Category Archives: Seasonal

California Wildfires

The western coast of the United States, particularly California, is well known for wildfires. California experiences the greatest number of wildfires out of all of the states, and in 2019 alone, over 1.3 million acres were burned in 5,300 separate fires. Wildfire occurrence and the annual amount of acres burned has been increasing since 1950.

California Wildfires

Fire season in California typically occurs from August to November. Fire is a natural occurrence in many California ecosystems, including brushlands and forests. It helps clear out the leaf litter on forest floors and dry vegetation in brushlands, adding more nutrients to the soil and fostering new life.

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Toast to Christmas

Holiday Storage DrinksDecember is here and that means holiday parties, holiday cheer and well, holiday drinks!  Whether you are hosting a party or attending one, here are a few holiday inspired beverages that are sure to please the crowd.  Just remember, nothing can ruin a party like having one too many drinks—so be responsible.

Here are a few favorite adult and kid friendly delicious drinks that will taste like Christmas in a glass.

White Christmas Martini (per inspiredbycharm.com/white-christmas-martini):

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces vanilla vodka
  • 2 ounce white chocolate liqueur
  • 1 ounce white creme de cacao
  • 1 ounce half-and-half
  • Honey and coarse sanding sugar for rim garnish

Instructions:  Pour the honey into a shallow dish and put the sanding sugar in another shallow Continue reading

Thanksgiving Leftover Hacks

leftovers storageIt’s Friday and you thoroughly enjoyed your Thanksgiving dinner the night before. You wake up, open the fridge and what do you see? Leftovers. Turkey, potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, gravy, rolls, pumpkin pie…the list goes on. You may be okay eating another Thanksgiving meal or two, or you might find yourself craving something different but feeling guilty for not consuming all the leftovers you have in the fridge.  That’s where some creativity and an adventurous spirit come in.

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Trick or Treat in the Rear View Mirror

trick or treat storageWell, Halloween is officially behind us now. If you’re like millions of other Americans, you probably have way more candy in your house than you’d like. Maybe you don’t want your kids to consume that much sugar or maybe you lack self-control and those fun size chocolate pieces and rainbow colored sugar candies are a constant source of temptation.  Whatever your situation may be, we have a solution for you!  Store it!  Rent a small storage unit at one of our convenient locations convenient locations and store that sugar in a small, air-conditioned unit. Continue reading

Preparing Your Home For Company

preparing your home for companyAs we near the end of September our thoughts jump to sweaters, everything pumpkin, and holidays!  For most of us those thoughts are welcomed and exciting. For others of us, the thought of holidays and company mean stress. We stress over making our homes company ready and we may even stress about having people in our home that we have to entertain and prepare for.

If you find yourself getting a little anxious about having to prepare for company, we have a few tips Continue reading

Summer Fun

summer-fun-and-storageSchools are either out or letting out very soon and the Summer Solstice is upon us. That means the little people in most homes are super excited!

For the parents of these kids, the excitement may be mixed with a little apprehension. Parents are excited to have a few months off of rushing around in the morning and having to get kids up, fed, lunches made, and out the door before 8 am. But slower mornings also mean that you’ll have your kids home all day long.  It’s only a matter of time before they get “bored” and you’re left scrambling for ideas of things to do.

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Arizona: Fun In The Sun

Phoenix Tucson Summer StorageWhen most people hear the words “Arizona” and “summer” in the same sentence, they probably just think of unbearable heat and being uncomfortable.  While temps in Arizona do get pretty high in the summer, there are lots of cool and fun activities that this beautiful state has to offer. According to  Planet Ware, there are 17 must see attractions in this beautiful state: The Grand Canyon, Sedona, Monument Valley, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Phoenix, Hoover Dam, Jerome, Havasu Falls, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Bisbee, Lake Mead, Tombstone, Petrified Forest National Park, Saguaro National Park, Antelope Canyon, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Tumacacori National Historical Park.  All of these places are in different parts of the state and would allow someone to appreciate all the beauty Arizona has to offer.

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Is It Hot In Here?!

storage near california beachesIt’s that time again!  Students are counting down the days till school is out; campsites are starting to fill up and many of us start planning a few getaways where we can cool off.  Summer is almost here!

Some of us may be contemplating doing different activities this summer.  Trying to camp for the first time, taking a trip to a location we’ve never been to or maybe doing something big: like purchasing a boat, jet skis or an RV.  Being that Dollar Self Storage has five storage locations in California we’ve come to appreciate the beauty this state has to offer.   Continue reading

Love the Holidays – Hate the Storing

storing holiday decorationsChristmas is always such a wonderful time of year. The mood around town is festive, homes are decorated with lights, a Christmas tree and all sorts of festive décor fill our homes with warmth. But come January 1, most of us are ready to pack up Christmas and put it away. But boy, Christmas sure takes up a lot of room.

Every year, I am amazed that over half of the garage is filled with bins that hold Christmas items. Bins that are taking up precious garage space….bins that are only needed for a very small window of time. Continue reading

Changing it Up: Inexpensive Ways to Freshen Your Decor

decorAs we put away the Christmas decorations and face the New Year, it can be a great time to look around and think about how we want our living spaces to look. Are you one of those people who likes to change up the look of your home on a regular basis? Do you go for beach cottage in the summer and cozy ski lodge in the winter? It’s fun and surprisingly easy to do, and doesn’t require moving a lot of furniture (unless you like that sort of thing.) This article on Apartment Therapy talks about how little changes can make a big difference in updating the look of your living room, and this page at Better Homes & Gardens has links to dozens of seasonal decorating craft projects and ideas. Here are some of the best inexpensive ways to freshen your décor: Continue reading