Summer is finally here! Time to be outdoors enjoying the sun and all that summer has to offer. For many that means catching up on projects around the house. Organizing can help the outdoors and what you do outside as much as it helps inside the house. So how about that getting your BBQ and gardening houses in order with these quick and easy organization tips!

BBQ AREA

• Work Area: Treat yourself to a weather proof work area to avoid having to set up a temporary space and then breaking it down.
• Storage Underneath Work Area: This is a great place to keep your dry charcoal bags and wood chips. Keeping them in a covered bin adds additional protection against the elements.
• Store your cooking thermometer, kitchen timer, non-stick cooking spray, and lighter fluid in another bin.
• This is also a good place for your fire extinguisher so it’s close at hand should you need it.

Food

• When you bring out your raw food platter, have a second clean platter underneath it to place your cooked food. (one trip to/from kitchen!)
• To save time, if cooking with skewers and/or planks make sure to soak them very well and store them in the freezer so they are ready to go.·
• Always have a dedicated BBQ tray with all the items you’ll need like marinades/seasoning, oven mitt, mist/water bottle for flare-ups, matches/lighter if needed, etc. After your meal, you can use the same tray to carry everything inside in just one trip.

GARDENING AREA

• An old bookcase, re-purposed is a great place for tool storage (watering can, buckets, gloves, hand tools, fertilizer, seeds, etc.). The top shelf can be used for chemical storage (bug spray, weed killer) to keep away from children.
• For added storage a hanging shoe bag or a peg board are perfect for your smaller supplies, a vertical solution favorite of mine. Done strategically, the peg board can also hold your full-sized tools (shovel, rake, etc.)
• Wooden boxes and clear jars are great durable ideas for storage of smaller items like hardware.
• To organize your seeds, use an old coupon box with file separators to sort by category.
• A basket is a great way to keep your old rags and it can even be hung on a wall.
• Hanging the garden hose in a metal bucket is another great way to use vertical space in addition to hooks on a peg board.
• Bins with lids and wheels are much easier to use for your potting soil and keeps your space cleaner; a much better solution than lugging around those heavy bags.

Make your summer count for more than just fun! Make it organized!