Living out of a Suitcase

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essential items, moving, moving tips, new house, packing tips, suitcase, what to pack

When many people move, they say they’re “living out of boxes”. The chaos of unpacking overwhelms and the steam to unpack dwindles. I’d rather live out of a suitcase than a box… pretend you’re going on vacation and pack what you think you’ll need for a week or two. Keep the packed suitcase in the car, not the moving truck and you’ll have what you need at your fingertips.

Although I’ve mentioned some of these items in the “Open Me First Boxes,” they’re also essential in the suitcases. For example, my electric toothbrush is packed in my suitcase and a spare toothbrush is in the Open Me First Bathroom Box.

Suitcase Essentials:
Underwear & socks (pack many extra of each)
Extra shoes
Weather appropriate clothing
Pajamas
Slippers
Toothbrush & toothpaste
Personal toiletries
Make-up
Hair dryer
Small first aid kit
Lint brush
Small travel umbrella
Passport & other important documents
Prescriptions

*If moving during the school year have kids include any school supplies or books they may need.

What is the one luxury item you would bring in your suitcase?

Packing Tips – Before the Move

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Moving Tip: Open Me First Boxes

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easing the transition, essential items, moving, moving tip, new house, open me first, packing tips, transition

When packing to move, you should designate one box in each room to be opened first. This will easy your transition, you’ll have the basics for each room quickly available before unpacking hem remaining boxes. Instead for using cardboard boxes like I did for most of our belongings, I used large plastic storage bins. Make sure your open me first bins are the last on the truck, so they are ready to be the first boxes.

Kitchen:
Tea bags & Tea kettle (For you coffee drinkers: coffee, coffee filter and coffee maker)
Pet food
Pet food & water bowls
Foil, Plastic Wrap & Zipper top baggies
Dish detergent
Hand soap
Dish Towel
Roll of paper towels
Scissors
Disposable cutlery, plates, cups (hot & cold) & bowls
Frying pan & Spatula
Medium pot
Strainer
Wooden spoon
All purpose cleaner
A few trash bags
Box of pasta
Jar of sauce

Bathroom:
Bath towels
Bath math
Toothpaste & Toothbrushes
Toilet Paper
Shower curtain and rings
Shampoo, conditioner, soap
Shaving cream & razor
First Aid Kit
Prescriptions
Hand soap
Hand towel

Master Bedroom:
Bed linens
Blankets
Pillow
Phone charger
Curtains (there may not have one hanging up or they may not be thick enough, a good night’s sleep is important when moving)
Alarm clock

Children’s Bedroom:
Bed linens
Blankets
Pillow
Night light (even if they don’t normally need one, they may want one the first few nights in a new house)
Favorite stuffed animal
Favorite toy
Favorite book

Office: (or where ever you pay your bills)
Stamps
Envelopes
Pens
Laptop & charger
Checkbook
Information for utility companies
Address book

Laundry Room:
Small packages of laundry soap & dryer sheets (the free samples you get in the mail are perfect, if not buy a few trial size ones)
Misc. Cleaning supplies (*An extra canister of Clorox Wipes is essential)
Iron & Spray starch

Make sure you have your suitcases with all of your essentials ready (See: Living out of a Suitcase), each member of the family should have their own.

What is the one essential item you couldn’t go without?

Packing Tips: Before the Move

Packing Tips – Before the Move

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moving, moving tips, organization, packing tips

A few days ago I mentioned our move. I don’t know yet when I’ll have internet access again, so I left a few posts in the queue. I’m not usually one for blogging about the past, however I wrote these before we closed the door on our home and headed out on a new journey.

Organization is key when moving!

Set up a packing kit:
Clear packaging tape
Colorful Duct Tape
Thick markers
Boxes, you’ll need big and small
Pen
Index cards
Twist Ties
Ziplock bags
Packing foam, newspapers, etc…
Apron or Utility Belt (to keep supplies handy)

*For each room I used a different color duck tape to easily identify which boxes go into which rooms. I used teal for Pumpkin’s Room, purple for the living room, blue for the kitchen, etc…

*Designate one box in each room to be the Open Me First Box.

*If placing stuff in storage, clearly mark the boxes you are taking with you and the ones going to storage.

*Keep small items together in a zipper top bag to prevent small pieces from getting lost.

*Use twist ties to keep cords bundled together.

*Label TV, DVD player & video game cords.

*Label the outside of the box with a thick dark marker. Thin markers, pens and pencils are not very visible.

*Label the wider sides of the boxes, on both sides. Keeping it consistent will make reading the boxes easier.

*When packing items into a box, write a list of everything going into the box (this is a great job for a kid). Tape list on outside of box, so you can easily see what’s in there. I also used color coated index cards.

*Use blankets & towels to wrap electronics and other fragile items.

*Go to the liquor store for packing boxes. Some of them have cardboard dividers perfect for keeping breakables safe.

***Keep a boxer cutter or scissors handy for opening all these boxes when you move in!!!! Stash it in the glove box of the car so you can get to it easily.

Tomorrow’s Moving Tip? Open Me First Boxes…

Also see: Living Out of A Suitcase