Organize Sports Balls

Baseballs, soccer balls, footballs, volleyballs and just plain bouncy balls give hours of pleasure to children of all ages. They can also be a problem to store where they are easily accessible and do not pose a safety hazard to folks trying to walk through the garage, the playroom or wherever they are kept. Large plastic storage tubs and colorful trash cans will serve to corral the balls, but a more organized approach is to store the balls with other equipment necessary to play the game. Here are a few alternatives that may offer some inspiration for getting your sport balls in order.

The Rubbermaid Sportsgear Organizer measures 36”x38”x18” and can hold a variety of balls, mitts, gloves and shoes. The International Sports Organizer with Bench is 36” long, has a sturdy wire bottom that allows ventilation and a cushioned bench on top that allows the athlete to sit and adjust equipment. It is made just like a toy chest, so it accommodates a lot of items and works for kids who just throw everything into a pile.

One of my favorite products is the Ball Claw, available at Target’s. It is an adjustable plastic claw that will hold footballs, basketballs, volleyballs and soccer balls. It comes in a wall-mountable style or with a strap so that it can be attached to a hook system or sport tote. This works well if you use a duffel bag to hold equipment for each sport your family members play. A particularly good organizing bag for baseball and bats is the Mizano Organizing bag with wheels. Specialty storage items for most sports can be found at http://www.ssw.com/.

If you would like to try your hand at building a sports ball and equipment storage center yourself, an excellent example can be found at http://www.diynetwork.com/.

Even if all your ball games do not end in victory, may you have fun playing them.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Your Medicine Cabinet

Bathroom medicine cabinets hold a lot more than medicine. If fact, it may not be the best place to keep bottles of vitamins, minerals and prescription drugs. The heat and humidity in a bathroom that is not well ventilated can interfere with the potency of those medicines. It may be better to find a safe place outside the bathroom for those items. Wherever you store medications make sure they are safely out of the reach of children.

Begin organizing by clearing everything out of the medicine cabinet. Discard expired medicines and cosmetics as well as any gunky, dried out, or damaged items. Thoroughly clean the inside of the cabinet

Next, think about how you use the items and reserve that space for things that you need access to in the bathroom near the sink. Toothbrush and toothpaste, razors and shaving cream, make-up and applicators may be the things you want to reserve space for. First aid supplies should be readily available and, space permitting, the medicine cabinet is a good spot that allows all persons in the household to know where to retrieve bandages, tweezers and antibacterial ointment. Keep these items together in a first aid kit.

Once you have decided what items will go in your medicine cabinet, take a critical look at the height of the shelves. Many cabinets have adjustable shelves, and now, when you have everything removed, is the time to adjust the shelves to fit the products you are going to place in the cabinet.

While the height of some items may dictate where they are stored, the general rule is to put like things together and the most used items on the lowest shelves. Use small trays and baskets to group items and make it easier to pull them from shelves for use.

If you have a metal cabinet consider using magna-pods to increase storage space and keep frequently used items close at hand. These handy little magnetized containers come in various sizes and attach by magnets to the inside of the cabinet door, Check them out at www.magnapods.com.

Now that your cabinet is organized, keep it that way by checking expiration dates as you use items and discarding out of date products. Clean up spills when they happen and discard items that are becoming grimy, rusty or dirty. Keep like items together and don’t over stuff the cabinet with duplicate items. Keep the extras stored elsewhere until you need a replacement.

Your medicine cabinet is now ready for you to access what you need and for any guest to admire.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize a Car Trunk

I have not driven a car with a trunk for eighteen years. So last week, when I was forced to drive a loaner while I waited for my wheels, I again became acquainted with the challenges of transporting things in a car trunk. I had forgotten how limited the space is and how the interior is so rigidly defined. There is no way to stack a little higher or move a seat further up to accommodate items that need just a silly millimeter more room. That started me thinking about when I did have a car with a trunk, two children with lots of school activities and a full time job that required having information with me while I traveled to various locations. That is not to mention beach chairs, sports equipment and my husband’s photography equipment and various scouting projects. I recall a few tricks that helped me find what I needed and keep all the members of the family on speaking terms as we shared trunk space.

First make room for things that keep you safe. A good spare tire or driving ring and a roadside emergency kit are essentials. Many cars have special compartments for these items. No matter how tempted you are to put something else in these spaces, don’t. An acquaintance, who had a band, emptied everything out of his trunk to carry his music equipment and was a bit miffed when he broke down on his way to a gig and had no way to change a tire and no tire to change. Better to arrive safe and late than not at all.

When deciding what to keep in the trunk, categorize and separate. Use large zip-lock bags, cloth bags or plastic containers to hold like things and label them so they are easily identifiable.

Keep sports equipment and gym clothes in separate containers with odor eater charcoal bags.

Keep a couple of collapsible totes for special transport of things like groceries and school projects.

When carting beach chairs or beach toys, wrap them in a large sheet or blanket. Remove the whole packet from the car when you return home and shake out the covering. This will keep sand out of the trunk.

Fitting things in a trunk is often like putting a puzzle together. The pieces only fit one way, so put things back where they came from. Easier said than done, but something to which we can aspire.

I am no longer struggling with fitting things in a trunk, but with the trend leaning to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, I might have that challenge in my future. I remember what works and I think I’m ready…. Although hauling furniture from estate sales will still be a problem.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize an Emergency Pack

September 2009 is the sixth annual National Preparedness Month (NPM) sponsored by the Ready Campaign. It is a nationwide effort to increase awareness and encourage individuals, businesses and communities to take action and prepare for emergencies of all kinds. The campaign encourages folks to get a kit, make a plan and stay informed.

National agencies like the Red Cross and the Center for Disease Control, big companies like Wal-Mart and Target, and small businesses like Key Transitions join a coalition to promote national readiness in case of emergency. As coalition members we commit to establish preparedness in our own companies and to reach out to the community. Information about the coalition and detailed information about what you need to do in case of emergency can be found at www.ready.gov.

Last year our company worked with small businesses to get ready for emergencies. This year, we are working with senior adults in independent living situations. One of the concerns of this population is how to put together a “to go” emergency pack that meets their needs and is light enough for them to manage.

Here are a few things for everyone, especially older adults, to consider as they stock their “to go” emergency pack.

Choose a container for your kit that is lightweight and that you can manage. One of our favorites is a fabric insulated cooler on wheels with external pockets that we picked up in the sports section of Wal-Mart. It has a telescopic handle and rolls easily. Another alternative is to buy the ready-made backpack kit from www.redcross.org. It costs about $75 with shipping and weighs about 12 pounds.

Carry adequate water. Try creating water packs by putting water in a one-gallon bag and double sealing by putting it upside down in another plastic bag. Supplement the packs with individual serving bottles of water. Juice and other liquids also aid hydration.

Choose foods that are individually packed and are in lightweight containers. Peanut butter in individual plastic containers and tuna in foil pouches rather than cans are some examples. Remember to pay attention to dietary restrictions when selecting foods and choose products with extended expiration dates.

Pack tools to assist you in opening the containers you pack. If you cannot grip and operate a manual can opener consider packing a one-step battery operated model. Don’t forget to pack extra batteries. If necessary, include scissors for opening zip lock bags that won’t cooperate and include a marker to date the items when you open them.

Keep a list of important contacts in the pack. Include family and friends you want to notify as well as important providers like oxygen companies or transportation vendors.

Keep important documents ready to go. A list of important documents to consider can be found at www.ready.gov. If you scan documents to disc for easy transportation, remember to label it in ways that obscure its true content.

Remember your medications and dosing tools like syringes, medicine droppers and applicators. Also include things you need to keep your necessary medical supplies functioning-like batteries for hearing aids and repair kits for dentures and glasses.

The Red Cross (www.redcross.org) and other coalition sites have lists for emergency pack contents, outlines for communication plans and suggestions for staying informed. Have a look and make it a priority to “Get Ready Now”.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net