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I love the idea that someone can use a storage unit as a business location, a man cave, a wine cellar, or as a place to store their cool sports car.

I love that a college student can use a storage unit to store their dorm rooms over the summer and that someone can store excess furniture while their house is being marketed for sale.

I love that a builder can use a storage unit to store supplies while they are doing a renovation.

I hate the idea that people are using storage units to store old, dirty appliances, inexpensive furniture, and things that are eventually going to go in the trash, get donated, or get sold.

I hate that people abandon their units with valuable items in storage units and that there are reality TV shows based on this.

During the past couple of weeks, we have worked in storage units, and I am so glad we could help clients get out from under the stuff that was being stored— which had less monetary value than the month’s rent of the unit.

Understandably, people go into storage units for a valid reason initially. In the words of my eloquent husband, “storage units can take on a life of their own.” The items being stored take root in the unit, and the bill is on autopay. This makes it easy to forget or avoid the whole thing.

Many times people no longer know what is in their unit— a hint to me that there is minimal value, emotionally and financially.

Before you make the decision to take on a storage unit, think of the following:

• What is the end game or time frame? Have a clear date and plan as to how long this will take.

• How much is it going to cost in time, rent, insurance, trash hauling, and moving in and out of the unit?

• Do you need what you are storing?

• If you got rid of it, would you miss it?

If you answer these questions and can develop a plan, rent the unit.

• Make sure there is a dumpster where you decide to store your things.

• Make sure you do not store things on the ground level; use pallets (in case of a flood).

• Make sure that everything is wrapped in plastic (there may be bugs, including bed bugs).

• Make sure your items are labeled so that it is easy to retrieve them.

• Keep a basic inventory for yourself so that you can more easily retrieve items.

• Use a lock that a bolt cutter can’t get into.

• Do not leave valuable items in the front of your unit. While the door is open you do not want people to see what you are storing.

• Remember that you are paying for the space; fill it carefully using uniform sized boxes that are sturdy.

• Most units do not have power so you may want to have extension cords, work lamps, and flash lights.

I hope this advice helps you make a good decision and prevents you from being burdened by a storage unit that takes on a life of its own. If renting a storage unit is the right thing for you, I hope that you have picked up a hint or two to simplify the process.

Every email that comes in is an opportunity.  Every Facebook article is a worthwhile read. Every free 60 page ebook is a life saver. But come on now, if you read everything you could read you would NEVER BE DONE and on top of that YOU WOULD NEVER GET TO WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT.

I’ve been a long-time advocate for short and sweet, so I always try to keep everything I share manageable and digestible in 5 minutes or less. That’s what I can do for you.

What can you do for yourself?

1. Delete email articles you didn’t ask for: Just say no – Let them go
2. Disregard free or low cost deals you don’t have time to use: Just say no – Let them go
3. Ignore electronic chain letters and social media games – no the baby bunnies in your yard won’t turn into mutant ninja rodents and take over your life: Just say no – Let them go
4. Skip networking events with people that don’t match your target market: Just say no – Let them go
5. Don’t attend free webinars and classes that have nothing to do with your short-range priorities: Just say no – Let them go

If you choose to spend your time on things that just pop up and come your way you will NEVER get to the work you want to do. To be a high performer be clear on what is important and spend your time on what matters. All the rest?  JUST SAY NO – LET THEM GO.

Finding the time and energy to garden has been a challenge for me in the past few years. Our property seems to be getting bigger or am I getting older? Regardless of the reason, I’m not willing to give up the great exercise and satisfaction I get from planting my garden, so I need to get more organized to get it done. I also have to be satisfied with an hour or two here and there instead of a full day of gardening. After I planted my garden last year, I took pictures of the planters and the gardens and made a list of the plants I bought at the local nurseries.

Our garden shed was built on top of an old outhouse and frankly it could withstand a hurricane. It has a waist high counter and wooden shelving. We used leftover linoleum flooring from the kitchen for the floor. It’s just the right size to hold the following:

• gardening gloves and ball caps in a closed plastic container
• small gardening tools-store in plastic carrier or basket with a handle
• gardening planters
• folding lawn furniture stored under the counter
• gazing ball and stone statues for the garden
• rod iron poles for hanging baskets, plant and tomato stakes, and long tools (small shovel, rake, edger)-stored in 5 gallon plastic bucket with metal part up
• items to decorate my screened-in porch
• flower seeds and bulbs in a metal container
• leftover potting soil in 5 gallon plastic bucket with a lid

In the spring:

• Use 5 gallon plastic bucket with handle to pull out weeds.
• Pull everything out of the shed and sweep it out (mice and chipmunks have made their winter homes in my shed).
• Take plants out of the garden that died over the winter.
• Throw out older seeds and bulbs that didn’t make the winter.
• Divide perennial plants if too big and share with your neighbors or replant in other parts of your garden to save money.
• Move other plants around to fill in where plants died or didn’t come up.
• Using pictures from last year, I bought plants and vegetables and planted the planters and the gardens.

In the fall after the first killing frost:

• Fall is for planting, so buy perennials on sale and fill in where plants didn’t live.
• Don’t forget to call 811 before you dig too deep to prevent damage to electric lines and natural gas pipelines.
• Wash out the planters and store in shed.
• Store leftover seeds and bulbs in metal containers
• Donate any ceramic planters or recycle plastic containers you didn’t use

After plants have been hit by frost, I like to fill in with fall décor so it doesn’t look so empty. I use some of the more colorful pots I emptied to hold mums and fill in with straw bales, pumpkins, cornstalks and gourds. Organize your gardening so it’s a pleasure, not a chore.

Clutter Tips:

• Don’t store 9 volt batteries against each other or other batteries. They can spark and cause a fire.
• When you clear the clutter in medicine cabinets donate unused and unexpired medical supplies, to C.U.R.E., c/o Mission Central, 5 Pleasant View Drive, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050.

Green Tips:

• Latex paint disposal: equal parts kitty litter and latex paint. Let sit for one hour and throw in garbage.
• Make the switch to permanent water bottles instead of putting plastic into our oceans. Even recycling plastic bottles produces toxins.

Can you believe another school year has come to a close? They just fly by. Although it’s the last thing on most mom’s and dad’s minds in June, come late August, preparing for ‘Back-to-School’ can be a hectic time to recon with.

As we begin the second month of summer, I want to share my annual routine in addressing this issue. Although, as you’ll see, I choose to get an early start; you still have the luxury of setting aside less than an hour to make the transition from summer to ‘Back to School’ stress and hassle free.

With that being said, I always use the last day of school as my barometer to get all my boys’ school supplies sorted, purged, donated, reorganized, and stored away until September. I’ve found few people that do it. Most wouldn’t even consider it. Believe it or not, being organized the first day of school starts with a little ‘to do’ list the final day of the current school year!

In our house, the last day of school signifies the official start of summer, and as you can imagine, in most every household, the excitement is palpable. Each year, I pick the boys up at school which allows me the opportunity to see how excited they are and the smiles on their faces when the bell rings and they charge out of the school. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to say goodbye to friends, teachers, and classmates. Going out to lunch continues the euphoria, and this is where I set the expectation of going home and organizing their school supplies for next year. Realistically, who would want to contend with this the last day of school? But, from start to finish, it only takes about fifteen to thirty minutes.

The first decision is to ascertain if their school bag is still in good enough condition to weather next year. If so, it is cleaned out and stored in our coat closet until September. If not, it is cleaned out and put in our donation pile. Moving on, the purging continues with pens, pencils, pencil cases, rulers, scissors, crayons, markers, folders, etc. The rule of thumb is trash, donate, or keep. Trash is immediately taken out, donations are put in our designated donation pile, and anything that can be used in September is stored in the school bag for next year. If their school bag is being donated, then, the supplies are stored in either a zip-lock bag or container until September.

You’ve only just read this. Yet, aren’t you breathing easier knowing when Summer ends, ‘Back-to-School’ is on auto pilot? Have a happy, safe, and enjoyable summer.

I don’t know about you, but spring is my favorite time of year, and the last thing I want to do is spend my weekend or multiple weekends focusing on cleaning and organizing my entire home.   Instead of pulling out that long list of spring cleaning duties, consider breaking up the list into bite size pieces to be completed throughout the year.

Maintenance is a much easier solution and a tremendous time saver.

Pick Your Battles
Look at your list and determine the cleaning and organizing tasks that make the most sense for this time of year.  For example, closets are a great place to start because this is the time of year we change from winter to spring/summer attire.  Garages are another good area of focus.  Now is the time to put away the snow blower and pull out the lawn mower.  And, let’s be honest, things tend to get piled and tossed into the garage all winter, so it’s time for a garage clean-out.  Your garden shed is another great fit for seasonal organizing.  Inspect and sharpen your garden tools, take stock of your supplies, clean your clay pots and determine your tool storage area based on how often you use the tools. Also, with the onset of warmer weather comes the need to change to lighter blankets and comforters, and once the bed is stripped you can vacuum and turn the mattress to complete the process.

Maintenance is Key
Now that you have decided which areas make sense to organize during the spring season; let’s break the rest of that cleaning and organizing list into manageable tasks to be completed throughout the year.  Baseboards, doors, and cobwebs can be dusted and cleaned during the winter when you’re stuck inside during a snowstorm.  Lampshades and ceiling fans can be dusted at regular intervals when you dust the rest of your home. Draperies, blinds and carpets can be cleaned in the fall or the end of the summer.  Many people have self cleaning ovens that can be cleaned any time of the year, and grease traps and stove filters are easy to replace or clean on an as needed basis.

Consistency is the Name of the Game
Having a consistent, year round routine will help you avoid investing large chunks of time in the spring.  Instead, get out and smell the forsythia, spend time with family and friends, or do whatever makes you happier at this wonderful time of year.  Organizing and cleaning are necessary for a functional life, so finding ways to spread it out and make it easier in the long run will save you endless hours each season.

When you are at a restaurant, in the car, or headed to the beach, do your children drive you crazy by fighting or by saying that they are bored? I have found several variations of a ‘busy bag/box’ on Pinterest, and decided to create my own. My bags have changed over the years accommodating items that will satiate my 4 year old as well as my 7 year old!

Below are some of my ‘Busy Bag’ ideas:

My Restaurant Bag contains:

• Paper which is kept in a fun print file folder
• Crayons that are kept in a pencil case
• Coloring books
• Lacing boards which are kept in a large pencil case or large utility baggie
• Laminated Road Maps that are printed and placed in a page protector sleeve
• Matchbox cars which are kept in a large pencil case or large utility baggie
• My Little Ponies
• Crayola Model Magic which is kept in plastic baggies (this is like Play-Dough, but doesn’t crumble as much)
• Laminated play dough mats which are kept in a page protector sleeve (this prevents the Model Magic from sticking to a table)
• Stacking cups
• Colored pom-poms or colored popsicle sticks

When my children were toddlers, I used to pack lots of board books, large Duplo blocks, finger puppets, Crayola dough, laminated play dough mats, stacking cups and Fisher Price plastic animals. For older children, add Legos, playing cards, trivia questions, the game Uno, books, Mad libs, and maze books.

My Car Bag contains everything from my restaurant bag, plus the following:

• Travel Bingo boards
• Books
• Small cupcake pans
• Magnetic alphabet letters
• Notebooks
• An Etch a Sketch
• Super hero figurines (most small items like these can be stored in an empty Wet Ones wipes container)
• Paper on a clipboard
• Stickers
• Small snack containers – filled with dry cereal and pretzels
• Granola bars
• Sports bottles filled with water
• Books on CD from our local library, or Conference CD’s from the NAPO-GPC library!

A fun idea that I started — on a 10 hour trip to Myrtle Beach — was to get baby links from the dollar store and connect them from one car hook to the one across from it in the backseat, and a super hero traveled link to link every hour that passed. Also, since each of my children had a small version of the car bag next to them, with each activity organized inside a smaller container, there were no melt downs!

Taking a family of four to the beach is like a jigsaw puzzle. Everything needs to be organized and in a certain area or else it will be covered in sand or forgotten. Thanks to many invites to Thirty One parties I am well prepared for the beach with bags!

My Beach Bag is a system of smaller bags:

• My pocket tote holds my cellphone, cash, my son’s EpiPen, inhalers, a sunscreen stick, baby powder, and sunscreen, plus a zinc stick (for my son who fries in the sun)
• My large utility tote holds hats, my long sleeve shirt, my children’s extra rash shirts, four beach towels and my blanket that rolls up
• My large zipper pouch holds my husband’s iPad and my Kindle
• Another zipper pouch is filled with a small blank pad, small coloring books, mini markers and a small My Little Pony. (This pouch was added after thinking that just the beach toys would occupy my 3 year old last year.)

Staying organized, even on vacation, helps to keep my sanity, as well as my husband’s when the ice cream man rings his bell and both children start running towards him. All he has to do is reach in the pouch for the money and not waste any time looking for it. I hope I have inspired you to create your own “Bags” for whatever situation calls for it.

Have fun and safe travels this summer!