The Official Storage Post Self Storage Blog

Summer is fast approaching – it’s already arrived for some parents with college-aged children. The beloved summer days means children are happily given a break from school, but they’re also home – a lot. If you already find yourself wistfully saying goodbye to your spare moments, then this blog may be a sanity saver. Storage Post presents: the mom cave.  

So you’ve heard of man caves, and know that they’re the quintessential place for the men in the house to relax and put their feet up. But, a dedicated space that lets moms take a moment to breathe deeply and unwind is a necessity, too. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Get started on your own mom cave with these 5 simple tips.

1. Choose your mom cave area. It can be as small as the window seat in the living room or as large as the spare bedroom. All that matters is that you can call it yours, and your family respects its boundaries. If you have no room at all, try to create a space by removing some less popular furniture and taking it to your storage unit.

2. Clear out the new mom cave by de-cluttering and returning everything to where it belongs: toys in the toy room, shoes to closets, mail to the desk or office, and so on. Mom caves should only contain items that foster Zen-like peace.

3. Think about style. Do you prefer modernist and minimal, vintage chic or eclectic color? Choose a style theme that makes you happy, then paint and accessorize your new space to match. Don’t be afraid to use colors only you like, or go crazy with Lisa Frank stickers – your mom cave is a place to let it all out.

4.Furnish your mom cave. Things to include: space for your favorite pictures, books, music, hobby items, etc. Be sure to include a brag board where you can post all of your children’s beautiful drawings (or don’t, if your fridge already holds that honor). And don’t forget the most important item: a comfortable chair, or better yet, a chaise lounge.

And, congratulations, you are now the owner of a wonderful space all to yourself. If you can only visit it once a day, or once a week, it can still help you fortify your sanity against the grind of the summer chaos. If you aren’t a mom, but think your mom deserves her own space, take the initiative and create it for her. This could work as a perfect birthday gift, or even a belated Mother’s Day gift idea. A nearby storage unit can help you create extra space in your home to construct the perfect mom cave.

For mom cave design ideas, visit our Pinterest profile. You can also find our man cave organization tips here. Storage Post self storage offers tons of storage tips and a blog posts on a variety of organization and space topics. Visit our tips and tricks page at www.storagepost.com/tips-and-tricks to learn more about self storage and to watch our helpful videos.

Even if your kitchen is spotless and the bedroom is clutter-free, there may still be one area of your home that could use some extra organization love: the laundry room. You know how it can get with the clean and dirty clothes mixing and empty cleaning containers tricking you into thinking you have enough detergent.

To organize any laundry room, start with containers that can properly sort your clothing and linens. Designate different containers for colors, whites and delicate items. If you have a large household, or just prefer to separate loads, you can specify another container for towels and linens. Container choices vary depending on your laundry room’s size. Laundry baskets, plastic bins,  hanging hampers and mesh drawer systems are good options for sorting and storing your laundry. Once you have determined how many laundry containers you’ll need, and which types work for your home, you can set them up for immediate use. Make sure the containers are easy to access and can be moved without much trouble.

The next section to organize is your cleaning supply storage area. Laundry supplies can be heavy, and can take up large amounts of room, so start by whittling down to the basics: detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, stain remover and bleach. If you have a stacked washer and dryer, the best storage option is a rolling cart with drawers, which will allow you to easily get to the supplies you need. If you have a larger laundry area, you can install shelving above the appliances. Supplies don’t have to take away from your style; try storing your powder detergent in glass jars. This creates a sleeker look and let you know at a glance how much powder is left.

With the two important sections organized, you can move forward with other areas that may need more storage solutions. If you have the space, create mini storage stations for folding and ironing, stain removal, and mending. Stations don’t need to be big, but should include a flat surface and storage space for needed items like thread and starch. To prevent notorious laundry room clutter, add areas for clothing donations and a little catch-all for pocket loot like coins and receipts.

If you’re looking for extra ideas for apartment storage in the laundry room, visit our Pinterest board “Organizing,” or our DIY community page.

Storage Post is all about living clutter-free and organized, which is why we dedicate ourselves to providing quality self storage units at affordable pricing, with plenty of storage tips sprinkled in. If you want to learn more about how we can help you reclaim your space, visit www.storagepost.com today. 

Nothing makes you feel cooler then retrieving or stashing something in a hidden storage compartment. Secret storage can be fun to use and make, and can play an important part in protecting items in your home. Whether you need to store birthday presents away from prying eyes or covertly conceal spy secrets, these cool hideaway storage spaces will work for you.

~A secret storage book. You can make a hollow-out storage book yourself by cutting out the interior pages of a hardback book, preferably one with a few hundred pages. Once you have the center section cut out, seal or glue the edges of the pages in the hole together so they don’t separate. Be sure to keep the first twenty of so pages un-cut to add to the ruse. If you are a DIY-lover, you can buy these at many furniture stores.

~Extra storage space behind décor. We’ve all seen them in the movies: paintings or bookcases that swing open to reveal safes or surprise cubbies. We’ve all seen them, and we all want them. To create a doorway-bookcase, repurpose closet space by removing the door and hinges. Take a bookcase of roughly the same height and width and add pivot hinges, and then install the bookcase on the wall over the doorway. Note: this project takes some DIY experience to pull off.

~Hidden compartments in the staircase. The space under your staircase can hold a lot more than dust and forgotten items (just ask Harry). Transform that area into a series of pull-out drawers or shelving that can add storage space to your home. If you have the DIY know-how, try converting the backs of the stairs into drawers, or make storage areas that are accessed by lifting up the stair itself.

~Architectural features and furniture modified as tucked-away storage. Secret storage containers can be added to just about any room, and it’s even easier to do so if you’re building or renovating your home. There are usually nooks and crannies on walls, in large furniture and even in the flooring. Find these spaces and use pull out shelf racks (like the kind used for spices), to create secret stashes for your stuff.

If even your hidden storage furniture is bursting at the seams, if may be a good idea to find your nearest Storage Post self storage facility. Storage units are a great way to maximize your square footage without downsizing your stuff.  Just as secret storage helps protect your belongings, Storage Post provides secure self storage – but with the bonus of friendly service and customizable options. Visit www.storagepost.com to start your storage search today!

These and other great hidden storage ideas are featured on Storage Post’s Pinterest profile. Check out our boards and follow your favorites!

Your tax-filing deadline is just days away, but you have a decade’s worth of clutter in your office. What can you do? How will you find everything you need? To help you through the next couple of weeks we’ve put together quick-action solutions, as well as habits you can implement all year to prevent future income tax season meltdowns.

For a quick fix on paperwork chaos, find some open bins or storage containers and label them: medical, employment, property insurance, loans/mortgages, donations/charity and miscellaneous. Now, start with one drawer and sort all of the papers into one of those bins. Make sure you throw away anything that’s just taking up space, like coupons you’ll never use, flyers left in your door, return envelopes if you pay online, etc.

After sorting your entire office, which may take a few hours, you should have hefty piles of papers in each bin. Start reviewing the employment bin to organize W2s, pay stubs and travel and business expenses. Organize items in chronological order; it’s OK, and even better, to have multiple years’ worth of paperwork. These will be the most important items for tax filing and will help you get started.

Next, review the medical documents and calculate last year’s spending (especially if you have an HSA or Flex medical account), and move on to the property insurance and loans/mortgages sections. Everything in these bins will help you with the deductions on your tax return.

So you’ve made it through the immediately necessary tax document storage and sorting. Now it’s time to consider long-term habits that can keep your office tidy and efficient.

~Go digital – Set-up paperless billing and choose online bill pay to simplify your monthly bills and to reduce paper clutter and unnecessary mail.

~Back up your files year-round. Even if you have everything neatly sorted, it won’t help you if you lose the files. Back-up your important tax-related documents and other papers using external hard drives or online storage programs like Drop Box. Online document storage saves space and lessens the chance of unexpected information loss.

~Sort as you go. Use the same storage boxes that we labeled for your quick-fix and audit your office papers every month. Even after sorting physical papers, you may miss things that need to be noted. Keep a journal or Word file of any donations, medical or business expenses, and life changes like marriage, a new baby or new home.

Armed with these office organization and tax return storage tips, next year’s tax season will be a breeze for your family. If sorting all of these files has you hankering for more de-cluttering, Storage Post Self Storage can help you store items you may not need every day but still take up space, like seasonal clothes, recreational vehicles and extra office furniture. Visit www.storagepost.com to find a storage building near you. 

Finding Space for Incoming Wedding Gifts

If you’ve recently gotten hitched, or your wedding day is just around the corner, then you know that combining two lives and homes can cause clutter. You may already live with your spouse, but if this is a transition for both of you, you may be unprepared for your new storage needs.

Wedding gift registries are convenient systems that allow your friends and family to give you the perfect present in celebration of your marriage. But, as the wedding gets closer, and for weeks afterwards, your home is a whirlwind of arriving packages, stacked boxes and expensive china shoved in corners. Not to mention other gifts received for engagement parties, bridal showers and bachelor/bachelorette gifts.

The first order of business is to track gifts as they arrive. Keep receipts, packing slips and cards so you know who sent each gift and from which registry it came. Create a spreadsheet or designate a notebook to store all of your received gift information, even if it’s money. This list will help you when it’s time to write thank you cards, and if you receive two of the same gift. TIP: Don’t rely on an electronic registry to track your gifts because they are often incorrect!

Now that the gifts are coming en masse and you’ve noted them on your gift tracker….where are you going to put them? If you’re moving in together in an apartment or small home, a sudden influx of stuff is a recipe for clutter. To organize everything without losing something (like your sanity), clear out a room or a section of your home and designate it the Gift Storage Space.  Clearing out a room for incoming items may require a temporary storage unit, so look for a storage facility nearby and check for amenities like climate controlled storage units and advanced security.

As soon as a gift arrives and is added to the tracker, place it in the Gift Storage Space. Every Sunday, go through the gift boxes and look for the following:

~ Better or updated versions of items you’re currently using. Unpack these and put them into use, getting rid of the older item. If you’re not ready to toss the old one, start a pile for stuff that can be taken to your self storage unit.

~ Organization-oriented gifts that can be immediately helpful, like extra shelving, baskets or closet organizers. Install these right away so they can be used during your wedding transition.

~ Duplicate items. Decide if you would like to keep them both, or return one. If keeping both makes you feel safer in case one breaks, then add one to the to-be-stored pile.

Reviewing incoming gifts once a week doesn’t have to be tiresome. Make this a bonding opportunity when you both can discover and discuss the future through the generous gifts from your loved ones.

Storage Post can be your extra space assistant as you plan your wedding and enjoy your new future together. We can help you settle into a home, store keepsakes like your wedding dress and help you choose the perfect storage solution. We also offer storage protection plans that can help you keep your stored items secure and covered in case the unexpected happens. Choose Storage Post for all of life’s big moves.