HGP 2019 - Garage/Storage

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PamelaG

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May 27, 2011
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Washington, the Evergreen State
CLEANING/ORGANIZING AREA: GARAGE / STORAGE
This a designated area used for storing "needed" items until it is time to use them. It is not "someplace else" for procrastinators. It can be the attic, basement, section of garage, closet, shed or even a rental unit.

An efficient storage area is the backbone to your home. Overload it & the whole house suffers. There are basically two types of items that should be stored: seasonal-occasional (Christmas, camping, Baby stuff only if anticipated need (g), suitcases, etc.) & home management (backup supplies used in managing a home), (extra paper goods, soaps, kitchen supplies, light bulbs).

Remove everything from storage area

Sort everything into related piles, boxes, or bags.

Streamline these piles until only keepers are left. (Other items go to the place they belong, i.e. trash, Goodwill, garage sale)

Designate centers in your storage area according to available space and keeper categories. Your categories of keeper piles automatically determine your centers.

Maximize your space & increase your storing efficiency by using the following techniques:

  • Hang as much as possible in drawstring bags.
  • Consolidate by placing related items inside each other (bag of baby bedding inside bassinet, suitcases inside each other, etc.).
  • Use shelving around area & make aisles like they do in warehouses. You can use metal shelves or boards on blocks, buckets, pipe, etc.
  • Always consider how any given item is used, where it is used, & how often it's used-- then put things where they belong.
  • Keep things that are used together stored together. It's simple but it works!
  • If no room for it, you don't need it!!
Group and store like things together, just as the grocery store does, don't scatter. Consolidate as much as possible.

Hang as much as you can.

Use grocery store arrangement by lining the perimeter of your area with shelving, then run stacks of shelves both parallel and perpendicular to this.

Assign a space for empties. No more setting empty jars, buckets, drawstring bags in front of full containers.

For home management & backup storage, you will want to keep a record of items being stored (3-ring binder or computer).

Only store supplies that your family uses & likes. Wasted storage space is too expensive to pay for unwanted items.

Don't be tempted to just shove things into the storage area until you can find another place for them. Keep the "backbone" of your household skeleton lightly and efficiently loaded, and you'll experience greater efficiency and control throughout the rest of your home.

HOLIDAY PREP
  • Make one batch of Holiday Goodies.
  • Make one extra meal for freezer again labeled HOLIDAY MEAL.
  • Buy two canned food items from menus (get 2 of each item, one to use and one to donate to food drive).
  • Buy 1/8th of TO BUY gifts. Save all receipts, note return policy before buying. Ask for gift boxes.
  • Wrap and label packages. If needing to ship, get some shipping boxes now and store packages in them.
  • Work at least 1 hour a day on homemade gifts.
  • Review and revise menus and other plans.
  • Plan table setting.
  • Plan centerpiece, make as much as possible now (or order it from florist).
  • Reserve any items needed to be borrowed or rented.
  • Get everyone's holiday clothes purchased/cleaned/pressed.
 
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Reactions: AuntJamelle

AuntJamelle

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Oct 22, 2007
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South Bend, IN
I'm still stumbling along trying to get anything HGP related done period!!!

Did the glasses cupboard in the kitchen - took a bunch of bar type glasses we never use downstairs - and that made a huge difference!

Also did the drawer where I keep all of DS's cups, water bottles and curly straws, etc.

RE-DID the corner cupboards in the walkway to the pantry - they were all cluttered up again.

Did a bit of re-straightening in the pantry - also took cookies from upright freezer in pantry down to chest freezer and tidied contents on upright a bit.

That's it for now.

Hoping to get top of fridge, inside of fridge over course of this week.

I've gotten my freezer items in already this week, need to add extra canned goods for food drives to my shopping list. Need to talk to DS about what is on his wish list. And remind DH to update his - AGAIN.

Need to find time to craft! Just a few things left to do for this year for sure...

I did finish assembling all the Christmas Science Kits for DS's class "treat" this year - they are in a box upstairs until time to send into the school.

And I sorted the leftover Halloween candy into different types and sealed into ziploc bags for making cookies and bar cookies over the next few weeks.
 

AuntJamelle

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Oct 22, 2007
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South Bend, IN
Few more small things done:

- Cleaned DS's toothbrush/toothpaste drawer!
- Recleaned my makeup drawer
- Deep cleaned Master Bath Window including the screen
- Cleaned top of fridge
- Got out the boot trays
- Threw away the jack o'lantern! :)
- Pulled last of summer tops from DS's closet

Continuing to work on feeding the freezer.

Put aside several pairs of pants/jeans that DS never wore - tags still on! - for donation to our adopted family this year! 6 kids!!! I need to review my Black Friday plans - going to try and use the sales, coupons, rewards codes, etc. to get the most possible for the kiddos!
 

sweetpumkinpye

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Apr 23, 2008
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Canberra, Australia
This is DH's domain. I keep asking to get in there and organise it. All in all it is not too bad.