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Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter

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The Farmer’s Almanac predicts a cold and snowy winter here in Toronto. Yet, meteorologists are expecting a mild winter in Southern Canada courtesy of the worst El Niño we’ve seen in half a century. Either way, the first snow of the season has already hit. Perhaps this first blast of wintry weather caught you off guard. If so, now’s the time to prepare your vehicle and your garage for the winter ahead.

Make Room in the Garage

During warmer months it’s common to park in the prepare vehicle emergency kit winter garage storagedriveway to make room for bicycles and other sports equipment that tends to take over the garage. However, to maximize the life of your car and minimize your morning prep time, park your vehicle inside the garage whenever possible. Faced with a sea of bicycles, skateboards and soccer balls, it may seem impossible to safely squeeze your vehicle into the garage. However, it can be a lot easier than you think.

  • First, sort through your things and edit anything you don’t need. Be brutal. That means ditching old tires, broken furniture and toys the kids have outgrown. If the item is still usable, donate it to a deserving charity or gift it to a friend. Rotate seasonal items.
  • Group similar items. Find anything you need in a flash by storing related items into specific zones. Create an area near the garage door to store winter weather items, like salt and snow shovels. Set up a zone for automotive fluids and supplies. Store fluids on shelves or in a garage cabinet, away from kids and pets. Place winter sports gear in a dedicated zone children can easily access. Eliminate any unnecessary duplicates discovered while sorting.
  • Arrange items along the garage perimeter. A wall organization system with movable shelves, baskets and hooks will maximize the items you can store along your garage perimeter.

Once you’ve created space, park your vehicles inside the garage to protect them from the harsh winter weather. Now it’s time to prepare your vehicle for the heavy snow and bitter cold that lies ahead.

Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter Weather Hazards

The contradictory predictions about what to expect this winter require cautious drivers to prepare for whatever lies ahead. Take a few simple steps now to prepare your vehicle for frigid temperatures and snowy conditions.

  • Stock up on automotive supplies like antifreeze, windshield washer fluid and wiper blades.
  • Store additional supplies in your trunk, including all three items listed above. Keep kitty litter or gravel on hand to create traction if you get stuck and a shovel to dig yourself out.
  • Get all-weather tires. Unlike all-season tires, all-weather tires carry the severe service emblem. An aggressive tread enables all-weather tires to bite snow and divert water and slush, so they handle better during perilous winter conditions. Another option is to get snow tires. Store the alternate set of tires on a tire rack to retain limited garage floor space.
  • Keep vehicles running in top shape. Don’t skimp on oil changes and other maintenance. Thinner oil performs best during colder temperatures, but check your owner’s manual to see what the manufacturer suggests. Top off fluids, including windshield washer fluid and antifreeze.
  • Keep the gas tank full. Don’t wait until your needle hits E. Fill your tank at the halfway mark so you’ll be ready if forced to sit in traffic for hours during a storm.
  • Use an engine block heater when parking outside in brutally cold temperatures. By keeping the engine warm, the block heater prevents damage to engine components that can occur when heating the engine in extremely cold weather. Your car will also heat up faster.

Whether we have a cold and snowy winter or a particularly mild one, there are sure to be plenty of days when winter weather will impact your commute. Prep your garage by reducing clutter, organizing the space and arranging items along the perimeter so you can park your vehicles inside. Ready your car for winter by stocking up on winter weather supplies. Store essentials in the trunk of your car. Invest in Ontario winter-worthy tires. Properly maintain vehicles, top off fluids and use a block heater to avoid starting an ice cold engine. Then you’ll be prepared for the winter ahead, regardless of what the weather may bring.  

Make Your New Year’s Resolution a New Year’s Reality

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As the clock strikes twelve, signaling the New Year, our enthusiasm burns bright. We’re excited about the possibilities ahead of us and all of the positive changes we’ve resolved to make.

If you’ve ever been in a gym during the first week of the year, you know that it’s brimming with people eager to achieve their New Year’s resolutions. By the second or third week, the crowd begins to thin. That’s because it doesn’t take long for that glittery excitement to fade.

2 car garage willowdale showcase - garage door, clutter, painted garage floor, slatwall organizer, shelving, drywall finished walls, drywall finished ceilingsMaybe you’ve begun to experience this, too. Your intentions were good, but you no longer feel motivated. Suddenly, those resolutions feel less like an opportunity for growth and more like a burden. One simple change will bring you closer to achieving your goals. Rather than making a broad resolution, like wanting to lose weight, travel more or make more money, create a step-by-step plan for reaching very specific goals. 

The goals mentioned above are indeed worthwhile. However, my expertise lies with another common resolution—the desire to get organized. Let’s look at a few ways to ensure that you realize your intention of getting organized this year.

Get Clear About Your Objective

Start by getting crystal clear about what you want to achieve. Set SMAC goals. Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Compatible. A goal like, “I want to get organized,” is admirable, but not specific or measurable. It is therefore less likely to be achieved. So be specific.

“I’m purging my closet of anything I haven’t worn in the past year.”

“I’m donating all of the toys and clothing my children have outgrown to a local shelter.”

“We’re going to organize the garage so that we can finally park the car inside.”

Now you have specific goals that can easily be measured. If the project still seems overwhelming, don’t panic. My three steps to ideal organization will help you simplify the process and achieve your desired results. Let’s apply those three steps to organizing your garage.

Step One:  Get rid of everything you don’t want or need.

This is the step that sometimes hurts. Many of the items stored in your garage have some sentimental value. They represent special memories from your past or optimism about the future. Approach each item logically. Ask yourself if you’ve used it in the past year. If you haven’t, chances are you’ll never use it again. It’s simply clutter, and it’s standing between you and your ultimate objective of organizing your garage.

Don’t be afraid to let go of unused items. If anything is broken, outdated or unsafe, dispose of it. For items that are still in good shape and may be useful to someone else, arrange for a spring garage sale or donate them to a local charity. Don’t hold onto things because maybe one day you’ll need them. Recall the frustration you felt when you made your resolution to get organized. Stay focused and be ruthless. Purge, purge, then purge some more.

Step Two:  Divide your stuff into manageable chunks.

Have you ever tried to do a small house repair only to discover that your hammer, wrench and screwdriver were in three separate places? It makes what might have been a simple job frustrating and time-consuming. That’s why it’s important to group all of your tools in one central location, like a toolbox.

Now, take the same approach when it comes to organizing your garage. Separate items by category. Group holiday decorations, gardening supplies, power tools, sporting goods and automotive products. You’ll save valuable time (and prevent needless aggravation) throughout the year.

Step Three:  Organize your things according to themes, seasons or purpose.

Organize the garage in a way that makes accessing items intuitive. Place items used frequently where they are easily accessible. Seasonal items like Halloween or Christmas decorations don’t need priority placement. Such items are good candidates for high shelves or overhead storage racks. Winter weather equipment like shovels, ice melting products and antifreeze should be placed near the garage door and given a priority space during the winter.

Once you’re done purging and organizing your garage, you may discover that your current storage options don’t accommodate everything you own. However, a well-designed garage, tailored to fit your lifestyle needs, will provide the storage you need. Simply contact a garage organizational expert to find out how quick and affordable a custom garage transformation can be.

Getting organized requires time, effort and a lot of hard work. However, when your space is organized and clutter-free it will be well worth it.

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Resolutions / Get Organized

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Garage Tailors Year Resolutions

 

It’s a new year and like many people, you’ve probably made, or are considering making, resolutions.  Over the holidays, I did an unscientific survey of my family, friends and associates and confirmed some long-held assumptions – the most common resolutions are joining the gym, quitting smoking, eating better and getting organized.  While the first three are out of my purview, in terms of getting organized, I can offer a lot more than moral support.

 

Thenew years resolutions - garage organization trick behind getting organized is picking a reasonable objective.  Blanket statements like, “I want to organize my life,” can be daunting.  It’s like going to the gym for the first time in two years and insisting on 30 minutes on the Stairmaster.  In theory it might seem like a good idea, but you’ll soon realize incremental steps are the best, and least painful, approach.  That’s why I like projects that are SMAC – specific, measurable, achievable and compatible.

 

When it comes to getting your garage organized, it may seem like a big endeavour, but if you follow my three steps to ideal organization, it’s a lot easier than you think.   And the results of a clean, tidy, organized garage are well worth the effort because it saves time and aggravation in the longrun.

 

1. Get rid of stuff you don’t want or need.

Purging is the hardest part, especially with things you’ve had for a long time. The garage tends to be the dumping ground for things in the house without a real home. Really consider if you need it or are hanging onto it for sentimental reasons. I call this “just in case syndrome.” Remember your objective and ultimate resolution to get organized. When you’re clearing your closets, you don’t want to look at the skirt or jacket that’s been hanging there for the past three years and say, “I might need it.” It’s the same in the garage. Be focused and ruthless.

 

You’ll be amazed how rewarding it is to give old bikes to programs that repair and recycle them, or if you have a variety of stuff, you can save it for a spring garage sale.

 

2. Divide your stuff into manageable chunks.

Separate items by category like gardening supplies, power tools, sporting goods and automotive products.

 

3. Now organize your things according to themes, seasons or the way it’s used, similar to the way you’d group cutlery, dishes, baking accessories and food in the kitchen cupboards and drawers.

Items that only are only accessed once a year like Halloween or Christmas decorations don’t need priority placement in the garage.  Shovels, ice melting products and antifreeze are items you require frequently, so they should be stored in an easy to reach, logical spot.

 

The idea is you shouldn’t have to think a lot when you’re looking for something in the garage or anywhere else.  It should be intuitive.

 

After purging and organizing everything in the garage, you might wonder how the standard four walls and minimal storage options can effectively make a home for everything. With a well-designed garage that’s custom tailored to your lifestyle needs, you’ll be able to sustain your organizing efforts and the garage will no longer be the dumping ground for clutter.

 

So if you’ve resolved to get finally get things organized in 2013, I welcome you to call me for a free in-home consultation on how you can take your garage to the next level.

 

 

GARAGE VIEWS FROM NUVO

Garage Tailors INC.
51-3176 Ridgeway Drive
Mississauga, Ontario
L5L 5S6

416.617.7551
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