Organizing for Outdoor Living
As the season grows warmer and summer sets in, you’ll want to start preparing for new activities, decor, and seasonal gear. Just like you organize for the holidays, you should be organizing for outdoor living for the summer season as well. Staying organized and decluttering your space will help you get the most out of the summer season and feel prepared for all your new adventures.
Swap Winter and Summer Gear
The first step in organizing for outdoor living that you’ll want to do as the summer approaches is swap out your winter and summer gear. Pulling your summer gear out of storage and moving your winter gear into it will make sure you have ample room for everything you’re going to use this summer. It keeps you from feeling crowded and overwhelmed by things you aren’t using right now. This is also an opportune time to do some decluttering; as you sort through winter gear, don’t just put away items that are worn out or that you don’t use anymore. Instead, sort through your winter gear and donate or toss out anything that no longer fits your lifestyle. When you get your summer gear out, make sure you have room ready for what you want to store, especially if it’s larger items like a kayak.
Organizing for Outdoor Living: Creating a Cozy Patio or Deck
One of the best parts of summer is getting to enjoy the warm weather on a patio or deck. Creating a cozy space that feels welcoming to spend time in is key to making the most of this weather. While it’s tempting to use this space as semi-storage, this can take away from the space and make it more difficult to use. Try to avoid storing your summer gear in this space and instead maximize the space for people to use. Add chairs and a table to give you and your friends a place to gather; install a firepit for those late-night chats and marshmallow roasts; string up lights or add citronella candles to add to the décor and deter mosquitos.
Organize Wisely
The summer brings a variety of opportunities for different activities, hobbies, and new adventures. This means the gear you have and what you’re storing can vary within each household and even between family members. Keeping all this organized is essential to having a clean space and avoiding stress when you’re looking to use these tools. A great way to stay organized is to keep all similar things together in the same space. If you find your gardening tools are mixed in with the snorkeling gear, it’s going to be harder to find what you’re looking for when you want it.
Keeping everything together means it’s ready to go when you pull it out, and you won’t have to worry about trying to find it each summer when you’re ready to get started. Whether you’re keeping it in boxes or plastic containers on shelves in your garage, you can label these items with their use so there’s no chance of mix-up. While this might take a bit of extra work depending on the nature of the activity and the size of your family, it’ll be worth it to stay organized and stress-free when the summer adventures call.
Update Any Safety Equipment
An important aspect of summer season organizing is making sure all your tools and equipment are functional, safe, and up to date. Everything from ensuring you have enough sunscreen to making sure your life-vests still function properly is an essential step of organizing for outdoor living. Knowing what tools you need for your hobbies and taking the time to check if you’ve got everything you need will help you prepare for summer fun and keep you mentally organized when preparing any outings. This is especially important if your kids are included; making sure helmets, sneakers, and other summer gear still fit properly and are comfortable to move around in is an important step in planning their fun as well. If you’re unsure whether there’s something you’re forgetting or if something needs replaced, check in with others in your community.
The summer is packed with adventure and fun to last a lifetime. It’s the perfect season for catching up on hobbies and spending more time with your family and friends. Staying organized helps make this easy to do and saves you the stress that can come with any seasonal transition. With just a bit of planning and organization, you can have a memorable and exciting summer season.