Moving...a lot.

I mentioned before that my husband and I move…a lot. We usually hope to only have one move a year but in the last 3 years we have moved 6 times and in just a few days we will be making our 7th move back towards the east side of the country. 

Living in the desert was fun, but I’ll be glad to be in driving distance of family again.

With all these moves, I have learned to pack up our home in about 2 days, and do it well enough to travel 30 hours across the country. I am not a perfectionist when it comes to most things, I feel that I work better under pressure, that might actually make me a procrastinator. But I figured what better time to share a few of my moving tricks then while I am actually using them.

1. Plastic Tubs - When you know you are making a long move, it is best to just invest in storage tubs from the beginning. These make it easy to stack in the moving truck and keeps even the most precious items safe.

We can always keep track of which move the tubs came from because I never seem to get matching ones when we need more.

2. Label every box, tub, bag, anything with stuff in it for easy placement. - I label boxes, tubs, anything I have shoved stuff in with its destination in the new place. My labeling may be slightly obnoxious, but it makes it easy for anyone who might be helping you unpack know exactly where to take the box. 

I label with duct tape because it makes it easy to change when we are storing things or moving again.

3. Staging area - Every time we move, its usually only me packing up our whole house, because my husband typically has to work up until the day the truck gets there. 

This could be something I learned from moving to college every fall. My mom gave us each an area to hold our stuff in the basement for the summer, then when it was time to leave in the fall again, we would move it up to the dining room to assess the stuff. I have translated this with every move we have made. When I start packing boxes, I designate a room or area that holds the packed, closed boxes so they have a short trip out to the truck. This also makes me feel like I am actually getting stuff done, because having empty boxes and stuff every where can feel like the packing is never ending.

The extra bedroom became the staging area this time but it can easily change when it starts  getting full.

And every time we move, I feel overwhelmed at some point and want to take a break, so I give myself time for those breaks. Break time is for playing with Missy and checking social media, maybe even a dance break, because a music play list for pumping you up is definitely essential for moving.

Hope these tips can help with your moves!

The adventure continues…