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Should I Store My Stuff or My Car in the Garage?

Well the answer to that depends on your needs and what you consider a priority. Here in North America we have grown accustomed to storing various items in the garage instead of using it for its intended purpose. With the cost of maintaining a vehicle rising more and more every year you may want to reconsider your priorities for storage! Read more

Alternative Uses for Glass Packing Kits

While these packing kits are great for packing your glassware, they have alternate uses too! Read more

The Truth about Your New Year’s Resolution to Get Organized

It’s hard to keep our New Year’s resolutions. In fact, now that it’s the end of January those New Year’s resolutions may already be in the review mirror. Was one of those resolutions to get organized and stay organized? There’s a lot we pack into each year, and for that reason a nebulous goal of “getting organized and staying organized” may be hard to achieve. Don’t give up! Here are some smaller goals that are easy to achieve that will help you reach that ultimate goal of being organized. Read more

Organizing Your Self Storage Unit

The trailer is packed and you’ve signed your lease for your new storage unit. Now comes the fun part; Unloading. How do you pack your unit so you are able to find everything when the need arises? Here are 5 tips for organizing your storage unit to make this chore stress free come moving day.

  1. Labels. Always label your boxes – if you’re putting a variety of items in them try to add a description. This will help you organize your unit into sections. Use a brightly colored label & stack your boxes or totes with the label facing the front, so that you will be able to find things quickly in your unit.
  2. Regularly Used Items in Front. Pack the items that you will be using most towards the front of your unit. This will prevent you from having to move any extras away so you can reach them when the time comes. This includes items like seasonal wear, sports equipment, Christmas décor etc.
  3. Leave an aisle. One of the most common mistakes when storing is not leaving any room to get to the items in the back of your unit. The last thing you want to do is come to grab a box and have to move all your items out to get to it. Leave an aisle down the middle of the unit so that you’re able to reach most, if not all boxes and items.
  4. Take Pictures. When all of your items are loaded into your storage unit, take a few pictures so that you know what is in the unit and where to find it. This will save you time when you get to your unit and is especially important if you are storing long term.
  5. Draw a Map. Even if you’ve taken pictures it’s good to draw a map of where your belongings are, especially the important items that you do not use often. This will make your visit shorter if you know where these are packed away. This may include family photo albums, jewelry, tax files etc.

Using these 5 tips will not only save you time when you visit your storage unit but it will also reduce the mess you would have to make when searching through boxes to find a specific item. Have you stored before? Let us know your organizing tips in the comments below!
— Kayla Akerstrom

Organizing? Don’t Forget the Essential First Step

“Both terms get bandied about when talking about tidying up your home, but organizing and clutter clearing are two very different things. Clearing clutter is actually removing items from your space, while organizing is putting what’s left in order. Here’s why you need to do both to have a space that feels good and functions efficiently, plus tips on which stage comes first and what to remember at each stage in the process.”

 

How To Pack Portable Storage Containers

moms portable storage
A portable storage unit provides you with the ability to pack your belongings yourself at your own pace. However, you will be responsible for how your things are packed. This means you’ll want to take every precaution to ensure that your boxes, furniture, and appliances are safely loaded. Here are a few tips to help you to load your storage container in the most effective and secure way possible.

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Packing & Moving Tips From The Experts

In my 26 years, I have averaged a move every couple of years, these tips have helped to create a sense of organization and efficiency during an otherwise chaotic time – Moving Day!  Packing, preparing for, and executing a move can be quite overwhelming. Here are some tips to help you pack and prepare efficiently and effectively, to help your move go as smoothly as possible:
Make your last grocery shop 2 weeks before moving.
To avoid a larger mess to clean out of the fridge, and not to mention the “great giveaway” of all your refrigerator food to your neighbor or friend, plan your meals for the last couple of weeks before the move, grocery shop accordingly, and do not overbuy. Before loading up your fridge with that final shop, do yourself a favor and give the fridge a good wipe down at this time. You could also get a head start on throwing away all your near- expired condiments, to save yourself the hassle come moving day.

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Downsizing: What To Keep

The thought of downsizing makes me nervous, what do I keep and what about my sentimental items? Many of us have been living in the same place for a long period of time and have accumulated so much. It’s tough to know what you should take with you and what needs to go, making this task discouraging.
Recently, my aunt decided to move into a smaller place. Unfortunately, as we started going through her things she realized downsizing was a larger task than she expected. She didn’t realize how much she had kept; cards, letters, photographs, knick knacks and more. Here are 5 tips we used to help her downsize:

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Making Household Items Useful in More Ways Than One

More people are looking to simplify or downsize their living spaces. The following are some organizing ideas I have found reusing household items.

Storing Your Crafts Away in Small Spaces

An 11’ X 30’ office space is not a lot of room for two business desks and a craft room. So we have to make the most of our space for those times when I want to get out the crafts. I needed ways to store a lot of the craft items that I only use a few times a year, but have them accessible at a moment’s notice.
Ribbon StorageOne thing I seem to always have tucked into different places are rolls of ribbon. Here’s how I organize the ribbon. My first choice is taking a wall mount paper towel holder and removing the wooden rung that would go inside the roll. Now you can slide on all your ribbon casings and hang them in plain view ready to use. The second way is to use a shoe box and some doweling. Cut your doweling to the length of the shoe box. Slide one end into a hole you have cut on either end to hold the dowel in place. Next, add your ribbons and then push the dowel through the second hole. To keep things really stashed away you can use the lid and cut small slits in the top for the ribbon to run through. I prefer to keep the box open so I have a better idea of when I am getting close to the end of the roll. If this storage box is going to stay out in plain sight you can make it look less like a shoe box by covering the outside with a nice bright wrapping paper.
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