Friday, April 24, 2009

Storage Tips


This week I NEED storage tips. Regular readers know that 7 members of our family are about to move to Misawa, Japan. We are EXCITED. This DOES mean that we need to downsize from 2500 square feet to 1500 square feet.

PLEASE share your favorite storage tips...all tips, big and small tips are welcome. Share tips on kitchen storage, food storage, school storage, book storage, closet storage, clothes storage, photo storage, and on and on.

Super Size Saturday is planned to be a weekly feature of Choosing Joy. I cannot promise that I'll have lots of time to write profound posts in the next few months...but it should be pretty easy to provide a forum for a carnival. Right? Feel free to leave ideas for themed weeks in the comment section. Is there some topic YOU would like me to try to generate discussion on?

Feel free to read the Guidelines for SSS or past SSS Entries.

Remember, write a post on your blog, come back and leave a link to THAT POST on Mr. Linky. Others can then check back here for a nice collection of tips. If you don't have a blog and want to participate, simply leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Please help spread the word about Super Size Saturdays on your blogs and email groups. Feel free to save the graphic to your hard drive and link it back to either the guidelines or heart/archive of SSS (I honestly don't know which would be best, we'll learn together as we do this).



Choosing Joy!
©2009 D.R.G.

7 comments:

Judy Dudich said...

Hi, this Judy from http://thankfulwoman.blogspot.com/
Looking forward to sharing and reading storage tips with you!

Renee said...

I've got to think about this. Our family of 7 had to do the same (almost identical size houses) when we moved from FL to Korea. Somehow we managed but I'm not certain how. I'll have to look at pics of Korea to see how we managed to get it all iin so much less space.

Lisa in Jax said...

I'm not sure if I'll get to posting a blog so I thought I'd throw out the idea for Space Bags. It'd store a lot of clothing in a little bit of space.

Anonymous said...

Sis:

1. FIRST and FOREMOST : Often men have problems with this one.

Whatever you store in be sure nothing can get into it after you seal it up. Things like H2o, air, bugs, anything sharp etc. All the things we stored we never had 1oz of trouble. AIR-TIGHT saves from bad smells and mold. H2o tight is obvious. BUGS are even a pain in the States so beware. As to sharp, this is where Dad/I had the most problems with each other until after the first time we stored things in the States. You never really know just what might happen but things like bee stingers can get thru plastic bags of many weights and on/on/on. Remember the good ole barrels? Good grief, we still have some of those barrels from Liberia which happened in the 60's. :):) Square saves in some ways but things can even happen to wooden crates. Only solution I ever saw to boxes is if a person uses a VERY TOUGH PLASTIC LINER FOR THE BOXES. Don't use flimsy cardboard boxes just strong ones.

2. I think using these new shrink things as much as possible for material items would be very nice when it comes to saving storage space. However remember that sharp can get thru them so pack accordingly.

3. Step back and be sure you are really going to need any given item when you get back. We found some things we kept were outdated when we got back.

4. Items of sentiment pack extra well to avoid loss. Items of sentiment are important because isn't that what families are made of?

5. Wall hangings: We did all kinds of things. However, lending to folks is a very dangereous thing to do because it is sometimes hard to get stuff back. :) :(:(

6. Nice as much as is possible to pack in containers that are not so hard to move around.

7. The younger the child, the more important it is for them to have a container of their own to come back to that has familiar and important (to them) items inside.

REMEMBER; You can store all you can get into our attic above the garage. Also we would have no problem checking in on stuff you have stored at a storage place up here. Bet Josiah feels the same.

Goodness, it is possible you will end up with stuff in Texas, California, and Oregon. :):) AHH, the life of world travelers.

We have already started our savings account for an Asian summer visiting China, Japan, & the PI's in 2010 we hope. We know we will get to Japan before you leave but would also like to get to China before Nathaniel/Heather leave there.

Don't you just love life??? It can be so exciting!!

Nice foto of birds. Spring seems to be with us in Springfield just now.

Wish I knew what all you were talking about with all the features of blog's!

Sure wish I was able to be down there to help you pack... You know Mike and I are the BEST packers in the world. :):) Prayin for you Mike! :):) Patiene my son, patience! :):):)

love/prayers Mom T

Wild Homeschool Family said...

I have posted and linked. Hope to get some photos into my post later. I am not sure if I did everything correctly though so I will re-read the guidelines. If anything jumps out as incorrect let me know!
Jodi

Diann said...

I can't wait to read comments! I need to organize our basement and get the rest of everything out of storage in the next couple of months so it will definitely be helpful. Thanks for posting this!

Renee said...

If your quarters in Japan are like ours were in Korea,the bedrooms will be small. You absolutely need bunkbeds. Then you get boxes/containers that fit under the beds to utilize all that space. Offseason clothes can be pushed towards the back and up front are containers of toys/things the kids use regulary. Stack boxes on all the shelves in closets being certain to mark them clearly. Use inexpensive bookshelves inside closets to store items. Don't bring excess; I know some folks own 3-4 sets of sheets per bed. 2 is sufficient; one on the bed and one in a dresser drawer (that way you don't fill a linen closet you may not even have). In Korea, we had a small outside storage closet that was sufficient for storing bicycles and other outdoor stuff. We brought very limited Christmas decorations (things for tree, stockings and nativity set) since there's such limited space. I can't think of more at the moment.
I know you'll not be at Camp Zama but maybe the Army floor plans will at least give you a general idea of what quarters are like in Japan. Go to www.onestop.army.mil