TRI QUEBEC

Depending on the rest of your closet spaces through the house and the size of your family, try to have a theme for the rest of your closets. Following themes can make closet organizing a lot easier. For instance, while most of us do not have the space or need for an entire closet dedicated to wrapping paper, consider a closet for all paper and paper products. Computer paper, greeting cards, ink for your printer, and anything else that would fit in this category can logically be put together.

In my own home, my entry closet is all of about 40 inches inside wall to wall. Since I live alone in the country, this closet is perfect for three to four seasonal coats, a rain jacket, and one pair each of casual indoor shoes, casual outdoor shoes, and foul weather boots. While there was no room for an overhead shelf, the closet is deep enough for five six inch by 40 inch shelves down the back wall. Albeit a little limited, but these shelves are perfect for “deep storage” items rarely needed or used but too important to toss away.

Speaking of shelving, shelving can be a great tool for closet organization, especially for closets that will have an odd assortment of storage items. Grouping like items together on each shelf and adding in bins and baskets where appropriate keeps things neat and organized. Also, take a good look at what makes it into your closets. Many of the things that we store in closets with the thoughts we might need them later usually aren’t seen or used again. In this case, don’t put them away throw them away. There are many more things you can do to help in small home organization, but the closet organizing ideas you use can have a major impact for a small home.

Factory sealed canned goods on the other hand have a much longer shelf life, and we can modify our efforts here. Because of their shelf life, canned goods often make up an emergency food supply. If you choose to have such a supply, stack these items toward the back of deep shelves, but keep the labels visible to avoid over-duplication or the rare but possible expiration of these items. Your frequently used items can take up the outer portion of your shelves, again using a grouping strategy with labels visible.

With both of these groups of stored foods, consider donating canned or boxed goods you know you will not eat, or consider handing them over to a neighbor or visiting family member or friend. A third group of items considered in usual pantry items are paper goods such as paper plates and napkins, and paper towels. Kept in their own area of the pantry, it’s easy to see your stock level, and keep these products in store fresh condition. You’ll have far less chance of over-buying, and have less instances of dirty or dusty or missing paper goods when needed.

The fourth group that frequently gets stored in a pantry are items like onions, garlic, and other fresh items that do not require refrigeration. Consider aeration though, and you may wish to look at a couple hanging baskets for these goods. Air circulation will keep them usable longer, and you can quickly catch items ready to spoil.

Now wisteria has dropped its leaves, you can prune it. Just take back the long stems you pruned last summer to two or three buds. Also, cut out stray stems wrapped around gutters and slithering along walls. Be careful though: do not forget those buds can be thorny. Why not treat your much-abused and maligned garden shears to a professional sharpening? After all, they are not really needed at the moment and you will notice a big difference. You will not regret it!

In those long spells of freezing weather we can unfortunately experience this time of year, winter-flowering pansies can sometimes receive a knock to their growth. If this happens, wait until the weather warms up a little, then deadhead any spent flower stems. This should induce a mass of new flowers to emerge for you to enjoy.