RABBIT REMARKS

A Giveaway for You!

2012-03-16T20:50:00.002-07:00

You could win this adorable white rabbit just
in time for Easter!

Hey all you White Rabbit friends, listen up -- just in time for Easter, we have an exciting new giveaway for you! If you follow our blog, you know we like to give organizing advice, but did you know we post organization updates on Facebook and Twitter too? That’s right, we’re all about fast, fabulous and free advice, but now we’d like to take a moment to hear from you!

From now until Easter, if you “Like” us on Facebook and post your own quick organization tip on our wall, you’ll be in the running for one of these cute, cuddly, and super fun white rabbit puppets! Each day, we’ll pick one organization tip as the winner -- and it’s as easy as that!

Tell your friends to “like” your organization tip, too. Tips with a lot of likes will influence us positively!

Of course, you shouldn’t forget to check in each day to check out all the great advice. Hopefully it can help you with your spring cleaning!

Don't be shy! Share your organization tip
with us!

Does Your Garage Need Professional Help?

2012-03-12T19:44:00.001-07:00

Something wonderful about Americans is the fact that we really take the American dream to heart. We want to solve our problems on our own and we like to stick with them until they are only solved. This is a great characteristic to have. The only problem is that sometimes we don’t know when to seek a professional. Believe it or not, this is very true in the garage organization industry.

Have you ever gotten overwhelmed with cleaning? Have you ever thought that you could never wade your way through a mess? Have you ever asked a friend to help you just to find out that your friend really couldn’t do much to get you out of the situation you found yourself in. If you answered “yes,” you’re not alone.

If you’re not used to cleaning and organizing, doing so -- especially in the garage where years of junk tends to accumulate -- can be challenging. It can also sometimes be an emotional roller coaster if you have items from your past or your children’s past that you haven’t seen for a while.

Every person can be an organized person, but not everyone can start the process alone. For this reason, many can benefit from calling a garage organization professional. Once a garage organization professional cleans up the mess once and for all and installs an organizational system, keeping up with the organization is easy. However, as much as we want to do it on our own, that first step is often better taken by a professional like White Rabbit. At White Rabbit, we want you to love happy, productive lives, and we know that having an organized garage often plays a large role in having a happy and productive life. If you need someone to take the first step, give us a call.

Can Being Organized Help You Go Green?

2012-03-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

Today, many people realize the importance of going green. Whether they are concerned about global warming or just want to save some money on electricity, people are more concerned about what they use, reuse, and waste in today's culture. You might not think that organizing can help you go green, but the reality is that organization can certainly help you live a greener lifestyle. Here are three key ways how.

1. Being Organized Can Help You Avoid Buying Duplicates

When you live a green lifestyle, you try to avoid consuming excessively. Instead, you make due with what you have and try to make each purchase count. By consuming less, you rely less on the earth's resources and non-ethical labor. When you can, you make your own items. When you are organized, you know what you have and what you need. This helps you to buy and consume less. Otherwise, you are forever buying, not sure what you have. Getting organized so that you know what you have and avoid buying duplicates can also save you money.

2. When You are Organized, You Can Make Better Decisions About What to Replace

Replacing old or broken down appliances with energy efficient appliances -- such as those rated by Energy Star -- has been all the rage as of late. However, knowing what appliances you need to replace can be challenging, and the research needed to determine whether you should replace an appliance can be staggering. Luckily, if you are organized, you can make better decisions about what to replace and when. Organizing saves you time, so you don't have to worry about the time researching energy efficient products takes. In addition, when you keep an organized log of what you buy and when, in addition to a storage area packed with your appliances' user manuals, you'll be able to make a better decision about what appliances can really save you money and energy if you replace them.

3. An Organized Home Means an Organized Recycling Routine

In some areas, recycling is much easier than others. Most cities and towns now provide recycling services. However, some people who live in dorms, apartment buildings, or homes outside of city limits may still need to take in their own recycled materials. No matter whether you set your recycled materials out at the curb or you have to drive them 10 miles, if you have an organized home with a spot for recycled materials, you'll do a much better job sticking to your recycling routine.

You might not think that getting organized has a whole lot to do with going green at first, but the more organized you are, the easier living an eco-friendly life will be. The organized person proves Kermit wrong. Sometimes it is easy being green.

2012-03-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

White Rabbit garage organization systems make holiday
bin color coding even more effective.

This is a little tip we’re borrowing from Denise, reader of Get Organized Now. Her holiday organizing tip was recently featured in Get Organized Now’s reader tips section -- and we at White Rabbit just love it! Denise organizes her holiday items by putting them in big, colored rubber totes. The color totes she chooses corresponds to the type of holiday items inside. For example, green is Christmas, red is Valentine’s Day, and black and orange are Halloween.

This simple tip makes organizing for holidays much easier. Think about it -- if you choose this easy color coding method, you don’t have to worry about labels or signs falling off of bins, and finding the right holiday items is easy, even if someone else is doing the decorating. With this type of organization system, you also don’t have to get EVERYTHING out to find one holiday decoration, so if you need to get one or two things out when it’s not the holiday season -- to get them appraised or give them to someone else, for example -- you can do it without unearthing your entire Christmas collection in July.

If you store your holiday decorations in the garage like many people do -- a White Rabbit Garage organization system can only make color-coded holiday decoration storage easier. With White Rabbit’s innovative garage organization system’s, you can further simplify your decoration organization by storing your items in innovative ceiling storage units, cabinets, and shelves. This way, your holiday decorations will not only be easily organized, but they will also be be easily accessible and out of the danger of damp floors or spills.

A clean and organized garage can save you time and money and give you peace of mind. Imagine being able to easily locate holiday decorations so that you don’t purchase duplicate items and so you can decorate as early or as late as you want to. With Denise’s ingenious tip and a garage organization system from White Rabbit, you’ll be able to experience the holidays like never before.

White Rabbit Recognized with Better Business Bureau's Complaint Free Award for 2011

2012-03-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

At White Rabbit, we take our commitment to customer service seriously -- if our customers aren’t happy, we aren’t happy. After all, the organization services we offer are designed to help people enhance the quality of their lives by enhancing the quality of their surroundings -- in other words, we want to help our customers live better, happier lives.

Because we put so much emphasis on quality customer service, it’s no wonder that we were thrilled to receive the Better Business Bureau’s Complaint Free Award for 2011. The award -- which signifies that our customers haven’t filed any complaints against White Rabbit -- is among what we consider our highest honors, since customer service is our passion.

This is why we won’t stop striving just because we achieved this award. In 2012, we’re hoping to secure it again by consistently satisfying our customers through unparalleled products and unprecedented service. Thank you to you, our customers, for honoring us with this award -- we’re grateful to have helped you realize what the magic of White Rabbit can do in your homes.

If You Say You're Too Busy to Get Organized, You're Probably Too Busy Not To

2012-03-04T13:22:00.001-08:00

In this age of information and mobility, we’re doubly busy. We have more to get done than we ever have before. Sometimes, we’re so stressed that doing little things like returning a call or entering an item into the calendar seem to be too much. This is usually why people say they don’t have time to get organized. They don’t have time to reorganize their garages or home offices because they have so many other things to do.

This might be true, but it actually takes more time to be disorganized than it does to just devote some time to organization. When you are disorganized, you spend a lot of time looking for things. You also aren’t as efficient when you work in a disorganized space because the physical clutter also clutters your mind. If you are disorganized day after day, then this is a problem you face day after day. Instead of just losing a few hours on one day organizing, you loose hours upon hours each week when you add up all of the little minutes that disorganization costs you.

Solving this problem doesn’t require devoting vasts amount of your week or even a single day to organization. Instead, you can organize the way you’ve become used to getting disorganized in the past -- a few minutes at a time. De-clutter a coffee table on a commercial break, re-arrange a crowded kitchen cabinet while you wait for a pot to boil. Play put-away games with your kids while you help them re-organize their bedrooms.

There are a number of online resources for those who want to organize with just a few minutes available. One of the best resources is Get Organized Now, a website with videos and articles about how to get organized quickly and in a way that will last. Get Organized Now can be accessed via their website, Facebook or Twitter.If you think you’re too busy to get organized, that probably means that you need to get organized right away -- you’ll save time in the long run.

Why an Organized Home Starts With the Garage: Part II

2012-02-26T13:44:00.001-08:00

The second reason why an organized home starts with the garage is the fact the only place you can store certain things is in the garage. Think about it - -what else in your home can only be stored in one place? There’s not much, is there. However, the garage is the only place for outdoor equipment, bikes, and motorized vehicles. Most organization gurus will tell you that the best place to begin home organization is in the place where you have the least amount of options -- some things just HAVE to be stored there. When you start with the garage, you won’t get to the end of your home organization project and find yourself stuck all over again since you’ve left no place to store certain items.

If your home is starting to look like it should be featured on an episode of Hoarders, you need to start organizing with the garage. The first step of a garage-centered home organization project is to make a list of everything you need to store and where you want to or must store it. Your list should consist of large or important items and categories. For example, your list might read, in-part, “craft supplies, extra coffee table, and vacuum cleaner.” Next to each of these items, you’ll want to write the optimum place for storage. This way, you’ll know before you start to organize your home where you want everything to go. This will make the process easier -- especially when you start with your garage, so you don’t have to move or get out all of your items at the same time.

The second step of the process is to actually clean up the garage itself. We all know how messy garages can get. If you’re going to do a garage-centered home organization, then you need to have a clean garage. This means cleaning and installing new flooring if need be, as well as cleaning up any oil spills or continually wet areas. Next, you must install some kind or organization system, like cabinets or shelves, to keep your items off the floor and orderly.

After these two steps are complete, you can begin to organize your home with the garage at the center. Using your list, start with putting the things that must go in the garage in the garage. With an organization system, however, you’ll soon realize that there is room for much more in the garage, including things like craft supplies and extra furniture.

Welcome Spring -- and Spring Sludge: What White Rabbit’s Garage Flooring Can Do For You This Spring

2012-02-26T13:29:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows the familiar ditty -- April showers bring May flowers, but not too many people stop to consider what February and March bring. With weather like Chicagoland has been having this winter, February and March bring sludge, lots and lots of it. While springs are traditionally wet, the mild weather and increased precipitation we’ve been having this year seams to suggest that we better be prepared to get soaked this season. And while water might be annoying if you have to attend a formal event of don’t like wearing boots, it can actually be more than just annoying to your garage floor -- it can be damaging.

When too much water is left on unsealed concrete, the concrete absorbs the water, and the cement may crack. This can be aesthetically unpleasing, but it can also cause accidents or damage vehicles and other items stored in the garage. Another problem caused by spring sludge is mold. Mold damage does not often occur on concrete, but it can easily affect areas of the garage, like wooden tables or trim. Mold is a serious problem that cause everything from damaged wood integrity to breathing problems.

Luckily, there is a relatively easy way to deal with spring sludge and the problems it can cause -- and for a limited time only, that solution is on sale. White Rabbit’s Polyurea floor sealant is the perfect solution to spring’s wet weather. The sealant not only makes garage floors like beautiful and polished, but it also heals cracks and pitting, making it harder for water to seep beneath the surface of your garage. The professional grade sealant is also water resistant, making it harder for water to seep through.If you’re interested in keeping out spring sludge, then this is your lucky day -- currently, White Rabbit is offering up to $500 off their flooring.

If you’re interested in saying goodbye to sludge for good, contact White Rabbit today!

Why an Organized Home Starts with the Garage: Part I

2012-02-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

A Well-Organized Garage Helps You Stay on Top of Your
Home Organization.

Have you ever walked through the door of your home and thought that it looked completely disorganized -- cluttered? Have you ever wished that you could turn around again and spend the night in a clean, organized hotel? If that’s you, you may know what you need -- to clean and de-clutter your home -- but you might not be sure where to start.

The answer to that question may be easier to answer than you think -- the garage.That’s right, the garage. Probably not what you were thinking, right? You probably wanted to start with the room that most people visit or the room that you think is the most disorganized. But think about it for a minute -- when you de-clutter this room, you are going to want to keep some of the stuff. Where will you put it? The answer -- the garage. And if the garage is a mess, where will you put it? The answer? Back in the room you were trying to de-clutter.

If you have a well-organized garage, you can start working on a permanent organization plan for your home.A professional, well-organized garage allows you to put the right foot forward in your home organization. When you know where everything goes, you’ll be less likely to let your home get messy again.

White Rabbit’s professional garage organization systems offer you the chance to have that optimum organization. With flooring, cabinetry, and many customization options, White Rabbit is the best place to start looking when you’re looking to get organized. And right now, White Rabbit is having an awesome spring sale, with up to $500 flooring and buy-one-get-one-free cabinets. If you missed our post about this sale, you can check it out here.

Stay tuned for “Why an Organized Home Starts with the Garage Part Two,” and you’ll be able to learn more about why you should start your home organization with the room you probably think of last of all.of all.

White Rabbit's Spring Sale Gives You the Chance to Really Clean Up!

2012-02-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

White Rabbit Garage Oragnizers offers
to Revolutionize Your Spring Cleaning.

Not too long ago, the groundhog saw his shadow and declared six more weeks of winter. However, meteorologists and spring cleaners are telling a much different tale. In Chicagoland, we continue to experience unseasonably warm temperatures, which means that this year’s spring parties and get togethers are going to happen sooner. And when spring parties and get togethers are in the forecast, so is spring cleaning and reorganizing. So no matter whether the groundhog saw his shadow, one thing is for certain -- spring cleaning is certainly coming early this year.

Luckily, this year is also the year that White Rabbit is slashing prices to make garage organization easier and more affordable than ever before. Imagine starting this spring season with a state-of-the art garage flooring and organizing system -- one that makes storage, working, and even partying in your garage not only possible but fun. An organized house starts in the garage, so the garage is the perfect place to begin spring cleaning. And with a professional organization system in your garage, you can be sure that your spring cleaning is starting out on the right foot.

White Rabbit’s spring sale features up to $500 off flooring as well as an awesome BOGO sale -- buy two cabinets get one free! If you’ve always wanted to give your garage a makeover -- this is the year and the time to do it. But you have to act fast, because the sale ends March 18th.

Spring will be here before you know it -- in fact, in some gardens, flowers are already starting to blossom. Don’t be a late bloomer this spring. Give your garage the makeover you’ve always wanted it to have this season, and get the peace of mind that having a well-organized garage can offer. White Rabbit’s sale makes it all possible at an affordable price, so contact us today to see what we can do for you tomorrow!

Ways Your Kids Can Decorate (Without Driving You Nuts)

2011-12-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

Do you have a little one who has his or her heart set on decorating this Christmas? Do you have some ornaments you would really rather stay unbroken? If your little ones want to decorate but you're not sure what they can do that will actually be productive, rest assured you're not the only parent to face this problem. Seeing your child alight with holiday cheer and hoping to hang the holiday can be cute, but you have practical things to worry about, including your home's and your child's safety. That's where these kid-friendly decorating ideas come into play.

Organize Decorations in a Kid-Friendly Way

This year, when you're putting away decorations, do it a bit more strategically. Create one box full of decorations your little one couldn't hurt if he tried his hardest. These might be Christmas stuffed toys and pillows, stockings, plastic ornaments or sprigs of plastic pine. Label this box appropriately, and store it with the rest of your Christmas stuff. Odds are, next year, he will be happy to note that you have saved a special box of decorations just for him. While you should consider an out-of-the way place to store the box, such as ceiling storage in your garage, make sure the box is with all the other Christmas supplies so your child can really feel like he or she is helping next year.

Get Crafting

Most kids love to make crafts, and Christmas crafts are among the favorites. If it's too late to have your child help you by unpacking his or her special box this year, ask him or her to help you by making some special Christmas decorations. Put together a box of Christmas decoration-making supplies before you start decorating, and unveil it only when you're ready to begin. Paper chains, ornaments from paper and glitter, painted porcelain figures, and Christmas sun catchers are all relatively easy to make. Your child will enjoy spending a festive time with you as you decorate and he or she crafts. As your child finishes each craft, find a special place to hang it together. After you're done, keep the craft supplies in the box and store it somewhere easy to get to. The next time your child wants to help you cook or clean, you may be able to use the same strategy.

Disposable Decorations

Although it's important to keep and store at least a few Christmas decorations each year for sentiment's sake, you can get new decorations each year from an inexpensive place, like a dollar store, and donate last year's decorations to a needy family or public building that wishes to decorate. This is a great tactic to use when your children are younger because you can ask your children to help you pick out the decorations and then allow them to decorate. Because the decorations are sturdy and not sentimental, you won't have to worry about allowing them to decorate on their own, as long as you are supervising. Either leave the breakable and sentimental decorations in the box when you have very young children, or put them out after you and your child have decorated using your other, new decorations.

Telling your child that he or she can't help you decorate is heartbreaking -- no parent wants to do it, but thanks to these ideas, you and your child can have a fun time getting ready for the holidays together. Just remember that these ideas won't work if you have a home so messy that you can't find your decorations!

Time for a Little Winter, Yes, Winter, Cleaning

2011-12-13T13:37:00.000-08:00

Schedule a cleaning and organizing day this winter.

If you've been waiting for the spring to come around to adopt a massive cleaning and organizing project, you should consider getting to it a little faster. A winter cleaning project is just the thing to take your mind off of the busy days that lead up to or the dreary days that often follow the holidays. If you wait until spring to clean and organize, you'll be wasting valuable outdoors time cooped up in the house. If you start a winter cleaning project, you can not only clean while you have to stay indoors anyway, but you can also minimize the chaos after Christmas with a house in which everything has a place.

Don't Use It? Toss It!

Winter is often the season in which we start to feel claustrophobic and like we are surrounded by clutter. Forced to spend more time indoors, we suddenly find it hard to get around or get tired of looking at all of the stuff we never use. If this is you, start to get rid of some of the things you no longer need. Try walking through the house with an empty laundry basket or plastic container, and begin to fill it with clothes and odds and ends. Then get rid of them right away -- provided you have asked any family members who may want to keep them first. That way, you won't have time to sit around thinking about whether you would use the items or not. If you haven't touched it in 6 months to a year, then you're not going to. And the more you can get rid of, the more space you have for making your home feel comfortable and homey.

Use Space Wisely

The garage is a great place to use space wisely.

Whether you live in a mansion or a shack, using space wisely will help you get the most out of your home. To use space wisely, you need to come up with a strategy and purchase the tools necessary to help you achieve it. Find areas in your home where storage makes the most sense -- places that you don't use every day but that are easily accessible and can hold an organizer that will make your stored items stay safe and easy to reach. Don't try to use a highly trafficked room, like a hall or a finished basement, for storage. Instead, stick with closets, attics, unfinished basements, and, of course, the garage. If you do choose the garage, make sure you use its space wisely too. White Rabbit's garage organizers can keep items out of your way so you can discover garage space that you never thought you had.

Do It in A Day

What happens to large-scale organization projects that last more than a day? Unless you live alone or are extremely focused, they get pushed aside. In fact, they can even make getting organized harder. If you start an organization project and don't finish it, odds are that items will get hastily tossed into closets for storage and be very hard to find the next time you need them. Take the time and plan your organization day. Develop a chart or plan for what you will do, and get to it. When you relax at the end of that day, you'll really feel as if you have earned it.

Just because it's winter doesn't mean you can't get some large-scale cleaning done. In fact, cleaning and organizing in the winter may even be preferable to cleaning in the spring! With some time, tools and a plan, you'll be ready to go in no time!

Polyurea Floor Covering Just in Time for Holiday Parties

2011-12-01T11:45:00.001-08:00

Decorate your garage to make it the perfect location for your
holiday flooring.

It’s time to haul out the holly and put on the Jingle Bell Rock. Last Thursday was Thanksgiving and this past Sunday marked the first day of Advent. What does this mean? That there is absolutely no denying that Christmas is in the air, and it’s time to start decorating and planning your holiday parties.

We’ve written a number of posts about why the garage is a great place for parties, especially in the summer, but in the winter, the garage can also be a great place to have a swell time rocking the night away. It’s out of the house, so it minimizes the snow and sludge that get tracked through your floors, and when you have an organized garage it can also mean more space to play group games with kids or adults. If you have a bar or a television in your garage, this “room” is now transformed into a second party spot for the sports fans who want to watch football or basketball instead of socializing.

One thing you should definitely do before planning to make your garage a big part of your Christmas party, however, is to revolutionize the look of your floors with White Rabbit’s Polyurea floor coating system.

This floor coating system is superior to any other kind of flooring for your garage because it is tougher and much more stain resistant. It doesn’t easily break, crack or stain, so even on non-holiday days when you use oil in your garage you won’t get stains if you spill. And let’s just say that it’s much harder to damage Polyurea as it is to damage carpet or even hard wood flooring during a holiday party.

Polyurea flooring gives your garage a sharp look.

If you’ve got a group of carolers coming over after a long neighborhood sing, a Polyurea floor is absolutely necessary. Not only is it not slippery when wet, but it won’t be damaged by the snowy, salty feet of your guests. And, of course, Polyurea flooring is attractive -- much more so than the traditional garage concrete. You can even choose from among a number of color chips when you select your flooring.

Polyurea flooring plus Christmas decorations means you’re ready to rock around the Christmas tree with as many wet feet as you can fit in your garage.If you’re ready to have a great Christmas party, you might want to consider your garage. If you have heat, decorations, and a Polyurea floor from White Rabbit, it makes a great place to party.

Hiding Presents Where They'll Never Suspect: The Garage

2011-12-01T11:12:00.001-08:00

Whether you have young children or just a very inquisitive spouse, hiding presents before Christmas always presents a debacle of momentous proportions. You need to find a safe, dry place to hide your gifts, but this also has to be a place where the person who is about to receive them will never look. Enter the garage. While a messy garage isn’t a good storage location for Christmas gifts, since the odds that they will be damaged are high, a well organized garage can also be a well chosen hiding spot.

Mislabeled Boxes

Keep your presents a surprise with a garage hiding spot.

You can be a mischievous elf with this secret tactic that parents have managed to keep hush for generations. Simply mislabel your box of presents with an item that your spouse or children will not want to handle. For example: craft glue, mouse traps or light bulbs. Don’t go too over the top with the names, or they will seem odd. However, in a well-organized space, a labeled box doesn’t seem out of place, and no one will think to check that the contents really do match up with the label.

This tactic doesn’t quite work in a messy space; your spouse or child will get suspicious that a label ended up on a box at all. (Oh, and if you’ve always wondered why your mom kept so many boxes of liver in the fidge as a child, you’re right, they were probably chocolate chip cookies.)

White Rabbit’s garage cabinets do a great job of hiding mislabeled boxes.

Out of Reach

This one might not work for your spouse, but it will for your kids. You can simply place the box of presents out of reach. In fact, many kids get amusement from hours spent staring at a box they know holds their Christmas presents.

White Rabbit’s ceiling storage, or the highest shelf of one of your custom cabinets work well for this tactic. However, you should always make sure to talk with your kids about the real dangers of climbing up ladders or on chairs to try to reach presents. And just in case they do decide to try this daring type of behavior, make sure the area around them is clear of sharp, dangerous items like tools. Losing your presents for Christmas is bad enough -- you wouldn’t want to throw a broken arm into the mix.

Out of Sight

Even the most organized garages are full of stuff -- sports equipment, coolers, tools and stored decorations from other seasons. It’s easy to find a place behind or under these items that your kids and spouse will never look. For example, you can stick a present behind a bin of basketballs or, if you use White Rabbit’s Polyurea floor coating that reduces moisture, under your cabinets. This is even easier than mislabeling boxes because you do not have to create such an elaborate ruse, but it still gets the job done -- your kids and spouse will have no idea where their presents are hiding.

With a well-organized garage, present hiding can be fun! Just make sure you always pick a safe, clean dry space for the presents, and talk to your kids about what looking for presents might mean. The last thing you want is for your kids to think you’re making a game out of hiding the presents when you really do mean to take them back if the kids peek!

Protect Your Gutters: How to Clean Gutters on Your House and Garage

2011-10-25T09:14:00.000-07:00

Fall leaves are beautiful, but in your gutters they can be dangerous.

It seems as though autumn has just come, yet many trees in the area are without leaves. This means that leaves have fallen on the street, into your lawn, and, unfortunately, into your gutters. The gutters on your garage and house will need to be cleaned out before the freezing cold of winter kicks in, because dirt, leaves, and debris can freeze into a messy clump, making your gutters useless, and possibly even breaking them. So, to keep your house and garage looking beautiful through the cold seasons, follow these easy steps for cleaning gutters.

Use a ladder, but avoid leaning it directly against a downspout or gutter, because the weight of the ladder may bend or break them. Also, it is best to have someone to steady the ladder, to avoid any serious injuries. Remember, always be careful while on a ladder, because you’re much higher up than you think. A fall from that height could seriously hurt you.

Bring a trash bag or a bucket, or some other container to place the debris in. You can either hang it on the ladder or place it on the roof. First, take out the large items such as twigs. Then, using a gutter scoop, garden trowel, or any scooping tool, get the debris out of the gutter. If there is caked on dirt, you may want to consider wetting it before you scoop it out. Wet dirt will be easier to clean out than trying to scrape off dry dirt.

After you’ve cleaned the debris and dirt out of your gutters, you’ll need to check to make sure your downspout is clear. While on the ladder, take a garden hose and spray a gentle stream of water down the spout. If the water doesn’t come through on the other side, you probably have a clog, and you’ll need to clear it out. If the clog is close enough to the top or bottom, you can use a wire hanger, or something similar. If not, try using an auger to clear out the clog. If you come across any damaged pieces of gutter, you will need to replace it. Gutter sections are relatively cheap, and easy to install.

Note: Some places or people advise homeowners to use a leaf blower to clean out their gutters. This is not advisable, because of the dangers of falling. A leaf blower is a heavy, bulky item, which may throw off your balance. Additionally, it may blow dust in your eyes, which will also throw off your balance. For the sake of safety, stick to cleaning out your gutters manually.

Gutters that are too clogged to work properly can cause roof leakage problems. Cleaning out your gutters at least once a year near the end of fall will help keep your gutters clean and beautiful, and in good working order. If you have a garage organizing system from White Rabbit, you'll be more likely to get the gutter cleaning job done with quickly because you have easy access to your tools.

Decorate Easily with These Organizing Tips

2011-10-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Holidays! It's that time of year again, and even though some people say it's too early to bring out the Christmas music, you can't help but start to feel the spirit or Christmas infiltrate Chicagoland. If you look around any department store (or look at any outdoor thermometer in Chicagoland!) you will realize that the holiday season is already here! Many households use holidays as a reason to decorate and be festive. Nothing makes the holiday season more fun than outdoor decorations, string lights, and other decorative items. However, this means taking out and putting away boxes of decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and/or other holidays you may celebrate. This can be a hassle, but if you don’t repack your decorations in an organized fashion, you’re likely to be frustrated next year when you have to take them out again. Below are some tips to help you pack away decorations easily and quickly, while still keeping them organized.

Organize Strings of Lights

Anyone who decorates for any occasion will tell you that one of the most difficult parts of taking out and putting away decorations is dealing with the tangled cords and broken bulbs of light strings. These lights are used primarily around Christmas time, but can be used for any holiday (think orange and black light bulbs for Halloween). But if you have string lights, you have tangles. One option for avoiding this problem is to buy light organizers like these. Or you can wrap them around your arm by holding the end of the light in one hand, and wrapping vertically under your elbow and back up to your hand. When you have it all wrapped, use the end to wrap around the whole string of lights, and fasten by plugging to two ends together.

Organize Static Clings

A White Rabbit garage organizing system
can help you keep your decorations organized.

Window static clings are a mainstay for any holiday decorating. Unfortunately, however, they never want to stick back to the original packaging they came in, and simply throwing them all together means they will be stuck together and wrinkled when you need to use them again. To save yourself all this trouble, simply use a flat box (boxes that department stores gift-wrap clothes in seem to work best), and lay the window clings flat between layers of tissue paper or paper towels. The great thing about this is that you now have a use for all the boxes and tissue paper leftover from the holiday!

Organize According to How You Decorate

Some people decorate the same way every year, while others like to change it up a little—or a lot. Keep in mind how you decorate when putting away decorations. If you decorate the same way every year, it may be easier for you to organize your decorations according to room. Put all of the living room decorations together, all of the kitchen decorations together, etc. If you constantly change your decorations around, you can simple put window clings together, lights together, knick-knacks together, etc. This will keep you from having to search through boxes in frustration to get to the items you need.

Decorating is meant to be fun, as are the holidays we decorate for. Save yourself all the frustration and keep all the fun with these easy organizing tips!

Halloween Garage Party

2011-10-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

Halloween can be a fun time of the year whether you have kids or not. If you do have kids, you may have already been pleaded with to have a Halloween Party. Luckily for you, you’ve already had White Rabbit come and make your garage an organized, comfortable wonderland. If you haven’t, now’s the time before it gets too cold out to comfortably organize!

With a White Rabbit organized garage, hosting a fun-filled Halloween party for your children will be easy and even fun for you! Best of all, you get to keep the mess and noise contained to your garage, and away from your house. Just be sure that your garage is properly insulated and heated to keep out the cold.

Also, don’t forget that polyurea flooring is perfect for garage parties. It’s durable, so no amount of running, jumping, dancing or spilling is going to damage or stain the floor. It’s also warmer and more comfortable than concrete or other garage floor coverings. So, if you don’t already have polyurea flooring, this is yet another great reason to get it!

Decorations

Many people don’t consider it, but allowing kids to decorate for their own parties lets them have fun, expel some of the pent-up energy and excitement surrounding the party, and relieves some of the party prep pressure on you. Sure, it may not look perfect, but we guarantee it will be adorable.

Make a run to your local party store and pick up however much random Halloween décor you think they’ll need. The age group of the children will dictate what kind of decorations you’ll get. If you have a younger age group, streamers, balloons, fake spider webs and other easy, non-scary decorations will work best. For older children, dismembered hands and skeletons may be in order. If they are old enough, you can even buy them a brain mold so that they can make Jell-O brains to snack on.

Food and Drink

This garage has plenty of space for a party now that White
Rabbit is done with it.

Additionally, the well-organized and arranged garage provides excellent space to set out food and drink. Use the workbench, the garden bench if you have one, and any other work space. You can even set an extra table as a buffet, or clear out a cabinet and remove the doors for more food surfaces. This way, the little partiers will have access to all they need without running in and out of your house.

One of the best things about having kids’ parties in a garage is the amount of space there is for games. Remember games like musical chairs and hot potato? Bring them back! Many children have never played these games before, so they will be brand new to them. You can play traditional Halloween songs, like “Monster Mash” for these games, for added Halloween fun.

Also, you will probably have enough space for a dance floor. You can purchase small electric disco balls for relatively cheap, and place a few around the room for a fun party feel. You can even have a “Thriller” dance activity, in which you show the video (if the kids are old enough) and have the kids try to learn the dance.

All of the above suggestions, along with a properly energetic costume contest will make your Halloween party—and your garage—the envy of the neighborhood. The only thing you need to be afraid of this Halloween is that after this year’s party, your kids will want to have a party every Halloween!

Fall Family Fun Festivities

2011-10-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

The bitter cold winter is creeping up on us. With the notoriously freezing Midwest winters, you and your family are probably going to spend more time inside with mugs of hot cocoa, than outside enjoying any weather. So, now is the time to take advantage of the remnants of warmth before it is stolen away. Here are some ideas for enjoying the season while spending quality time with your family.

Leaf Piles

Leaf piles are, of course, a must for autumn. Get out your rakes—with an organized garage, they won’t be difficult to find—and let everyone in on the fun of pushing all of the leaves into one big pile. The added bonus is that your yard (all except for the middle of it!) will be leaf-free. You can even use a leaf blower if you happen to have a lot of leaves around your home. Be sure though, to check the leaf pile for any sticks before your let the kids jump in, to avoid injury. Then, when everyone has had their fill of fun, have them help pick up the leaves. You can purchase ghost or pumpkin-shaped plastic leaf bags, so you’ll have a leaf-free yard and a great Halloween decoration!

Pumpkin Carving

A White Rabbit gardening counter is the perfect place to carve a
pumpkin.

Pumpkin carving has long been the bane of kitchens. The mess of slimy pumpkin innards, the seeds and the grimy little hands can get pumpkin everywhere. Not to mention the smell, which some adore and some detest. With a garage that’s organized, has good flooring, and is made comfortable, pumpkin carving can easily be moved to the garage, saving your kitchen from pumpkin destruction.

Any workspace in the garage provides an ideal area for pumpkin carving. Set out trashcans or paper bags, and lie down plastic or paper grocery bags for those inevitable spills and misses. You can even play fun Halloween music as you work.

Tip: Rubbing petroleum jelly on the cut and exposed parts of a pumpkin will keep them from shriveling, and make them last longer!

Marshmallow Roast

Sitting by the fire as a family after a long day of leaf jumping and pumpkin carving is a great way to relax. You can purchase a portable fire pit at a very reasonable price. Bring out the marshmallows, roasting sticks, and the hot cocoa. And, of course, with a well-organized garage, you will have no problem making space for your fire pit to protect it from rusting and cracking due to the elements.

We here at White Rabbit think that fall is nature’s gift before the cold. Take advantage of this gorgeous season, and spend some time with you family. Having a beautiful, organized garage helps you to easily do just that!

Unique Greeting Card Business Makes Connecting Fun and Easy!

2011-09-26T16:42:00.001-07:00

Send Out Cards allows you to send unique greeting cards
on the web.

White Rabbit is proud to feature a client of ours who runs his own unique greeting card business, called SendOutCards. SendOutCards takes advantage of the convenience of the web to make it easier to send birthday or anniversary cards, invitations, reminders—anything you can think of. No more writing out dozens of holiday cards; just use SendOutCards, and you’ll have the most unique holiday greeting of everyone on your mailing list! You can even add gifts, such as books or chocolates with your cards.

We talked to Brian Cohrs, owner of SendOutCards about his business, and his favorite parts of running such an exciting enterprise. He told us that currently, customers can choose from over 1500 cards on the business’s website, SendOutCards.com. Once you select your card, the site’s unique features allow you to use your own handwriting and signature to convey a more personal message. From there, SendOutCards does all of the more tedious work for you—according to Mr. Cohrs, the business “then prints, stuffs, stamps and mails it for you all for about a dollar a card!”

The great thing about SendOutCards is that it is versatile, while still being personal. Cohrs says, “Whether you are a stay at home mom, dentist, salesperson or office worker, it's a great way to send a genuine thank you, reminder, birthday or follow-up card. Greeting cards can also be powerful business tools to help make sure your customers know how important they are!”

In fact, he has a wonderful success story that demonstrates how SendOutCards can be used to make connections with customers. He told us about Anna, a travel agent, who commonly asks her clients to send her pictures of them while they are on their vacation. The first time she used SendOutCards was to send a card to a couple who had come to Anna to arrange a cruise. After they had been back from their cruise for a few weeks, they received a card from Anna with the very pictures they had sent her from their trip! They had already been considering booking another cruise; getting the card from Anna impressed them so much that they called and booked the cruise that very day.

So, the next time you need to write a courtesy letter or e-mail, have an event that you need to send invitations for, or anything that requires reaching out to others, use SendOutCards! It’s easy, fun, and is sure to impress anyone you send one to.

For more information, you can watch this 3-minute video at www.fastercards.com.

To order a card, or just browse the options, go to www.SendOutCards.com.

Fall’s Coming, Winter’s Following! Steps for Preparing your Garage

2011-09-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

Start preparing your garage for winter when it's still warm outside.

We here at White Rabbit know that you’re probably proud of your garage, and that you might be a little sad that summer is coming to a close. The garage is often thought of as primarily a summertime space—people tend to spend the most time in their garages during the summer, and we store lots of summertime equipment there for easy retrieval. However, items that you will need all year-round get stored in the garage, and even when it’s cold out you can still use your garage as a workspace. All you need to do is properly prepare your garage for autumn and winter. We’re going to tell you what you need to do in order to keep your garage clean, organized, and perfectly usable, even when it’s below zero out!

Clean up from summer use. This step is very important. Not only will it protect your items from being left out and possibly broken, but it will make the cold seasons and the beginning of the warm season much easier for you. First, put away anything that’s been left out. Return bikes back to their places on the bike rack, and put toys and tools back into their proper bins and cabinets. Leave nothing out of its place. Then, clean the floor. Sweep it thoroughly, and—if it’s not concrete—mop it. Once everything is spic-n’-span, you can go on to the next step.
Switch out summer items from their highly accessible spots for fall and winter items. If it’s late enough in the season, you can put the lawn mower away, and bring out the snow and leaf blowers. Since the holiday season is approaching, you are going to need your decorations soon. Make sure those are easy to get to, because you don’t want to try to find them, or be fighting to get to them when it gets cold out!
Next, you’ll need to winterize your garage door. You can buy garage door winterizing kits from your local hardware store. The package will come with directions, but it’s just weather stripping, so it’s easy to apply. You can also buy a rubber strip to put at the bottom of the door, so that cold air doesn’t get in that way. Additionally, you can buy a window winterizing kit to cover your windows. This will keep your garage as warm as possible.
If you have plumbing to your garage, you will need to insulate any exposed pipes. The easiest way to do this is to purchase pre-made insulation that fits around common pipe sizes. To secure, just use zip ties. This is also a very easy, but important step. Not insulating exposed pipes can cause them to freeze and burst, and no one wants to fix a pipe in the middle of winter!

Following these steps will help you ensure that your garage stays clean, organized, and useable. You can purchase a space heater or two, also, to make your garage warm enough to work or relax in no matter the temperature outside!

White Rabbit Featured in Chicago Tribune Story

2011-07-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

The transformation of garages from dark, cluttered and strange-smelling car shelters to decorative, comfortable and fun “man caves” has been catching a lot of attention lately, so much so that the news media couldn’t leave the issue alone! The Chicago Tribune ran a story on June 17, 2011 about garages titled, “Upgrades Make These Garages the Envy of the Neighborhood.” Of course, when discussing garage improvement in the Chicago area, White Rabbit is bound to come up!

The article discusses many of the issues that our customers have when they first come to us. Organization, for example: one man in the story lost multiple hammers before he finally decided that his garage was too cluttered, and he needed to organize it. Our 3-step floor covering process is also featured in the article, since no garage owner can be truly proud of their garage without the flooring to match the quality of the rest of the space!

We have lots of clients who need their garage organized, and end up with their own “man cave” in the process. We are glad to see this happening, because this means that our work makes people happy. The men in the article seem to love their garages even more than their homes! They like to share the space with friends and, as the title of the article suggests, their neighbors look on with envy until they too, earn an invitation into the noted garage.

A writer in the article is quoted as saying that the garage is the “…most abused and unrealized room in the house.” We think this is true. Fortunately, it seems that people are realizing the great potential of their garages, and are beginning to put them to good use! We can’t say how thrilled we are to be a part of this. Garages are a place where people can go to relax, be comfortable, and be themselves. We at White Rabbit are only too happy to provide the services that we do to our customers.

We would like to thank the Tribune for its article that so articulately discusses what we at White Rabbit have to offer—not just organized spaces, but also peace of mind.

The Garage: A Comfortable Place for Smokers

2011-07-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

Smoking used to be an extremely popular habit, with many people calling themselves smokers. Now, however, we know the detrimental effects that smoking can have on a person’s health, which has resulted in far fewer smokers, and many establishments banning smoking. Not only is smoking and second hand smoke dangerous, but it can affect your home, as well. No one wants their home to be saturated with the smell of cigarette smoke, not to mention the yellowing of walls that smoke causes. Most people’s solution is to send smokers outside, but as anyone who has done this knows, it can be a little awkward, especially if it’s particularly cold or hot outside.

One solution that few people consider is making the garage a smoking area. With the right setup, the garage can become a comfortable place for smokers to go, leaving you without the guilt of banishing them outside, and saving your home from unwanted cigarette smoke results. This also provides an additional socializing area during parties, if the house gets too full!

Garage Organization and Ventilation

Of course, the first thing you should do in creating a comfortable garage is to call White Rabbit. We can work with you to plan the best organizational and design plans for your garage. Additionally, if you know people will be smoking in your garage, you can install fan and ventilation systems. This will prevent the smell of smoke from building up and resulting in a stale atmosphere and yellowed walls and woodwork. There are a number of options for garage ventilation, from ceiling fans (similar to attic fans), to simple wall vents. Be sure that you check with your city’s building code before beginning this project, however.

Adding ventilation to a garage has multiple benefits besides making the garage a great place for smokers to socialize during parties. Since Garages are not usually insulated, or not as insulated as homes, they tend to get very hot and stuffy during the summer. Also, car exhaust can be dangerous—particularly with all of the extra chemicals often stored in garages. Ventilating a garage will help not only cool it down, but keep it more safe and comfortable.

The Perfect Extra Party Space

Once you have your garage cleaned, organized, and safe, you can work on transforming it into an ideal space for smokers and partiers. As we suggested in a recent post, adding furniture is a necessity. While smokers are used to standing to smoke, there’s no telling how long they’ll want to stay in a garage as comfortable as yours, so you should provide them with a place they can sit and be a bit more comfortable. Tables are important too, in case guests bring drinks or food out.

You can also purchase refrigerators, heaters, televisions and the like for your garage, making smokers feel like part of the party instead of looking in from the outside. But be warned, if you jazz up your garage too much, your guests may never want to leave!

Smokers often feel uncomfortable and isolated standing outside of the door until they finish their cigarette. Providing a comfortable garage space for them makes you both a graceful host, and a careful homeowner.

Avoiding Basement Flood Damage

2011-07-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

Recently, we wrote a post on how to be prepared during storm season. Now that you know how to keep the most important things safe during a storm--yourself and your family--we can talk about how to protect your belongings.

A big issue that most homeowners become concerned about during spring and summer is the possibility of the basement flooding. You don’t even need a terrible storm in order to flood a basement—there just has to be enough rainfall. A flooded basement, however, does present serious risks, not just to your belongings, but also to your health in the form of mold. Mold can cause severe health problems, ranging from allergy irritations to cancer, so it’s best to avoid it at all costs. When a basement floods, materials such as carpeting, cardboard, wood and other building materials often get wet and stay damp. If this doesn’t ruin the materials, it will invite mold growth.

Luckily, White Rabbit can help you solve your basement flooding problems! We can’t keep floods from happening, but we can help you protect your items, and your family from mold. Here are a few ways that we can keep your basement items safe from floodwater.

Off-the-Ground Storage

We can install cabinets in your basement with strong legs that lift the cabinet inches off the ground. The items inside the cabinet will be safe, and the cabinet itself won’t get wet, damaged, or moldy. This has the added benefit of organizing your basement! No one likes a cluttered, messy basement that might be the center of ghost stories. With our racks and cabinets, you can get items off the ground and out of your way. We will work with you to create the best organization design for your basement, taking flooding levels and danger, as well as your own preferences into consideration.

Emergency Supplies Storage

With a well-organized basement, you will be able to find needed items more quickly—including the ever important emergency items. If an approaching storm is bad enough to be potentially dangerous, everyone knows that the best place to go is the basement. It’s impossible to predict what might happen during a storm, so you’ll want to have plenty of emergency supplies available for any sort of situation. In organizing your basement, it’s a good idea to make sure there is a specific spot especially for emergency items. Ideally, this should be close to a comfortable area, where the family is likely to stay for the duration of the storm. What, exactly, the particular method of storage is will be up to your basement’s construction and your own needs. It can be a standing cabinet, a container, or a rack. The most important thing is that it’s easy to retrieve, and big enough that you can store flashlights and batteries, a medical kit, and even some food and water.

Flooring

Additionally, White Rabbit can provide a polyurea coating for your floor. Not only does this look great, but it provides a protective covering. The coating is available in a wide variety of colors and finishes, so you can find the perfect match for your basement.

Storms can be very scary, but we here at White Rabbit want to ensure that you remain safe during storms, and that your home and belongings don’t undergo any expensive long-term, and potentially dangerous damage.

Rain on Independence Day? No Problem! Fourth of July Garage Parties

2011-06-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

Celebrating independence will never lose its excitement, so July 4th is, arguably, one of the most fun holidays to celebrate. Families and friends get together to eat and spend time together—and usually the party is outdoors. If it’s your turn to host the Independence Day party this year, you don’t want to overlook the possibility of rain. Luckily, if your garage is already well organized, you can use the garage in the event of July 4th rain. An added plus to this is you won’t have everyone in your house, creating a mess. Garages are much easier to clean, post party, than houses are, and even if the weather is nice, odds are your garage doors will be open and everyone will be looking inside, so getting your garage organized for an independence day party is never a bad idea. Here are a few things you can do to make sure that rain doesn’t ruin your Independence Day celebrations.

The Basics

White Rabbit can lay a Polyurea coating to your garage floor, which will make it look and feel more like a comfortable room than a garage with oil stains. This is a great option for beautifying your garage in general, and will make it more party-usable for future occasions. In fact, with Plyurea flooring, you can turn your garage into a room as beautiful as a any other room in the house! You’ll also want to do any cleaning that is needed before the party. Sweep the floor, clear out cobwebs, give the cabinets a wipe down, and put away anything that may have gotten out of place.

Party Prep

There are a number of options for making your garage doorways more party-like. For a more elegant, homey feel, you can hang fabric panels in both the side door and the garage door. If you keep them closed, the panels will keep out any rain splash back if it’s raining hard enough, while also keeping insects away. Also, if the temperature suddenly drops drastically (as it is prone to do with rain), fabric panels will keep your guests warm; if the humidity rises (as it is also prone to do with rain) they can keep your guests cool. However, fabric may also make your garage dark and gloomy, so you may tie the fabric back, like window curtains. Another option is to place a large screen in the garage door, which will let in light, but still keep out insects.

For the food, place a long table along a wall and set the area up like a buffet. You can keep drinks in a refrigerator, if you have it, or a large cooler. This is actually a good idea, even if the weather is nice, because then the food will not be under the sun all day—no one likes soggy, sun-warmed food.

However, if it does rain, you’ll probably already have tables and chairs ready for the outdoor party, so you can just place those in your already organized garage. Just be sure that you have enough for all of your guests, and that you place them a comfortable space apart, so people can walk around.

Decorations

A great idea for making your garage home-like and party ready is to take your hanging plants and hang them from your garage door rails. You can also purchase red, white and blue decorations (such as balloons and streamers) and make your garage festive!

Whether you expect the rain to pour or the sun to shine, a well-organized garage can make your 4th of July party sparkle even more than the fireworks that light up the sky!

Preparing for Storm Season

2011-06-19T15:11:00.000-07:00

Keeping Your Family Safe During Storm Season

In the Midwest, the weather deserves more than just small talk. Stories of destructive tornadoes and floods have been all over the news, so, naturally, Midwesterners want to be prepared in case of a weather-based emergency. However, it’s not just tornadoes and floods that can do expensive damage; strong winds, torrential downpours and hail can be dangerous to people and property as well. Here are some tips to keep your family and your outdoor belongings safe during a storm.

Be Aware

First of all, it’s important to know what is going on with the weather. Sometimes, storms can come on with little or no visual warning in the sky. Luckily, with modern technology it is pretty easy to stay on top of severe weather warnings. Television, radio, internet, and even cell phone apps can keep you up to date on any dangerous weather that may be coming your way.
If you note that there is some kind of storm eminent, and you have enough time, you can take steps to avoid losing backyard furniture. With a properly organized garage, there should be plenty of space to temporarily store grills, tables and patio furniture, and any large (but moveable) children’s toys. Remember though, that you must make sure you have at least an hour before the storm is expected—no material item is ever worth your life. This is really only applicable if the coming storm is just a windstorm or thunderstorm. Don’t attempt to protect anything other than yourself and your family during a tornado warning.

Know What to Do

One of the most important steps in preparing for severe weather conditions is to have an emergency plan. Involve the entire family in this so that no one is left out and therefore prone to panic. Know where to go in an emergency situation, what to get (if anything), who to contact, and where to meet. If you don’t have a safe, sturdy place in your home, make sure everyone knows where the closest emergency shelter is. It’s a good idea to have the emergency contact be a person out of town, since in severe weather, phone lines often go down.

Emergency Supplies

Have emergency supplies ready, especially during storm season. You can keep these in a tote bag or—if you safe place is in your own home—a box or crate. What supplies you have will depend upon your situation and your family. Of course, you should have lots of candles and a lighter or matches, flashlights, water, and some non-perishable food that doesn’t require cooking. If you have children, keep some games and books to keep them calm and entertained; if you have infants, remember formula, if needed, blankets, and diapers. Keep these supplies either in your safe place, or somewhere easily accessible.

A severe storm can be a stressful and even devastating occurrence. The above steps are simple, but important to ensuring maximum safety to your most prized possessions: your family.

Photo courtesy of John Stockton.

How to Make Your Garage a Party Area

2011-06-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

Transforming a Garage into a Hang-out Space

A garage is a great space to store items you won’t need for a while, as well as items you need quick access to. It’s the space for outdoor toys, tools, and, of course, vehicles. However, the garage is often overlooked as a good summer hang-out area. Whether it’s because visitors unexpectedly showed up before you had time to clean the house, or because you want a place for your rowdy teenagers to leave you in peace but still be safe, a garage can provide a spacious area to have fun in. Below you’ll find some easy ways to transform your garage from storage area to party area, and back again!

Furniture

Obviously, this will really only work if you have an already clean and organized garage. But if you’ve already worked with White Rabbit to optimize your garage space, making it livable will be a piece of cake! The most essential item to making a room comfortable for visiting is to provide seating. Most people will be delighted by the cleanliness of your garage, and will not be expecting a leather couch (although that is, of course, an option). Folding chairs—with or without cushions—will be just fine for a garage. You’ll also want to get a foldable card table or two so people can set drinks drown, eat, and play games. Also, if you plan on frequently using your garage for get-togethers, you may want to make sure there are lots of spaces, or even a stand, to hang jackets and purses. If you have not yet worked with White Rabbit to help you customize your garage space, we can help you build a garage storage system with entertainment in mind.

Appliances

Many garages already have electricity and outlets. If not, you can work with an electrician to get electricity running to your garage. Then, you can get a heater so that even when it gets colder, you and your guests will be comfortable. You can also add a refrigerator (you can choose either a full-sized fridge or a mini-fridge, depending upon your needs) for drinks and snack items. Finally, consider getting a television. The garage is a great place to watch sports games. With electricity in your garage, you can also have a stereo for card games or summer night chats.

Decoration

Of course, decorations aren’t absolutely necessary, but they do go a long way in making people feel comfortable. A well-organized garage generally has quite a bit of free wall space anyway, so you may as well use it and have fun with it! Check out a local hobby store or sports store. You can usually find interesting and unique wall hangings that match your own taste. If you are interested in cars or sports, you can use the traditional garage décor, but if not, don’t be afraid to do something you—choose country decorations, posters of Rock and Roll stars, or just some accents for color. You don’t have to go overboard with the decorating—just a little bit here and there will do just fine. You can also get curtains to hang in the windows, along with a fabric wall hanging or two to increase the comfort value.

Most of these suggestions are quick, easy, and will make people forget that they are in a garage!

White Rabbit Selected for EBSCO Research's Best Picks!

2011-05-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

Who doesn’t like to win awards? We know that we love it, and the best thing about it is winning awards means we’re serving you, our customers, well! Now, to our list of accomplishments that include an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and an Angie’s List Super Service Award, White Rabbit can add that we have been selected for EBSCO Research’s 2010 Best Pick Award!

Each year, EBSCO Research independently evaluates companies that offer home services. Their selections are based upon a rigorous process; to receive a Best Pick award a company must meet a number of criteria, which include having all necessary insurances and licenses, and receiving an "A" rating in over one hundred customer reviews. In addition, EBSCO research also individually conducts phone interviews of home service companies to make their decisions.

What sets EBSCO’s Research’s selections apart is that they rely only on telephone interviews and customer ratings—not ratings from other companies, or any other source. There is also no advertising involved, so a company can’t buy their way into EBSCO Research’s good graces. That means that Best Picks really are the top of the line in home service companies, based on the opinions of people who have worked with those companies.

We are honored to be a part of EBSCO Research’s Best Picks. Not only does this mean that we are now included on a reliable list of high quality companies, but it also means that our clients have been satisfied enough with our services to put us there! We’d like to think it is our highly-focused attention to doing a thorough job that got us those A-ratings. That is certainly part of it, but the truth is, we couldn’t have done it unless our loyal clients took the time to give us those ratings! So, thank you! In return, we pledge to continue giving you the same first-rate organizing services that our reputation and our customers deserve.

You Don't Need a Snow Shovel in the Summer!

2011-05-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

The coming of summer in Chicagoland starts with a few teaser warm days, then some more cold days that make us retreat back into our homes and sweaters once again. Eventually, though, these cold days give way to more and more warm days, and we migrate outside for some fun in the sun. Summer doesn’t last very long around here, so a good way to get the most out of these warm weather days is to make sure your essential summer items are easy to get to and put back.

Storing Outdoor Equipment

The first step in re-organizing your garage for the summer should be to store any autumn and winter items you won’t need for a while—rakes, shovels, snow blowers, sleds etc. This way you won’t have to fight your way through these things to get to bicycles, gardening tools, or power tools. Make sure your leaf blower is easy to access, though, since it may be needed for other summer projects. The back wall is a good place to store items that won’t get used for a while. However, you don’t want to just prop them up against the wall—that’s just frustration waiting to happen! Instead, a large pegboard or sports rack is a great way to get items off the floor and out of everyone’s way.

Storing Seasonal Decorations

This is also a good opportunity to store any outdoor Christmas decorations that may have just gotten tossed haphazardly into the garage. Since you won’t be needing those until December (or November, depending on how on top of Christmas decorating you are!), you can go ahead and get those put away. An added benefit of this is that glass from tiny Christmas light bulbs can be a hazard, so you’re preventing a potential accident. Christmas decorations (or any outdoor seasonal decorations) store perfectly in W hite Rabbit’s ceiling storage system. With ceiling storage, you can put your decorations in clearly labeled bins (i.e., Christmas Decorations, Halloween Decorations). In these bins, you can easily fit coiled light strings, inflatable characters, and most signs. Whatever doesn’t fit can be stored in larger cabinets.

Once you have the items that are not essential for summer out of the way, you can more easily concentrate on organizing your summertime items. It’s still a good idea to follow the basic rules of keeping items off the floor and in more organized storage units. However, now you can keep your summer things in places that are easier to get too, without having to worry about knocking snow shovels and giant Santa Clauses down!

Ask the Easter Bunny to Think Again

2011-04-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

With Easter less than a week away, Peter Cottontail might be doing more than hopping down the bunny trail. If there's a child in your household, odds are good old EB is hopping down the department store aisle, looking for items that will look perfect in little Easter baskets this Sunday morning. However, this year, you might want to ask the bunny to think beyond Easter morning when he's making his selections.

Beyond Beautiful

What's the key to the perfect Easter basket? Lots of candy, grass, and some bunny toys thrown in for good measure, of course. Or maybe not. Although we tend to purchase Easter knick knacks like rabbit stuffed animals and figurines because they look cute in a basket, they generally get thrown in a pile of discarded toys labeled "storage" before even a year has passed. If you're trying to live in an organized home, they key is to limit what comes in and increase what goes out. Unfortunately, this Easter tradition doesn't necessarily support that value.

An Alternative

Just because you're trying to organize your life doesn't mean that you have to forgo the tradition of the Easter Bunny or even Easter baskets. Instead, you simply need to change your strategy--instead of buying things that look cute in Easter baskets, ask the bunny to fill your children's baskets with items they really want or need and will use. For instance, a pair of movie tickets, a necklace, a gift card, or a CD are great choices.

If you're worried about the fate of your pictures on Easter morning, don't be! Even if you're not buying items because they are beautiful, you can still arrange anything pleasantly within an Easter basket. In fact, you can start a new tradition of themed baskets or basket hunts instead of beautiful presentations.

Getting organized starts with a lifestyle change, so if you're ready to make the hop, have a good discussion with the rabbit himself today!

Avoiding Spring Break Blues

2011-04-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

It’s spring break again, and for the first time in three months, you and your children are looking through the massive bins of outdoor gear trying to find a favorite baseball glove or a second roller skate. After a few moments of looking, patience starts wearing thin. After all, it’s the first gorgeous day in months and every second spent looking for a long lost toy is a second more you’re spending inside.

Sport Rack Storage

For most, one of the primary functions of a garage is to serve as a depository for all sports

and outdoors equipment—from bikes and baseballs to sleds and infant swings. Getting it all in the garage can be a challenge, but getting it all out again is the task that can really start to grate on your nerves. After they’ve been tossed haphazardly into storage for a whole winter, outdoor equipment is easily misplaced, not to mention the fact that dirt and debris from the garage can quickly ruin many outdoor items when they haven’t been moved for ages.

That’s where sports rack storage units come in. White Rabbit’s innovative system creates a custom storage rack for you and your sports storage needs. So if you play baseball, you won’t have to figure out what to do with that baseball bat. Sports storage racks get sports equipment off of the floor and into an easy-to-find place that won’t frustrate you or your kids when spring break hits next year.

From Spring Cleaning to Spring Playing

If you’re like most, you’re planning to get some spring cleaning done over spring break and you’re planning on having your kids help. While there’s no better way to give kids the spring break blues than to announce they’ll be cleaning over their holiday, you can brighten up the matter what they learn they get to help design the custom sports rack and, when all their chores are done at least, they can go outside and play.

So whether your child’s in little league or you like to shoot some hoops from time to time, a storage rack can’t make you a better player, but it can serve to give you a little more sanity.

Unless You're Noah, You Shouldn't Live in Fear of a Flood! Three Flood Prevention Tips

2011-03-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

April showers may bring May flowers, but they also bring something else—flooded garages and basements. If you’re like many homeowners, you may have noticed that garage and basement flooding happens likes clockwork. Every time the calendar hits March, you wonder when in the next three months you’ll have to hire the flood cleanup. However, there is a better way to deal with spring’s wetness; you can prevent flooding (and its damage) when you prepare your basement or garage for a wet spring. Although there are a number of ways to do this, the following three tips are some of the most effective.

Make sure you have properly sealed the bottom of your garage door. Although most doors come with a built-in seal, it’s often not enough to prevent rain water from entering your garage. To prepare for the spring rain, you can reinforce the protection by adding a piece of threshold stripping to the garage floor. This is a rather simple, do-it-yourself project that will probably take you under an hour to install. However, make sure you understand that you can’t drive into your garage for 24 hours after you’ve completed the project to allow time to dry.
Although it may be time consuming and costly, one of the most effective ways of preventing flood damage is modify your landscape so rain water is directed away from your home. In addition to making sure your yard slopes away from your home, you can also use rain spouts.
Modifying the flooring and storage units in your basement or garage is a method of flood preparedness that can offer you a double benefit. White Rabbit’s polyurea flooring not only seals concrete so moisture is less likely seep into your basement or garage, it is also elegant, easy to clean, and provides a striking, neat look. In addition, White Rabbit's garage organizing systems allow you to get all of your belongings off the floor, so if a flood does happen, your items won't be ruined.

When our children complain about the spring rain, we often tell them that it is this rain that makes the flowers and trees grow. But the same thunder that makes out children anxious can make us cringe at the thought of another spring spent emptying the dehumidifier and undergoing mold inspections. By choosing to prevent flooding rather than suffering through it, you’ll get more than peace of mind—you’ll be protecting your family and your home. Best of all, you can concentrate less on those April showers and more on those May flowers!

Time for a Spring/Summer Wardrobe Rotation? Work Smarter, Not Harder with Ceiling Storage

2011-03-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

As the weather begins to warm, those wool sweaters and corduroy pants are probably starting to feel a little bit uncomfortable. Odds are, you’re starting to think about shorts and T-shirts, and if you’re not there yet, it’s certain you’ve had at least a fleeting thought about that pair of capris you got on the October clearance rack.

However, one thing gets in the way of you and your summer fashion show—the dreaded wardrobe rotation. It’s the part of spring that both you and your kids have come to abhor, a day filled with searching closets and bins for summer and winter clothing, franticly doing laundry, and endless trying on to make sure that tummies don’t stick out and feet are still visible.

The Wardrobe Rotation: Ceiling Storage Style

While there's no magic storage spell that will get your kids out of trying on all those clothes as the seasons change—some of them grow drastically over the winter!—ceiling storage can certainly make the winter wardrobe rotation easier. With a garage ceiling storage system in place, you can easily store labeled bins full of each seasons’ clothes so that they’re out of the way when the weather’s not appropriate but easy to find and access when the seasons change.

How is the wardrobe rotation different with ceiling storage? Instead of all the frantic searching, washing, and trying on, the process looks a little something like this.

You find your stored tubs of spring/summer clothes where you left them last fall, neatly stacked on your garage ceiling storage unit with labels facing outward.
You quickly and easily retrieve the tubs you need, finding washed, folded spring and summer clothes inside, ready for your and your children’s closets and dressers.
You quickly examine each item, eyeballing it against your child’s current size. You make a pile of clothes your children need to try on, and then quickly put the other items in your children’s closets.
You make a fashion show out of the trying-on process, complete with cameras. You enlist your children as models and have them use their craziest struts as they try on each item of clothing and walk down the make-shift runway you’ve made from duct tape in the living room.
You flip the labels on the boxes from “spring/summer” clothes to “fall/winter” clothes—print labels on computer paper and insert them into a plastic report sleeve so it’s easy to change labels for seasons—fill the boxes with your fall/winter clothes, and place them back in your ceiling storage system.

But what happens when you live in Chicagoland and your spring has a little bit of winter thrown in for good measure? Without a well-organized system, you might be trying to find your favorite sweater for those chilly July days all summer, but ceiling garage storage means easy access, so you can re-mix your wardrobe as much as you want and be prepared for weather as wacky as Chicagoland’s.

Green Thumbs and Garage Gardens

2011-02-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow this year, and for those of us in Chicago and around the country who have suffered through a very long, cold, and snowy winter, the news is welcome. Even though there still may be a considerable amount of snow in your yard, now is a great time to start planning ahead for your summer garden. Somehow, the food you grow yourself always tastes better!

February is the perfect month for planning your garden, ordering the seeds, and starting indoor prep so that you have plenty of seedlings ready to plant as soon as the growing season begins. To know the best time to plant in your area, you should determine when your last frost typically is, and then plan to start your seedlings indoors about six weeks before that date. There is a great tool for determining your planting season at Dave's Garden.

Garden prep can be messy work, and one of the best places to set up your own gardening station is in your garage. White Rabbit can transform a corner of your garage into a gardener’s paradise, with gardening benches that offer plenty of work surface, wall systems to hang gardening tools, and cabinets with drawers to store your gardening supplies. While we don’t do plumbing, we work closely with local contractors if you need to have a sink installed in your garage. If you already have a sink or spigot, we can build your cabinets around what you have. If you’re having plumbing installed, we have a custom cabinet shop and can create a personalized piece to give the area a finished look.

Tips for Getting an Early Start to Your Garden

To get the best start, choose the right growing medium. While commercial mediums will ensure a weed-free start, you can make your own mix by combining 4 quarts of peat moss, 3 teaspoons of limestone, and 3 tablespoons of fertilizer.

Before sowing the seeds, put a ½-inch layer of medium in the bottom of your starter containers and water the soil thoroughly. Allow it to drain, and then use your finger to poke a hole in the center of each container for the seed. Make sure the hole is at least three times deeper than the seed is wide for the best results.

To grow the healthiest seedlings, use fresh seeds. Keep the soil moist but not too wet. Follow the instructions for the seeds you plant; some require lots of light while others prefer a dark place to germinate. Once the seeds have germinated, the young seedlings will need plenty of light to grow.

Some things you should remember about your seedlings:

The first two leaves that grow on your seedlings are storage leaves that help feed the plant.
Once the real leaves start to grow, you should begin adding fertilizer.
When it’s time to transplant your seedlings to the garden, it’s a good idea to “harden” them by letting them get used to being outside for a only few hours a day at first.
Be sure that your garden is past its first frost prior to transplanting the seedlings into the garden.

Make planting the garden an annual event and involve your kids or grandkids in the process to create an experience they'll remember.

Hopping to It!

Mrs. Rabbit

Space.

Time.

Peace of Mind.

That's the magic of White Rabbit.

And the Winner Is...

2011-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

It’s award season! The Golden Globes were awarded recently, and the Oscars are coming soon. These awards are given to the best of the best, and it’s a celebratory time of year in Hollywood and anywhere people are throwing red carpet parties.

This year saw the 68th annual Golden Globe Awards. These awards are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press and were established to give credit to those who were making outstanding contributions to film in America and around the world. The Golden Globes select one person each year to be honored with the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille award, which recognizes a lifetime achievement in film. This year’s Cecil B. DeMille award went to Robert DeNiro.

Additional Golden Globe honorees included:

Best Picture, Drama: The Social Network
Best Picture, Musical or Comedy: The Kids Are All Right
Best Director: David Fincher, The Social Network
Best Actor, Drama: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
Best Actress, Drama: Natalie Portman, The Black Swan
Best Actor, Comedy or Musical: Paul Giamatti, Barney’s Version
Best Actress, Comedy or Musical: Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale, The Fighter
Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Best Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network
Best Animated Feature: Toy Story 3

The 2011 nominations for the Academy Awards were announced on the 25th of January. Best picture nominations included “Black Swan,” “The Fighter,” “Inception,” “The Kids Are All Right,” “The King's Speech,” “127 Hours,” “The Social Network,” “Toy Story 3,” “True Grit,” and “Winter's Bone." This culminating awards event will be held at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood on Sunday, February 27. The Oscars are probably the most coveted award in the film industry. In other industries, like ours, the most coveted awards represent an acknowledgement of the level of service and quality we put into everything we do.

White Rabbit has won both a “Golden Globe” and an “Oscar” this year. Not only were we once again given an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, but we’ve been given an Angie’s List Super Service Award, something only the top members of each industry receive.

We would like to thank our producers and directors – our staff and our customers! – for their continued support in making White Rabbit the best place to come for garage, basement, and office organization and for making these awards possible. We’ll see you on the Red Carpet!

Hopping to It!

Mrs. Rabbit

Space.
Time.
Peace of Mind.
That's the magic of White Rabbit.

Making Work Fun Is the White Rabbit Way

2011-01-11T05:59:00.000-08:00

White Rabbit got its start because of our own garage frustrations, and when we were first developing the business, all we did was talk about garages. As you can see from this little peek inside the Bunny Hutch, it had quite the impact on our kids.

Fun is part of the White Rabbit company culture. We know that when our employees are having fun, they’re more likely to feel good about their work, be motivated to do their best, and be emotionally invested in success.

We don't focus on making profit; we focus on quality and total customer satisfaction. We believe that the by-product of our focus is profit. We’re in business to provide the best possible customer satisfaction we can, knowing that when we do, it will be profitable for everyone. Many of the foundational ideas about our company were developed in the Bunny Hutch.

We hope you can find ways to introduce fun into your work day. You’ll be amazed at the magic you can create!

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Space.

Time.

Peace of Mind.

That's the magic of White Rabbit.

Custom Garages

2010-12-27T05:04:00.000-08:00

We often work with other home improvement companies to provide an overall experience for our customers that make them happier with their home. Often, we work with builders who are constructing new garages for homeowners. Whether you live in an older home that never had a garage or need to replace yours with something that better meets your needs, White Rabbit will work its magic to put the finishing touches on your design. We are proud to be so highly recommended by local builders, and feel it is our job to collaborate with them as early as possible in the process.

In fact, it is while your builder is working on the construction of your garage that you should call us to start planning the cabinetry, workbenches, and other storage solutions you are going to need. We live in a cold, damp climate, and keeping your items off the ground is one of the most important considerations. By including us early in the process of customizing your garage, we can work with the builder to make sure the space is designed to accommodate the storage solutions we’ll be adding.

We can also coordinate with your builder to provide a polyurea floor surface. Floor surfacing can be started about a month after the floor is poured, to allow for settling. By getting the floor surface in early, we can reduce the amount of dust and dirt being tracked into your home, seal out moisture, and give your garage a fabulous finish.

Garages are used for so much more than just storing cars these days. Many of our clients have dens, home offices, rec rooms, and hobby rooms in their garages. White Rabbit can help you create the perfect environment for any garage use, making sure, you have the functional solutions you need.

If you’re going to be custom building a garage, here are some factors you should consider as you’re working on the design with your builder:

The 'recess' of the garage should be a minimum of 24" if possible (of course, the bigger, the better) to allow for great storage.
The ceiling should be a minimum of 9' (again, the bigger, the better).
There should be at lease 24" of space between the garage door and the ceiling
Don't put too many windows in because that reduces the opportunity for storage
There should be a minimum of 1 " concrete footing around the garage so that the drywall doesn't go down to the concrete. If the garage floor gets wet, it could wick up the drywall.

When you’re looking for the people who will be helping you to make your home improvements, be sure to check with the Better Business Bureau and Angie’s List to make sure the company is not only qualified but also has a history of satisfying their customers.

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Space.

Time.

Peace of Mind.

That's the magic of White Rabbit.

Bunny Hutch Tour

2010-12-13T04:03:00.000-08:00

Here at White Rabbit, we believe that work should be fun. In fact, having fun is a great way to improve production and stimulate creativity. To help our clients and staff do just that, we try to hold as many meetings and creative sessions as possible in our tree house, a think tank that we affectionately call the Bunny Hutch.

We thought our blog readers would enjoy a tour...

We love to spend time thinking about garage storage innovations in the Bunny Hutch …

Our clients love to come to the Bunny Hutch for meetings.

White Rabbit history is written on the walls …

We hope you’ve enjoyed this tour of the Bunny Hutch. We’d love to invite you back for another visit sometime.

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Space.

Time.

Peace of Mind.
That's the magic of White Rabbit.

Vendor Feature: Blue Sky Builders

2010-11-29T05:52:00.000-08:00

White Rabbit loves helping people find solutions to make their existing garage spaces work for them. However, if you live in a house so old that it does not have a garage, or you have decided to really transform your garage space by having a new one built, you need a garage builder. We’d love to introduce you to one of our favorites, Blue Sky Builders.

Blue Sky Builders opened in 1979, and since then, they have constructed more than 4,000 garages. Scott Wendell, owner of Blue Sky Builders, talked to us about one of our favorite topics: garages.

WR: What’s changed about the garage building industry in the last 30 years?

SW: 30 years ago, people just wanted the cheapest garage they could build, but now, people are using garages for so much more than storing cars. Their garages are an extension of their home; they want them to look good and have function beyond just car storage.

WR: What is the hardest thing about being a garage builder?

SW: The biggest challenge is keeping up with the coding requirements; each town has its own code, its own code inspector, and its own fee schedule. The building permit in one town may only cost $150 while the same permit will cost $1350 in another town. Each town has different height and footprint requirements, and it takes someone who really understands the regulations to make sure customers get what they want in their garage without violating any of their local codes.

WR: What was the wildest garage project you ever had?

SW: The wildest garage project we ever did was a garage that was never intended for cars. It cost more than a lot of people’s homes – bigger than many – and was designed strictly to be a hobby center.

WR: What does every Blue Sky Builder customer need to know?

SW: There are three questions we almost always hear: The husband wants to know how big the garage can be. The wife wants to know if we can build the garage without completely ruining their beautiful landscaping. And most of our customers want to know about special storage options, whether for an antique car or attic space for Christmas decorations.

WR: What is the most commonly requested feature?

SW: Most people ask about having windows in their garage door, and it’s also one of the more cost-effective ways to beautify the building. Occasionally, the owner will want taller walls for a car lift. We also have many antique car collectors who want special storage space for their babies.

WR: What makes you the happiest about your business?

SW: After 31 years, we still have the highest possible rating with the Better Business Bureau and on Angie’s List. That makes me feel good; we pride ourselves on doing everything we can to meet our customer’s needs.

We’d like to thank Scott for spending time talking to us. We’re proud to be associated with such a reputable and quality-conscious company.

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Space.

Time.

Peace of Mind.

That's the magic of White Rabbit.

Basement Floor Solutions, Part II

2010-11-15T06:17:00.001-08:00

As promised, we’re continuing our discussion on basement floors and how White Rabbit approaches floor revitalization. Unfortunately, we see far too often what can happen when the wrong product or process is used on basement and garage floors. A good floor surface should last a very long time, but when the new surface is applied improperly, there will often be visible problems with the floor, within a few years.

It’s not as easy to resurface a floor as it may seem. Many floor companies simply put down acid and etch the floor, prior to laying down a new layer of epoxy. The problem, of course, is that without properly grinding down the floor and creating a new floor surface, the epoxy simply will not remain sealed to the floor. Imagine walking across your basement or garage floor, from which the epoxy is starting to lift, and having it stick to your shoes and track throughout your home. It can be a real nightmare. Epoxy residue can be disastrous if it gets into your carpeting or onto your vinyl floors.

We see so many floors that look just terrible. They are spalling and chipping, and there is dust and dirt coming up and being tracked into the house. White Rabbit can take your terrible-looking floor, the floor that is creating so much extra work for you inside the house – and make it look brand new. It’s all in our process, and like any good process, it all starts with the foundation.

To obtain a solid seal and a long-lasting floor, the underlayment must be prepared properly. This is the step that many companies will skimp on, because of the time involved. White Rabbit knows that the harder we work on the underlayment, the longer your floor will last and the happier you will be.

That’s why we literally grind down your existing floor. Once we completely grind it down, we carefully fill in all of the cracks and smooth out the spalling. Then, we grind it down again. Instead of just coating the floor with a layer of epoxy, like most companies, we lay down a layer of polyurea, a layer of flakes, and then another layer of polyurea. When the process is finished, the floor looks fabulous.

More than just looking great, though, the polyurea floor is a dream to maintain. The concrete dust is sealed in, it doesn’t track into the house. The polyurea surface is waterproof, so you can easily wipe up oil and chemicals. The floor stays cleaner and less dirt, dust, and grease gets tracked into your home.

Polyurea is also mold resistant. Concrete is porous, but polyurea is not. Imagine a basement floor that resists mold. Suddenly you have extra storage capacity or extra living space – your basement becomes usable again.

Whether you need a new floor for your garage, your basement, or even your driveway, White Rabbit knows how to do floors the right way. Let us show you what we can do for your floor!

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Space.
Time.
Peace of Mind.
That's the magic of White Rabbit.

Basement Floor Solutions

2010-10-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

Sealing your basement floors can prevent mold and mildew, transforming your basement from unusable space to safe storage space. Basement floors, especially in our cold weather country, can be very susceptible to moisture because the concrete acts almost like a sponge, wicking water from the soil.

Have you ever thought about sealing and finishing your basement floor but have been told it’s too cold to do right now? For companies who use epoxy to seal floors, which the majority of them do, it’s true – it’s already too cold. To apply an epoxy seal to your basement floor, the concrete has to be at least 50 degrees. However, White Rabbit has opted to use a revolutionary new flooring product called polyurea – a special polymer coating designed to provide a long-lasting seal.

Polyurea is the latest advancement in concrete coating technology. However, it is not a new product; it has been in use in industrial applications for over 25 years. It’s the type of product used for sewer linings, water treatment plants, and other industrial uses. Its incorporation into the garage and basement flooring is just beginning, but White Rabbit immediately saw the benefit to our customers.

Not only does the switch to polymer from epoxy allow us to work on your floor, when you want it done, regardless of the temperature, but polymer floors are also four times stronger than epoxy floors and three times more scratch resistant. Polymer floors even maintain a high sheen better than epoxy. Best of all, though, your floor can be done in one day, without the odor epoxy brings, for the same price as epoxy floors.

That’s right – White Rabbit can revitalize your basement floor with polymer coating, at no additional cost over an epoxy treatment!

Epoxy is an older product with some severe downsides. Not only does it take two to three days to install epoxy floors, but the odor from epoxy, while not toxic, can be overwhelming. We were once working on a polymer floor when our client’s neighbor stopped by and marveled at the lack of smell. She had recently had her floors done using epoxy, and the odor soaked into her drywall and was still giving off an odor two months later! Polymer is virtually odorless.

You can apply polymer onto any surface, including plastic and wood. Epoxy does not always adhere well to wood, so if you have wood stairs leading from your garage, it can be difficult to get the epoxy to properly bond. Polymer offers a wide variety of choice for color and other additives that will allow you to customize the look of your basement floor.

White Rabbit provides you with a better and more versatile basement floor product at the same price. In our next post, we will talk about the steps White Rabbit takes during the sealing process, to ensure your basement floor coating lasts as long as possible.

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Space.
Time.
Peace of Mind.
That's the magic of White Rabbit.

Tools of the Trade

2010-10-11T05:22:00.000-07:00

Garage organization has come a long way in the last several decades and White Rabbit has always tried to stay on the leading edge of innovation by offering customized storage solutions. Not only are we always searching for the products and materials that we can use for storage and organization, but we will even custom build or create a storage solution to meet our clients’ unique needs. With the right approach and the proper storage and organization tools at our disposal, we can truly offer solutions that will get you organized and that will make sure you stay organized.

We often find that our clients are forced to store items in the basement that they would rather access by use of their garage. From holiday decorations and spare furniture to bulk food purchases, many find it easier and more efficient to run to the garage for what they need, rather than fighting spider webs and rickety staircases to get to the basement.

If your basement is prone to flooding or stays damp during certain times of the year, storing items like food may be impossible. Clients often call, desperate for a garage solution, only after they’ve discovered something precious has molded or decayed in the damp basement after months of storage.

The right storage solutions for one person may not be right for another. At White Rabbit, we begin the garage transformation process by sitting and listening to each client’s needs and then customize a solution to meet those particular needs. We pride ourselves on being able to create high quality storage solutions using cabinets, shelving, baskets, containers, cupboards, and counter space that will work for your unique space.

We are always careful to use materials that we are confident will withstand the brutal weather conditions we sometimes have to endure here. White Rabbit will personalize your garage organization to ensure that the finished project is everything you have envisioned. We can build custom lockers for the storage of coats and hats. For those using their garage as an entrance to their home, we can create a mud room area, where you can store shoes and boots. We can design custom sports lockers for the family’s athletic equipment. We can even add some pizzazz to your garage with Polyurea concrete floor coatings!

Recent innovations in garage storage allow us to use space more efficiently than ever. With crank and pulley systems that allow for the addition of overhead storage, even the smallest garage space can provide useful, easily accessible storage solutions for the things you need.

With the Magic of White Rabbit, if you can envision it, we can create a storage solution that will work for you!

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Space.
Time.
Peace of Mind.
That's the magic of White Rabbit.

Rookie Mistakes

2010-09-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

Winter is not too far away, unfortunately, and the last thing we want to think about is people having to scrape ice off the windows in the morning to be able to leave for work. Is your garage overflowing to the point where you can no longer use it to store your car?

Getting your garage organized takes time and effort, but it may also require expertise. White Rabbit understands how difficult and time consuming it can be to find the right solutions to your storage and organization needs. We started the business because we realized that no one was providing garage organization solutions when we needed them for our garage. When trying to organize our own garage, we were forced to piece it together by building shelves and placing baskets on the shelves in order to contain things.

When we decided to create a garage organization business, the first thing we did was travel to the southwest where garage storage is essential because few of the homes have basements. The warm weather allows homeowners to use their garages as an alternate room. There are a lot of home offices in garages, so we thought it would be a great place to get ideas about garage organization.

We adopted some of the ideas that we saw in place there and brought them back to Chicago. One thing we failed to consider, however, was the impact of the difference in weather conditions. Our cold, wet winters caused the little plastic legs on the cabinets we were using to fail. We learned the hard way that we needed more durability — products that could stand up to the harsh extremes we experience here.

When we found a solution that worked, we went back to every customer we had provided storage and replaced the legs on their cabinets to make it right.

It’s easy to overlook the little details when creating useful garage storage solutions. One thing we almost always see clients do when they have tried to do organize the garage themselves is not accounting for the space their cars will need. Frequently, we find that the first place people try to create additional storage is on the sides of the garage along the walls. What happens, of course, is that there is no room left for car doors to open, or they open and hit the items stored along the wall, and suddenly, the space issue seems worse than before.

White Rabbit has almost a quarter of a century of experience creating customized storage solutions that take into account all of the things you need to store in your garage – including the car. We like finding ways to keep the side walls of the garage clear so that car doors can open easily without damage. When we organize the garage, we try very, very hard to put nothing on the sides of the garage where the car doors open. We use creative solutions like ceiling storage and pulley systems that let us store items you only need access to infrequently up and out of the way.

By working directly with our clients to determine their needs, we can customize our storage solutions to fit their lifestyle, all while providing enough room to keep the car in and out of the weather so that you can start your day just a little bit warmer!

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Space.
Time.
Peace of Mind.
That's the magic of White Rabbit.

More Than Vehicle Storage

2010-09-13T05:22:00.000-07:00

In our business, we see a lot of garages, and more often than not, there is more going on in the garage than just storing the vehicles. The garage can often be an extension of the home and people who live in it.

White Rabbit Garage Organizers takes pride in providing garage storage, organization, and easy access solutions for items that are already in the garage, like bikes, children's toys, garbage cans, shoes, patio furniture, and tools. We can also show you how to store items from other areas of the home, like vacuum cleaners, cleaning supplies, bulk paper goods, off-season clothing, large kitchen items, folding chairs, and china. What makes the job fun, though, is working with our clients to create space solutions that add smiles and imagination to your daily life!

Are you short on space and looking for a way to create your customized solutions? Our garage designers will work with you and learn about what it is that you want to accomplish. We have pictures of garages to help inspire you. We can draw a free design of your proposed space to help you envision what can be accomplished. When you close your eyes, what can you imagine yourself doing with extra space?

Have you always wanted a space to begin potting flowers and starting seedlings? In our harsh winters, spring can be a long ways off when it’s time to start planting. We can add a potting workbench that gives you the space you need to have blue-ribbon zucchinis by fair time.

Do you dream about having a bunch of friends over to watch the big game without having to worry about spilled beer and chip crumbs working their way into the carpet? With a high performance polymer garage floor and some built-in counter space to hold the munchies, you can transform your garage into the perfect space for hosting Monday Night Football parties.

Have you always wanted to try your hand at pottery or oil painting but don’t want the mess inside your home? Take control of your garage space and let us help you design the perfect art studio, complete with lighting and storage for all of your supplies.

Some of our most delightful projects have been those where we have helped clients achieve the dream of space. The great thing about getting organized is that when everything has a place, the result is often discovering space you didn’t think you had. We’ve transformed garages into offices, studio apartments, playrooms for the kids, and special getaways that offer a much-needed escape.

We really do believe in our business philosophy, and treat our clients and employees as partners in planning and directing our business. We enjoy listening to our customers, understanding their needs, and having the opportunity to help them discover the space they need. We feel very lucky to have the opportunity to provide a service and a product that can truly help people do more with their lives. That truly is magic.

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Space.
Time.
Peace of Mind.
That's the magic of White Rabbit.

First Steps to Getting Organized

2010-08-30T13:20:00.000-07:00

When you are ready to organize your garage, White Rabbit’s magic is ready to come to your rescue. However, there are a few things we will ask you to do before we can start waving our wand and transforming your space. One of the biggest questions you’ll need to consider is: What is it you want to do with your garage space?

While many people simply think of the garage as the place to store the car and lawn mower, a garage often becomes so much more, especially during our cold northern winters. Have you ever even stopped to think about the potential your garage offers? We’ve seen people use the extra garage space we create for everything from a dance studio to an extra living room. When you have a place for your things, there really are no limits to what you can do with the remaining space. Shut your eyes and imagine what you could do with your free space (we’ll be talking more about the potential of your garage next month).

The most important prep step you can take to be ready for your garage transformation is to take a trip through your garage and determine what, if anything, you no longer need. This is a great time to focus on de-cluttering. Our rule of thumb: if you haven't used something in three years, is it really something you still need to keep?

Once you have identified what can go, we can create winning solutions for storing what has to stay. You can also decide whether or not there are items you currently store inside the house that you would rather store in the garage. How items are stored depends on what purpose your garage serves in your household. Some of the questions to ask yourself (we ask these questions of all our clients) include:

• Do you use your garage as a primary or secondary entrance to your home?
• Do you need to use an area of your garage as a mud room or entry way in which you can store coats, boots, and umbrellas?
• Do you access your garage daily to access a laundry area or office space?
• Are there hobbies you do or would like to do in the garage that would be easier to accomplish with a workbench or table space?
• Do you have bikes? How many? How often do you use them?
• Do you have children who play sports? How often do they access the garage and what kind of equipment do they need to have access to safely?
• Do you use your garage to store garbage cans and recycling bins?
• Do you have items you only need to store in the garage during the winter, like a picnic table or grill?
• Do you have hobbies that require special equipment like skis or golf clubs?

Thinking about these questions can help you create a customized storage space that turns your garage into a usable area. There are a variety of things we can help you find ways to store, including old magazines, extra toys, items designated for charity, seasonal items for holiday decorating, bulk food items, and cleaning supplies.

See the Magic the Rabbit can do for you!

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Space.
Time.
Peace of Mind.
That's the magic of White Rabbit.

Organize Your Garage, Change Your Life

2010-08-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

How many times has stress impacted your life, whether it’s contributed to a poor night’s rest, caused you to dwell on something, or prevented you from doing something you would rather be doing? So much of the stress in our lives is beyond our control. Of all the uncontrollable stress in your life, though, you do have control over the stress of clutter.

An unorganized garage may not seem like something that could wreak havoc in other parts of your life, but over the years, we have seen the magic that comes from de-cluttering the garage space. Garages tend to become a catch-all for everything without a place, so it’s easy for the space to get unorganized and make our lives more difficult.

Many of our clients come to us when they have had it with stress. They can’t find things they need; they can’t fit the car in the garage; but mostly, they are overwhelmed with where to even begin reorganizing the space. One instance in particular always stands out for us as the perfect example of why we love what we do and why garage organization does lead to happiness.

We had a client who presented us with a distinctive garage organization challenge. Our client had very limited space, needed the floor and wall area of his garage to remain as open as possible, but still had quite a bit to store. With no basement or other storage options than the garage, we had to be creative. Our solution? Ceiling storage!

We literally looked beyond the standard storage design solutions and expanded our viewpoint to include unique ways to use our client’s available space. We were able to create a huge amount of storage on the ceiling that added needed space in the garage and provided our client with much-needed organization and increased storage capacity.

“Now I can finish my screenplay!” was our satisfied client’s response. He explained that it really made a difference in his whole life to have his garage organized. “Look, my garage always bothered me. It really made me uneasy. It made me feel a little off because I’m in and out of it all the time. My house is clean and organized. The garage was a mess. I have no basement. I had nowhere to put my stuff.”

By using the ceiling, we opened up an entirely new way for our client to store his things. More importantly, we opened up his life and mind, giving him the relief from tension that was needed to focus on the things that were truly important to him, like finishing his screenplay.

Garage organization can make a difference in your life, too. Not only does it make it easier to find what you are looking for, but it can actually relieve some of the added tension you may be feeling. If your garage is causing you stress, why not see the magic the rabbit can do for you?

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Space.
Time.
Peace of Mind.
That's the magic of White Rabbit.

Keep Kids Safe with an Organized Garage

2010-07-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

White Rabbit Garage Organizers has been in business for 22 years. When we first started the company, like every new owner, everything we talked about at the dinner table had something to do with our business. Peg board, cabinets, organizers, and every garage that we passed by with an open garage door gave us more to discuss. Garages were, apparently, all that we talked about. It wasn’t until our daughter came home from kindergarten one day that we realized just how much garage organization had been on our minds.

Our daughter was asked by her kindergarten teacher to draw a picture of a house. When she brought it home, we realized that garage organization had taken over our household. The picture of her house was a typical house, with a pointed roof and some windows and a door… But the house was only a minor detail. The main focus of our daughter’s work of art was an attached garage that was larger than the size of the house, with carefully drawn cabinets inside.

You probably don’t find many kindergarteners drawing a picture of a house with a well-organized garage as the main focus. When we started the business, we were just totally immersed in making sure that we created the best business possible and provided the very best solutions for our customers.

We still have that picture and we share it with our clients. It’s just terrific. It makes us smile and brings us back to the days when we started the company. It also makes us realize how much garage organization does affect kids.

The garage can be a haven for disasters and accidents. Safety is one of the key reasons why people decide to organize their garages – either their child has been hurt or they are afraid the child will be. The fear is real; according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), one in four kids is injured in the garage or by the garage door every year.

Whether it’s having chemicals in reach of kids, having so much stuff in the garage that something falls on them or having your garage become a haven for rodents, the risk is there. The best way to protect your kids is to have storage solutions that give you a safe place to keep lawn and garden chemicals, tools, bug sprays, paints, oil, gas, vehicle additives and any other hazardous items you keep in your garage. Organizing can also help you make rodents and other pests feel much less welcome in your garage.

Keeping your kids safe in the garage is as easy as following these key steps:

Move chemicals, wires, and tools out of reach
Create a separate storage area for kids’ belongings away from adult items
Make sure your garage door has an automatic override that will detect and reverse when something is in the way
Install a great storage rack for balls to prevent them from rolling around the garage floor, tripping people
If you have a fridge in your garage, keep it locked so your kids can’t play inside
Don’t let kids be in the garage unsupervised
Secure bikes to prevent them from falling on the car and to keep the car from crashing into them
Make sure your garage is well lit

For more information on garage safety for kids, visit these websites:

The Home Safety Council

Parents.com Garage Safety Basics

Garage safety can be made easy when you have an organized garage that gives you a specific place to store all of your things. You may even be able to get the car back in the garage and out of the weather this year!

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit

Welcome to the White Rabbit Blog!

2010-07-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the White Rabbit Garage Organizers blog, a place we invite you to visit to find tips about organizing and taking control of your space, to talk about why we love our garages so much, and to share a some smiles.

When we started White Rabbit, it was the result of our own need – a need we have discovered that we share with many people. We had an unorganized, chaotic garage. Even though we kept our home clean, somehow, our garage became the catch-all for everything from gardening equipment to the kids’ sports equipment. It was a jumbled mess. Honestly, it was difficult – and sometimes impossible – to even use the garage for what it had been intended: a car.

In the U.S., the garage has become a prominent feature in the design of the home. You often see the garage door before you see the front door of the house. People use their garages as their main entrance. We used our garage for coming and going, and to be honest, we were embarrassed when parents would drop off our kids after sports practice and would see the inside of the garage as the kids came into the house.

After one too many desperate searches for missing baseball gloves and soccer cleats five minutes before game time, we decided something had to be done about the way our garage was organized. What we discovered as we started looking for solutions was that no one was really offering a one-stop garage organization solution, and what organization components were available were not really designed for the garage.

White Rabbit Garage Organizers was born out of the desire to help others experience the relief and release of tension we felt when we finally reclaimed our garage space. That was 22 years ago, and while we have since expanded into offering office and basement organization solutions, our primary focus remains on delivering high quality products and impeccable service to our clients.

In the early days as we were getting started, we quickly realized that our harsh winters and humid summers would require materials that weren’t being used for organization, and we’ve developed long-lasting organization and storage solutions that are built for our abusive weather. Organizing the garage may not seem like a big deal, but often the chaos of the garage is directly affecting your life by creating tension, causing stress, or creating an unsafe space where kids can get hurt.

From simple cabinets to customized pulley and crank systems, White Rabbit can help you reclaim your garage space, put everything within easy reach, and create a usable, welcoming, and organized space — and we do it all with a commitment to quality that sets us apart. We can customize our organization solutions to meet your needs, whether you are trying to make room for the car again or transforming your garage into usable work space for a studio or office.

These days, we pride ourselves on being able to work our magic – whether it’s adding sparkles to your garage floor or finding a way to store your stuff on the ceiling — and we can’t wait to help put you back in control of your space.

Hopping To It…

The Rabbit