Packing ideas

So, I am having a hard time getting organized to move to the new apartment. We start on Friday and have until Jan 15th. But I seriously have NO IDEA where to start!

For those of you who have experience with this, can you give me some pointers? Before, whenever we moved, we had like 2 days to do it, and just threw everything into whatever box we had handy and moved it all in one day in a uhaul. Now, we have more time to actually go through and get rid of stuff and be organized about it, and I don't know what to do!!

I'm not looking for someone to come over and help, just to give me some ideas. Unless you WANT to help *hee hee*

Shells? You around? Any pointers? I still have stuff in boxes from when we moved to Corona almost 4 years ago!

First off THROW OUT THOSE 4 YEAR OLD BOXES! If you haven't needed those items in 4 years then why take them? lol

Then just start little, do one room at a time. Pack all the little things that you aren't using right now. You have lots of time, so don't stress too much.

Best of luck to you! I know I HATE moving! lol

I moved about 6 months ago.  The most important thing is don't move what you don't need!  Be ruthless, get rid of everything you don't use!  Go through every drawer, every cabinet!  Then start with things you won't be using right away.  Be sure to clearly label on all sides what room the box goes to. 

I used Box Connection for my boxes.  He has a lot of good packing ideas on his site.  Unfortunately he only delivers to SD and OC.  Hope this helps!

Michele

http://www.boxconnection.com/Index.asp

I moved 13 times in 3 years at one point of my life ...Yes I am an expert! If you haven't used it in 3 years get rid of it unless it is a personal thing ...like grannys tubba.LOL  This is a great time to get rid of all that crap that always seems to grow...magazines,junk mail,kids toys that they have out grown , clothes that you no longer can wear ( unless you are waiting to fit into those skinny jeans). That whatever you have always wanted to fix but never find the time...yep, now is the time.

Good luck with your move.

HUGS
JOY

I have some great tips

1.  Get a box for things you know you will need right away.  Toliet paper, disinfecting wipes, paper towel, general cleaner, Anything you will need right away.  Put these in a laundry basket and in your car,  just add to it as you think of things. Towels, soap, shampoo, deoterant, sponges.  paper plates/spoons/forks/knives, cups etc. (you won't want to wash dishes while you are setting up household.

2.  Room by room.  If you don't love it toss it out.  If you love it and it makes you smile pack it up and put it in that room' box. 

3.  Get three boxes  marked keep/toos/give away.  As you are packing your room put the items in the exact place.

4.  Don't keep anything you don't love.  Don't keep something because your mother in law gave it to you and you think you should just give it away and let it bless someone else. 

5.  Last thing you pack are your cleaning supplies.  So you can clean where you are leaving and in case you need to clearn where you are going.

6.  Books if you have read them donate them don't keep them.  College books you are never going to look at again give them away, bless someone else with them.

#1 rule  if you don't love it give it away or toss it.  Clutter wastes your time and energy.  IF something has a bad memory attatched to it, toss it.  You don't want to feel bad each time you look at it.

Go to www.flylady.net and look at her website.  Go under packing and she has a whole list of what to do and how to do it.  I would also join her daily emails as she helps me keep my house organized wth all htese kids.  I swear by her.

Good luck to you,

Rhonda

Here I am!

I have pretty much the same strategy as Rhonda! When we left L.A. to come up north I did the three box method.

Just pick a spot and start, get your self a box, label it (I do the labeled on all sides thing too, and sometimes I label the top after I close it up as well!) with what room you are in, that becomes the "move" box, anything you KNOW you want to take (and can live without for a little while) goes into that box. It doesn't have to be a whole room at one time that you tackle, instead of saying "today I am doing the kitchen" start with "today I will do the cabinets above the sink"...things like that.

Get a big trash bag or another box, that becomes the toss pile, if you don't want or need it anymore and it isn't anything someone else could make use of, toss it!

Third get a box or bag for "Goodwill" items, anything that you don't want or need but someone else might, into that pile!

As you fill up one of the three don't stop! Just grab another box or bag and keep right on going until you are done with whatever spot you have chosen to work on! Since you have plenty of time set a daily goal...we knew about a month ahead that we were leaving L.A. so I decided to do AT LEAST one box worth of "move" stuff EVERY DAY, and, of course, that enabled me to find things to toss and donate along the way as well.

Once a week, make a Goodwill run and get everything that you are getting rid of out of the way so that you have plenty of room to stack up boxes and keep neat and organized.

I also agree that if you haven't opened those boxes in four years you don't need them! We had things in our garage that had been in there for 7 years...it ALL got tossed or donated with the exception of some personal mementos and old photos that I found. As much as I could have continued to hold on to my stuffed animals from Jr High, I just didn't need them anymore!! Take a day to do a QUICK sort through that stuff, make sure there are no true keepsakes in those boxes, and get rid of them!

If I was closer I would come help you, but it is a little bit of a commute! LOL I actually love helping people pack! I know, wierd!!!

Congrats again on the new place, I am so excited for you! Clearly, it is a good time to move! LOL


Shells

Oh! Another thing I did was to build a box for each room and leave it in there, as I was in those rooms and ran across something I knew I wanted but didn't need out between now and the move I tossed it into the box. You would be surprised how much stuff ends up in there just via the course of daily moving around the house and spotting things!

This was a big help in the kitchen...if I washed something (say, the big casserole dish) that I knew I wasnt going to use again before the move I would box it instead of putting it back into the cupboard.

=)
S

Woo Hoo!  I am excited for you.  I bet you will love the area!

The only thing I can add, that I already read, is to LABEL what room you want each box to go to.  That way, when you get to your new place the KITCHEN boxes will be in the kitchen.  BEDROOM  in the bedroom.  That was really helpful to find stuff after the move, too.

Wow, you guys really come through in a pinch! You have all given me some really good ideas. Thank you so much for contributing, and for helping my move stay a bit more sane than I was expecting!!!

******big hugs******