Organization without a basement

[DaytonaBeachGal]

Originally Posted by Regina

I have bought some really nice furniture from craigslist.org . My dining table is a very expensive pottery barn table that is 120 inches that we paid 375. It is my favorite piece of my entire house. Since we have kids that seem to find the hidden pens and markers, i hate to pay a bunch for furniture. I use to look on e-bay, but it seems like some people want way too much.

Thanks for that tip too Regina..ironically Pottery Barn is my favorite store but the furniture way too expensive. I will check our craigslist.
thanks!

[Brenda]

Originally Posted by Regina

We are from Ohio, so we had plenty of storage there because of the basement. Here in Florida, there aren't basements. I was wondering how everyone organizes and stores things without a basement?

Thank you

Regina, When we were in Orlando we had to really think of how to store things. Our first thing was to this out as much as we could. Then we went UP! In our crawl space "attic" above the garage we placed down some plywood and stored in there. Then we had shelves in the garage and we had those things, can't think of the name, that is held my chains from the ceiling. All sorts of boxes went in there. Then when all else failed we rented a storage unit, BIG waste of money, so we thinned out again, and got rid of so much. THEN when we moved here to IN, still no basement, but HUGE attic, we had nothing to put in it cause Eric made me toss everything away! Now all those things that I tossed could have helped fill up this house here.
Good luck!

[Kristie]

why fill it up when you won't be using most of it though? i can understand xmas items as they're a once a year thing and you need to find storage for that...but why keep so much *stuff* if it's just going to sit in an attic?

I used to be a pack rat...now, i thin out every 6 months... if i haven't used it in a year, two years or know i'm not going to use it, i chuck it.. donate it.. whatever! plus, everytime i thin out, i often get to buy something newer to use later down the line.

[Regina]

Yeah, Kristie, I know what you mean...I don't want to store things anymore either, but then again, I am thinking I will be having more kids, so I don't want to throw away the kids clothes either.

Then, there is my wishful thinking clothing...my size 4 and 6 that I feel I will probably never fit into again, but I love those clothes. They are the classic-type clothing that really doesn't go out of style, and I hate to get rid of those too. I have thinned down emensley though.

It's those maternity clothes I want to get rid of...ha ha

We have a bunch of toys that we just placed up in the attic, but I would like to get rid of the majority of those too. I keep telling people not to buy us toys or actually anything, we have way too much with no where to put it. Then Christmas or someone's birthday rolls around, and we get more stuff. Do you know one of the best presents my kids have received (in my eyes, probably not their's)....a savings bond. That was a great gift.

Unfortunately, the more clothes the kids have in their room, the more laundry I do (whether they wore the clothes or not). The messier their room seems.

So, this is my new strategy...pack most everything up. The kids have 5 outfits, 2 pajamas, and their normal socks, t's, and undies that they can choose from during the week. They get to chose their new outfit that day, but they won't have millions of clothes to throw about while they find their outfit. So, they still have a say in what they are wearing. I am going to do the wash daily, like normal, but no clothes go back (except p.j.'s) from the washroom until the end of those 5 days.

Give the maternity clothes I don't like away....start excercising more....get bookshelves to organize all my books in boxes...give away things I haven't used for the last year. Pack the things in my kitchen that I don't use and either give them away, or put aside to see if I will use them this next year.

I don't think I will ever be an organized person, but maybe if I start out one room at a time. I tell my husband that he has pottery barn taste on a burger king budget because he likes how his sister's are so organized, but they spend the money to get organized.

[Kristie]

yea.. getting organized is NOT cheap.

See if you can't find some milk crates behind some of the grocery stores or what not.. they've been saviors to me in the past when it comes to storage.

heck, you could alway grab some spray paint and have your way with them to make them more palatable to decor.

I spent WAY too much $$ organizing all my kitchen cabinets last year...i put everything in modular (see thru) containers. but man is it nice...and i can *find* the things i need a lot easier. plus, it just looks neat and tidy...but i know i could not afford that expense again.

neat idea on the 5 day clothing design....you'll have to let us know if it works (the only reason i laff is that i know i had a closet full of clothes and even now, with a closet full of clothes there are still days i "have nothing to wear"). if they're able to do it, you could essentially make the kiddos "clothing economic" which would save you not only strife (esp with the girls) but $$ due to clothes never worn.

[Regina]

My two year old has 2 skirts that she loves to wear everyday, but she is so tiny they don't fit her well...but she goes in and changes into p.j.'s for naps, new clothes after naps, new clothes if she gets something on her shirt (not just new shirt, new outfit), so laundry is driving me crazy.

My 2 oldest wear uniforms to school, but they come home and change into play clothes when they get home from school, then after that, change into nighties, so it is a real pain sometimes.

I am really hoping this works....and yes, I have a bunch of clothes in my closet too, but I don't tend to have anything to wear either.

The milk crates behind grocery stores, are they free to take? I saw some yesterday, and I was dying because I could really use them, but I didn't know how to go about asking for them.

[lucky81698]

Regina,

Walmart has the Spacebags on sale for $8.97 for 2. (At least the ad in our paper here does).

Jan

[Regina]

Thanks, Jan. I appreciate the tip.

[Kristie]

Originally Posted by Regina

The milk crates behind grocery stores, are they free to take? I saw some yesterday, and I was dying because I could really use them, but I didn't know how to go about asking for them.

hmm good question...i really don't know if the grocery store can sell them, they just might say take a couple just like they do with banana boxes or what not.