Tip # 30...Set up a schedule to spend time with the boxes you have in storage

It is the day before Halloween and the last thing you want to do is go through storage boxes. I understand. But part of our celebration of Family History Month, especially as it draws to a close, is to set plans to keep family history a part of our everyday lives.

So, today's tip is an easy one. Spend five minutes building a plan to spend time with those boxes. You know the ones that were tossed in the back of the closet, left on the shelves in the garage, or stored in rental space. Decide today whether you will spend an hour a week, two hours a month or one Saturday every quarter going on a treasure hunt in your own house. Just like you plan to mop the kitchen and cut the grass, create the time and the reminders you need to do it. And, include the whole family. Everyone can help and relive memories or learn about the family's life before they were born.

You may discover precious heirlooms which require better archival storage. Or, you may find since you have lived without the item for a few months, years, or decades, it may be time to donate to a worthy cause.

Plan it, record it and do it. Sometimes the best family history research happens in your own home.