Simplicity News June 2007

 

A new subscriber named Suzanne from Panama City, Florida wrote and asked about keeping sports equipment. This is a challenge, particularly if you have kids, which Suzanne does.

My best recommendations would be multi-faceted. You didn't say how old your kids are, but if they're older than two, you're golden. Kids older than two can certainly be taught simple routines, and if there's one thing that being organized requires, it's consistent routines. Keeping the car organized is a team effort between all family members, so first, it's important to think about your family's lifestyle and natural tendencies. If your husband's and kids' sports stuff is what's making you nutty, pay attention to how they use the items, and how frequently.

For example, if the sports equipment items are being left all over the garage floor, take a look at which ones they are. Are they used more frequently than the rest? If so, they should be stored in the most convenient spot. Rubbermaid has a neat system called the FastTrack System. It's a set of rails you mount to your wall and from there, you just snap on various accessories based on the type of item you want to store. For sports equipment, check out this cool vertical ball rack, or how about these mesh baskets for gloves, helmets and other small accessories? Other options for storing sporting equipment with the FastTrack System are bike hooks, a multipurpose hook for hockey sticks or tennis racquets, shelves with hooks or plain solid shelves for general storage.

Another option for keeping sports equipment at bay in the garage is the Elfa shelving system by The Container Store. This is one of my favorite product lines because of its versatility and value. You can see their many garage combinations here. Suzanne, I hope this helps!