Organize for Summer Safety

More household accidents happen in the summertime than any other time of the year.  What a bummer! Just when the weather beckons us for outdoor fun, millions of us spoil it by getting hurt. We get scrapes, burns, bruises and broken bones. Water related accidents are sometime more serious and lead to death.

Take a little time now to organize a few things to minimize hazards and to prepare a method for quick response should an accident happen.

Update your list of emergency response numbers, and put the list where everyone in the family can access it. If you have small children, program 911 into your phone at number 1, and teach the children to push it if certain emergencies occur.

Check for items on the stairs, deck, patio and lawn that could lead to stumbles and falls, and remove them. Garden hoses can be stored on a simple hook, a tire rim, or one of the many decorative holders and hooks carried by hardware store. Wonderful racks for garden tools can also be purchased at most hardware and department stores. Provide a tub or easily opened outdoor chest on the deck or patio for kids’ toys. The same kind of storage can be used for grilling equipment and outdoors games.

Create a “designated parking area” for riding toys. You can buy signs at novelty stores and catalogues, or make your own.

Invest in a fire extinguisher to keep by the grill. A portable one is available at local stores for as little as fifteen dollars.

If you are lucky enough to have a pool, provide poolside storage for toys and towels. Include a big bottle of waterproof suntan lotion in the poolside supplies.

Put together or purchase a basic first aid kit. The Red Cross has a list of suggested contents at www.redcross.org.

Sometimes accidents happen no matter how careful and vigilant we are. With your kit to handle bumps and bruises, and your list of emergency numbers handy, you are ready when your best efforts don’t prevent accidents. A quick response will allow folks to get on with their fun activities, or, perhaps, save a life.


Beverly and Kristen
http://www.keytransitions.net/

Organizing Garden Tools

With summer here, we are spending more time outdoors. Not all of the time is spent playing or lolling in the sun. Home maintenance chores and hobbies, growing flowers, plants and vegetables require the use of tools that have seen little use during the winter months. Organizing tools and supplies is easier than ever with nifty products on the market.

If you have four hundred dollars to spend, Brookstone sells a prefabricated storage shed that stands 64” high. Deck storage boxes also proved convenient weather-proof storage. Some of them are configured as benches with a storage compartment under the seat.

Some storage boxes have matching containers for a garden hose. These boxes allow the hose to be fed to the outdoor spigot through a hole in the container.

There are many less expensive alternatives for storing garden tools and hoses. Hose storage alternatives range from a $7 hook that hangs over the spigot to decorative bronze and wrought iron holders that are works of art. Get Organized offers a sturdy wire garden tool organizer that has a hose hook attached. The same company also distributes a rolling garden tool cart with slots for large tools and six side pockets for smaller items. A sheet of pegboard can be used with hooks and clamps to organize equipment. Over door hanging baskets are good choices for gloves, seed packets and smaller items. Mulitbin organizers also provide a convenient way to store items within view.

Alternatives to storing garden tools can be found at the following websites:
http://www.brookstone.com/
http://www.countrydoor.com/
http://www.shopgetorganized.com/
http://www.grandinroad.com/
http://www.harrietcarter.com/
http://www.frontgate.com/

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net