do? Blow up a microwave?

Organizing Tips for the New Year

colleen — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:31:59 +0000

We all have New Year’s resolutions with some more ambitious than others. The most popular resolutions include spending time with family and losing weight. The average person sticks to their New Year’s resolution for about a month before returning to old habits.

I’ve found that once you target a broad goal, like losing weight or spending more time with family, it’s best to set yourself two or three little goals that will help you achieve the broader one. For instance, “I am going to take the stairs up to my apartment everyday instead of the elevator” or “I will cook a sit down dinner every Sunday and invite friends and family over for the party” are great little goals to set for yourself to achieve your larger goal.
The same rule applies to organizing your home: organization and cleanliness are the broad goals, but what are some smaller goals to set for yourself to achieve the larger one?

Here are some tips and tricks to get organized for the New Year:

1. Delegate: Assign different cleaning and organizing tasks to family members or roommates (or even for yourself), so there is a little goal every day to keep the home clean. Create a chores list: kids are never too young to learn to be responsible for picking up their toys and learning good cleaning habits.

2. As long as everything has a place, there is a place for everything. The biggest issues for clutter and disorganization are the closet, the bathroom, and the office. For the closet, look into shoe racks or over-the-door closet organizers. For the bathroom, look into show caddies labeled for each member of the house, or shelves for above the toilet. For the office, look into file organizers, cabinets, and lightweight boxes that you can label.

3. Do a little every day. Don’t save all of the cleaning for one monumental spring cleaning spree in early April. Make it a point to clean the bathroom every week, wipe up the kitchen and the sink after meals, and organize the files for the office as they come.

Image Source: womansday.com

Cute Clothing Hampers

colleen — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:53:07 +0000

So Thanksgiving happened, it came and went—and we’re all a little sad about it. Our stomachs are the worse for wear, our appetites and taste buds have been numbed, and for what? A few too many drinks and few too many laughs, which make us feel gluttonous the next day (and the next week, if you were an especially dedicated eater). We all know it was worth it–the food, the friends, the family. But what’s the collateral on an event like that? Thanksgiving takes a toll on all of us–our personalities, our vocal cords, our waistlines, and even our clothes. How do you get gravy stains out of your peachy turtleneck? Or cranberry blotches out of your mohair sweater? Never fear, my friends. Once we nurse our headaches and get up off the sofa, look no further than the hampers for your next line of duty. And here are a selection of wonderful, affordable clothing hampers to brighten your day:

Redmon Cow Bongo Buddy : $15.99

Redmon Dog Bongo Buddy: $15.99

Shop for more hampers at Smarter.com.

Organize this Winter with Handy Hangers

colleen — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:29:23 +0000

We all want to take the best care of our families, and the best care of our homes. Sometimes this requires spending a little extra money, to get that organic milk or nice warm space heater to keep your family happy and healthy throughout the winter months. When you make an investment, you want that investment to last. Plastic Tupperware for leftovers, ice packs and a soup thermos to keep the packed lunches at the appropriate temperature. But what about your clothes? You want to protect those from season to season, too, and that requires spending a little extra for storage help, like hangers or closet organizers. Here are some of the top closet organizers and hangers on the market:

Woodlore 84508 Essential Basic Hanger with Lavender – 5 Pack : $17.58

Joy Mangano Huggable Hangers Celebration 36pk w/Bonuses HomeSolutions.com : $41.40

Shop for more cleaning and organizing products at Smarter.com.

Affordable Shoe Racks

evette — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:45:00 +0000

When we’re in transitional weather, we need to be prepared for whatever footwear is necessary for the day. In those unusually humid and sweaty days of September and October, you might still want to pull out the gladiator sandals left over from the summer. But when it gets too cold, or wet, or rainy, you want to have those knee-high rain boots or fur-lined clogs to keep you feeling your best. Before your closet or mudroom floor becomes a chaos of shoes and laces, check out some of these affordable shoe racks:

Mudroom Shoe Rack : $98.00

Metal Shoe Rack: $29.99

Small Cherry Shoe Rack: $106.99

Find more affordable shoe racks at Smarter.com.

Good Deals on Closet Organizers

colleen — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:11:08 +0000

The phrase is “Spring cleaning”, but for some reason I can never get all of the necessary organizing done in one season. Perhaps it’s because, where I live, the weather stays SO COLD that Spring weather is still basically wet, slushy, freezing Winter weather, and I feel no need to clean out the heavy blankets, winter coats and ski pants while they are still in use. So, once mid-July rolls around, at least for me, it’s time to finally (finally finally FINALLY!) start packing up the winter gear in favor of the spring/summer gear that has been growing musty and dusty in the closets. Musty and dusty in the closets, you say? Why did I not get a organizing structure, maybe a closet organizer or even some old plastic bins, to keep the old clothes fresh and new? Well, my friends, I’m not a frivolous spender, and saw no reason why not to keep my clothes in cardboard boxes that I had lying around the house. Silly, stupid me. I’ve learned my lesson and understand why it’s important to invest in some closet organizers, and Smarter.com features savings and bargains on even the most glamorous of closet organizers!

Some savings to share:

The Space Bag: Ah the space bag, like a dehydrator for your clothes, manages to shrink the clothes to unbelievable sizes (only in space, though, when you finally unzip them from the bag I’ve been told the clothes themselves have not shrunk in size!) Primetimesolutions.com offer the space bags for the measly price range of $6.95-9.95. No more musty clothes for me with these kinds of savings!

Hanging Closet Organizer: If you’re a little wary of packing up and squishing down your favorite Bebe or Dior dresses but still need someplace to store them in the off-season, check out the sleek and fashionable wrought iron instant closet from TaylorGifts.com. Easily transportable, the wrought iron design is beautiful and modern, and at $119.98 this is a versatile piece that can compliment any and all sections of the home and seasons of clothes!

Find at Smarter.com: Shop for more closet organizers.

Spring Cleaning Ideas: Another Use for Shoe Boxes

evette — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 19:20:23 +0000

To add to my post about drawer organizers….I heard this weekend from a friend that she puts empty shoe boxes in her drawers to help keep them organized. Great idea! Here are some other uses for your old shoe boxes that are taking up much needed room in your closet:

Paint your shoe boxes the color of your choosing, or use wrapping paper and use them as gift boxes. You can get creative and they will appreciate the effort!
Store your precious photos: This sort of seems old school considering the majority of us store our pictures on discs and memory sticks now, but its a cute idea for those old photos you want to keep available to show family members’ friends for a good laugh.
Store your greeting cards for the year: Having a wide variety of greeting cards handy so you don’t have to run to the store for every occasion is great! Usually when you can buy them in bulk you will save money as well.
Create a masterpiece: You can get creative and make something yourself or have the kids use their imagination.
Make a gift ribbon dispenser: Check out directions on how to do this here. It’s an awesome way to keep the ribbon from tangling.

How do you re-use your shoe boxes?

Image Source

Junk Drawer Drama: How Do You Deal?

evette — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:58:06 +0000

Last night while on the way home from work I decided that I would finally clean out the dreaded junk drawer in my bedroom. It’s overflowing with nonsense. Well, actually I’m sure I can use a lot of the stuff in there, but it’s just so cluttered and annoying I don’t ever bother rummaging through it. When I got home I opened the drawer, took one look inside and decided that even if I clean it out…there is just no way to really organize if all the clutter will just inevitably build up again!

There is a way when you have nifty drawer organizers like the ones below I found online after I slammed the drawer shut and plopped my lazy derriere on the couch.

Diamond Drawer Organizer: $7.95

Rolodex Expressions Mesh Drawer Organizer: $9.94

Linus Dresser Drawer Organizer by InterDesign: $7.99

Stackable Bamboo Drawer Organizers: From $3.99-$7.99 – depending on size

If you don’t want to spend your hard earned cash on new drawer organizers, here are some links to instructions on how to make homemade drawer organizers:

Drawer Organizers You Can Build from UBuild.com

How to Make Custom Draw Organizers from Home-Museum.com

Find at Smarter.com: Shop for more drawer organizers.

Clean Deal – Suncast Outdoor Trash Receptacle

evette — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:45:42 +0000

Searching for a stylish and sturdy outdoor trash receptacle, well look no further! The Suncast Outdoor Trash Receptacle will look great on your patio, deck or driveway.

Long lasting resin construction ensures that it will put up with whatever manner of garbage you stuff it with! Best of all we offer you a variety of merchants who sell the Suncast Trash Receptacle, but the cheapest one seems to be offered by Target at a price of $39.99!

Sold for as much as $62.99 at some venues. To shop for or purchase the Suncast Outdoor Trash Hideaway, click here.