Hi everyone! I’m so glad to be back today at Org Junkie talking to you about how to set up some summer fun stations in your garage! You and your kids are going to be spending a lot of time outside in your yard this summer, and it would be really great if your kids could access the toys and games that they want to play with without having to come and find you to help get something down from a high shelf, or help them dig out their bike from the depths of an overcrowded garage, or help them locate their favorite pink soccer ball. Which is why I think setting up several “fun stations” in your garage is a great thing to do before the official start of summer!

Before Setting Up “Fun Stations”, Remove Dangerous Items!

The first thing you’re going to want to do is remove anything dangerous that you might have been storing in the garage during the winter months when the kids weren’t in there quite so often. Things like gas containers for lawnmowers, fertilizer for outdoor plants, and any other type of hazardous chemical should be relocated to a shed, basement, or somewhere else that is not accessible by the kids.

Fun Station #1: Bikes!

My kids love riding their bikes so it’s important that they can each find their own bike and helmet without having to move 100 things to get to them. And before we had “designated parking spaces” for each bike- that’s what used to happen. A child would find his/her bike, ride it, and then just park it in the closest spot they could find just inside of the garage door. And the next child would do the same, and before long we couldn’t even walk into the garage because everything was piled up right at the front!

So we purchased these bike stands from Amazon and have them lined up on our garage floor. The kids each have their own parking space so they know right where they can store their bike, and they hang their helmets over the handlebars so they can find it each time they want to ride.

Fun Station #2: Balls!

We have two of these great wall organizers for hanging balls, and the cool thing is that the kids can toss their balls into the top of the bins to put them away, but they can also reach through the vent in the mesh side panel to easily access the ball that they want- no help needed from Mom! We hung these bins at kid-height so they can access them on their own.

Fun Station #3: Scooters and More!

My husband created “scooter parking” by installing a few pieces of wood (leftover from another project) into wall studs, so the kids can just hook their handlebars over the wood “arms” and the scooters stay put. He also used a couple of narrow pieces of wood nailed across garage studs to create containers that hold baseball bats, lacrosse sticks, golf clubs, and any other tall unwieldy pieces of sports equipment. The kids can easily get to them and return them when they’re finished.

Fun Station #4: Activities and Toys

I love using bins in the garage to store all of the kids different equipment for activities and toys such as rockets, baseball mitts, jump ropes, rock and bug collecting supplies, etc.- everything that they would want to play with is in a bin and the bin is labeled so the kids know exactly where they need to go to find what they’re looking for, and exactly where to put it when they’re finished.

Fun Stations #5: Sidewalk Chalk

My kids love to play with sidewalk chalk and they can spend hours creating elaborate murals all over our driveway. So at the beginning of each summer I like to make sure that our sidewalk chalk bin is full of new chalk that the kids can use to create their masterpieces.

Fun Station #6: Bubbles!

And it wouldn’t be summer without blowing bubbles, right?! But the problem with bubbles is that they can be so messy, and kids who are excited to refill their own bubble containers can end up spilling out an entire gallon of bubble solution all down the driveway, as you watch your money going down the drain, literally! So I wanted to create a bubble refill station for my kids that would be spill proof and fun for them to use, and save a little money over store-bought bubbles. Here’s how I did it:

I took a use an empty container of liquid laundry detergent, the kind that has the spout on the bottom and a twist cap on top, and I thoroughly cleaned out the inside. I then created my own bubble mixture based on this recipe from my favorite science guy, Steve Spangler- which makes enough to fill this 1.7 gallon container.

Homemade Bubbles Recipe

16 cups of water

1 cup of Dawn dishwashing detergent (Steve says that Dawn works best!)

1/2 cup of vegetable glycerin

Pour each of your 3 ingredients into your laundry detergent container, and gently swish it around to mix it. Allow your bubble solution to sit overnight which allows the products to bond together which produces even stronger (and bigger!) bubbles.

Make bubble wands out of chenille stems (pipe cleaners). You can shape them into circles, figure eights, diamonds, butterflies, hearts, etc. I like to have my kids dispense a very small amount of bubble mixture into large flat plastic containers, just enough so that the bubble wand is fully immersed in the liquid. The kids can easily refill their plastic container as needed- and the cool thing about using a liquid laundry detergent dispenser is that they have to actually push the button on the dispenser to allow the bubble solution to come out! If they tip over the bubble solution- it won’t spill out, and there is no way to accidentally leave the nozzle open the way that you can on beverage dispenser- so it’s pretty “kid-proof”! If you’d like a copy of the bubble station label, you can download it and print it in a 5×7 size. I ran mine through my Xyon laminator/adhesive machine to make it waterproof before adhering it to the clean detergent bottle.

Have fun!

If you get a chance, I hope you’ll stop by to see me at Momof6 – a place where I write about organizing your home, using a family calendar, creating household routines, hosting at-home birthday parties, and holding a DIY summer camp! You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter (@sharonmomof6), and Pinterest!

But first I have to tell you how beyond shocked I was to discover, after putting my Facebook status up, that there are STILL people out there that do not know what Command hooks are.  Ummm what?  Please say it isn’t so!!  I feel like I may have done an injustice to the world over these last 7 blogging years by apparently not getting the word out properly.  I must do better.  And no 3M isn’t paying me to say any of this although I have worked with them in the past which was pretty cool.  I simply consider myself the biggest fan there ever was.

Now let’s take a minute shall we to check out the display of Command hooks I had available to me in my local Walmart .  Not very exciting to say the least.

Although in all fairness they did just recently get in a floor display of a few more.  But look closely, not a clear hook in sight.

You see all the old style white hooks now come in clear.  I only knew about them because awhile back 3M did sent me a bunch to review.  And it was love at first sight because now I don’t have to have a big white hook staring back at me if I don’t want to.

Anyway I headed to Target in anticipation of seeing rows upon rows of hooks and more hooks including those coveted clear hooks.  Boy I was not disappointed because here is the beauty of choice.  Choice upon choice upon choice.  I couldn’t even fit the entire selection into the picture.

Pure gloriousness I tell you.

And that my friends is what I call a swoon worthy moment.  Besides baskets, Command hooks are my #2 ultimate organizing tool.

The beauty of the them for those that don’t know (and I’m crying for you right now) is that you can put them up anywhere you need a hook but can remove them without damage to your wall should you change your mind.  And believe me I change my mind.  I almost never organize with a permanent solution.  That would be weird to me.  Next year I may decide I need a new system and want to change every thing around which I can easily do and re-use the hooks somewhere else.  I do not want to worry about covering or fixing holes in my walls, I am much to lazy for that nonsense.  Plus there are places you can’t use a permanent hook or nail, like in my vehicle.  They are awesome for renters too!

These hooks come off easily with no lasting effects.  I’ve used them for years.  AND I just want to say that I have never had a hook leave any damage to my walls.  If they do damage your wall I can almost guarantee to you that you aren’t using them right.  I’ve seen it happen.  You’ve got to follow the directions people!  Here’s a quick one minute video on how it’s done.  Also make sure you are using the right weight hook for the heaviness of what you want to hang.  Super important!

I’ve written about how I use these hooks all over my home many times before but I’ll share the links with you again just in case you missed them.  I must get the word out or I will cry if I hear one more person say they’ve never heard of them.  It’s very traumatic for me.

So check out below some of the ways I’ve used them and then go check out your own Target store for selection galore!  You can thank me later :)  Oh and nope Target isn’t paying me either….I think I must be doing something wrong ;)

In the garage:

To organize jewelry:

To stabilize frames with the frame stabilizers:

On the back of doors:

On windows:

To hang a calendar on a stainless steel fridge using the picture hanging strips:

To label baskets with the picture hanging clips:

To hang chore charts:

And in my vehicle to hang my garbage bag.  Everyone MUST have a garbage bag in their car!

There you have it, just some of the ways I use these beautiful babies.

Now who shares my love of the 3M Command hook and picture strips?  How do you use them in your home?

And for those that have never heard of them, it’s time to come out from under the rock you’ve been hiding under.  You can tell us, be brave!  I promise I won’t cry too much :)

**************

Shhh! I have a secret hoarding habit. I must confess. If you have visited me at Echoes of Laughter, then you would also know that I LOVE to organize and I have written some really popular organizing posts here, here and here. In fact, one of the reasons that Laura chose me to contribute here at IMAOJ is because of our shared love of organizing. But I have to be honest here, I do have one gnarly habit that makes me hold my head in shame.I have tried to kick it, tame it and stomp it out, but it keeps coming back. And it is this:

The hoarding of an insane pile of magazines beside my bed. {Does anyone else see the irony of the headline on the Real Simple magazine? Ha.} I am a huge magazine junkie! I love the pretty aesthetics of magazines and although I have tried to tame this addiction over the years, I have to acknowledge that reading magazines and absorbing beautiful pictures just make me happy. I must also share with you that this is only a fraction of what was in my bedroom until recently.{I just carted off 3 bags to be donated.}

So, I have had to be  very strict with myself and give myself a good talking to! No more messy piles of magazines in the bedroom Angie! Enough already!  I have decided to limit myself to only 10 magazines at any one time.in the bedroom. By having a messy magazine pile in my otherwise tidy bedroom, it makes the whole room feel cluttered. And I don’t like that feeling. The bedroom should feel peaceful and calm, right?

So, after my self-directed lecture, I got to work and gave myself  just 30 minutes to get that mess cleared up and out to my car to find a new home.

And here is the end result. Just a nice little pile of only a few magazines. This is so much more soothing to look at than the messy pile on the floor, don’t you agree? My husband is very happy!

How about you? Do you have any secret hoarding habits or not-so-secret hoarding habits that you would like to share? I know for some people, it can be things like socks or Tupperware in the kitchen. And if you do have a secret hoarding habit, what have you done to try to tame it and make it manageable?

Wishing you a lovely week!

Angie’s blog, Echoes of Laughter, is all about filling your home with love and laughter. She loves creative projects, organizing & decorating, cooking, baking, and all things domestic. Angie lives in Alberta, Canada, with her husband and two great kids.

Linking up here:

Somewhat Simple and Design, Dining, and Diapers

Many of you will know that I work with a company called OpenSky. OpenSky is a online social commerce site that provides a fun way to shop for unique finds with your friends, anytime and anywhere.

Three years ago OpenSky contacted me about working together to bring my readers a store front full of my favorite organizing goodies.  There was something about that email that made me follow up by email and then eventually to speaking with them directly over the phone.  I loved their concept and knew immediately that I wanted to work with them.  They were a brand new company just starting out back then and now 3 years later have more than 2.5 million members!  OpenSky has been amazing to work with and I am really proud of the collection of terrific organizing products we’ve been able to source and bring together in one place.  You can check them all out here!

I am considered an “insider” on the site, someone that curates fantastic organizing products for others to see and buy. Nothing gets me more excited than to discover and support new amazing products from really great small businesses that are passionate about what they do.

OpenSky also really believes in supporting the small to medium business which is why they have just recently made it possible for any US based small business owner, in a wide range of categories, to become a merchant on OpenSky.  If you would like to share your brand with 2.5 million engaged shoppers than this might be just the opportunity your business has been waiting for.  This is the exposure you need to take your business to the next level!  You would own your “shop” on OpenSky just like in real life, but with fewer headaches.  OpenSky provides the tools you need to reach your customers where they shop and socialize.  Already over 1000 merchants have come on board!

If this is something you are interested in, this video from OpenSky Founder and CEO, John Caplan explains more.  If you have trouble seeing the video you can find it on youtube here.

And here is one from a current merchant who is very happy with the partnership he has with OpenSky.  If you are having trouble seeing the video, here is the direct youtube link.

In case you can’t tell, I’m really excited about the opportunity this affords new and small businesses.  Are you ready to get started?  If you have a US based small or medium business, or perhaps even an Etsy shop that you’d like more exposure for, then go here for all the details and to sign up now!  It’s going to be great!

I am so happy to be here at Organizing Junkie sharing my super simple scarf solution. As with you, Laura has been a huge organizing inspiration to me.

If you’ve begun the process of packing away your seasonal clothes, you are probably updating some of your organizing systems as well.

I did this last month and when I got to my scarves I knew I needed to create something better.

I’m a gal who doesn’t feel her outfit is complete without a light scarf. I love them!

I’m a busy working mom who loves to have fun with my fam on the weekends, so I needed a system that could be created quickly. PLUS it had to accommodate my laziness. I tend to toss things into piles if I don’t have a system that is easy to access and intuitive to use.

Organize Your Scarves With Plastic Cups

(who’d a thunk?!)

You will need:

-      contact paper

-      plastic cups

-      hot glue gun

-      rectangular plastic bins

Step 1:

Follow Laura’s PROCESS. Weed through your scarves and figure out which are the keepers, the donate-ables, consign-ables, and see-you-next-year-ables.

Step 2:

Place some pretty contact paper in the drawer to protect the surface.

Step 3:

Hot glue plastic drinking cups to the contact paper.

Step 4:

Hot glue larger – rectangular – bins to the contact paper to store large scarves.

Step 5:

Roll your scarves and put one in each cup (or a couple of the large ones together in the rectangular bins). Initially, I was concerned that rolling my scarves would hinder my ability to follow through and keep this space organized, but I am happy to report that is not the case. Rolling my scarves is super easy!

And that’s it! So quick and easy, right?

Tips:

• Be sure to measure the height of your drawer and the cups to make sure everything fits nicely. If your scarves stick up to far, you’ll run into problems closing your drawer, which defeats the purpose.
• You will also need to play around with folding and rolling your scarves so they nest perfectly inside the cups, but this is not hard (even for a scatter brain like me).
• Use any extra room in the drawer for odds and ends storage.

I have been using my “new” scarf drawer system for about a month and I must say, I LOVE it! My scarves are simple to access and easy to see which makes my life so convenient!

I think this system could also be used to organize other things like bracelets or kids craft supplies. I’d love to hear what you organize using cups and contact paper!

I hope you give this a whirl and enjoy it as much as me!

Deana’s blog, yourhappystuff.com, is dedicated to helping busy women break though overwhelm and jumpstart their happiness by creating organizing systems that work in the fastest and most affordable way possible. Deana lives with her husband and three kids in Lincoln, Nebraska. When she’s not organizing, Deana loves to cook, read, and hang out with her family.

Related posts:

4 Inexpensive Ways to Organize Scarfs

Linking up here: A Bowl Full of Lemons and 36th Avenue

Happy Monday everyone!  Or as happy as Mondays can be anyway.  Hope you all enjoyed a nice Mother’s Day yesterday.  I wasn’t feeling well so I stayed in my jammies all day and my family took good care of me.  I had breakfast and lunch in bed and then for dinner my husband picked up take out.  Any day that I don’t have to cook is the best day ever!

My daughter even made me some delicious homemade cinnamon biscuit buns so I couldn’t not have one.  It was worth the wheat cheat cause they were really yummy :)

Recipe Highlight:

Last week’s recipe highlight definitely goes to the Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Casserole recipe.  Seriously so easy to throw together and so delicious.  I also loved that it was nice and creamy without any canned soup.  I think next time I would throw in some corn as well to make it a well-rounded meal :)

Teacher Appreciation:

We celebrated Education Week last week by throwing a nice beef on a bun luncheon for the teachers at my youngest son’s school.  I purchased the most adorable printables off of Etsy to use and it turned out so nice.  Thank you to teachers everywhere for all you do!

Go love on your teachers today!  Need some more ideas, check out my Teacher Appreciation Ideas Pinterest Board.

My Weekly Menu Plan:

Monday:  Citrus Herb Chicken served with rice and broccoli

Tuesday: Make-Ahead Unstuffed Shells (I’ll be making two of these…one to take to a friend and one made with rice pasta for us)

Wednesday:  Easy Crock Pot BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Thursday:  Leftover buffet

Friday:  Baked Tacos

Saturday:  Cheesy Sausage Potatoes

Sunday:  Picking night!

WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU THIS WEEK?  JOIN US!

Menu Plan Guidelines, banner selections and recipe helpers are here.

More family favorite recipes here.

Don’t forget to join the growing Menu Plan Monday Facebook Page!!

One of my favorite menu planning resources:

Linking up at The Recipe Critic.

Teaching concepts of organization to young children begins with implementing kid-friendly systems wherever necessary.  The ultimate goal is to intrinsically motivate your little one to use his learned abilities for organizing and controlling clutter (especially for later in life).  Today I’ll show you how I created an uncomplicated framework for our garage toys.

There are dozens of beautiful, color coordinated, organized garage systems to drool over on Pinterest.  Many of them cleverly include outdoor toy storage.

One thing I started noticing was most are not designed with young children in mind.  They usually consist of a tall shelving system, loaded with matching bins, and labeled in an attractive manner.  Nothing wrong with that, my heart skips beats over organized eye-candy, but it just won’t work for our household.

Let me explain, organization doesn’t come easily for my 4-year-old.  In fact, she tends to construct cluttered piles with serious talent.

If I want to teach my little girl about properly caring for her outdoor toys, I’m not going to busy myself by putting her things back into bins and boxes up high on shelves.  In fact, at her small height, I’m pretty sure she could only manage to reach the bottom one or two shelves.

Furthermore, most bins are opaque and include lids and labels.  My daughter isn’t old enough to read, can’t safely pull large bins off high shelves, and isn’t good at removing cumbersome lids. With that type of framework, I would always be a part of the toy retrieval AND clean-up processes.  Frustration would eventually lead her to give up and go play with rocks instead.

So, what makes a storage system easy for a small child?  First priority was finding a bin system that would make clean-up EASY.  I searched for a while until I found these baskets at The Container Store.

• They’re stack-able and customize-able for any space.
• They are narrow enough to line along the edges of the garage without interfering with open car doors.
• They DO NOT have lids or latches that require young children to open/close.
• They are ventilated for air to circulate and dirt to fall through for sweeping out the door.
• They’re lightweight.
• They are relatively inexpensive compared to most major organizing systems.
• Virtually no assembly is required.

I hooked two columns of bins together with small plastic cable ties I found at Home Depot.  I wanted to keep the whole system as stable as possible.  I’m still debating about anchoring them to the wall, but for now it seems sturdy enough for our purposes.

I created some basic labels to help keep similar items grouped together.  I laminated the tags for durability and then used the same cable ties to adhere them to the baskets.

If you’d like a copy of the labels to use, feel free to download and print the 6 Garage Toy Labels printable.

I have my daughter and her neighbor friends getting in and out of these bins.  So, I’m not looking for a sophisticated or elaborate garage system to organize toys.  I don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars setting up an expensive wall unit.  The purpose here is to teach independence in using and then cleaning up outdoor fun.

That said, not everything fit perfectly in the bins I found.  Specifically, the bouncing balls were too big and too many.  I stumbled on a narrow upright laundry basket at a Dollar Store.  I knew it could contain all the outdoor balls, allow for easy access to them, and be as simple as shooting a hoop for clean-up time.

I also had to address the randomness I wanted to include in this kids’ zone.  Not a problem with something called the Deko-System (also available from the Container Store).  It’s a lightweight grid that holds customize-able bins and hooks (like a modern version of a peg board).

I use it to hold our sun block, bug spray, and dog paraphernalia.  I wanted the chemical agents of sun block and bug spray out of reach for both dogs and children. I know to some people, a dog is just like another kiddo, so I included the family pet here.  In our case, it seemed fitting to keep her leash, waste bags, and throw toys within reach.  With this grid system, I can rearrange until my heart’s content.

The Decko-System also offers a convenient way to hang some of the more dangly toys, like jump ropes.

I’ve addressed the outdoor containerized toys, the ball cage, and the miscellaneous items.  How about tackling storage solutions for bigger items?

Hanging bikes and scooters on the wall or from the ceiling is a popular technique, but it’s not very useful in training independence.  So, I decided to make a “bump out” section of our garage like a mini parking lot.  I sectioned off enough space for each item using colored tape.  (I also thought cutting pool noodles in half and adhering them to the floor was a creative idea but the tape is much easier.)

Then, I made corresponding picture labels in Word to assist small ones (who can’t read) in returning the items to designated places.

This works great for us!  My daughter loves matching up the toy with its parking spot.

I think I’ve covered all the major areas of outdoor toys.  Naturally, if your children are older, some of these methods won’t apply.

If you have both old and young children at home, you can incorporate open bin storage down low for young children, and utilize upper wall space/tall shelves for older kids.

In review, when it comes to organizing garage/outdoor toys FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRAINING CHILDREN, keep these basics in mind:

1.  Get rid of what your children don’t play with or what you don’t need.  This is a basic rule of thumb that bears repeating.  If you find yourself stuck in this step, follow Laura’s Organizing PROCESS.
2. Create a system that involves containers to set boundaries and limits to the toy collection.
3. Choose a versatile system that will adapt easily to multiple children and grow with their changing toy habits.
4. Store similar items together in groupings.  
5. Keep your storage system at eye level or below for small children.  If they can’t see it or reach it easily, they won’t play with it.
6. Always be sure harmful and dangerous “toys” are out of reach.  
7. Try to avoid heavy containers or other hard to use storage bins.  Your children will get easily defeated if they can’t manage to easily access their outdoor toys.
8. Label with words and/or pictures.  This helps clean-up time go smoothly for little ones by making the expectations of where things belong clear

I have found that assisting children in developing organizational skills can teach the value of stewardship, pride in ownership, and the virtue of responsibility!

In the professional world, I’m a nurse by trade. But, around our house, I’m known as Mommy to our young daughter. My two worlds collided and began shaping into a blog. Useful Beautiful Home represents the hours I’ve dedicated to managing my household as efficiently as possible. I offer you motivation to keep your home healthy, organized, and welcoming. My goal is to share what I’ve implemented in my home to inspire you with fresh ideas and to encourage you to keep up the good work in yours! Learn more about me HERE or visit me at UsefulBeautifulHome.com

Linking up here: Thirty Handmade Days, Design, Dining and Diapers and Home Stories A to Z

So first let me see if any of you can relate.  Have you ever bought something imagining that it will solve all your problems only to find out that the actual product doesn’t live up to its hype or promises.  So then you buy a similar product maybe by a different brand believing that this time it will be different.  This time you are definitely convinced that your life will be forever changed with this new product.  This is it.

Only it isn’t.

But you try so hard to resist the urge to buy anymore of this product because for goodness sake you have two half used items all ready taking up space.  But the pull is strong, the promises out of this world, so you succumb to the temptation that THIS TIME IT WILL DEFINITELY BE DIFFERENT.

Only it isn’t.

And the cycle continues on and on until you are left wondering how in the world you ended up with EIGHT of the exact same product by different brands sitting on your counter.  How did it come to this you might wonder.

Today it occurred to me that I might have a teeny tiny little problem.

Let me introduce you to the one product in my life that continues to get the better of me.  Every.Single.Time.

Clearly I am weak.

Years ago I had a favorite hairspray that I loved so much called Thermasilk Flexible Hold Hairspray.  It was the best there ever was and it’s no longer available in stores.  Four years later I am still pining away trying to find another hairspray BFF.  As you can see it is apparently not happening.  None of the hairsprays above are doing it for me and so my collection grows because I can’t make a decision on which one I’m going to stick with.  I don’t want give up the dream!  I wrote more about this dream concept here, you got to read it to know what I mean.  Eventually I’ll use all these silly hairsprays up but in the meantime I will be one miserable girl with really flat hair.

So you see these things happen.  Maybe it’s books for you, or craft supplies, pretty scarves or nail polish.  Whatever it is I think we all have our downfalls where we sometimes get stuck on the promises.

Thankfully I do have a little trick up my sleeve and I’ve talked about it many times here on the blog.

Use containers to establish some limits and boundaries and follow the one in and one out rule to go along with it. It works every time!

And as a side note, this even works if you also happen to have a teeny tiny obsession with containers.  I’m just saying…ahem.

What product do you have trouble resisting, even though you might already have plenty of it, simply because of the “dream” it holds for you?  Come on, fess up!

Hi Organizing Junkies! Are you all anticipating nice things for Mother’s Day this weekend? Do you have any traditions? Do you go out perhaps?

What did you all think of our recent Box It Up? Do you remember the basic premise? Basically I’m going to take workaday items – things that are often necessary, but not always handy when needed – and create mini-kits to keep around the house. They don’t take up much room at all, but they come in real handy.

Of course, even better is that most of the items in each Box can be found at the dollar store!

This week’s Box is all about Mani-Pedi’s – you know so you’re fingers and toes can be all pretty like for Mother’s Day!

You know we could all use a professional manicure and pedicure at some point in our lives – especially one at a salon with massage chairs and warm foot baths with jets. Mmm.

Ahem. I digress.

But, from this stay at home Mom’s perspective, the funds and time aren’t always available for such luxuries. Which is where your very own mani-pedi box comes in super handy!

For a box full of handy dandy manicure and pedicure stuff, include:

1. Cotton balls
2. Nail polish remover
3. Toe separators
4. Nail files
5. Nail clippers
6. Cuticle trimmers
7. Orange Stick (for pushing back cuticles)
8. Cuticle Cream
9. Nail brush
10. Cuticle remover
11. Fancy polishes or nail markers/pens
12. Assorted nail polishes

You could also include:

• Q-Tips (for removing stray polish)
• Heel cream (for cracked heels)
• Pumice stone for heels

To give yourself a fabulous manicure and pedicure:

• Cut and trim nails
• Soak your hands and feet in warm soapy water
• Apply cuticle remover and let sit
• Push back softened cuticles with orange stick
• Wash with soap and water
• Trim cuticles gently!
• Apply cream to hands and feet, but not to nails.
• Apply polish and topcoat

To keep yourself organized, simply pack up your box (remember I just use cheap-o plastic shoe boxes found at The Home Depot!) and store in the bathroom vanity cupboard. If you don’t have space in your bathroom, buy a prettier lidded box and put it on your dresser for super easy access!

Now go pretty up your digits – before Mother’s Day!

xo,

Shannon

Shannon Acheson is a passionate interior decorator, frugal DIYer, sometime graphic designer, wannabe writer, homeschooling momma and adoring wife. She is the co-owner (with hubster) of AKA Design and the main writer/designer for the blog of the same name. Shannon recently moved from a war-era bungalow to a cozy backsplit in Oshawa, Ontario with her husband and their three children, and during spare moments can be found scouring local shops for decor bargains, rearranging the furniture again, or scrubbing paint off her hands.

See also in this series:

Box It Up! for Handwritten Notes

Box It Up! for Overnight Guests

So I love going to garage sales but not for the reason you might think.  Yes I love a good bargain and yes I get super excited when I find spectacular organizing tools for cheap BUT the real reason I love to hit up the garage sales every Friday night is because it’s date night with my middle son (13).  This is something we love to do together and the rest of the family couldn’t be bothered so off my son and I go and for two or three glorious hours (I try and stretch it out as long as possible) and I get him all to myself just to chat and shop and just be.  I love every single minute of it.

As for having garage sales, I gave that up long ago.  I’ve done maybe three in my lifetime and I don’t think I’ll ever do it again. They are just so much work and I am just way too lazy. One of the things I hate the most about having a garage sale is storing all the stuff somewhere in my house beforehand. I don’t have that kind of real estate so it’s just not worth it to me. Once I decide to get rid of my stuff I just want it gone (which is why I purge weekly), I don’t want to have to see it again and have it play with my emotions. Blech. The other thing I can’t stand is the haggling over a 5 cent item. Forget about it. I.Just.Can’t.Do.It. I live in a small community and the return really doesn’t justify the work involved. Well except perhaps for the time I had my “no more babies” garage sale. I found out baby stuff tends to sell well. I also later found out I wasn’t done having babies. Oops!

However if hosting a garage sale is your thing, don’t let me stop ya, here are some great links to help you have a really successful sale.

Hosting a Garage Sale:

Garage Sale Tips for the Non-Garage Saler

10 Tips for Having a Successful Garage Sale

Garage Sale Sign with Free Printable + Yard Sale Tips & Tricks

How to Have a Successful Yard Sale + Adorable Free Printables

Hosting a MORE Organized Garage Sale

10 Tips for Having a Killer Garage Sale

An Organized Garage Sale

Garage Sale Tips & Tricks

Garage Sale Checklist – Free Printable

Best Practices to Having a Garage Sale

An Organized Garage Sale

Garage Sale Income Tracker Printable

5 Fun Free Garage Sale Flyers

Garage Sale Apps:

iGarageSale App

Garage Sale Rover

Yard Sale Mapper

If you like going out to garage sales here are some great tips for helping you get the most bang for your buck.  It’s an art you know :)

Going to Garage Sales:

Garage Sale Buying Tips

Tips for Making the Most of Garage Sale Season

Tips for Going to Garage Sales

Going to Yard Sales 101

What to Look for at Yard Sales

How to Get the Best Deals at Garage Sales – Savvy Negotiation Tips

10 Tips for Successful Garage Sale-ing

Guide to Shopping Yard Sales Like a Pro

Keep Calm and Garage Sale

There you have it, everything you need to make this garage sale season your BEST one yet.  Three cheers for a bargain…whoot, whoot, whoot!!

Have fun!

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