Hi Every Body,
How are you all? For every recipe, you need a list of ingredients. So think about what you are going to use for the job.

Packing Supplies

Boxes: These can be purchased at a moving supply company (check your yellow pages). These folks also sell used boxes at a reduced rate. You can also go to liquor stores for their boxes. Keep in mind that you do not need to get huge boxes, because they will be too hard to lift when filled. So keep them manageable.

Packing Tape: Be sure and get plenty of tape to seal the box top flaps. It is not that expensive and is worth having enough so you don't have to stop and run out an buy more. Also get the dispensers to hold the tape and have more than one if there will be more people helping pack.

Scissors: If you don't get the dispensers, you will need scissors, just remember, scissors are hard to keep up with while you are packing.

Garbage bags: Preferably, the kind that you can see through. That way you will not have to reopen the bags to see if it is trash or something you packed that would not fit in a box. Get very strong ones. Mark them with colored ribbons for code.

Colored Magic Markers: I use colored ones so that I can give each room a different color and that way, when we are unloading the truck, all I have to say is: "Yellow boxes go in the kitchen, green in the bedroom, purple in the living room, etc".

As far as labeling the boxes, if you start packing up the things that you will not need, and start at 1 and label in ascending order, you will know that the boxes with the lowest numbers can be unpacked last. The higher numbered boxes are the ones with the stuff you use the most.

Newspapers: This is for packing your dishes and other breakable items. You can never have enough newspapers. Go to the recycle bins and get some. You may have to ask permission.
Getting the House Ready to Sell - Remove the Clutter
Now let's talk about getting the house ready to sell. This is usually a precursor to the big move. Right now you are so overwhelmed with the clutter, you don't know were to start.

This may sound like a drastic move, but if you can afford it, order a dumpster. It will give you place to toss things. Or you can call for daily pick up from the area thrift/charities stores. You just have to get the STUFF out of your house as fast as you can. I don't want you to attack this problem without thinking a little about this.

Are you worth moving?
Do I love you enough to go to all this trouble and expense to pack you up?
You are going to be so surprised, at how much stuff you can actually do without. This is the key to getting the house ready to put on the market. Once you get rid of the clutter that is making your home too small you may not even have to sell.

Only keep the stuff you absolutely love and use just quite regularly.

Get rid of all the clothes you don't wear, too.

Beginning to Pack
Now, back to packing. If you will take your time and not be rushed about this, you will do a more efficient job and not be so stressed out. Do you hear me on this! I do not want you to make yourself sick. Slow and steady wins the race. Not crash and burn!

Cleaning Supplies.

Rubber gloves for cleaning the bathroom. I know this may sound funny, but this was someone else's germs. Not your family's.


Disinfectant. You may need to clean your new home before you can unpack. So you may have to race the movers to the new house.

Vacuum, broom, mop. I know you may not use them, but you will need to know where to put your hands on them as soon as the movers have finished unloading the truck.

Rags and paper towels for cleaning.

Basic kitchen utensils: A skillet, pot, coffee pot, and maybe even your crock pot. Then a spatula, sharp knife, silverware, dish washing liquid, dish towels, paper plates, napkins, and glasses.

Simple food: peanut butter, cereal, crackers, bread, coffee, sugar, and powdered milk (I have to have this for coffee. LOL I can also use it on cereal in a pinch.). You may have to make a grocery run for some fruit and snacks for the kids.

Clothing: Also in your possession you will need a couple of changes of clothes for each person in the family; everything from underwear to socks, shoes and pajamas.

Personal items: Then you will need a basic bathroom bag. Everyone's toothbrushes, razor, shampoo, soap, tooth paste and of course toilet paper and towels and wash cloths. Don't forget your make up, hair dryer and contact stuff. You don't want be tearing open boxes, hunting for this stuff, when you are getting ready to crash in bed with mattresses on the floor.

For the first sleep in the new house: Also pack some sheets and blankets for each person's bed and an alarm clock. This should be just enough to help with camping out, while you are working on getting the new house put together.

Also think about having a cleaning service come and clean the old house for you. You attentions are not there anymore. Let some one else do it for you. The Realtor can even hire someone for you.

When the Moving Truck Arrives at the New House
Now when the moving truck gets there, you will need to be the director. Have the children stationed in their new rooms (so they are out of the way, unless they are big enough to fetch and tote). Tell the children not to start dragging out their stuff, until the furniture is in their room and they have a place to put their clothes. Have them to put the boxes against one wall. Warn them about not trying to climb on top of them . You have your hands full. You don't need a trip to the emergency room from a busted noggin.

Main Rule here: As you unpack it, put it where it goes and breakdown the boxes and throw away the paper. Do not start another box until everything is put away. I don't want you to handle it twice.

While you are sitting having your breakfast, do not look at how much you have to do, only concentrate on making a list of the most important things to do first. That will keep your home running smoothly.Get the washer and dryer hooked up.

Get the dishwasher running.

Buy groceries for the family. Make out a list. Or if you have an initial grocery shopping list that you made while you were doing your planning, grab it from your moving notebook.

Put on something for supper, or at least have some idea of what to fix.
Now you have a plan.

This move can be a clearing experience if you will take it step by step. You can do this. All you have to do is have a plan and follow your plan. Do not try to unpack in your gown and slippers.

I want your new home to radiate the love you have for yourself.

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT FIRST

Pack only what you want to move and then invite Good Will or whomever in and say "Whatever you want, take." They'll bring a truck and move it all out including clothes, furniture, whatever. What's left will be mostly trash and a few things you can take to a drop off place. I haven't tried this, but it's what I'm going to do when we leave here!

Pack the boxes solid. Even if you have to fill in with crumbled paper or peanuts. This keeps them from collapsing. What a mess if the bottom of the stack of boxes collapses. By solid I mean nothing shakes or slides around in the box.

BOXES

Moving--apple boxes are great--they have a lid so you don't have to tape (unless contents are tiny.)

Check with your local pharmacy for boxes, if you can't afford to buy new ones. The boxes the vials come in are a great size for books and most other things. If you're thinking ahead, they will save the boxes for you every time they get vials, which is several times a week! That way,you'll fill a few, get a few. And the pharmacy will also get boxes from time to time that are divided for glass bottles (you can pack your glasses in there, and smaller knick-knacks).

We broke down our boxes, stored them flat on the porch (in order of size), out of the way - ran a free ad in the local shopper and sold the whole batch for $50. A little extra change in our pocket, and the boxes were disposed of by someone who needed them.

Kept one big one for the kids to make their own 'house' - they were having fun and gave me time to unpack, uninterrupted.

Boxes. Every time we move (and it's been quite often of late) we go to the local bookstore and ask if we can raid their cardboard dumpster. They almost always have a separate dumpster just for the cardboard and the boxes are usually collapsed so you can fit more of them in the car. These boxes are very sturdy. They are usually medium sized boxes and are easy to carry when packed. The best part is they're FREE!

Go to the grocery store for banana boxes. They are a great size, the top fits down completely over the bottom and they have handles!

PACKING PAPER

I always wrap dishes in plastic wrap, before padding with newspaper. That way they don't get ink on them and can be put once the paper is removed and the ink washed off my hands, and I don't have to pay for unprinted newsprint.

Newsprint (the paper that newspaper is printed on, but it is blank) isn't terribly expensive and is available at most places that sell packing stuff.

you don't HAVE to wash your dishes after they are unpacked because they aren't filthy, and
there are some items that really shouldn't be washed in soap and water (many decorative items), or are hard to get the ink off of (plastics).

I recommend paper plates between the dishes! They cushion them wonderfully! And you can still use them afterward!

One other hint for packing is not to use paper (especially not newspaper) but to use plastic bags - they pad things well and nothing needs washing again at the other end. Ask your friends to save them for you, so there is no expense.


Best Regards......