The Manly: month

A month by month plan to get your home storage organized: May is the garage

Yuck. The garage. Not a very fun one to organize is it? Unfortunately it's one of those chores that must be done, and being that it's a long weekend you might have more time to get it done. Here is BHG's plan for organizing your storage in the garage.

Create Task Kits. Create kits for various outdoors projects by filling 5- and 10-gallon plastic buckets with all the tools, products, and accessories you need to complete specific tasks such as car-washing, weeding, bicycle repair, and more.

Stash Sporting Gear. Fill tall kitchen trash cans with large and odd-shaped sporting gear. Drill holes in the bottom of bins if drainage is important. Stabilize containers by securing to a wall with short bungee cords.

Organize the Trunk. Clean out your vehicle's trunk. Toss every item that is expired or damaged. Place all trunk gear in a canvas bin or box. Make sure the container doesn't slip by adding rubber or hook-and-loop tape to the bottom.

Tidy Up the Tools. Hang hand tools on a wall near your workbench from hooks on pegboard, magnetic board, or a wall-mount strip system. Label each tool's spot. Put extra tools in a tool box or clear plastic boxes and store on floor underneath workbench.

I've rounded up a bunch of images that I hope you find inspiring and help you rally the motivation to organize the garage.

The chalkboard cabinet and drawer fronts is a great idea. You could always paint yours with chalkboard paint.

A magnetic kitchen knife strip works great for holding drill bits too

Use magnetic spice containers to hold small hardware in the garage

This space has to be the prettiest garage I've ever seen

In the garage, bins and hooks and boxes are our friends

A rolling cart with most used cleaning supplies and tools is a great idea!
images above via BHG

Take a cue from Julia Child's kitchen and do the same for your tools!
via Martha Stewart

A month by month plan to get your home storage organized

Better Homes and Gardens released this storage organization guide recently and I thought it'd be a good thing to share. I should have posted it early, and from now on I'll post each month's schedule withing the first week of the month. To read the whole storage plan on BHG, click here.

Click on the image for a larger view

January is all about the home office. Here is what they suggest doing:

•Create a Mail Station. Set up mailboxes on a desk, wall, or bulletin board. Or give each member of your family his or her own labeled box, bin, or slot.

•Stay on Schedule. Hang a large monthly calendar in a spot everyone can see and use it. Choose a paper calendar or dry-erase version, and encourage everyone to write important events, deadlines, and reminders.

•Organize Office Supplies. Outfit a desk drawer near your main working area with a divided tray or multiple small bins. Limit the number of office supplies in each compartment. Label each compartment with an adhesive label.

•Get Rid of Junk. Test all writing utensils. Toss everything that doesn't work perfectly. Group similar items (pens, pencils, markers, etc) in canisters for easy access.

Of course, you can always go way more in detail, but I think their suggestions are a nice starting point.