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Where are those 2 special boxes?
Moving is stressful. The packing of all the boxes, the day of moving and then the unpacking. It is easy to misplace something you need on moving day or soon after you arrive. Consider having those important things with you in your vehicle.
What are the 2 most important boxes?
When you are moving pack 2 boxes that have everything you need for moving day and the first night. Keep these 2 boxes with you and not in the moving truck. These boxes should include:
- Glasses – plastic or glass for drinks or water.
- A roll of paper towels
- A roll of toilet paper for each bathroom
- A bar of soap or container of liquid soap for the bathroom
- A hand towel in the bathroom
- Dishcloth, dish soap and tea towel for cleaning dishes that may be dusty from moving
- Sheets for the bed and pillows so you can go to sleep at the end of a long day moving in
- Towels for a shower and basic cosmetics to clean up after the move
- A change of clothes as well as medications
- Chargers for your phone, tablet and computer
What supplies are important?
It is handy to pack a pail of basic cleaning supplies so you can do a quick clean before things are unpacked. Bring:
- Cloths
- All-purpose cleaning supplies
- Broom and dustpan
- Mop
- Pack it all in a pail
Pack a toolbox with basic tools. You may have to reassemble beds, bookcases or electronics. Have:
- a screwdriver with multiple heads
- hammer
- plyers
- adjustable wrench
- tape
Where is that paperwork?
Lastly, have a bag with vital papers. You will need your purchase/rental documents for your new home. Carry memory sticks, backup drives, passports etc that you don’t want to be misplaced or stolen If there is work, assignments or agendas you will need the next day add them to the bag.
With these things easily accessible you can clean up and get a good night’s rest before you continue to unpack and make your new place a home.
Share your moving hacks in the comments.
If you need help with an 8-week packing/moving plan contact me julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Make everything as portable as possible. It may have been a while since your child had to share a bathroom and/or not have a bathroom attached to their bedroom. Here are some tips.
1. Have a basket for transporting all shower items from their room to the bathroom. The basket should have ventilation so it will dry out and not get mouldy.
Make it portable
Use a well ventilated container
A shower organizer that hooks on the shower bar
2. In some residences, the students need to supply toilet paper. Extra supplies can be stored under the bed. Send all shower essentials shampoo, conditioner, soap, shaving, etc in a convenient portable size.
Use under the bed storage for extra supplies
3. Include over the door hooks that the student can use to hang their towel while showering so it is convenient and useful in their room to hang the towel to dry.
Make everything as portable as possible so it is quick to pick up and go and easy to put away. Share on X4. Send a bathrobe. They may not use one at home but might find it useful at residence. Pack one that they will wear not one that has been around for a long time.
5. Send 2 bath sheets, 2 or 3 hand towels and 2 washcloths. Don’t send red towels that will turn a load of laundry pink, if they wash their towels.
Need help planning how to organize your dorm room? Book a 30 minute complimentary virtual appointment
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Bring lots of hangers, you can never have enough. It is a great way to make new friends by sharing the extra hangers.
Buy thin hangers because the closet space is limited
Use a second hanging bar to make more room in the closet
1. Store your clothes in the closet. Double your hanging space by purchasing a lower hanging bar. Add an extra shelf up high in the closet to store off-season items mitts, hats.
2. Under-bed storage containers are very helpful for sports equipment, food, laundry detergent, musical instruments, etc
3. Use vertical space to add more storage. There are many types of carts with drawers which can be used to store school supplies, cosmetics, food etc.
4. Use the inside of the bedroom and closet doors to hang items. Over-the-door rack and hook products accommodate coats, clothes, etc
Lots of hooks can be very useful
Use the space on the front and inside of the doors
5. There are many pocket style items that hang from the closet bar. Buy one or a shelf for shoes to use to double the shoe space storage.
6. Make sure anything you buy is returnable because you won’t know exactly what you need until you get there.
Need some help planning your move book a 30 minute complimentary appointment to get help planning the space in your new room.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She enjoys working with her clients to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She reduces clutter, streamlines processes and manages time to help her clients be more effective in reaching their goals. Julie can coach you to break-free of the physical or emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
My son told me he would be packing and moving across the country to start a new job. He would be leaving in 2 weeks. Can you help Mom? Long distant moves on a budget require a lot of planning before the packing begins. Some of you may be moving for a job or for school. Take a deep breath and relax.
If you are not hiring a moving company
This move involved selling anything and everything people were interested in buying. Put your ads for the things you are selling on Kijiji or Craigslist. Don’t forget about neighbourhood swaps and selling sites on Facebook. You may have multiple sites in your area and it makes scheduling pickups so much easier when you know that they are in your neighbourhood. Don’t forget the most important source for your sales. Tell your friends and family and ask them to tell their friends, family and co-workers. One of my readers shared, “Do an Internet Garage Sale where you made a list of items with prices, emailed it to everyone you know, and asked them to share it with others. We were able to sell quite a few of our larger and more valuable items that way.” Don’t be shy.
Smaller items need to be sold too
You may need to sell clothing, jewelry or home decor items. Take them to consignment stores. Leave the information for picking up the cash with a friend or relative. They can e-transfer it to you.
Determine what you will take, store and ship.
In this case, he was driving a car across the country. He would be staying with relatives until he found an apartment. He knew of a few people who would be flying out to see him in the next few months. With this information, the packing began. For each item, it had to be decided if it would be packed:
- in the car
- in a suitcase for someone to bring next month
- in a suitcase for someone to bring the following month
- in a suitcase for someone to bring later
- in a box because there were items that he might want when he had an apartment
- in a plastic bin and stored
Pick up used suitcases at a thrift store. When you fly you can leave the suitcase behind to be donated instead of bringing it back with you.
You never know what you might want to be shipped
Knowing what is in every box makes it easy to find what you need
As boxes and bins were packed someone was in charge of keeping an inventory list of what went in each box and bin and labelling the container with a corresponding number to the list. We used Google Docs so later in the week when more things were packed or removed from boxes the list could be changed and a new list doesn’t have to be emailed to anyone. You don’t have to worry if you are using the most up to date list. The reason to do an inventory is so you can find items that might be shipped later. The hope is that the whole box will be shipped but more likely they will decide on certain items and they might be packed in a number of different boxes.
Food
We started by going through the cupboards and anything unopened and not expired was donated to the food bank. This can be done early in the packing session and it is an easy way to start. No difficult decisions need to be made. Some food can be used during the 2 weeks, some disposed of and then find a friend who will be happy to take your food.
Donate
Remember to donate items to charity and not put them in the garbage.
As time moved on he found things he didn’t want or need, couldn’t sell or give away or give back to people. Donate these items to charity. It is easy to think no one wants them and start putting them in the garbage but most things can be donated. It takes just as much time to put them in a garbage bag as in a box or bag to go to a charity. You will probably be eating out so you can take them to the charity on the way to dinner.
You’re finally finished
You are probably tired overwhelmed and overstressed. Just take a big breath. You did a great job, you are about to start a new adventure. Focus on that. Don’t focus on the stuff. Enjoy the trip and the time off before the new job or school begins.
Guide
Here is a link to a moving guide, How to pack for a move: a complete checklist It has checklists for pre-moving, packing list, packing the truck, questions to ask the mover,
What is your advice about moving across the country in a car, on a plane or on a train?
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
You have successfully accomplished back to school organizing but the day to day chores are not getting done and you are feeling overwhelmed. Clutterbug has a great video, Organizing Hacks for Parents. Organizing your home to help your children become more independent means that they are able to complete tasks without your help. This will help daily routines and habits to be accomplished quickly leaving more time for family fun together.
Which hack worked best in your household?
Need some organizing help contact Mind over Clutter, julie@mindoverclutter, to help bring happiness to your home.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading Time – 5 minutes
Today’s post is by Jackie Heath of Allied Van Lines. Thanks for sharing your expertise with my readers.
Moving someone off to college? Here’s a quick list of what’s necessary, and what really isn’t.
Your first impulse when packing up and heading out to college will probably be to include all those creature comforts you’re sure you can’t do without. Sure, you’ve heard space will be limited, but you still need clothes to wear and books to read, right?
Not necessarily. If you’re like most new college students, chances are, there’s quite a bit you can do without.
What to Pack for College
Although every college is different (and your packing list will vary depending on whether you’ll be staying in a dorm room or apartment), almost everyone considers these items a necessity:
> Mattress/bed (assuming one is not provided)
> Sheets and bedding for the bed
> Pillows
> Computer
> Power strip/cords
> Lamp
> Alarm Clock
> Garbage Can
> Showering accessories (including towels)
> Daily toiletries
> Weather-specific clothing (note the weather-specific designation; for many students, it’s best to keep a closet rotation that allows you to store your seasonal items at home when not in use)
> Hangers
> Wall décor
> Music/headphones
> Laundry basket or bag
> First-aid kit
Of course, not all of these items have to be purchased in advance and put onto the moving truck. If space is limited, you may want to make a list of items to bring with you from home and a separate list of items you can buy once you arrive. A last-minute trip to the drugstore can usually provide you with everything you need to get settled in.
What Not to Pack for College
More important than what to pack for college is what not to pack. These items tend to be bulky, heavy, or not relevant—which means that not only will they crowd your room, but you’ll pay more for the moving van, as well.
> Air conditioner
> Printer (the campus should have plenty)
> Cooking appliances (with the possible exception of a microwave and/or mini fridge)
> Stuffed animals
> High value items, including jewelry
> Books (with the exception of a few favourites and/or a well-stocked e-reader)
> Furniture other than a bed and desk chair
> Off-season sporting equipment (like skis during summer or a bicycle in winter)
> Bookcases and shelves
> Weight-lifting equipment
We also recommend not bringing things like school supplies, as you may not be sure what you need until you arrive and attend a few classes first.
Share in the comments what you packed for college that was completely useless.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Where are those 2 special boxes?
When you are moving pack 2 boxes that has everything you need for moving day and the first night. Keep these 2 boxes with you and not in the moving truck. These boxes should include:
- Glasses – plastic or glass for drinks or water.
- A roll of paper towels
- A roll of toilet paper for each bathroom
- A bar of soap or container of liquid soap for the bathroom
- A hand towel in the bathroom
- Dishcloth, dish soap and tea towel for cleaning dishes that maybe dusty from moving
- Sheets for the bed and pillows so you can go to sleep at the end of a long day moving in
- Towels for a shower and basic cosmetics to clean up after the move
- Chargers for your phone, tablet and computer
It is handy to pack a pail of basic cleaning supplies so you can do a quick clean before things are unpacked. Bring:
- Cloths
- All purpose cleaning supplies
- Broom and dust pan
- Mop
- Pack it all in a pail
With these things easily accessible you can clean up and get a good nights rest before you continue to unpack and make your new place a home.
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