Author: rebeccamabey

That day or series of days that most of us dread and when you have kids and the amount of stuff you own pops out like a can of worms it gets even more fun!  Moving Day!  But hey, we made it fun chasing each other around the empty house and having the kids help with the small tasks to gradually undo the coloring on the walls.

In the times we have moved I have learned that there are a series of stages that I go through… they start with Pinterest and perfect organizational expectations and then end with I don’t care, just through that item in a box and we will find it eventually.

Here are my top tips for moving that I have learned over the past ten years:

1. Do a major purging and fit it to your lifestyle
   1. Take on the whole Japanese technique of asking yourself with each item … does it bring me joy?   No, lol, but really, just go through everything you own and make realistic judgements of whether you will use it or not. With clothing it can be… have I worn this in the last year? And think about your future plans… such as if you plan on having more children and those items should be donated or kept for round 2.  As a photographer I have a TON of stuff.  I am a passionate film maker as well, so in addition to my photography props, film costumes, makeup and equipment, things stack up!  And to add to that there is my crafting supplies, activity supplies etc.  We are very active people who plan a LOT of fun activities so we really do end up using a LOT of stuff.  For example, I like planning parties, hosting playdates and teaching preschool and crafting with the kids… all these activities require objects, supplies etc.  So when I go through my stuff I ask myself what is realistically going to get used… the rest donations.  With costumes we didn’t need anymore for film work or photoshoots, I got rid of.  Also in the purging process, there were a lot of old paints and other kinds of supplies that were trash or projects that I was not longer interested in and knew I would never get around to so it was time to say goodbye.  I also found that it is best when you are in a get rid of that cleaning up kind of mood to be most realistic and helpful in this process.
   2. Make comparisons of how your lifestyle may or may not change and this will also help you decide on what to bring. Also, if you consider your current square footage with your upcoming square footage you can make better judgements about it all.
2. Do the Math
   1. Budget it all out!  Are you moving yourself or is a company moving you?  How far are you moving and what is it going to cost to transport all that you have.  Is it worth it to simply get rid of items and rebuy them once you get there instead of transporting them?
3. Get a slightly bigger truck or pod then you think you will need.
   1. Really.  I have heard so many stories of people, friends etc who have had these2 am frustrations of packing the last bit only to realize that it won’t fit and they have to just get rid of it or otherwise repack or arrange a second smaller truck with help etc.  Not fun!  If you aren’t sure and are making the gamble then be sure to prioritize what gets moved into the truck first!  Such as the most sentimental important stuff/ expensive stuff.  Then the items that are on the maybe list won’t be such a heartbreak if they can’t go and can be more easily replaced.
4. If you are not moving your truck yourself take some sentimental items with you!
   1. I have heard horror stories of trucks getting stolen… items gone.  I was in a bit of a panic attack the first day the movers came trying to get organized and making sure anything sentimental was scanned and backup up online so that if our truck was broken into it would not be a stress!  There were a handful of family history items that I had the hubster fit into the trunk and you know what, it put my mind at so much ease!  I was stressing about something that was pretty much out of my control and just by taking a few sentimental items with me helped so much!
5. If your items will be going into temporary storage before you move in, ask questions and plan ahead!
   1. Is it temperature controlled?  Will we be able to access it…. etc.
6. Collect perishables, aerosols and cleaning products and set aside
   1. Use and donate these items before they are moved.  All moving companies do not move these items for liability reasons so it will save you the stress if they are sorted out in advance.  If you are moving yourself be sure to get rid of those items in advance!  I had a whole box of spray paints for crafting etc that I could not bring, so we gave them away.
7. Take a quick little video of your place!
   1. Madeline helped do ours where she gave us a little tour of our house.  It wasn’t perfectly clean but that is ok.  So many memories take place in our homes and sharing little snippets about favorite memories.. such as “Milo loved to climb in this little cabinet all the time”  are fun details that you will forget!  Family history!  Our took us about 10 minutes to walk through and talk about special memories.
8. Vacuum Bags!
   1. I recently discovered these on our last move and they are amazing!  I wish I had some video of it so maybe we will post that on a future vlog.  Basically they are the best.  I had a whole bin of scrap fabric planned for specific projects.  Got rid of some but the rest I put in one of these Vacuum Seal Storage Bags and ZZZZRRRrmmmm! Boom!  It skrinks up like magic to be 1/10 the size or smaller depending on the airiness of the item.  Pillows, blankets, sheets, stuffed animals, you name it.  So much space saved!!
9. Wardrobe boxes
   1. I so love these over other medium to large boxes for all the closet clothing!  Just one of two were enough for us to fit our closets of clothing into.  And we didn’t have to take them all off the hangers.  We simply used rubber bands and then put the bundles in. Easy peasy!
10. Moving Saran Wrap!
    1. These come in big rolls and they are amazing!  We have used it for medium sized furniture by throwing a blanket over it then wrapping it in this saran wrap so htat is doesn’t get dinged up!

I do have many more tips but these are my top ten.  I hope you find a system that works for you! It certainly helps to be more organized but really I find that not matter what you reorganize everything when you get there anyway so preserve your energies where you can! Good luck and happy moving!

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