Small Spaces

One of my friends is struggling right now with what to do with a house that's too small, people that take up too much room, and too much crap for the space you have. Since I'm pretty good at living that scenario, I thought I'd jot down a couple of tricks and tips that make my life easier.

See, I can NOT live in a mess. I'm just a touch anal retentive, and boxes in my space or crap on the floor, that makes it MUCH worse.

So, Miss Crystal, this one's for you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First - and very much most important - if you don't need it, make it go away. Sell it, trash it, donate it, give it to a friend, whatever - just get it out of the way. I know this is very hard for some people. "I might need it someday" "I spent $XX on it" "It might be worth something someday" Get over it. If it's in your way, and it's not serving a useful purpose - off it goes!

Here are some tricks I use.

I don't keep ANYTHING out that isn't be actively used. Winter clothes are packed away in the summer, summer clothes are packed away in the winter. I hate having the drawers overflowing, and having to dig through things you can't use to get to something you can.

About once a month I go through all the kids clothes. If it's too small - or isn't getting worn - away it goes. Generally it gets donated or given to a friend, but if you have the time or inclination, you could sell them.

Anything out of season that might fit next year gets put in the box labeled with that size. (Yes, I have labeled boxes. Diaper boxes are excellent for this.) Each of my kids has a "too big" box for clothes that don't fit yet. They are marked (on the sides or on top, depending on where they're stored) with masking tape, kids name, size, and season if applicable. The top of the closet is a great place to store these boxes. Under the bed is also a good storage area.

Same thing goes with grown up clothes. If there's a stain or hole I can't repair, it immediately gets thrown out. RIGHT THEN! Not put in another pile for another time. If it doesn't fit anymore or I haven't worn it in a while, it gets put in the donate box.

Speaking of donate boxes - I have one going at ALL times. When it gets full, it gets dropped off.

Kids toys! If they're broken, throw them away. If no one plays with them, donate them. If there are so many that they can't be put away, purge! If there's no room left in the room to play with toys, what's the point of having toys? Hmmm?

Ok - general rule of thumb at my house. NOTHING is left out that isn't being used. If it will be used again at some point, it's stored. If no one's using it and it's taking up space, it's donated.

For instance - I LOVE my crockpot, but I don't use it often. So when it's not being used, it lives in the storage closet. (I'm in an apartment - you can put your's in the garage or attic) Same thing with my griddle. It gets in my way if left out, but is irreplacable when I want pancakes. It lives in the storage closet, too.

Organization is KEY if you're going to be storing things.

Every single one of my boxes is labeled. Some boxes have misc stuff in them, so they either have a generic name "Mommy's memory box" or a list on top "Steve: records, paperwork, military keepsakes" Some boxes have only one type of thing in them, so they're labeled accordingly. "Jayla: Size 4 clothes"

Whichever way you're going to stack them, put the label on the side you'll be able to see. For instance, some of my labels are on the side, because the boxes are stacked on top of each other in the storage closet. There's NO sense in storing things for future use, if you'll never be able to find them again.

I use masking tape for labeling. Easy to write on, easy to get rid of if you need to change the label.

Utilize space you haven't thought of before. Crystal doesn't have space above her kitchen cabinets, but I do. I have some "pretties" up there, but I also have the GIANT package of paperplates, some of the serving dishes I don't use often, and a big bag of protein shake mix, because I WILL need it during chemo, but I don't need it now. (Remember? If you're not using it, make it go away)

I store things under the bed, too. (boxed and labeled!) Underneath all our beds, there are boxes. I store the linens underneath the bed they'll be used on. (If you have a linen closet, use that. LOL) The "too big" boxes are under the bed of the kids they belong to. In J2 and J4's room, there are big toys under the bed (an airplane, a pirate ship) and plastic rubbermaid-type containers that serve as toy boxes.

I have a folding card table under the couch. It fits perfectly, and I don't have to see it again until I need it again. There are all sorts of ways to store things so they're not underfoot.

Here's my last word on the subject. If I'm not using it, I don't need it out. But if it's being stored, do I REALLY need it? I go through my "storage" boxes at least quarterly to see if the things that I thought were important enough to store are still that important. (Usually not)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We're spoiled as Americans. We have this need for more stuff,more stuff, more stuff and therefore more space, more space, more space.

Let me tell you this - from the perspective of moving from a 1500+ sq ft house to a >1000 sq ft apartment - you don't need NEARLY as much "stuff" as you think you do. Honestly, you'd probably be happier without it. :)

Pare it down to the bare essentials. Live without the "junk" cluttering up your life. Toss as much as you can bear to toss. A simpler life might just be a happier life. And if it's not ... Lord knows, you can always buy more "stuff."

*smooches to Crystal ... because I love her to bits!*

Print this post