Some of the most fun conversations are the ones where I get to talk about some things that just don’t come up in a normal conversation. And there is one that I just can’t pass up!
From my personal Facebook account Lynn Z. wrote:
Congratulations
Great. Moving this week to new home and I need help!
Lynn, Congratulations on your new home!!!! I am so excited for you. There’s so many opportunities and possibilities with a new home. I can’t wait to see the pictures you share of your home once you’re settled.
It’s been a while since I’ve moved so any moving tips I might have are going to be outdated and everyone knows already. For example, box up your rooms individually and mark each room on all sides. That way you’re not hunting for the lable and the box gets dropped off in its appropriate place. An analytical (list detailed) person would take it a step further and write a number on each box. And in your new home place a post it, with a number written on it, so anyone helping you move can help put the right “Bedroom” box in the correct bedroom. Having a number on the box also allows the analytical person to make an exact detailed list of everything that is in each box so you don’t have to open a box to find that specific one thing you’re looking for.
Now this tip isn’t exactly a moving tip, but I know it sure is helpful in so many areas of life. Especially when you’ve lived a lifetime in a house, like I know Lynn has.
These small totes are amazing! They are in and out of stock all the time at my local dollar store. I always grabe a few more when I see them in stock. They are an 8 x 6 x 4 inch container that has been amazing for my small house. As you can see above, they are my work mule for my crafting space. (I have the wall mounted 4 sqauare cubbies. They stack beautifully and I ovbiously have enough room for two rows. It keeps my items organized and I can find my supplies in seconds when I’m creating.
But I also use these all around my house. You know how you’re hall/bathroom closet gets overrun with all those small items so you don’t have room for your bath towels? This was my solution. I have a container for back up toothbrushes and tooth paste, my boys’ bath soaps/bubbles/other items, hair cutting supplies/tools, and most importantly my first aid kit! Let’s face it, when you’ve lived in your home for a while (or live in a tiny house for a family my size), you don’t keep the packaging. So something like this makes it easier to organize your home without losing prime real estate. And in the case of moving, the ability to put in a box quick, stack, put straight on your new shelves is a God send.
Taking from the days of decorating large venues, it also helps organize your boxes. For Christmas we would decorate Casinos during the night. We would load up 2 or 3 box trucks and have a crew that was broken up into multiple teams. If you’ve been in a casino, you can appreciate how much work takes into transforming those buildings in just one night. We had measurements for each surface we hung garland on, clusters of ornaments, trees, wreaths…everything. Everything matched and we had to make sure each team had all their area’s specialized items.
On a house moving scale, I also recommend having a Box A and Box B method. If someone is downsizing or starting their new home in a minimalistic fashion, it helps to have your household broken down into must-haves and want-to-keep. You don’t want to spend your whole time in your new house fishing through boxes and deciding on the spot what you have room for and what you want to get rid of. Open your Box A/must-haves first. Place those items. If you have room for anything in your Box B/want-to-keep, then you can add those. However, we all know that when we move, we want our homes to look like home ASAP and not live in boxes. So that’s the benefit of Box A. You have that ready to put away the moment you enter that room to unpack. Box B can be left in a corner to get to in a couple of days, or when time allows. Meanwhile, your home is functional from day one.
Here is an example of my Box A and Box B method for my christmas tree decorations. My boys are 5, 4, and 3. So you better believe I have tree decorations that they are not allowed to touch. Box A has all my fragile items. Box B has all the items that if dropped or handled by boys, they’re not going to devestate me. This makes it so easy for me and my Christmas loving boys. I pull out my boxes and the boys can start right in on decorating the tree without me having to hover or them asking. They know that these are theirs and they have complete liberty to decorate the family tree.
It doesn’t matter if you’re moving, decorating a large venue, putting together a small party, it is definitely a time saver to plan everything ahead of time. Organize your work space to create the atmousphere of quick assembly. Have everything you need within reach and at easy disposal. When you’ve finished assembling your decorations, put them in travel containers/boxes that make sense for depositing in one place for a quick installation and efficient movement. Keep all your table decor together. You’re entryway items in their own container. This is especially important for Wedding DIYers. You depend on friends and family members to set up what you spent months putting together and planning. If everything is in the one box, they don’t have to hunt for anything. And it makes the clean up afterward just as quick. It goes back in that one container. Nothing gets left behind and everything is quick. And lets face it, everyone wants to party and not spend all night cleaning up. Beign efficient is the name of the game to allowing friends and family enjoy themselves and be the help you need to pull off that wedding of your dreams.
This box divider is my BEST friend. In fact I have a few variations of this. I forget where I bought this 11 x 6.5 x 1.5 inch plastic box. But I’ve very certain this was orginally packaged and sold for storing cake decorating supplies. At least that is what I kept my tips, connectors, and bags in when I took a cake decorating class before I met my husband and made my last move. As you can see, I found a new home for my cake decorating and put my household fix it items here. This is where I keep all my exta pieces from IKEA build it yourself items, my dry wall screws, nails, screws, washers, allen wrenches (before this I could never find those bad boys when I needed them) and left over components to my bed frame. This type of set up made my last big move (after marrying my husband) an absolute breeze. I didn’t lose my washers and screws for my canapy frame. They were all there and ready for assembling when we arrived. Plastic bags always get lost in a move. But a good storage container like this, keeps things organized and easier to find in a room that’s filling up with opened boxes and fill.
Compartmental organization like this also a must have for installing or striking an event. For weddings I cannot tell you how many saftey pins I have gone through. And there is always a need for three different sized pins. Having all your tools and equipment on hand and seperated for quick grabs is essential. It always feels like you never have enough time to get done all that you need to get done. So whatever leg up you can give yourself, the more you will thank yourself.
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