Call Today! 919-561-0885 | nancy@ontaskorganizing.com

On Task Organizing

Show Search

Storage

Lego Storage & Organization

Published:

lego storage and organization title

Lego blocks are one of the most common types of toys that parents ask about organizing.  There are so many types of Legos, and parents want to encourage creativity in their children, but they don’t want to be stepping on Lego pieces regularly!

There are several ways to organize and store Legos, and it depends on how many you own, and how your children play with them.  If you have children who like to play with the sets, you can keep the sets in the original boxes, or place each set with instructions into a clear lidded plastic bin. Choose a bin size large enough to hold the entire set.  All of these bins can then be labeled, stacked and stored on open shelving or inside a cabinet or closet.

For younger children, or those that are fine with separating the Lego sets, the pieces can be stored in many ways.  Here are some storage options for lose Lego pieces.

Plastic Bins  

Stackable lidded plastic bins in a variety of sizes can work well to separate and store different types of Lego pieces.

Plastic Drawers

You may want to use a plastic drawer system and have separate drawers for different types of pieces or colors of pieces.  These Lego storage drawers are another cute option.

Removable Plastic Drawers and Bins 

A system like the Ikea Trofast toy storage series is versatile because all drawers can be removed, and they come in a variety of depths and sizes to customize based on your collection. 

Tool Boxes

Some children like using a portable tool box to hold their Legos in place.

Hardware Bins  

These plastic stacking AkroBins, meant for screws, small tools or crafts, can work well for holding Legos.

Floor Activity Bags

Portable floor mat activity bags meant for Legos, like these Swoop Bags, are a wonderful way to keep the blocks contained.

On Task Organizing, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Eliminating Excess: It’s About the Process, Not Buying More

Published:

Eliminating Excess: It's About the Process, Not Buying More

I was recently contacted by someone asking me to look at his home and tell him exactly what storage products are needed and the total cost of these products.  He believed that buying new storage products will get him organized.  He kept focusing on the storage products and not the process.  In my vast experience of organizing homes, eliminating the excess is the first and most important step to getting organized.  If you have too many items that you don’t use, buying more containers to hide them will not get you organized.

3 Simple Steps to Getting Organized

1. Eliminate Excess

Eliminating Excess, purging and sorting your belongings will make the most impact in decluttering and organizing your home.  I urge all of my organizing clients to not buy storage products until the space has been sorted and excess eliminated.  At that point, we will know that the items that remain are important and useful.

Excess items are donated, recycled, sold, given to friends and family, or tossed, depending on the item.  After those things are gone, empty containers or organizing supplies usually remain.  These empty storage products can then be repurposed to organize the remaining belongings.

2. Determine Storage Product Needs

Once remaining items are sorted by category, purpose and frequency of use, and storage products already owned have been repurposed, then the discussion of buying new storage products can begin.

The storage products needed depend on the size of the space, the amount of items to be contained, and where the items will be accessed and used.  Storage supply selection also depends on the home owner’s organizing style and taste.  Some people prefer clear containers, others want baskets, while others like fabric bins.  Some people prefer to hide things away in cabinets or drawers, and others prefer to have items in view on open shelves or countertops.

3. Select & Shop for Storage Products

Storage product selection also depends on your budget.  Some homeowners would like to spend nothing on products and just repurpose shoeboxes, others shop at Wal-Mart, while others shop at Pottery Barn.  Your personal decorative style, budget and organizing methods also help to determine which products are right for you.  The finishing touch is to put the new storage products in place and label as needed.

Shopping for new storage products is one of the last steps in getting organized.  Just buying the products will not get you organized, you need to go through the process of eliminating excess and determining your storage needs first.  The next time you see a display of organizing supplies in a store, hold off on buying them until you know what you need.

Storing & Organizing Bulk Items

Published:

Storing & Organizing Bulk Items Title

Many of my clients find that shopping at bulk discount stores such as BJ’s, Costco or Sam’s Club saves them both money and time.  Shopping in bulk does not save space though, so storing bulk items can sometimes be a challenge.  Here are some tips on shopping in bulk and ways to store and organize bulk items:

Only Buy Items if You have Storage Space

When shopping at bulk discount stores, only buy items if you have enough storage space.  If you buy too much, your own home may begin to look like a store with pallets of cans and packs of paper goods taking over floor space.

Keep Track of Your Supply

Keep track of how long it takes you to use up a bulk supply of items, then schedule your future trips accordingly.  Perhaps shopping in bulk once per month or once per quarter will work well, depending on your available storage space, budget and schedule.

Make a Shopping List

Make a list of what you need before shopping in bulk.  It can be very easy to overspend in a warehouse discount store.  Making a list and sticking to it will help you save money.

Consider the Climate of Your Storage Area

For items that do not need to be in climate controlled areas, such as paper towels, you may want to store those on a labeled shelf in a garage, basement or attic.  It is best to store food and perishable items indoors in a climate controlled area.

Repurpose an Extra Room or Closet for Storage

If you have the space in a bonus room or spare bedroom closet, install extra shelving and make this your bulk storage closet.  There’s no need to install permanent shelves, freestanding shelving such as this wire shelving or plastic shelving can work well for this purpose.

Look Upwards for Extra Storage

Utilize the very top shelves of your pantry, laundry closet or linen closet to store overflow bulk purchases.  If you have space on top of your kitchen cabinets, some bulk items can be stored there in decorative baskets or fabric bins.

Make Use of Shelves, Racks & Tiered Shelving

For canned goods, wire racks like this, or tiered shelves make it easier to see what you have in stock.

Contain Items by Category

Use bins to contain smaller items by type on shelves.  For items such as toiletries, sort by category and use small bins to contain these items on the shelves.

5 Tips for Organizing Gift Wrap

Published:

5 Tips for Organizing Gift Wrap Title

Gift wrap organization is often a challenge in many homes.   I’ve seen wrap and bags ruined by being stored behind or under items in closets or cabinets, or damaged by temperature changes in basements or attics.  Gift wrap doesn’t seem to have an obvious home, so here are some tips and storage ideas.

Store gift wrapping supplies near where you use them

If you wrap in a home office, the office closet may be the best location.  If you wrap in the dining room, the dining buffet cabinet may be a good choice.  Think about where and when you need to access these items.

Keep all gift supplies together

In addition to long rolls of wrap, gift supplies can include various sizes of gift bags, tissue paper, bows, ribbon, tape, scissors and greeting cards.  Assign one place for all of these items.

Store in a climate controlled and clean area

Paper can easily disintegrate, wrinkle, or be ruined by dust, moisture, temperature changes or pests.  To keep it all clean and usable, do not store these items in a non-climate controlled area such as a basement, garage, or attic.

Sort, purge & categorize your gifting supplies

Once you’ve gathered all supplies together, sort through them and recycle or donate anything that you don’t see yourself using.  Next, categorize items by type, size, and possibly by holiday.  Most people find it helpful to separate birthday wrap from Christmas wrap.  Next, if you feel you need more supplies for upcoming events, buy them now, and add those to your gift wrap supplies collection.

Decide on the right storage product for your needs

The gift storage product you use will depend on how much you have and the location where you would like to store the supplies.  Sometimes a clear plastic lidded bin, a basket or fabric bin on a shelf or in a cabinet, or a long underbed box is all that is needed.  For larger collections, you may want a gift wrap cart, a back of the door wall rack, or a hanging gift wrap organizer.  Smaller boxes like this card keeper can be used to store greeting cards.  Ribbon can be stored in ribbon boxes or hung on a ribbon storage rack.

Once you have all of your gift wrapping supplies organized in one place, you will find it much less stressful to prepare for special events, holidays and birthdays, making the gift-giving experience even more enjoyable.

On Task Organizing, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Laundry Room Storage Tips

Published:

Laundry Room Storage Tips Title
The laundry room is often one of the smaller spaces in a home.  Whether you have a dedicated laundry room, or a small laundry closet, some of these storage products and tips can help improve organization in that area.

Laundry Room Storage Tips

Place a thin rolling cart in between or next to the washer and dryer,

Hang the ironing board and iron on the back of the door with an over the door ironing board holder or use a stowaway in-wall ironing board cabinet .

Use an over-the-washer shelf for storing detergents.

If you have wire shelving in your laundry room, add a shelf liner to prevent spills and drips from detergents and powders.

If you have a wire shelf in your laundry room, a hanging under shelf basket will add a great storage spot for laundry supplies.

If there’s a clothing rod, use a folding clip dryer for air-drying delicates.

A retractable clothesline is also helpful for air drying items.

A wall-mounted accordion clothes drying rack is another great option for drying clothing.

Use space-saving stackable laundry baskets.

Pop-up laundry hampers are also space saving because they can be easily folded when not in use.

For managing large bottles of laundry detergent, try the laundry soap station.

If you store smaller bottles cleaning supplies in your laundry room, try storing them in a cleaning caddy.

Hang a hanger hamper from a closet rod or hook on the wall.

Create extra storage space along the walls by adding floating shelves to hold laundry supplies or decorative items.

The top shelves or cabinets in most laundry rooms are difficult to reach.  Use these spaces to store infrequently used items inside bins or baskets, or designate these shelves or cabinets for paper goods that you may buy in bulk such as paper towels and toilet paper.

On Task Organizing, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

Organizing Decorations for all Seasons

Published:

organizing decorations for all seasons title

Decorating for all seasons brings beauty and fun to each holiday.  Many people decorate their homes year-round, and they need a functional way to store decorations when not in use.  Decorations may be needed for holidays such as New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Graduations, Pool Parties, Birthdays, 4th of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah and more.  With so many holidays, there’s a constant shuffle of what needs to be displayed or stored.  Here are some tips for safely storing your seasonal decorations so you can find everything throughout the year.

Guidelines for Storing Seasonal Decorations

Determine a Storage Location for Decorations

Choose just one or two locations to store all of your holiday decorations.  I only suggest 2 locations because you may want to store indoor and outdoor decorations separately.  Think about a space that is easy for you to access, and a space that is large enough to hold your decoration collection. Large closets often work best.

Store Indoor Decorations in a Climate Controlled Area

Outdoor decorations are usually fine when stored in a garage, shed, attic, or basement.  To prevent damage from temperature changes, indoor decorations should be stored in a climate controlled area such as a climate controlled storage unit, inside a hall closet, bonus room closet, or guest room closet.

Use Shelving

To prevent stacking, use shelving so you can easily slide items in and out of the storage area.  Hardware stores offer both adjustable freestanding or wall shelving systems.

Create a Container for Each Holiday

Ideally, each holiday will have its own bin or container, so you can keep everything together.  Obviously, some holidays may have multiple containers.  If you do not have enough items from one holiday to fill an entire box, decorations from the same season such as Halloween and Thanksgiving could be stored together in a box labeled “Fall Decorations”.

Label Everything

Be sure to label each shelf and each bin or container, to save time searching for items.  This makes it easier to retrieve or put away decorations in the proper location.

Color Code or Use Clear Bins

If you prefer, you may want to color-code these boxes with black and orange bins for Halloween, red and pink bins for Valentine’s Day, etc.  Colors are easier to see than labels, however using clear bins is another way to help you see what is inside at a glance.

Use Specialty Storage Products for Odd Shaped Items

Decor such as wreaths, lights, artificial trees and other odd shaped items may need specialty storage products.  Invest in these storage products to prolong the life of your decor.  See the blog, 10 Tips for Organizing Holiday Decorations,  for more information.

Regularly Sort & Purge Decorations

At the end of each holiday, if you’ve bought new decor, or there are some items you know you will never use again, sell or donate those to make room for the new decorations.  If items start overflowing, buy a new container for that holiday, but only if you have the storage space for it.

If you need assistance in setting up an organized storage system for your holiday decorations, On Task Organizing offers hands-on organizing services in the Raleigh, North Carolina area, and virtual organizing services elsewhere.  Contact us for your free phone consultation to get started on your home organizing project.

Manage Your Time Effectively with This FREE Guide

YES, Tell Me More

On Task Organizing, LLC

On Task Organizing