While I'm still trying to figure out which box I packed my tweezers in I bring to you today a guest poster, Kelsey from Pardon My French. (Applause) Now the blog title alone is enough to make me snicker but the writer herself always succeeds as well. She's real. She's clever. She's funny. She's relatable and she gets it. She has THREE adorable children and a husband that is jumping out of planes and such. When this move became imminent the first thing I did was Pinterest (I made it a verb, yes) for moving tips. I felt the results were lacking. But you know who knows their moving stuff? Military wives. And so I immediately knew I had to have Kelsey here today. That and because I just really like her. Long story short. Or not.
Moving is one of those things with your spouse that begs the question, do you really even know each other at all? Moving will test the very bonds of marriage. Through moving you will learn more about your life partner than you did when you started sharing a bathroom. You see, because moving brings out the beast in people, the hoarder, the control freak, and the lazy. After moving so many times with my husband I have come to realize that if we ever decide to renew our wedding vows that I would add in something, right after "in sickness and in health" I would add "and in moving a five piece bedroom set from the second story of our house".
-Moving can be very therapeutic though, like a physical cleanse of junk. Every time we get orders to move I start going room by room and making a donate, keep, and sell pile. Many companies will come pick up your donated things if you have a lot, or large items, so no need to even load up the car.
-The first things we try and pack are the things we will need for the first few days in the new house. You know the immediate stuff, diapers, wipes, toys, wine. Just the essentials...I guess you could add a tooth brush or two in there if you are feeling frisky. There is nothing worse than getting into the new house and not being able to find the kids pajamas, or a hair tie for yourself. So pull out the suitcases and pack like your are going on vacation for a few days.
-This next tip is a great one! Take a picture of the wires that connect your TV, computers, speaker system, whatever else. I have had to move by myself before and I could not for the life of me figure out how to set up our tv, dvd, cable box, speakers, apple tv system, computers....just about anything having to do with technology. You can imagine the shock my children went through, and the pain that I experienced. So save yourself and your husband the trouble and snap snap snap on the iPhone.
-The times that we moved ourselves just from house to house we like to have a one room system. Which is we move one room at a time, and then I am left at the new house to set it up while the husband and movers go back and forth. I usually start with the kitchen and get it all unpacked first since it takes the longest. Then I do the kids rooms, playroom, and bathrooms. The master is usually the last to get put together. But this way as the movers bring the new stuff in, they can also take the empty boxes out.
-Also color coding your boxes is a huge time saver. Just get different colored duct tape and put a piece on each box. I can't tell you how many times I would write "living room" on boxes and they end up up stairs or in the basement. But who can miss a huge piece of red tape?
-Here is the best piece of advice I could ever give, and I have learned one too many times the hard way. FIND A BABYSITTER! Moving with small children is the hardest thing ever, they get in the way, they run away, you just want them to go away. So save the headache and enlist the help of family, friends, or your local 16 year old girl.
We have another year left in Alaska, so moving is not on my mind. But I can't wait to read all about Laurie's move, and the decorating plans she has!!
Thank you Kelsey! Come again soon. Oh and move south sometime so I can meet you in the real life. :)
We have another year left in Alaska, so moving is not on my mind. But I can't wait to read all about Laurie's move, and the decorating plans she has!!
Thank you Kelsey! Come again soon. Oh and move south sometime so I can meet you in the real life. :)
