#2013alive: Embrace Simple Storage Strategies

It feels as if our week has barely begun. But it’s already time to check in to see how your 12 Months of Wellness decluttering project for this week is coming along.

“A place for everything and everything in its place.” That motto has been attributed to several people, most notably Benjamin Franklin.  And it’s a motto that we can adopt as we attempt to find storage solutions for our streamlined possessions.

While we’re not quite as organized as Martha Stewart, the alive staff have graciously provided a few storage strategies of their own:

Stuart Harries, Editor-In-Chief: "As much as I hate to admit this, we have two storage lockers. On the May long weekend we decided it was time to organize and categorize what’s in those darn lockups. The good news is that most of the items we had stored were things we still use … just seasonally. So it was mostly camping and sports equipment.

We tackled the mess by hauling everything out of the lockers and making a list of the goods we wanted to keep. We then sorted items so that they were grouped together (skiing equipment in one area, camping equipment in another). Now the storage lockers are easy to access and when we’re wondering where we put something, we no longer have to think about easily forgotten items that may be in storage … we just look at the list!"

Caitlin Van Den Brink, Editorial Intern: "I have a lot of items at my house that are too precious to be thrown out and not practical or useful enough to have an actual home. Beyond having furniture that doubles as storage—such as the ottoman in my living room and the various drawers that have found space under the computer desk—I’ve long since collected shoe boxes and paper boxes. I cover them with fabrics and decorate them to create cheap and stylish storage boxes. I can tuck these away in corners and under side tables without looking like I’ve just moved."

Leah Karpus, Editor: "I’ve recently started storing my summer or winter wardrobe (whichever is not in season) in large bins. That way, whenever it’s time to swap out my clothes, I’m always excited when I open the bin and rediscover all my things! I also love using drawer organizers with compartments for my kitchen and bathroom drawers. It gives everything a home, so nothing gets lost or misplaced. It’s much easier to get ready in the morning when I don’t have to search high and low for the toothpaste!"

Do you have a good storage solution? What’s your favourite way to store out-of-season items? Please share your storage strategies with us by using the Twitter hashtag #2013alive, or by leaving us a Facebook comment.

Feel free to share a before and after photo, if you’re feeling really proud of your decluttering accomplishments this week.

And remember to check out our Facebook or Twitter posts, or follow our blog posts.