No matter what size house or office area you have, there never seems to be enough storage space for all your “stuff”.  What can we do with all our “stuff”?  When I started to research this dilemma I thought immediately of a comic routine I heard about “stuff”. “A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. You can see that when you're taking off in an airplane. You look down, you see everybody's got a little pile of stuff. All the little piles of stuff. And when you leave your house, you gotta lock it up. Wouldn't want somebody to come by and take some of your stuff. They always take the good stuff. They never bother with that crap you're saving. All they want is the shiny stuff. That's what your house is, a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get...more stuff!” (http://www.writers-free-reference.com/funny/story085.htm)

”Sometimes you gotta move, gotta get a bigger house. Why? No room for your stuff anymore. Did you ever notice when you go to somebody else's house, you never quite feel a hundred percent at home? You know why? No room for your stuff. Somebody else's stuff is all over the place! And if you stay overnight, unexpectedly, they give you a little bedroom to sleep in. Bedroom they haven't used in about eleven years. Someone died in it, eleven years ago. And they haven't moved any of his stuff! Right next to the bed there's usually a dresser or a bureau of some kind, and there's NO ROOM for your stuff on it. Somebody else's stuff is on the dresser.  (http://www.writers-free-reference.com/funny/story085.htm)

So what can we do with all our stuff?  Read on for tips and ideas on how to find a little more space for your stuff.

Rented Storage Space

If you have ever downsized from a larger house to a smaller one, you may have found you just couldn’t fit everything into your new living area.  Before you begin to make monthly payments to house your things at a storage property, be sure to carefully inventory what you have and keep only what you need or are attached to. There are a few things you want to look for in external rental spaces:

    Is there an on site manager at all times?
    Is your space easy accessible?
    Do they have push carts available for you to use?   
    Are there video cameras actively recording the area to protect your property?
    Is there a security system in place such as a electronic gate or guard on duty?
    Is the space climate controlled?
    Is the door a roll up door? This allows for added useable space.
    What are the payment terms?


Bathrooms

• Use baskets for storage. Hang them on the bathroom wall for storing towels, tissues, soap, bath toys, and other incidentals.
• Use your shower as a storage accessory. Attach extra hooks to hold a back brush, net bag for bath toys and washcloths.
• Install shelves in the empty spaces along the walls wherever you can. Such shelves offer convenient storage without intruding on floor space.
• An easy solution to space saving is installing over-the-door towel racks. This can be accomplished by simply hanging a hook over the door.

Bedrooms   

• Use flat roll-out bins for storage under the bed. They can hold your infrequently used items.
• Build a headboard storage unit. Place books, lamps, or a radio on top of the unit  and store extra sheets and blankets on the inside.
• This one takes a bit more skill - build a plywood box with a hinged cover. Paint  the outside, or cover it with fabric. Add a thick cushion to the top and use this as additional storage for anything you want to have easy access to.

Kitchens

• Free up counter space by putting your microwave on a shelf above the counter.
• To make the most of available space when storing tapered glassware, position every other glass upside down.
• To economize on drawer space, arrange wooden spoons and other utensils bouquet-style in a pitcher or canister.
• If you lack drawer space for kitchen linens and towels, store them in baskets on the counter.
• If you don't have cabinet space for your pots and pans, put a small wooden ladder, decorated to match your décor, in a corner and place the pots and pans on the steps or hang the pots and pans by their handles if possible and place either on the walls or from the ceiling and use the decorated ladder to access them.

There are so many ways to create space you just need to sit in the room you are working with and allow your imagination to take control.  Write your thoughts, no judgments and then go back and see what you came up with, you just might be surprised.

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By Christina Leon, Staff Writer