Even though the home we are moving into has 50% more square feet and a two car garage, most of the extra space is in the living room instead of the bedrooms.
But that's all right. I don't necessarily need extra space to sleep unless I'm rapidly expanding like I was this time last year.
And I love to cook. So I am thrilled my kitchen is sizeably bigger!
We feel like we're officially grown-ups doing it ourselves (instead of having the Air Force move us).
It didn't count when we lived in Cedar City and moved everything we owned in a 6 ft. U-haul with room to spare. We definitely were not grown up then.
But now we are. We think.
So, what to pack first? What to toss?
Do I get rid of the turkey platter we only use once a year and that's only if we have company on Thanksgiving?
What about the onion soup bowls? They are a single-use item. They are ONLY used to make onion soup. Nothing else can take their place. Do I toss them out and say good-bye to ever having onion soup again?
Do we have a yard sale while still in the old home so we don't have to move it? Or do we have one after settling in to the new home?
Perhaps I should make a major run to the thrift store. Maybe I should brush up on Craigslist how-to and get rid of the big items like:
the entertainment center that's in the garage,
the changing table that's in the bathroom that's just used to hold cloth diapers and house the baby bath,
and the glider and ottoman that hold piles of laundry waiting to be folded?
How do I move the freezer that is chuck full of bread kits, prepared beans, cooked rice, an extra turkey, and random other OAMC meals? Do I have to empty it before moving it? Or can I move the whole thing full and just plug it right back in?
Spinning. My head is spinning.
12 comments:
If you are referring to onion soup bowls that are not Corelle, then ditch them. Because you can cook in Corelle - that's what we do when we make onion soup.
And for moving food from a fridge or freezer - load it all up into ice chests, or even into open boxes (so you don't forget what's in there even if they're labeled), make the freezer move one of the first things and then go load it right back up. Eating up a good amount from your freezer in the days leading up to a move helps, too.
good luck!
Oh I love MOVING!! stressful, but so fun. I go with what Leslie said about the freezer. She knows these things. Have a BIG yard sale or craigslist. I love yard sales too. So fun that you are getting a new house..or newer. Bigger living space, even better.
Empty the freezer before moving to decrease the chances of a major catastrophe. Before we moved, I didn't grocery shop for several weeks. We had some strange meals towards the end, but it cut down a lot on how much there was to move. I say hold a yard sale of stuff you definitely want rid of, and have another yard sale once you get settled into your new house for the stuff you don't end up using.
I think you should try to have a yard sale before you go...which can be kind of a mess with the already stressful packing and stuff, but anything you don't have to move, you don't have to move! And if you can get someone to PAY you for it, and then TAKE IT AWAY THEMSELVES, so much the better.
The downside of fridges and freezers and stuff is that they're heavy when full. So probably better to empty it out as much as you can. Eat what you can now, then borrow some coolers and throw the stuff in there during the move.
We used to label our boxes with a 1-4 system, where 1 needs to packed last/opened first, like cereal, plates, and shampoo, and 4 first packed/last opened is stuff like Christmas lights. 2 and 3 are somewhere in between. Then we'd also write the name of the room that it went in. that way, when your EQ helps unload the stuff, they know right where to put it and then you can slowly move from room to room and find everything you need.
Lastly, the amazing little piles: KEEP, GIVE AWAY/SELL, TOSS! Usually the Toss pile is biggest. :)
Good luck!
ps. all this advice is completely unwarranted, unnecessary, and not to be heeded unless you want. :)
We moved our chest freezer full because we just moved a few miles down the road and immediately plugged it back in
Good luck with the move and the pregnancy and the no mold and the potty training and the next ob appointment and the twins crawling and . . . life!
Congrats to you, too.
We moved our freezer with food in it on multiple occasions, but it wasn't full, only about halfway. If it's a short move, just borrow an appliance dolly and get it done quickly.
Good luck with the new carpet.
I so know how you are feeling! We just finished moving from a little 2 bedroom in the city to a 3b
bed 2 bath in the country.
We moved our freezers full for this move (20 minutes away) and the last one (5 hours). A freezer that is sealed and full will keep tings frozen for a good while.
Also we had a sale at the old place and we're having one in the new place, to make sure everything we don't want is outta here!
Good luck on the move and the baby!
I have no advice. I'm a terrible mover. Thus one of the reasons we've been in the same house for almost 12 years.
Leslie, Rach, Heather, Lisa, Stacy, Jane, Laurie, Julie, Melodie, Shanna--
Such terrific advice from everyone! Now if I have time we'll do a yard sale before and after. I'm going to eat out of the freezer before the move and then borrow and appliance dolly to move it with the food intact. It's only about five blocks away.
I'm fearing the off-white carpet. I may buy a multi-colored neutral carpet to put over the top.
I also love the idea of numbering the boxes like Lisa suggested. Very smart!
How exciting! We've moved so many times, it's ridiculous. Never had to move a freezer though, just fridges. They are always the last thing unpacked and put on the moving van, and first thing unloaded off the van and restocked. It's always nice to chuck the outdated stuff that I otherwise wouldn't have gotten around to.
Label everything! My hubby shoves all things in one room into a box and then just mvoes it. Then I'm stuck having hair brushes, sidewyas lotions, etc... all in one box. Things will go much quicker on the other end if it's picked up right to begin with.
Make sure to keep some toys and kids snacks out for day of.
Oh, and I agree with the garage sale before the move, but I know that has got to be overwhelming at this point, so I like your "before and after" idea.
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