Garage Organization

SShhheeeww! We FINALLY  had some nice weather here in the Midwest....and by nice I mean NOT in the triple digits which means I was able to be outside and tackle one of the projects I had had on my to-do list for a while now...organizing the garage. Yes, that horrid task of organizing, and organizing the garage nonetheless!

See the mess?!?! We have lawn and garden stuff co-mingled with automobile stuff co-mingled in with ATV stuff, pet care stuff, and then stuff, stuff, stuff! It was terrible! We couldn't find anything and it was getting very frustrating to say the least so after work one night Mr.Chaos and I tackled the beast.

This is the BEFORE picture..notice the stuff all along the left wall and in the back left corner???

We started by putting together the new shelf system we purchased from HD. It was on SALE for only $19 bucks! (score!) ....which is a GREAT deal! (I may even run up there to buy another!) Here is the link if you are interested.

For now the one shelf system was plenty and it will add so much more additional space that we severely need. 

Here's Mr.Chaos putting the finishing touches on the new shelf. He's a great laborer. I might have to keep him around for a while! LOL

And then there's my cleaning supplies.....I clean in style....pink broom and dust pan for me. Makes cleaning so much more fun when your supplies are girlie! :)

Ok, sorry for the distraction....but I had to show you that! .....So after going thru everything and purging duplicates and stuff that we no longer use/need/or had gone bad, this is what we were left with.

 (aaahhh, much better!)

At first it may not look like much of a change, but we now have a shelf strictly for lawn care items, a shelf dedicated to flower pots/bird houses etc., a shelf set aside for all the automobile cleaners/waxes/etc., and a section for the ATV and dog care items. We happily were even able to free up enough space to clear out all the things we had piled along the side of the wall, which you will see below is now free and clear of the clutter!

...and after freeing up so much space, we took the old, smaller shelf/table that USED to be under the clock and we moved it to the side wall and were able to get even more stuff up OFF THE FLOOR and organized onto the table.

It feels SO liberating to have a place for everything and for it all to be easily accessible. That is the key! Easily accessible!!! 

For large projects like organizing/cleaning out the garage, I suggest the following tips:

• Break down the overall task into smaller manageable tasks
 
• Do NOT rush. Spare yourself the drama and frustration and make sure you set aside time dedicated to your project so you can free your mind, focus, and actually enjoy it!
 
• Tackle the project in zones-one zone at a time.
 
• Get assertive with purging...throw out stuff you no longer use or need. Have your trash can/bag right by your side so you can easily discard unwanted items.
 
• Group like items together and organize things in a way so that what you use regularly is easily accessible.
 
• Use bins/boxes/baskets/totes etc. to hold smaller loose items that will otherwise fall over, get in the way, or get lost if left floating around.

The overall goal is to organize your space in a way that makes it useful and helps make your life easier! Work smarter NOT harder!

Here are the final Before & After pics:

See the difference????!!!!!

It feels so good to have that marked off my list! Now.....onto the next task!!!!  Organizing the office!!!! 

Jennifer