Emergency Preparedness – Getting Organized

In light of the devastating wildfires in Fort McMurray, it’s important to make sure that you and your family are prepared in the event of an emergency. It can be hard to get organized and come up with a plan in the moment, so it’s a good idea to be prepared and organized beforehand.

The Alberta Government has a fantastic document from the Emergency Management Preparedness Agency. It is a great resource for families, and will help you plan what to do in event of an emergency. Included are suggestions on establishing meeting places, creating emergency kits, and more. It is a great place to start when getting organized and prepared for an emergency situation.

First, determining what emergencies you should be prepared for is important. This will help determine the next steps, like establishing a meeting place and creating a plan of action in the event of an emergency. This plan should be made into a hard copy and stored with the emergency kit. Emergency kits with all the necessary items needed for each person in the family should be created. These kits, along with a hardcopy of the emergency plan, should be stored in a place that all members are aware of and can access easily.

The Alberta Emergency Management Agency encourages residents to prepare a 72 Hour Emergency kit that includes items such as food and water, bedding and clothing, light and fuel, personal supplies and medication, personal documents and money (stored in waterproof containers), and other necessary equipment like a radio (with extra batteries), rope, and basic tools. Small toys and games are also good items to include in an emergency kit to provide entertainment. For a more detailed list of recommended items, go here. It is also important to update the items in your emergency kit every few months.

The Alberta Emergency Alert App provides current information on any potential natural disasters or emergencies from communities in Alberta, and is a great resource for residents.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you! WE CARE#YYMFIRES #FortMcMurray Tweet that!

Essential Organizing Products for the Bathroom

Bathrooms never seem to have enough space or storage to properly organize all of a person’s toiletries and supplies. However, with the right products, one can maximize the limited space available in a bathroom and store all their items in a stylish and organized way! Below we’ve listed some “essentials,” and where you can get them for yourself:

1. Drawer unit

A three or four drawer unit is perfect for storing travel supplies, extra soaps, razors, or other smaller items. Most units like this can easily fit under a bathroom sink or in a bathroom vanity unit. Find this product here.

2. Pull out drawer unit

For larger bathroom tools and supplies, a pull out drawer unit can be attached inside a bathroom vanity or cabinet, or a shelf unit with pull out drawers can be placed under the sink. These units allow a person to see the items stored in the drawer and easily access them.

3. Drawer inserts

Drawers are often easily cluttered, because supplies can get thrown together when there is no way to separate them. A simple draw insert can easily keep makeup supplies, hair accessories, and other bathroom items separate and organized – and easy to find! Find this product here.

4. Over the door units

Doors can often be overlooked as storage places, but a simple hanging unit can store a lot of items. This one below is perfectly sized for a bathroom vanity or cabinet unit, and can easily fit hair tools and accessories as well as other assorted items. Find this product here.

5. Over the toilet storage

Another area that is often overlooked is over the toilet storage. Instead of having to mount a unit on the wall, this standalone unit easily fits over most toilets, and can store anything from washcloths, towels, soaps to extra toilet paper, Kleenex, and more! Find this product here.

Unpack to Organize - The Bathroom

The bathroom may be a small room, but there are a lot of items that are used and stored in that room. It makes unpacking and organizing a difficult task, but these tips and suggestions just might help make organizing more manageable.

Before unpacking and organizing, it’s important to go over EVERYTHING. Toss out any expired products, like medication, any anything else that is old or broken, like stretched-out hair elastics. Give away any unused items like lotions, perfumes, soaps, and makeup. Keep in mind that it isn’t always necessary to keep extras of everything you own. Often, these items just sit and take up space and don’t get used, or get lost and forgotten. Only keep extras if it’s an item that you go through regularly, or something that you aren’t able to purchase at the store right away.

Once your items have been narrowed down to what you need, group like items with like. For example, store all the makeup together, hair accessories and tools, and tooth care items in the same place. Items that you use everyday should be stored on the counter if possible, or in an easily accessible cabinet or drawer near the sink. Extras or not as frequently used items should be regulated to lower drawers or upper cabinets.

When it comes to actually storing objects, draw inserts work great to keep smaller objects neat and organized. Shelving and drawer units can be added into cabinets or vanities under the sink to maximize storage space. For storage units, think tall and narrow. The square footage in bathrooms is sparse, so stick to units that take up less floor space, and more wall to ceiling space.

While some people may want to add in décor pieces in their bathroom, try to keep them to a minimum. They take up space, and just get dirty and collect dust. If it is at all possible, try and take products out of bulky packaging. Space in bathrooms is limited, so don’t keep anything in there that you don’t have to!

Interested in learning more about organizing products you can use in your bathroom? Catch our next blog post later in the month where we highlight 5 essential organizing products to use in your bathroom.