Sometimes a Simple Box Will Suffice

It’s a new year…time to box up Christmas! We usually do that on the twelfth day of Christmas, January 5. As we pulled the boxes out of the garage today, this one caught my eye. It’s a (very sturdy) cardboard box that originally held citrus, a gift to my family. In 1971, when my younger brother and I had outgrown the baby toys, Mom packed them in the box for grandchildren. I can picture the “3rd Fl Store Rm” where my Dad’s writing directed the box when we moved in 1974. Since I’m the only one with children in the family, the box was eventually given to me, and our children played with some of those toys. We’ve been using the box to store Christmas lights for at least 20 years now.

Why am I sharing all of this? Because it’s a great reminder that you don’t need to buy fancy organizing and storage containers! Look around your home and repurpose boxes, baskets, bins, and other containers. I like the beautiful stuff from the fancy stores as much as anyone (and love sharing a trade discount with clients). But sometimes a simple box will suffice to hold your stuff, especially in storage. Labeling is important, so you know what you have and can find it easily. And while fancy labels are nice, I appreciate seeing my parents’ handwriting each year on this box, which is still strong after more than 50 years. “They just don’t make ‘em like they used to!” :-)