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Take the Adventure Out of Finding Items in Your Basement

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Basement, Shelving, Storage

Take the Adventure Out of Finding Items in Your Basement

Is your basement a stockpile of junk? Does it involve what amounts to a treasure hunt just to sift through the clutter to find what you need? Set aside a weekend to take the adventure out of finding items in your basement and to make this area of your home more manageable. Here are the basic steps:

  1. Make a list of the types of items (categories) you have in storage. Examples: batteries, light bulbs, arts & crafts supplies, pet supplies, or holiday decorations.
  2. Sort what you have, tossing what you really don’t need to keep. (If you haven’t figured it out by now, getting rid of excess is always the first step to getting organized.)
  3. Group items by category to see how much storage is needed for each category.
  4. Buy appropriately sized plastic tubs with lids. At least one for each category in #1. You will get an idea of how many to purchase based on the quantity for each of your categories.
  5. Place categorized items in the plastic bins. You can have more than one category in a tub, if you label what is in there.
  6. Label each tub with its contents on the long and short side.
  7. Optional: Buy and assemble steel shelving for your basement. Or buy resin shelves that are super easy to assemble. My sister loves using the Origami shelves for her storage needs. She has them in her garage and basement. If you put wheels that come with it on, now the entire shelving unit can easily be moved, holds 100-200 pounds per shelf with no wheels/75 pounds per shelf with wheels, and folds up and down within seconds.
  8. Put the tubs on the shelving or stack them if not using shelving.

Voila!

Why not use boxes? You could, but if you have a damp basement, the contents can get moldy, or the box can deteriorate. Boxes in the attic are probably OK unless that is also a damp space.

Spending the extra money to buy plastic bins will save you in the long run if you truly care about what you are storing.

Photo: Pixabay

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Nineteen Uses for a Closet Organizer Not Involving Clothes

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Closet, Products, Storage

Nineteen Uses for a Closet Organizer Not Involving Clothes

You know those organizers with pockets that you can hang on a closet rod or over the door? They are useful for a lot more than just clothes. Buy one with clear pockets so you can see what is inside or label the pockets with a label maker or masking tape.

In the spirit of a fresh start for the new year, here are nineteen uses for a closet organizer not involving clothes:

  1. Cosmetics
  2. Grooming products (hairbrushes, combs, razors, pumice stone)
  3. First aid (Band-Aids, ointments)
  4. Pet items
  5. Pens and pencils
  6. Facial cloths/hand towels
  7. Sewing necessities (small sewing kits, thread, needles, pins in an old pill bottle)
  8. Storage bags
  9. Tape (scotch, masking, electrical, duct)
  10. Nail polish
  11. Barbie dolls and their accessories
  12. Office supplies (Rubber bands, sticky notes, binder clips)
  13. Cleaning supplies
  14. Snacks
  15. Jewelry
  16. Smart phone/tablet/computer items (Charging cables & bricks, headphones)
  17. Herb garden (poke a drain hole in the bottom of each pocket, fill with dirt, plant your herbs, and hang outside)
  18. Craft materials
  19. Packaged breakfast items (oatmeal, hot chocolate, tea)

What clever uses have YOU discovered?

Share them on our Facebook page.

Photo: Unsplash

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7 Inspirational Quotes to Start 2022

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Calendars, Holidays, Motivation, Quotes

7 Inspirational Quotes to Start 2022

When we begin a new year, we love to think of starting off life with a clean slate. We think of goals we would like to accomplish in the new year. With that in mind, I want to share seven inspirational quotes to start 2022 … and to perhaps inspire you toward your clean slate.

“Celebrate endings—for they precede new beginnings.” Jonathan Lockwood Huie

“Each New Year, we have before us a brand-new book containing 365 blank pages. Let us fill them with all the forgotten things from last year—the words we forgot to say, the love we forgot to show, and the charity we forgot to offer.” Peggy Toney Horton

“Plant seeds every single day that you know who you are, you know what you’re about, and you know what goals you’ve set for yourself.” Stephen Curry

“The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book, waiting to be written. We can help write that story by setting goals.” Melody Beattie

“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” Gloria Steinem

“Don’t make plans. Make options.” Jennifer Aniston

“We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives…not looking for flaws, but for potential.” Ellen Goodman

Is there an inspirational quote that resonates with you? Are you thinking how you can use that quote as the framework for your 2022? Share your quote for 2022 with me on Facebook.

Photo: PicJumbo

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New Year’s Resolutions from Resolutions

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Goals, Holidays, Motivation

New Year’s Resolutions from Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions…

Let’s face it, the last two years have ranged from horrible to horrendous. With 2022 looming, many of us are dreading making resolutions we know that we will break and then feel guilty about, possibly leading to worse behavior, as in “My New Year’s resolution was to lose 10 lb. Well … only 20 more to go.”

Let’s focus on the lighter side of resolutions. First, though, please know that I take solutions so seriously it’s my business’s name: as in Re: solutions. I can help you achieve your solutions, whether it’s organizing your home, your work, your activities, and/or your finances. When you think about making your New Year’s “resolutions” remember “Resolutions” where solutions are an integral part of our name and how we help you.

I also want to stress that, given all we have been through the last nearly two years, rather than call them resolutions, let us try to think of them as goals. To be successful, those goals need to be specific to be terrific, manageable, and ultimately followed through on. To be specific, instead of resolving to “lose some weight”, which all of us tend to want to do after weeks of holiday eating, focus on losing 15 pounds or perhaps 5% of your current weight. Many times, quantifying tasks keep their completion within reach, especially when you can see your progress

To keep this topic light and to still enjoy our holidays, let us launch 2022 with some fun. Best wishes to you all for a happy, healthy, and successful 2022!

15 Funny New Year’s Resolutions

Funny New Year’s Resolutions

30 Funny New Year’s Resolutions

Photo: Pixabay

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Putting Off Cooking for the Holidays?

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Cooking, Food, Goals, Holidays, Home, Kitchen, Procrastination, Time Management

Cooking for the holidays

My previous blog was about getting organized to fight procrastinating on a household chore. Did you ever consider applying the same technique to cooking? Face it, we all tend to put off cooking for the holidays. It is just one more chore that needs to be done during a hectic season. However, the rewards of having it done ahead of time are priceless!

If you find that you are not in the mood to cook, but you have a deadline of an approaching holiday or even just tonight’s dinner, try breaking down the big steps.

Early in the day, pull out the cooking utensils—whatever pots, pans, spatulas, bowls, and other tools you will need. It takes just a minute but will get the ball rolling.

Later you can spend a few minutes measuring ingredients and chopping. Set those aside, refrigerating the ingredients that will spoil. By the way, I do find that taking the time up front to measure all the ingredients not only ensures you have the quantity of an item needed for the recipe, but it really does speed up the time you are spend on cooking your dish.

Since you have already done the heavy lifting, now all that is left is the cooking itself, which will be more enjoyable—or at least less taxing.

The most rewarding outcome is that when the holidays do roll in, you will have a large portion of prepared recipes that you can pull out of the freezer. You will be so happy you did not procrastinate!

Photo: Pixabay

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Coming soon: the 2015 Procrastinators’ Convention (They Keep Putting It Off)

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Goals, Procrastination, Time Management

procrastination

I was going to blog about procrastination, but I have not gotten around to it. Until now.

Dear friend: You can postpone reading this blog by checking out these 71 procrastination jokes.

You may ask yourself what does organizing have to do with procrastination? Getting organized can be the first step in getting something done, and it can be satisfying enough that perhaps you will take the next step.

Let’s say you have a small painting project, such as touching up the baseboards in one room. You have already spent more time thinking about doing it, feeling guilty that you haven’t done it, and rationalizing why you have not done it than it will take you just to do the task in the first place.

First take that tiny step of gathering the tools: the paint, brush, paint stirrer, and place them in the room, next to your baseboard. Every time you walk past those tools, you will be reminded of that painting project. Maybe then you will take the next step, which is cleaning the surface.

At this point, you realize you can just get the whole project out of the way in 15 minutes. You take care of the painting and then can enjoy putting off the next chore, whatever it may be.

Breaking down a task may be the best way of tackling projects, especially those that have been on your to do list for a very long time. You know the ones you have been procrastinating.

Photo: Unsplash

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Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Thanksgiving

 

Wishing a happy and safe Thanksgiving to all my clients and blog readers. I appreciate your business, and your support. With much gratitude, Dawn

Photo: Oh My Handmade

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5 Photos You Should Keep on Your Phone (and a 6th If You Have a Dog)

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Apps, Electronics, Emergency, Paper Management, Phone, Photos, Safety, Security

5 Photos You Should Keep on Your Phone (and a 6th If You Have a Dog)

Chances are you have your phone with you more often than you carry your wallet. There are five photos that you should keep on your phone, just in case:

  1. Your driver’s license (and passport if traveling internationally)
  2. Your health insurance card(s)
  3. Your COVID-19 vaccination card
  4. Your car’s license plate (and that of any rental car you drive)
  5. Other IDs (work, school, and auto insurance)

And if you have a dog:

  1. Your dog’s rabies certificate

Where on your phone?

  • In Photos. Create an album called Documents so you don’t have to scroll through all your vacation pictures to find these important photos.
  • In Apple Notes. This has the added benefit of letting you lock the note and assign a password to protect it.
  • In the Cloud. Dropbox, iCloud, etc. where you need a password to access. Downside: you will need Internet access
  • In your password manager, in the Notes or Documents section.

Having these critical photos at the ready will be a lifesaver in an emergency. Keeping them up to date is even more important. Create a reminder in your calendar to update the photos as the identification information gets renewed or changes.

Photo: Pixabay

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3 Tips to Reduce the Stress of Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Fall, Family, Food, Groceries, Holidays, Kitchen, Self Care, Shopping, Thanksgiving

3 Tips to Reduce the Stress of Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner

We all love gathering around the dining room table with family and friends to celebrate Thanksgiving together. Did you know that it is truly possible for the host to relax and enjoy the day if these three tips are observed to reduce the stress of hosting Thanksgiving dinner?

  1. Delegate: Have guests bring side dishes. Coordinate so you don’t end up with five bowls of mashed potatoes. When invited, most people naturally ask, “What can I bring?” Don’t be shy; take them up on it! Tell them what you need from your well-prepared list sitting at the ready. The burden should not fall solely on the host.
  2. Cook ahead: Cook dishes that freeze well (soups, relishes, desserts, or breads) weeks ahead and freeze. Plan to cook only the turkey and any sides that need to be prepared fresh (salads, gravy) on Thanksgiving Day.
  3. Set your table: If the table you will be using for Thanksgiving is not your everyday dinner table, set the table a day or two ahead of time. Pull out the good dinnerware, glassware, napkins, and tablecloth as well as serving pieces and utensils. That gives you time to polish any silver, if necessary, to iron any linens, and to configure the layout of the table. Oh, don’t forget to add the extra table leaves first!

Now that all the preparation is done for the big day, sit back and enjoy a nice cup of tea while observing the gorgeous table you have prepared for all.

Photo: Pixabay

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5 Ways to Prepare Your House to Retain Heat This Winter

Posted on by Dawn Link Posted in Budget, Eco-friendly, Fall, Finances, Home, Winter

5 Ways to Prepare Your House to Retain Heat This Winter

Oil and natural gas prices are expected to significantly rise this winter. While you can’t control prices, you can take some measures to conserve heat. Here are five ways to prepare your house to retain heat this winter.

  1. Have your boiler/furnace cleaned. You should have this done by a professional every year. Identify problems before they become emergencies. Imagine waking up on a January morning to your home being 60 degrees…or less! Avoid what you can control now. Call your HVAC company pronto!
  2. Remove window air conditioners or cover them and seal the windows. Snow has already fallen in many locations; therefore, do this as soon as you are able.
  3. Seal windows. You can use weather stripping, plastic sheeting, and tape designed for this purpose. There are many products available. I’m not endorsing any specific brand, just offering some examples so you know what I’m referring to. I installed plastic sheeting on my parent’s patio sliding doors and could instantly feel the difference.
  4. Block off drafts under doors: You can get basic functional ones or fun, decorative door blockers.
  5. Install storm doors if you don’t have them. Having that extra layer of glass will decrease the amount of cold air entering your home.

Taking any of these steps will make a difference in sealing your home and preventing your hard-earned money from going out the window…or door.

Photo: Pixabay

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