Breathe Life Into Your Small New Orleans Living Space With These Houseplants

A houseplants sitting on a desk and window sill of a small apartment.

It's fun to refresh your New Orleans home or apartment with a touch of green. Indoor plants make small rooms seem bigger. Transfer tabletop clutter to self storage, and make way for these easy plants to grow indoors.

Don’t have the greenest thumb? No problem! There are plenty of low maintenance houseplants that are perfect for your busy schedule. Plus, if you tend to be forgetful, many low maintenance plants only require watering a couple of times a month.
Discover how to brighten up your space with Safeguard Self Storage on Erato Street! We’ve tracked down a wide variety of fun, low maintenance plants to welcome into your home or apartment.

Best Easy House Plants for Full Sun

A jasmine plant with white blossoms sitting on a window sill.

Jasmine

Jasmine does well in windows with southern exposures. This indoor version of the outdoor vine fills a room with sweet fragrance. Give jasmine a small trellis, and watch it grow into a beautiful climber.

Hibiscus

This is another outdoor plant that does well inside. If you keep it on a sunny windowsill, the hibiscus produces gorgeous blossoms. Its vividly colored flowers liven up any room.

Sweet Basil

Sweet basil thrives in sunny kitchens and supplies fresh flavor year-round. Move seldom-used countertop appliances to your storage unit, and replace them with a miniature herb garden.

Low Light, Low Maintenance Indoor Plants

A polka dot plant with green leaves covered in pink speckles.

Polka Dot Plant

This little hybrid is a showy standout in rooms with limited natural light. Its spotted leaves are rainbows of reds, pinks and whites. The diminutive polka dot plant fits perfectly on shallow shelving.

Lucky Bamboo

You don't need a sunny corner to get lucky with this woody favorite. It's considered by many to be a Feng Shui must-have. Lucky bamboo is one of the best indoor plants for water-filled containers.

Christmas Cactus

It's not really a cactus, but its rounded leaves resemble the spikes on prickly outdoor plants. Each fall, the Christmas cactus adds a festive touch to interiors with cascading crimson blossoms.

Safe Indoor Plants for Pets and Kids

A zebra plant with spiky tendrils covered in white, compact, horizontal stripes.

Zebra Plant

This non-toxic succulent is one of the best easy houseplants for busy lifestyles because it only needs watering every three or four weeks. The zebra plant does require plenty of sunshine to maintain its charm.

Parlor Palm

Even the smallest home has space for a coconut tree's relative. The parlor palm has been gracing shady corners in tight spaces since the Victorian era. It's completely safe around children and pets.

African Violet

If you love kid- and pet-friendly indoor plants with flowers, you'll adore colorful African violets. The elegant little plants are surprisingly low-maintenance, but they do prefer lots of sunlight.

Unique Indoor Plants for Small Spaces

Air Plant

Of all the easy plants to grow indoors, the air plant holds a special place. It doesn't need soil to grow. Just set it out in a shallow bowl, or suspend it from a shelf with a fishing line.

Golden Pothos

A small, humid bathroom is ideal for the golden pothos. Yellow variegation adds a pretty pattern to its green heart-shaped leaves. Golden pothos plants only need minimum sunlight.

Spider Plant

Every indoor plant decoration idea should be this easy. Fill a hanging basket with a spider plant, and watch it mature into a cascading room accent.

Enjoy Storage Space That Grows with You at Safeguard

Indoor plants can breathe life and color into even the smallest rooms. Your only problem may be finding a spot to securely perch your plants. When you need to make room for your plants, Safeguard Self Storage on Erato Street can help you expand those tight spaces.

In addition to our facility on Erato Street, we have convenient storage facilities throughout New Orleans and Louisiana. When you need room to grow, we have room to spare. Determine how much room you need with our helpful space estimator, and find a Safeguard Self Storage facility near you today!

Celebrating the Holidays in New Orleans

If you're wondering what to do in New Orleans in December, the Erato Street locals at Safeguard Self Storage are here to help. During this holiday season, the city will light up with wonderful outdoor and virtual celebrations—meaning you can enjoy the festivities, stay safe, and take care of your gift list at the same time. With these six events at the top of your holiday must-do list in New Orleans, you won’t have to search for what to do in December during these unusual times. 

What to Do in New Orleans in December: 6 Sensational Ideas

1. Take In the Holiday Lights

The French Quarter turns on its best this time of year. Take a cruise up and down famous Royal and Chartres Streets, or view the bright displays at Jackson Square from a distance. Additionally, Celebration in the Oaks is one of the most spectacular drive-thru holiday lights festivals in the country, as it features hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights and fun displays across 2.25 miles.

2. Shop Until You Drop

Local businesses on Magazine Street offer 6 miles of holiday window shopping and unique present ideas. Additionally, French Quarter Festivals, Inc. (FQFI) and New Orleans & Company have launched a new online holiday shopping guide that features loads of local retailers—including stores from the iconic French Market District. Make those perfect purchases via pick up, delivery, or online shopping and tuck your gift stash in nearby New Orleans storage units on Erato Street.

3. Cheer on a Drive-Thru Holiday Parade

Catch a seasonal Big Easy souvenir toss and cheer on some of the city's best marching bands all from the comfort of your car. Drive-thru Jingle on the Boulevard has everything you could ask for in a holiday parade, including guest celebrities, fun floats, and more.

4. Bask in City Park Lights

Visiting City Park is a relaxing way to wind down your outdoor fun in New Orleans. Take a walk through the 25-acre park and marvel at the magic of live oaks decked out in holiday lights. Socially distance as you enjoy a Big Easy tradition that's more than 30 years old.

5. Keep the Kids Entertained Online

Looking for fun, educational holiday experiences for the whole family? The NOLA ChristmasFest provides online activities like Christmas crafts, holiday baking and decorating, holiday dance classes, nightly book reading, and more—all from the comfort of your home!

6. Get Festive with Virtual Holiday Concerts

Holiday concerts in New Orleans are a family-favorite tradition. With festive concerts at places like St. Louis Cathedral and St. Augustine Church, you and your family can tune in virtually via YouTube or Facebook Live and enjoy holiday-themed music from artists like Irma Thomas, Amanda Shaw, Don Vappie, Tim Laughlin, and Rachel Van Voorhees.

New Orleans Storage Units: Hide Your Christmas Cache

All your online shopping adds up to a bountiful Christmas present cache. Keep it all under wraps with our new climate-controlled storage units in New Orleans on Erato Street. Let Safeguard Self Storage make smart storage solutions a part of your happiest holiday traditions.

Social Distancing Tips For a Fun Halloween During COVID-19

The coronavirus has changed life for everyone in the world. It has affected how we interact with each other and canceled many events this year, including Halloween in some parts of the country. With a few social distancing tips from Safeguard Self Storage in New Orleans, LA, your children will not have to miss the spooky fun on Halloween night.

3 Social Distancing Tips During Halloween

Turn your home into a haunted house.

Ghosts, ghouls, and goblins—oh my! Transform your home into a haunted house fit for zombies and other scary things. Stock up on decorations like spider webs, strobe lights, and hanging ghosts. Battery-operated sound machines can create spooky noises while eerie music on a Bluetooth player sets the mood. If you have limited space in places like your basement, garage, or spare bedrooms, our New Orleans self storage units on Erato Street can help you utilize more space for your DIY haunted house.

Go on a candy scavenger hunt.

Hunting for eggs on Easter is fun for kids of all ages. What about letting them hunt for candy on Halloween? If they are unable to go trick-or-treating, let them go on a candy scavenger hunt in their own backyard. You can hide candy in a variety of places and set a time for your kids to find it all. Take it one step further by creating a Halloween-themed piñata. Not only will they be able to search for candy, but they can also get together and break open the piñata to discover the surprises inside.

Tell ghost stories with video chat.

Trick-or-treating is all about getting together with friends and visiting every house on the block. The coronavirus is preventing friends and family from walking the sidewalks at night in search of tricks and treats. That does not mean they cannot get together online for some scary ghost stories. Install the Zoom app on your phone or computer, and let your children get together with their friends for some spooky stories on Halloween.

Use New Orleans Self Storage to Store Your Seasonal Decor

The coronavirus does not have to stop you from enjoying the holidays this year. If you take precautions and practice these social distancing tips, you and your family can participate in the Halloween fun even from home.

Once Halloween is over, it is time to put those decorations in storage and save space until the next holiday season. Thankfully, our New Orleans storage units are conveniently located on Erato Street to help you clear out your seasonal belongings with ease. Plus, you can take advantage of our contactless unit rental process to store near you with confidence. Reserve your unit at our Erato Street facility today!

7 Things You've Always Needed to Keep Your Home Organized

Home organization doesn't have to be a challenge. It shouldn't be something that stays one step ahead of your best intentions. You can conquer it. You just need smart strategies, clever organizing tricks, and convenient self storage. These seven simple tips from Safeguard Self Storage in Metairie, LA, keep even the busiest home organized and clutter-free.

7 Items That Are Great for Organization

1. A Stop at the Door

Start decluttering the house at the front door with decorative hooks and shelves for bags and jackets. Toss keys, sunglasses, and phones into a big, bright bowl on a small entryway table.

2. A Dresser in the Closet

Move an unused dresser into the closet. Position it against an open wall or slide it under hanging clothes. Fill it up with anything that doesn't have its own place.

3. Self Storage Under the Beds

Keep home organization easy and out of sight with rolling under-bed storage. Gliding trays can hold everything from seasonal clothes and bedding to the kids' toys.

4. Drawer Baskets Under the Sinks

Stacked, mesh basket drawers are a perfect storage fit under kitchen and bathroom sinks. Their open construction keeps humidity at bay, so feel free to fill them up with countertop clutter.

5. Restaurant Kitchen Rails

Take a decluttering tip from commercial kitchens. Mount simple, space-saving rail organizers on walls or inside cabinet doors. Hang sliding hooks on the rods and fill them up with kitchen stuff.

6. Ottomans With Room to Spare

Make home organization fashionable, inviting, and comfortable with a cushy storage ottoman. The functional furniture seats extra guests while it keeps clutter tucked away. Storage ottomans are great in the kids' playroom, too.

7. An Easy-to-Use Scanner

Once a week, convert papers that pile up into digital files. Transfer invitations, receipts, insurance documents, and general paperwork to your computer or cloud storage. Be good to the planet by recycling your scanned papers.

Expand Home Space With Self Storage

Now that you're in control of general clutter, give yourself room to spare. A storage unit is perfect for expanding your organizing strategies with these simple tricks.
• Free up kitchen cabinets by storing seldom-used pots, pans, and countertop appliances in your unit.
• Seasonal decorations stay safely out of the way in climate-controlled self storage.
• Set up clutter bins in the unit to catch things you plan on selling or donating.
• A small file cabinet in one corner keeps important papers and documents safe until you need them.
• Give the car room to breathe by moving garage clutter to your unit.

Congratulations on Conquering the Challenge

It feels great to be on top of home organization. We're happy to help with affordable storage solutions that work hard for you. When you need extra space, Safeguard Self Storage in Metairie, LA always has plenty of room.

The Thanksgiving Checklist You Need to Be the Hostess with the Mostess This Year

This is your year. Friends and family will always smile when they remember your New Orleans, LA, Thanksgiving celebration. Your warm hospitality and confidence in the kitchen are a winning combination. With a little pre-planning, smart self storage strategies and our handy checklist, this delicious holiday will be a piece of cake.

Get Ahead of Turkey Day

Your goals are simple. Be prepared, stay relaxed, and make sure everyone has a wonderful Turkey Day. Make it easy on yourself by getting ahead with these pre-planning tips.


✓ Rearrange furniture so that guests have room to circulate.
✓ Declutter kitchen counters and cabinets with a trip to self storage.
✓ Bring home holiday place settings, serving dishes, and decorations.
✓ Review recipes, and check supplies in the pantry and fridge.
✓ Beat long checkout lines by shopping for groceries early.

Embrace the Team Spirit

When family and friends offer to pitch in, say yes with a smile. They can help you get the house ready and streamline everything from guest foot traffic to cooking chores.


✓ Ask your home team to check their storage units for extra chairs.
✓ Enlist their muscle moving furniture and decorating the house.
✓ Designate a friendly crew to greet guests and hang up coats.
✓ Encourage everyone to bring favorite sides, desserts, wine, and beer.

Save Time With Pre-Prep

Don't put off anything you can take care of the day before the big day. You want to give yourself plenty of time to visit with guests, keep an eye on the turkey and tend to last-minute chores.

✓ Write up a detailed schedule and post it in the kitchen.
✓ Cook appetizers, sides, and desserts a day early if possible.
✓ Set out place settings and arrange table centerpieces.

Keep Things Simple and Fun

No one expects a gourmet meal for Thanksgiving. Everyone wants to pitch in and be a part of the holiday. Build on those two simple principles with easy ideas that create festive fun.


✓ Set out your feast on a self-serve side buffet.
✓ Let the kids have fun at their own T-Day table.
✓ As dishes are cleared, temporarily park them in ice chests in the kitchen.
✓ Relax and enjoy everyone's company before asking for cleanup duty volunteers.

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving

All of us here at Safeguard Self Storage wish you a wonderful start to the holidays. Count on us through the season and into the New Year. And if you’re looking for storage units in the New Orleans metro area, look no further. Reserve a unit online today!

What Can I Put in a 5x5 Storage Unit?

Self storage in New Orleans, LA, doesn't have to be big to be a big help. A 5-by-5 storage unit is surprisingly roomy with 25 square feet of storage space. Add a typical 8-foot ceiling, and overall dimensions measure a generous 200 cubic feet. These are just a few ways to make the most of your small unit:

Items To Put In Your 5x5 Storage Unit

Student Self Storage

Why haul things all the way home and back again? Travel light between semesters by parking your desk, chair, and dresser in a 5-by-5 unit. You should still have room for a twin mattress and several boxes.

Spare Remodeling Space

Make room at the house for a decorating makeover. Give your interior design talents plenty of space to work by moving things to temporary storage. Month-to-month leasing options keep storage units budget-friendly.

Seasonal Clothes

Save closets and drawers from overcrowding. Rotate seasonal clothes in and out of your small storage unit. Use a combination of shelves and lidded bins to convert vertical storage into a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe room.

Seasonal Decorations

Scare up space for Halloween decorations inside a compact unit. Celebrate extra room at home by moving Christmas lights, ornaments, and tree stands to secure storage. It's a year-round solution for storing seasonal decorations.

Liberated Outdoor Gear

Sports equipment, fishing tackle, and camping gear get lost in a crowded garage. Keep it all in one convenient storage space. Outdoor gear is easier to find and always ready to go in small storage units close to the house.

Winterized Garden Tools

Why trip over garden tools in the garage all winter? Give them a comfortable, cold-weather home. Everything fits in a 5-by-5 unit with enough room for the lawn mower. Be sure to empty its fuel tank before storing.

Extra Hobby Supplies

Start enjoying your favorite pastime again. Declutter hobby space at the house by keeping extra supplies in your unit. Double storage strategies by using an old bookshelf in the unit to keep supplies organized.

Compact Business Storage

Expand business potential at work or home with an extra 25 square feet of climate-controlled storage. Secure important records, back up inventory, and store extra equipment in your 5-by-5 unit.

Small Spaces That Always Fit

We believe in offering storage solutions that always fit. If you need a small unit, Safeguard Self Storage in New Orleans, LA, has one just your size. Stop by soon and let our storage professionals show you around.

Making a Map of Your Storage Unit Saves Time and Energy

If you’re not sure about an address, you can save time by checking a map of New Orleans, LA. Self storage doesn’t twist and turn like streets through the Big Easy, but you can still feel lost in a crowded unit. Why not draw up a map that makes your storage maze make sense?

How to Draw a Map of Your Self Storage Unit

Start with Your Stuff

Take inventory of the things you have in storage. Draw up another list of seasonal items that rotate in and out. Put together a good overview of how much you keep in the storage unit.

Size Up Your Storage Space

Use your facility’s online space calculator to get an accurate measurement of your unit’s capacity. The numbers can help you draft a sketch to scale so that you can begin plotting your map.

Zone the Space

Divide your unit plan into multiple zones. Designate separate areas for boxes, furniture, seasonal things, and outdoor gear. Keep items you access most often at the front of your layout.

Plot Easy Pathways

As you develop your self storage floor plan, make sure to plot pathways between zones. Leave room for moving large items in and out. Give yourself space to rummage through boxes.

Graph a Colorful Key

Assign a color to each map zone and draw up a small key in one corner of your storage unit map. Use this bright idea to color-label zoned boxes and covered items.

Map Shelves, Too

Draft a vertical map that synchronizes with items stored on shelving. Color works here, too. Assign shelf units unique map key colors that indicate different types of belongings.

Don’t Get Lost

Stay oriented by plotting your plan from the unit’s entrance door towards the back. This keeps the map user-friendly when you’re navigating the space in a hurry. Post a copy just inside the door and save a backup at the house.

Make Digital Files

Have fun with simple drawing software that makes it easy to draft storage maps. Digital files give you flexibility to change floor plans on the fly. They also generate printed maps you can be proud to call your own.

We Keep You on Course

Don’t ever feel lost in your storage unit again. Safeguard keeps you on course with storage strategies that really work. Our New Orleans, LA, self storage specialists are always at your service with locations across the city.

Five Signs You Really Do Need That Storage Unit

Storage units help people manage space, either on a permanent or temporary basis. From stashing your things while you're on summer break to staying organized when downsizing, off-site storage might be the answer. At Safeguard Self Storage, we provide a place for customers' belongings in New Orleans, LA and other communities. If you're experiencing any of the following situations, a storage unit may be right for you.

You're going through a life transition.

From building families to ending relationships, life events can affect your living situation. Maybe you need to store furniture and other items after merging households. Or you might need a place for your things while studying abroad for the semester. Keep your belongings sheltered in a storage unit for convenience and peace of mind.

There's an entire room in your house that can't be used.

Clutter happens. From the kids' sports gear to several years' worth of holiday decorations, everyday and special-occasion items tend to overtake valuable household space. It can happen before we even notice, especially if the change is gradual or it's a room that's rarely used as a living space. Many of our customers use storage units to keep seasonal items and other home goods out of the way when not in use.

You're neglecting a hobby due to lack of space.

Whether you live with roommates, have a small home, or simply lack the room, you shouldn't have to miss out on your favorite hobby. From crafts to craft brewing, apartment dwellers and homeowners alike can enjoy the activities they love with help from self storage.

There's no space in the garage for your cars.

If your garage has become overrun with everything from out-of-season clothing to boxes of collectibles, your local storage facility offers the space you need. Safeguard your things from theft and the elements while freeing up room for the family's vehicles. Or put away your RV or vintage car at our site in New Orleans, LA.

Your business is losing valuable space to supply storage.

Our residential customers aren't the only ones enjoying the benefits of storage units. Make sure your office, warehouse, or retail space stays tidy by keeping seldom-used equipment, extra supplies, or surplus inventory off site. Keep prime real estate free for essential business activities while protecting your investments.

Safeguard Self Storage, Your Professional Solution

Regardless of your reason for additional space, Safeguard Self Storage is here for you to help with your storage needs. Facilities in New Orleans, LA and other cities offer convenience and a wide range of amenities. Contact us to rent a unit and start your self storage journey today!

An Easy Way In: The Benefits of an Outdoor Access Storage Unit

When you consider leasing storage units here in Metairie, LA, you have more choices than you might realize. Our outdoor facilities are fenced in and home to some very smart storage options. We can think of at least seven benefits to enjoy with outdoor access to your unit. 

1. Easy Ins and Outs 

Pull in, park in front of your unit, and load or unload. It's that simple with outdoor self storage. Your space is always easy to access, which saves time whether you're in the middle of a move or storing away seasonal stuff. 

2. Facility-Wide Security 

You and your belongings deserve high-tech, site-wide security. Facility access is gated, computer-controlled and recorded. Digital video cameras add extra layers of protection. This surveillance blanket provides 24/7 on-site security you can depend on year-round. 

3. A Variety of Sizes 

When you need lots of space, storage units with outdoor access are some of your best choices, and they come with a variety of square-footage options. Figure out exactly how much room you need with our online space estimator tool. 

4. Room to Move 

Imagine not having to navigate facility hallways while you're moving furniture. Picture off-loading heavy appliances straight into the unit. Treat your back to the luxury of easy loading and unloading with outdoor access to storage. 

5. Extra Parking Space 

Many drive-up units are designed for storing cars, RVs, and motorcycles. When you want long-term parking for extra wheels, simply drive or ride into your unit. When the bass boat needs a spot between Lake Pontchartrain fishing trips, dock it in your storage unit. 

6. Heavy Equipment Storage 

If you run a business that relies on heavy equipment, drive-up self storage keeps the tools of your trade locked up and ready to go. Landscapers, roofers, and handyman services are just a few examples of small businesses that save big money by avoiding the expense of leasing commercial warehouse space. 

7. Flexible Affordability 

Often, units with outside access are less expensive than interior units. The savings add up, but you don't have to sign a long-term contract. Month-to-month leasing keeps storage options flexible and your budget under control. 

Multiple Sites at Your Service 

Online account management and on-site storage specialists are two more great reasons to appreciate outdoor access to storage units. Stop by one of our three Metairie, LA sites, and explore all the easy ways to enjoy self storage. Our Safeguard teams look forward to showing you our great outdoors.

The Keys to Good Cajun Cooking in New Orleans

cast iron skillet full of shrimp gumbo

Everybody appreciates the roses here in Crescent City, but most of us would just as soon stop and smell the gumbo. If you know the difference between a roux and a tomato base, you own one of the keys to Cajun cooking in New Orleans, LA, where storage units and busy kitchens keep the good times rolling. 

It's All in the Trinity

Louisiana natives have always been fired up over rustic Cajun cooking, but Chef Paul Prudhomme put it on the culinary map back in the 1980s. Today, blackened, smoked, stewed, and smothered flavors whet appetites in home kitchens and five-star restaurants across the country. The entree star in a Cajun kitchen might be shrimp, alligator, turtle, or a whole hog, but the trinity never changes. Celery, onion and bell pepper form a base that brings out the best in rice, boudin and ham hocks with a little garlic, paprika and ground file.

It's Simply Delicious 

How many ways can Cajun food make your mouth water? It's hard to say. By the time you start counting appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts, you're too hungry to do the math. Just savor this short list:

  • Marinated shrimp salad
  • Fried crab cakes
  • Red beans and rice
  • Cajun meatloaf
  • Blackened redfish
  • Pork jambalaya
  • Bread pudding
  • Strawberry beignets

One of the tastiest things about these dishes simmers down to their simplicity. If you can manage extra room in the kitchen, you can fire up all kinds of Cajun crowd-pleasers.

It's Really Inspiring Too

Cajun cooking needs a little more space than other culinary styles, so move old pots and pans to a shelf in your self storage unit. Set your inner chef free with some of these Cajun kitchen must-haves:

  • Sausage grinders
  • Stock pots
  • Dutch ovens
  • Cast iron skillets
  • Turkey fryers

Once you have the keys to Cajun cuisine, it's hard to resist the aroma of inspiration, so hang onto that storage unit. You may need it soon for parking extra chairs and tables from your very own hot new NOLA eatery. 

We Have Plenty of Room

Whether you're cooking up plans for a backyard bash or planning the Quarter's newest Cajun restaurant, our doors are open. Just stop by one of our six Safeguard Self Storage locations, or make arrangements online for the very best storage units in New Orleans, LA. We're always here, and we always have plenty of room for your extra stuff.