By Molly Hammond, Storage.com<\/p>\n
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, which means one thing\u2014it’s time to figure out what gifts to give!<\/p>\n
Between Black Friday bargains and always-open online retailers, it’s easy to get your hands on the items your loved ones have put on their lists. But as the bags and boxes pile up, you might be caught wondering where on Earth you can stash all the stuff. The answer? A storage unit!<\/p>\n
Every family has their own holiday traditions that make celebrating special for them, but one of the most common is keeping presents tucked away until Christmas Eve. Still,\u00a0it can be difficult to find space to hide presents from prying eyes in a season that’s already rife with clutter.<\/p>\n
“Christmas is indeed a space hog,” says Jeff Westover, Editor of My Merry Christmas<\/a>, an online community for Christmas enthusiasts. “In my house, where space is limited, putting up the tree means losing some of the furniture…I think that’s a reality for a lot of people.”‘<\/p>\n “Kids anticipate Christmas not because of what they know they will receive, but because they know they will be surprised.”<\/p>\n Jeff Westover, Editor of My Merry Christmas<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n Westover is a parent of seven children, so he understands the joy that Christmas gifts bring to families, particularly for little ones. “Kids anticipate Christmas not because of what they know they will receive, but because they know they will be surprised. They love that delicious anticipation, kind of like seeing a horror movie. They love what they are going to feel, and they love being a part of that.”<\/p>\n “I think every parent is concerned about storing gifts before the holidays,” says Laurie Hyman, co-founder of Green Toys<\/a>, which sells toys made of recycled and environmentally-friendly materials. “Maintaining the mystery and surprise is part of the fun…many parents [go] to great lengths to keep that surprise.”<\/p>\n Hyman says she knows parents who will hide gifts in dog houses, under beds, in their offices, and even in their neighbors’s homes just to keep kids from spoiling the holiday surprise. “Parents get creative when it means keeping gifts away from their little ones.”<\/p>\n “I think every parent is concerned about storing gifts before the holidays\u2026Maintaining the mystery and surprise is part of the fun.”<\/p>\n Laurie Hyman, co-founder of Green Toys<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n If your home is already tight on space, and you don’t want the spirit of the season to be ruined, you can use a storage unit to hide your Christmas gifts from your loved ones.<\/p>\n Christian Marcen, manager at Affordable Storage Solutions<\/a> in Pueblo, Colo., says she sees\u00a0tenants every year storing\u00a0Christmas gifts in units. “Customers really enjoy the convenience.”<\/p>\n WHAT KIND OF STORAGE UNIT SHOULD I RENT?<\/strong><\/p>\n Since hiding Christmas gifts in a storage unit will be a short-term affair, there’s no reason not to rent a unit that comes with all of the trappings for safe storage. As far as gifts are concerned, the most important things to look for are security, climate control, and convenience.<\/p>\n Security<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s always important to feel that your items are safe in storage, but that’s especially true when storing items that are both monetarily and emotionally valuable, like Christmas gifts.<\/p>\n “Visit the facility before [renting],” Marcen advises. “Make sure the facility has a gate system, cameras, and [takes] every precaution possible make sure customers’s items are safe.”<\/p>\n\n
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