Storage Queen

It's Birthday Time

2010-06-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

While I was sprucing up around here last week, I noticed that, suddenly, our American flag was no longer fit to be flown. We have a spotlight on our flag and fly it 24 hours a day, so it gets a lot of wear. Look at the right-hand edge of the flag in this picture - that flag is looking downright tattered! I was embarassed when I realized how shabby it looked, so I got right to work and ordered a new flag...

...which arrived today. A nice, crisp, bright new flag!

There...that's better! Happy Birthday, America!

(For great tips and information about flying your flag, check out "The Flag Guys" at http://www.flagguys.com/ Great products and fantastic customer service, too!)

Cleaning Project...Done!

2010-03-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

At American Storage, most of our units are drive-up and face the exterior. Mother Nature does a great job at keeping those doors clean and dust-free. But our climate-controlled units face an interior hallway, to keep them warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and those doors needed a good cleaning. Look, this one is just calling out for help.

Look what I got done today. All 55 doors, clean and shiny. I'm not sure I'll be able to lift my arms tomorrow!

You Know It's Springtime...

2010-03-20T07:27:00.001-07:00

You know it's springtime when the garage sales start! The biggest garage sale in Eureka is being held this morning by the Eureka Chamber of Commerce on the 6 Flags parking lot. I worked the 5 am to 8 am shift and I can tell you, there's lots of goodies to buy. And if you're following my series on de-cluttering, well...you might want to skip this event! Admission is only $1 per car, with proceeds going towards college scholarships awarded by the Chamber. Here's some photos of the action this morning:

Here are the customers, lined up and ready to bargain.

And here is the hard-working Chamber of Commerce crew, collecting admission.

The Millers, directing traffic. I wish I got to use one of those batons. Maybe next year.

The most colorful vendor I saw. Anyone need any baby equipment?

The most popular food and drink vendor this morning. It was chilly out there!

Batman The Ride...running, but nobody riding. Creepy!

Touch It Once

2010-03-19T10:03:00.000-07:00

Once you make a "de-stuffing" committment and choose where to start, try out my never-fail, "Touch It Once" method of sorting all that stuff. Ideally, it is best to carve out a space to make five or six different piles. Have you ever seen the TLC show "Clean Sweep"? On the show, they de-clutter and usually use the driveway to make one pile to keep, one to sell, and one to throw away. It may not be practical to use your driveway for this project, but think along those lines and try to find a nearby space that you can use to sort and stack. For example, when I tackle my office, I use the outside hallway for my stacks. Of course, I can't leave the stuff there in the hallway, or you might see me next on the show "Hoarders". After sorting, I have to deal with the stuff! But back to sorting, using the "Touch It Once" method.

In your sorting area, make areas for your sorting stacks. I actually make tags for each area (pieces of paper from the recycling bin, marked with a Sharpie, and taped to the wall). Tags eliminate mistakes! These are the stacks that I use:

1. Throw away

2. Give away to charity

3. Sell (garage ale, ebay, Craigslist)

4. Belongs somewhere else (another room in teh house, need to return to a neighbor, etc.)

5. Recycling

6. Keep and return to this designated space when de-cluttering is completed.

You can use boxes or baskets to corral these stacks if necessary. I always grab my biggest trash can or several trash bags for the trash. I put my paper recyclingn bin within easy reach for the recycling.

Next - the hard part. Take each item and make a decision on it. Yes. Right now. A decision. It must go in a pile. Don't pick it up, think about it, put it back, and move to another item. Be brave and decisive. And being decisive does not mean deciding to put everything int he "keep" stack! Quickly consider each item. If this item mysteriously vanished without you getting rid of it yourself, would you know it was gone? Is it something you have used int he last year? Will you definitely use it within the next year? If the answers are "no", it probably needs to go somewhere besides the "keep" stack. The main thought that should guide you is to "Touch It Once" and be done with it.

There are a few exceptions to the one-year guideline. And actually, it's a two-year guideline if you are looking back on year and forward another year. Next week, I'll talk about those exceptions. And I might even show you some photos of my own de-cluttering project - if I'm brave enough.

Springtime is De-Stuffing Time

2010-03-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

This is the time of year when I want to simplify and get rid of all the STUFF that has accumulated since last year's spring cleaning. The job can seem overwhelming when you look at all of the places you can stash things away - "guest" bedrooms, coat closets, under the beds, and the two biggies: the garage and the basement. If you feel discouraged before you even start, break this job into manageable pieces.

Start your "de-stuffing" plan with just one area. You might choose the smallest area so you can see quick results to keep you going. Or you might choose the area that you most need to reclaim for other purposes. For really large areas, like the basement, divide it into sections. For example, I divide my basement into the furnace room area, the tool room area, and the office.

Whatever area you choose, that is to be your focus until it is finished. Don't be tempted to start working in another area. Put the blinders on, stick to your plan, and you will soon experience the joy of re-organized space, ready for your admiring gaze. Don't tell me I am the only one that keeps admiring my de-cluttered space over and over again. You do that too, don't you?

Have you chosen your first area to tackle? There...you've done the hardest part... getting started. Next week, I'll share my tried and true "touch it once" method for deciding what to do with all of that stuff.