I despise moving. Don't get me wrong, I love going through stuff and getting rid of the things we don't need. A good de-cluttering of your living space is a wonderful purge of that cluttered mess in the soul is what I say, however the whole packing/unpacking part I could without.This weekend a group of us will be doing a yard sale. While attempting to gather, sift through and decide what goes in the yard sale pile I've been starting to pack more...which means enter crazy lady, exit slightly less crazy every day Erica.
I can't stand not doing something all the way. Because of this I can't just pack all the dishes but 8 forks, cups, plates, etc. for us to use these last 3 1/2 weeks. If I pack the kitchen, I pack the whole kitchen. But that just isn't very realistic with 2 kids - you don't know what you'll need and when, and with 3 1/2 weeks left of living to be done here I just know I'll be living out of those boxes which will totally go against everything about me...once they are taped shut they must remain that way until we unpack.
So this is where you guys come in...how do you pack? What should I start with?
Should I pack everything except for the clothes they can wear for the next 3 1/2 weeks and the time it takes to get to California, close on the house and move in?
Should I pack the kitchen stuff first? Granted there is a lot of things that we don't use on an every day basis but packing only half the stuff will drive me crazy. Plus I want to make sure everything that goes in the kitchen stays together, making it easier to unpack. Should I keep our ice cream maker we got for a wedding present but never used yet?
And then there's the toys...oh the toys! For Family Home Evening on Monday we went through the toys in the girls rooms. Bye-Bye annoying Happy Meal toys...see ya later foam blocks...au revoir chewed on books, broken bits of necklaces and ratted wigs!I don't know if I should keep all their stuffed animals they've accumulated over the years. They are cute, but I'm not a fan. Should they go into the garage sale pile? I can't really see them in the play room and the girls don't really pay attention to them...that is until I say we're giving them away.
I do know that a new rule we're going to have will be if they get a new toy they need to find an old one they want to donate.
So there you have it...I need your advice. What do pack? When to pack? How to pack? What moving company do you recommend (we're pretty sure we'll be using ABF since they did a fabulous job with our move out here, but not set on it yet). HELP!!!
22 people are bringing SEXY back:
I started with all my book cases first. But I have a ton of books. Then I boxed all my craft supplies. Just think of stuff you really aren't going to use. The kitchen is hard because you're still going to be eating and cooking. I'd say hold off a week or two (since you don't like to half pack anything). Pack up all the closets except the clothes you'll be wearing (the linens, the games, the canned food, etc.)
And get rid of the stuffed animals. Kids really don't care about them.
Get rid of anything you haven't used in the past year..I know it's hard, but really unless it can be sold at the garage sale, if you haven't used it, your likely not going to. Pack up half the kitchen, I know it sucks but it will be helpful in the long run! Good Luck! Wish I was there to help.
I know exactly what you mean when you say "All the way" or else it will drive you crazy. But it sounds like you really have got a ton done up to this point. De- cluttering is freaking AWESOME!! I can't wait to throw away all of this needless and useless crap I have laying around that just takes up space. (so funny about the icrecream maker) Can you believe I have TWO of those beauties sitting in my garage in storage that we also got as Wedding gifts and have NEVER even been opened??? Yeah...time to say goodbye. If I haven't made homemade icecream in the past 6 yrs, chances are its not going to happen. Garage Sales are great for getting rid of stuff like that. I like the idea of donating an old toy when a new toy comes to stay...brilliant! Good luck, and it sounds like you are way ahead of the game at this point! RELAX a little and try to "enjoy" your last weeks here.
PS: That soup looks so yummy, thanks for posting the recipe
Don't do the kitchen until last--otherwise you'll be sorry, trust me! :)
I'm with Megan, I always do the books and decorative type stuff first, then the linens and stuff we won't be using, and storage type stuff. I try to leave most of the clothes and food stuff to the very end. Except last move when we sold our fridge a week before we left. Then I just packed up the whole kitchen and we ate out everyday. Not as fun as it sounds! :)
Good luck with the move--we're doing a cross town one in a couple of weeks and I'm not looking forward to it. It just makes me think about the cross country one we'll be making next year, ahhhh!
I packed all the kids toys/clothes they weren't going to miss or be using first along with clothes/crap/collectibles of ours and then kitchen stuff i knew i wasn't going to use. i waited and did the whole dishes/cups things very last along with toiletries,etc. good luck. to me it sucks worse to pack then to unpack. at least when you unpack, you can leave some of that crap i was talking about earlier in boxes b/c they are mostly memorablias and the like! :)
Oh boy, packing sucks. We've moved 5 times in 7 years. You'd think I'd become a pro at packing. Every time I told myself I'd be better, and never was, and never quite figured out a good way to do it. It is good for junking stuff no longer used or never used.
Good luck.
Things I pack first: Books, annoying toys I can live with out (you know the ones with a million pieces - like kitchen food), kitchen appliances and pans I don't use often, everything off the walls, and under sinks.
If I were you I'd leave out all their clothes you are going to want the next few weeks and the first few in Cali and pack them into one huge suitcase along with all the hair accessories and hygiene stuff.
Wow you have a ton of advice here. I am the same way about packing I hate hate hate spreading it out and only doing half of one thing. With this last move I only left out a few cheap plastic dishes and cups so I could nicely pack away the glass stuff without feeling rushed. When we moved I just threw all the plastics in a last-minute box.
K. I'm done.
oh boy do i know how you feel...having moved 3 times in the last 9 months. but the move from dc to california was the worst. my husband gets overwhelmed so he's no help. i just dig in somewhere...and before i know it tons is boxed up. we used abf crates to move (the pod-like things) and had a good experience with that. pretty sure it was the cheapest option we could find because we really shopped around.
good luck!
My Little Lovelies arrived today and they are B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.!
I cant wait to wear them tommorow. thank you so much, they really are lovely.
After moving every 6 months for the 7 years straight. my advice is, if in doubt or whether to get rid of something. Leave it in a box in the bottom of a cupboard. Then if you go to take it out in the next 3 weeks, then you need it.
Trust me, we moved boxes we hadnt even opened from the 2 previous moves. I took them straight to the charity shop and didnt even open them.
We no longer pack any of our belongings, the removal company does that for us over here. Their insurance then covers any breakages. Any boxes you pack yourself isnt covered. Cheeky blighters! we learnt the hard way. Lovingly packed HEIRLOOM dinner set, smashed to smithereens. Not that they could of replaces it, but still I would have liked some form of compensation for the damage.
As with everyone else. Pack all books and none essentials. So things like ski clothing (if you no longer need them), straight in the packing.
Label each box. We did this by colour. red for the lounge, blue for the kitchen. When we get to the new house before he removal guys, I rush around and place the corresponding colour onto the room doors. Or if the doors have had to be removed to get furniture in. Stick it to the wall opposite the door opening. Not that I am a control freak. But there is nothing worse when you live in a damp country, than a box with clothing or books, going into a damp garage. Especially your wedding dress or the likes. If you arent sure, pack it in your car. Some possessions can not be replaced.
And the Ice cream maker? You are moving to California? What more reason do you need to break that baby out!
Okay, let me just say this: I am glad it's you and not me. Ha ha. I will shut up now.
I absolutely am with you on the "moods" packing can bring. I don't like it either. Though it is a super good way to force yourself to go through your (crap) and get rid of so much. I am the throw-away-queen and it's so nice to not have all that stuff around anymore.
I've only moved trois times in my life (since being married and having kids) and I always left the kitchen last. I managed to do the rest of the house but a suitcase of clothing and toiletries we needed, but for the most part I can't function without my full kitchen, and I didn't like the prospect of eating out a lot either. So I kept it all intact until about a week or less before the big moving day. This way they were the last boxes in the truck and the first ones out, so I knew where everything was when I unpacked my kitchen. (which was the first to be unpacked.)
I agree with the comment above, get rid of the stuffed animals, unless your littles are super attached to them. They just take up space.
Good luck Erica! I am so excited for you and your new life in CA!!!
Yea, so not envying you! You have my sympathy!
However, I do love to go through the kids toys and get rid of "the ones..." My kids sometimes suddenly get really sentimental and want what I'm throwing out (Even when they haven't played with it forever) So now I always go through and sort without them. They never even notice when I throw stuff out now.
I would suggest using the ice cream maker first off! :)
Moving is H.A.R.D. I don't think I've recovered yet. I was bad at it so you don't want my advice.
My problem was that I thought I could do it real quick but everything takes WAAAAY longer than you think it will.
One fun thing we did is I had each of the girls pack 1 box of their favorite things. Then they decorated the box all cute and it was the first one they opened when we finally moved in and they we soo excited to see their favorite stuff again.
Good luck!
Oh yeah, and DON"T get rid of the ice cream maker! Seriously I will make you use it. I know some amazing ice cream recipes.
I am so with you on "half-packing". I agree with everyone else!
Sounds like you have a tough job on your hands..good luck!
Packing up the whole house is a HUGE job and I am the same way with wanting to just do it all, so it can be very overwhelming. I have to break it down into pieces that I can do the whole way that makes it a lot more manageable. Like I pack up all of the movies, books, decorations, linen closet, and clothes and toys we don't need for the next month. It's amazing how little you actually need to live with for a month. I LOVE getting rid of things. I got rid of so many things with this last move, but somehow we still have so much stuff! I think that if you even think you don't need it, chuck it. If you have regrets later (which is incredibly rare) you can buy yourself another one. With the kitchen, I usually pack up the serving platters and nice things that we don't use every day, along with the food storage. As long as you label things really well it won't be a problem unpacking.
That's my other advice. Label things very specifically, you will really appreciate that later! :)
Good luck! I wish I was there to help you pack and clean. I would also suggest having a cleaning party with a bunch of your girlfriends just before you move. It's amazing how fast it goes, and it's fun to hang out together with some good music right before you leave.
Thanks for the comment about my kids! I got the dress at the gap.
Yikes! I'm kind of like you. I have to pack everything at once. I would probably wait until the week before and then pack everything! I would leave some of the favorite toys out but leave none of the dishes. I would buy paper plates and cups to use until we left. Good luck!
Ok...I'm sure I'm just repeating what someone else has said...but just in case...
Take everything off the walls/bookcases/shelves--any kind of decor or "pretty" thing that you're not actually using
Go through drawers and cupboards, box up stuff you're not needing
Kitchen appliances--except for toaster/microwave--things you're using
I keep most the kitchen until the very end, but pack up lots of dishes and keep out the cheapo stuff (ikea dishes that we all have!)
best of luck!!!
hate to brag, but I will.
I am a CHAMPION packer.
fo realz.
Here's my system.
EVERY box gets a number and a letter on it. EVERY BOX. In the same place.
I have 2 notepads. One contains the MASTER list.
The other will have a sheet of paper for each box.
As I pack a box I keep a sheet (from notepad #2) nearby and write down everything that is going in the box. Then, the paper is the LAST thing to go into the box...complete with a list of it's contents.
THEN I go to the master List. Next to #15 (or whatever # box I just packed) I write a generic summary of what's in the box. (ie-kids toys, white photo frames, yellow vase) and a Letter that represents where the box will go when unpacked. K for kitchen. B for Bath MB for Master Bath, R for Reese's Room, etc.
The box also gets this letter (and the number of the box) written on it.
Come unpacking time, I have my helpers (aka slaves) take each box to their permanant home, rather than sift through a tower that will take over half my living room. I also know exactly where all of my boxes are (thank you master list) and where to find a specific item in a flash.
It only takes an extra minute to write down what's in each box. Honestly. it is so worth it. I've used this system 7 times for our moves and it is like 2nd nature now. I packed my parents house before they left on a mission (40 years of CRAP...making my mom write down each item made her LOVE her treasures a lot less and she parted with many of them simply because it wasn't worth the effort to pack it up.)
Ok I know. OCD. But twice, we have had to put our stuff in storage for 6 months while we bounced around with internships and what not. This made unpacking SO MUCH easier, because I'd forgotten where everything was packed. It also means less half packed boxes sitting around for a month in your living room.
Happy moving!
Start with the kitchen. Paper plates, cups, napkins and silverware can be your BFF for the next 2 weeks. it's worth it to have the cabinets empty. Pack bathroom towels, extra sheets and bedding next, just keep one towel for each of you to use out, and all of those can be put together into one box on moving day.
Coat closets now that it's getting warmer.
crafty stuff next...not like you'll be starting a project tomorrow when you are on the move. Label these boxes well...you'll be glad you did.
This is a category I know a lot about - being military means moving every 2.5 to 4 years - I have done it a lot. First - ABF, is good, but you can probably get a deal with another moving company that will come and pack the truck for you and wrap all of your furniture, etc. for the same price if not a little cheaper (email me- I have great contacts). Packing - you should do whatever you can way ahead of time, and leave three or four "boxes to open first (pack last)" that are those essentials i.e. last of the kitchen stuff, bathroom stuff, etc. Once you decide what should be in those boxes, the rest of it can go go go! Seriously - email me, I have some great info if you are interested. ps - you're already ahead of the game and are going to do great! best advice ever????? Just enjoy the ride.
Ok, I'll take the ice cream maker if you really don't want it, and I agree with previous comments...at least try it out before you chuck it. Those things aren't really cheap... I would pack parts of your kitchen that you don't use. You will need several boxes anyway so you can pack as many full boxes as you can, then hold off on the everyday stuff and any "leftovers" of the extra stuff. That way stuff will stay together :). Toys are hard. Maybe choose a few favorites and pack the rest?? OIY!! You can always pack knick knacks and wall decor. Though your walls will be bare, they won't necessarily be missed....Good luck!
Post a Comment