Life Among The Blooms: Tips for Organizing Your Storage Room
Have you ever opened your basement or storage room door and felt a wave of dread wash over you? Clutter can quickly accumulate in these spaces, making it difficult to find what you need and causing unnecessary stress. But fear not! With some planning and effort, you can transform your basement or storage room into a well-organized and functional space. Here are some practical tips and tricks to help you declutter, maximize space, and maintain order. So, let’s dive in to declutter and organize the chaos together!
For your convenience, I’ve included affiliate links in this post. These links won’t cost you anything extra, but they help support my blog, so I can keep bringing you free tutorials. Thank you! Please read my full disclosure here.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT WHITE LILAC FARMHOUSE
January was a whirlwind! I was so busy organizing the house after the holidays that it felt like it flew by. Packing away Christmas decorations took forever, especially with my full-time job keeping me on my toes. I know many of you can relate to the exhaustion of long days and tight deadlines. Some evenings, I was too tired even to eat dinner and would just crawl straight into bed.
Last Friday, we recorded temperatures here in Southern Maryland. It got up to 80 degrees. Is that crazy, or what? Saturday was pretty, too, but not as warm. I tinkered in my garden for an hour. It was a little tease of spring!
DECLUTTER AND ORGANIZE
Does your storage room look like this? Are you overwhelmed by the chaos when you walk into it? The containers are great for storage, but it is difficult to know what is in them.
This time, I went through each of the containers. I was able to take items to the thrift store or give them away. It cleared up shelf space where some items could be kept out, such as items that are breakable or I may need to use more often.
After we moved into this home, my husband painted the basement concrete floors with paint made especially for concrete. This helped to seal the floors, and the dust from the concrete did not come up through the floor.
The floors got a good cleaning with the shop vac and then mopped.
My goal was to get everything off the floor!
Last year, I adapted a storage system using ToteScan labels and the app. It was wonderful, but I had more containers to go through, and it was time to purge unwanted items.
The wonderful thing about my totes that had the ToteScan labels, I could edit contents from my phone.
It was a several-week project, but it was so worth the work. The space is better organized, so I can find things easily, and the floor area is completely clear.
ORGANIZED EXERCISE SPACE
The exercise space was also a hot mess. We could not even use some of the equipment because of other stuff in the space.
I grabbed a bucket filled with warm water, some Lysol, and a microfiber cloth. I wiped away all the dirt and dust using a damp cloth and rinsed it out in the water and cleaning solution.
You can see how dirty the floors are in this space from construction in the basement.
Now, we have a great space to exercise. There is a shelf to hold hand and ankle weights, kettlebells, mats, a medicine ball, and other items. We also have a Pelton bike, a NordicTrack Rowing machine, and an elliptical.
We received a free mini frig from a neighbor. It is perfect to hold Gatorade and water.
It’s now a great space to work out during the day.
TIP OF THE WEEK: ORGANIZING YOUR STORAGE ROOM
Invest in a label maker or label system. It will help you know what is in your bins and storage containers. Whether the storage containers are in your pantry, linen closet, basement, garage, or attic, labeling will help you find items more quickly.
It doesn’t matter what you’re organizing; labels are key to getting and staying organized. They save time, provide clarity, increase the chances of staying organized, reduce stress and frustration, increase productivity, and save money. How often do you buy duplicates because you don’t know what you have on hand?
Why use labels?
- Labels can identify what items are especially for pantry items and cleaning supplies.
- Labels can identify what’s in the container and where to put the items back, helping keep you organized.
Shop My Favorite
ROAD TRIP IN JANUARY
We had two of our grandchildren for a long weekend while their parents were on a trip. Jim and I decided to do a road trip to Liberty Mountain Ski Resort. The grandchildren had never been tubing before.
We went up the night before and stayed at a hotel in Gettysburg, PA. It had an indoor swimming pool and hot tub. We all enjoyed it, especially with all of the snow around. My grandson enjoyed making a waffle for breakfast in the morning.
Liberty Mountain Ski Resort was a lot of fun. I sat inside with the perfect view of the hills for the tubing. The stand-up tram took them to the top of the hill with their tubes. You could hook the tubes together for more fun down the hill.
I had to pull my grandson off the hill. He could have gone another hour.
We will do this again. Next year, I will be healed from my knee surgery and can go tubing with them.
THIS WEEK ON THE BLOG
Ditch the Post-Holiday Blues: 6 Quick and cozy Home Revivals for Winter! I shared 6 quick and easy tips for a cozy home in the winter.
I made this darling DIY Valentine’s Day Door Sign. You can hang it outside on the front door or inside. You can also check out my DIY Valentine’s Porch Sign. Both projects are super easy to make for your home.
INSPIRATION FROM OTHERS
Are you looking for some entertaining tips on hosting a stress-free and budget-friendly Galentine’s Brunch? My sweet friend, Jen of Midwest Life and Style, has a guide to help you host your brunch for friends. You can read more about it at Your Guide To Hosting A Stress-free Galentine’s Day Brunch.
Have you had Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup? It is my all-time favorite soup. My friend Leslie, Feet Under My Table, has this incredible Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe. It is a must-make soup for the winter. I made it and served it with Italian bread, olive oil, and freshly grated Parmesan Cheese. You will not be disappointed!
Do you love to read? I do, especially during the winter months when you cannot be outdoors. My good friend Kim of Cottage In The Mitten has the best book recommendations. Check out her recommendations of 7 Books to Melt the Winter Chill!
Need some great kitchen organizing tips? A sweet friend, Kim of Perfecting Places, has 26 Simple Ideas for how to Declutter Your Kitchen. I am always looking for ways to declutter, and she has some great tips.
YOU MAY ENJOY
-
Cupid’s Garden: DIY Valentine’s Plant Decor Idea
Add a touch of whimsy to your home in minutes with this DIY Valentine’s plant decor (pick)! These adorable DIY plant picks, featuring pearl hearts, sweet pink roses, and ribbons, are the perfect way to create a “Cupid’s Garden.” Whether you’re hosting a Galentine’s gathering or just want to spread the love, this easy project…
-
For Beginners: Easy DIY Valentine’s Candle Stand – No Power Tools Needed!
This easy DIY Valentine’s candle stand will brighten your day. No power tools are needed, and you can create this project in 5 minutes or less! To make this beautiful stand for a jar or flameless candle, you only need a few simple materials and a sprinkle of creativity. This stand adds a touch of…
-
Create Your Own Beautiful Valentine’s Floral Arrangement
It’s not hard or expensive to create your own beautiful Valentine’s floral arrangement. Let’s follow a few simple design rules. Honestly, you really cannot mess it up. Remember three main rules: 1) balance; 2) portion, and 3) scale. You and I are not professional floral designers. We are simply creating beautiful floral arrangements. My grandparents…
Hugs, sweet friend,
Great post, Tammy! Thank you so much for sharing my kitchen organization post! I appreciate that so much!!
You bet, Kim. I picked up a couple of great tips from you!
Tammy, your storage area looks amazing! Can you come to organize mine next? It is a disaster with a capital D! I need to spend some serious time purging too and I think I need a few more shelves to get things up off the floor.
Your trip with the grand littles sounds like so much fun. What special memories for them (and you).
Thank you for sharing my Galentine’s Day brunch. I appreciate it!
Jen, I hear you. I am going through all of these closets in the house and getting stuff organized. It’s nice when you can find stuff.
Love hearing from you always, but this post really rang a bell. Me too, organizing and ready to hit the road with our two grandsons . No tubing in Arkansas, but we will find a trail to hike I think. Of course I LOVED your red truck door decor…too CUTE !! sending love and warm hugs sweet friend!
Hello, my sweet friend, Alda. It is always so wonderful to hear from you. Thank you so much for commenting. You continue to make those memories with your sweet grandsons. They will remember their special time with you.
What a great post, Tammy. Love your trip with grands. And your basement bins are inspiring. So glad you loved my soup and thank you for sharing it. Have a great week, sweet friend!
Thank you, Leslie. Yes, your soup was so delicious.
Sounds like you had a great time with your grandkids Tammy!
Thank you so much, Cindy. We are making those precious memories.
Way to get things organized! I definitely need to purge and reorganize my storage area, too! Thanks so much for sharing my 7 books to melt the winter chill post! I appreciate it! xo
Thank you, my friend. You are so welcome. You always have great book selections.