Moving Tips and Tricks Part 2: Packing It Up!

Packing the boxes! Hopefully you've gathered up all of your stuff that you'll need to use to pack and you have your boxes so now it's time to PACK them! I usually start with the same things every time I move.

1. Start with your decorations. My very first box is always my pictures and artwork on the walls. I grab my biggest but flattest boxes for those things and put them all in the same box as tightly as possible. I use table cloths to wrap around the edges but if they are tight enough, and not able to move, they won't get damaged. Small decorations and breakables are wrapped in washcloths, towels, etcetera. All packed together tightly in the same boxes - not too big either. Remember, if it can't move or shift in the box, it can't get broken. It's when it shifts in the box and strikes something that will allow it to get broken. Mark these boxes as Glass - FRAGILE. Trust me, say WHY it is fragile. Some people just put fragile on everything but if you say glass, people respect it when loading and unloading. I put all of the pictures and decorations together because they should be the LAST boxes to unpack.

2. Books - These are easy to live without for a while and easy to pack neatly but take a little TIME. If you have 4 book lovers in a family like us, we have TONS of books! I like to use boxes that are 1'x1'x2' or somewhere in there because books are heavy anyway and you don't want to have to lift them multiple times when they are soooo heavy. Pack them as you want them on your shelves in your new home. For example, I try to pack by genre or set so you're not trying to find the last 5 books to a series in another box somewhere. Then label by type and genre or set. So if the box holds all of your Mandie books - put BOOKS - YOUNG ADULT - Mandie Set - and then what room your shelves will be in.

3. Next step is always a little trickier to figure out what to pack next depending on how far away you are from your moving day. If you still have a couple of weeks, this would be a good time to sort and purge your clothes, shoes, toys, kitchen items and whatever else you don't want to move or figure out what to do with in a new home. So examine your possessions and donate what you don't want.

4. If you have young children - SAVE THEIR THINGS FOR LAST! The younger they are the later you should save them! My daughter when she was about 2 would panic when I rearranged the furniture in front of her or moved things around too much. Keep their space the same for as long as possible. They need that security of "their things" surrounding them. The older they get the more you can transition. Like now, Aimee is so excited about moving she wants to make sure all of her little things get to "the white house" in Chatsworth so she's been helping pack up her things. If she helps, she's good. We packed up the wall hangings in their room without her and it suddenly seemed empty in their room and she walked in and looked around and I could see the tears developing a mile away. After a few hugs and talking about the changes and how excited we are about our new home - she was back to helping us pack.

5. Clothes are next! Grab a box for donations as you're packing up clothes and shoes so if you do find something you don't want anymore you won't feel like packing it. Take a few minutes to plan clothing for the time up til moving day and pack them in suitcases and bags and set them aside so they don't get packed. We usually leave hanging clothes hanging up in the closet and we move them in our personal vehicle where they won't get dirty or thrown around too much then they just go straight to closets when we get there. You may want to pack the clothes but they take a LOT of space and we've just found that that goes smoother. Small kids clothes are a different story though so go ahead and pack them up and if you can, leave them on the hangers (you have to pack the hangers anyway so might as well still be with the clothes!) Clothes in dresser drawers can stay put. They are already packed for you! When people move the furniture, they usually take the drawers out so just lay hand towels or other things on top of the contents to hide and keep them dust free. This works great because then you know exactly where the clothes you need are - where they always are!

6. Desks and Craft supplies - these take a little time too unless it's in drawers - then just leave it in the drawers and they should be fine. Pack up your computer cords and speakers and keyboards and everything else in one big box so it's all together for unpacking. Some components should be packed in boxes but sometimes, they get nicer treatment if you just leave them as is because people see what it is. Our huge desktop PC has a tall large console and we won't pack it or the not flat panel monitor - they will just get loaded as is into our personal vehicle.

7. Kitchen - I try to keep this until a couple of days before the move simply because you want to still eat and cook fairly easily!

8. Food - I really don't like having to move food. It bothers me! There are grocery stores all over and we can always go shopping AFTER we move so as soon as I know about the possibility of moving - I stop grocery shopping! Seriously! I announce to my family that what we have is what we are eating and it's time to eat as much of what we already have. It's amazing to me what gets eaten from our cupboards when the favorite foods are gone!

I usually have a deep freeze full of food and I go through it and take out the things that thaw quickly like fruit, hash browns, vegetables and basically things other than meat and things just in there for storage (like bulk flour and spices etc.). If it takes around 4-8 hours for something to thaw out in the refrigerator it should be fine STAYING in your deep freeze. That may sound crazy but it's true! We actually already moved our deep freeze so we wouldn't have to worry about it and we took all of the food out - moved the deep freeze - then put it all back in for the trip. The freezer works as a giant cooler and frozen things help keep things cool enough to be preserved. If you're going to take a long time to get where you need to be, just see if you can plug it in (use an extension cord run along the side of your moving van if it needs to be in the back) for about an hour without moving it to re-cool everything for a while.

That should keep you busy for a while! I know it is for me! My mom and sister came and helped me pack up a ton of stuff and so far we have everything except for the kitchen and outside shed mostly packed. I feel like I'm ahead of the game! We have 6 days til moving day and today I'm going to work on the shed and any outside things that need to be gathered up. Yay! I get to be outside!

Moving Tips and Tricks Part 1: Gather Your Materials

I am a professional mover. I have moved 24 times and now I'm moving for the 25th time! Do I get paid to move? Nope - not in a form of a paycheck that is! Using moving companies is great if you can afford the thousands of dollars that it takes! We don't have that and even if we did, I would probably STILL move myself! We are moving in nine days and from now until then I'm going to be focusing primarily on that! So here is the first part of my suggestions for making a move go smoothly and in the most organized and stress-free way possible!

What you need to gather to start the packing process:

1. Tape gun - THIS IS NECESSARY! It's hard enough to cart around the tape but when you're carting around scissors to cut the tape too it's just too much! They get lost. And no, you can't just fold the boxes together - unless you want a LOT of damaged things or you want to pack a PASSLE of boxes! Use tape!

2. Permanent marker - I use red or purple or blue - something other than black because it will stand out more from all of the other markings on the box.

3. Boxes - Yup DEFINITELY a MUST! I have the most success going to our local grocery store here in Bussey. Look for your most Ma and Pa store around and you will find boxes. Avoid looking at places like Walmart or huge chain grocery stores. They usually get the truck in the night and use a box crusher to get rid of boxes before anyone is up in the morning. Restaurants are good places if you can call them and find out what day their truck comes with deliveries. You should start collecting boxes a couple of weeks before you start packing. You will ALWAYS need more! Don't ever think you have enough! You probably don't! Your only shot at finding good boxes is RIGHT after deliveries! Oh and avoid the liquor boxes! I didn't one time and never heard the end of it!

4. Dust cloth to stick in your back pocket - wipe things off BEFORE packing them! That way if someone is helping you unpack, it's not embarrassing and you're starting off in your new place with a CLEAN slate!

5. Towels, dishcloths, cloth napkins, sheet sets, rags, anything that is fabric that you're not going to need before the big move. You can even use clothes although I would make that a last resort because you don't want to be missing your clothing! Use these for packing breakables! They all need packed anyway so you might as well use them to good use!

6. Blankets, Rugs, Afghans, Quilts - These are more for Moving Day but just make sure you don't pack them. Unless they are white and unwashable or very special, keep them out for packing the truck and protecting your furniture. Floor rugs are ESPECIALLY awesome to protect mirrors and corners of your precious furniture. Don't pack em!

7. Have a plan for your new home before you leave your old home. That means figure out what goes where BEFORE you pack! Then when you are labeling boxes label with where it's going in the new house and forget about where it came from in the old house. For example if you have toys that came from the toy room and will now go in the boys room - mark it BOYS ROOM - TOYS. Organize items by where they need to go in your house more so then what is inside. The people who are helping you move in aren't going to care about what's inside - they just want to know where to stick it! So if it goes in the hall closet - write that down along with what's inside. For example: HALL CLOSET - CLEANING SUPPLIES.

8. Sandwich Baggies - These are VERY necessary! I use these for the bolts, screws, hooks and small pieces that without fail ALWAYS end up where you CAN'T find them!!!! When you start packing, set aside a small box and stick it in the center of your home until the LAST MOMENT you leave the house! As you are packing, put the bolts to the crib in 1 sandwich baggie, the screws to the dresser in another baggie, etc. THEN put the baggie IN THE BOX! That is VERY IMPORTANT! Then as you are doing the final walkthrough of the house - you grab that box and you put it in the last possible spot in your car - probably under your feet! That way it's the FIRST box to be unpacked and put in the center of your new house for all of those precious pieces that EVERYONE is going to need RIGHT NOW! Can you tell I've had bad experiences with losing these things? It's true! Especially CRIB pieces - not HAPPY!

You know what, this is going to work out great because I'm reminding myself of things I've learned along my packing way! Happy packing!

I'm linked up with Raising Homemakers and Our Simple Country Life

Dun Dun Dah Duuuunnnn!!!!

Calvary Baptist Church in Chatsworth, IL. 

WE ARE MOVING!!!!!!!!!! HOORAY!!!! 

Sunday afternoon a wonderful church in Chatsworth, Illinois voted to call my husband as their Senior Pastor. We accepted the call the same day. We are so excited to see how God has worked in bringing us and the church to this point. God definitely knows what He's doing (an obvious point, I know, but when I can see it - it's MIRACULOUS!). 

Which brings me to my next bit of news . . . We are MOVING! Okay I know I said that but we are moving in 10 days. HOORAY!!! Yes, we are a little insane I know but here's the deal. Our baby is due in 4 weeks from today (ANOTHER HOORAY!!!). If we were to wait until after the baby is born it would be MUCH MUCH more stressful on me then doing it before. Truly. 

To be honest, I'm doing pretty well. I'm completely convinced that God is protecting me and preserving me from the stress levels that COULD be happening. If you were to tell me 2 months ago that I would be doing this, I would have curled up in a ball and NOT moved! Okay, probably not THAT bad, but it would cross my mind!

I am really excited! Dreams are coming true. Dreams that my hubbie and I have had since BEFORE we were married. When we got married, our dreams became a joint goal and now those goals have become reality. Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be in ministry alongside my husband. For a while, I thought those dreams would have to be satisfied by being single and serving God. Once I became completely at peace with that plan for my life, God brought my amazing husband into my life and BOOM! That dream came true. Now another dream has come true by becoming a pastor's wife. I was an assistant pastor's wife and that was AMAZING and incredible but God ended that journey and brought us to seminary instead so once again that dream was put on the shelf. 

I am scared too! I am suddenly a pastor's wife! Yes, that's what I've always wanted but it's scary and intimidating! I am so blessed and thankful that I do not have to do this alone. God is right there alongside me and guiding me and the only time I really need to worry is when I let go and try to do it on my own. So I'm in this and totally relying on God to sustain me and lift me up as only a Heavenly, Perfect Father can do. 

Our new home - isn't it pretty? I love it! 

If you don't mind I do have some prayer requests I would like to ask you to pray about for us. 

-- Pastor Sam for obvious reasons! He has much more on his plate than I do right now! 

-- My children - They are both so excited about going to "the white house" in "Chapsworth" but I'm completely aware that this will be a HUGE change for them piled on other changes. 

-- Cody - He is my shy one and VERY attached to mommy. I'm concerned about him facing a new house, church, and missing mommy when and after the baby comes. Tough times are ahead of my baby. 

-- Aimee - She is going through a stage called "I need ATTENTION!" Unfortunately the attention she has been getting has been primarily when she is naughty - I'm working on this with her and trying to give her good attention but with everything going on. . . 

-- My unborn little one. I feel as though this baby is getting a back seat! Usually I am chomping at the bit to give birth to my baby at this time but right now I am PRAYING that I can hold my baby after I'm unpacked and READY for him/her. 

-- My pregnancy. Yup still pregnant and miserable and swelling and high blood pressure and the meds are NOT fun and . . . 

-- Our new church family - we are already in love with them and their concerns are suddenly our concerns. We are praying for the transitions that they are going through too. They already have been AMAZING in their efforts to do whatever they can for us and it is SOOO wonderful! 

-- Our church family here in Bussey - we are going to MISS THEM!!! They are so much a part of our lives and our ministry that they will be greatly missed. I wish we could just pack them up and bring them too! :0) 

Well there you go! Thanks so much for your prayers in advance. We are so thankful for them! Stay tuned because I'm hoping to bring a blog series about moving tips and tricks that I've picked along the way. This move will be my 25th move in my life. I am a PROFESSIONAL! And I'm hoping it's my LAST! Wow - that's a new thought! 

Top 10 about moving!

Another belated post! Shortly after Sam graduated we did it, we moved! After the most chaotic move ever, we are very happily settled in our now seemingly HUGE home! Going from 700 sq. ft. to over 2,000 is incredible! Top 10 Things I am once again blessed with!!!

#1. My very own, no quarters required, WASHER & DRYER!!!

#2. My very own, wonderful, awesome, DISHWASHER!!!

#3. My very own, no longer sharing with my husband and anything else that might have fit into it, CLOSET!!!

#4. My very own, BACKYARD!!!

#5. My very own, (okay I'll share them!) 2 BATHROOMS!!!

#6. My husband's very own, (and no longer on my dining table) STUDY!!!

#7. My kids very own, ABILITY TO MAKE TONS OF NOISE WITHOUT BOTHERING THE NEIGHBORS!!!

#8. My very own, MOM - within a mile of my house!!!

#9. My very own, CHURCH - also within a mile of my house - no more driving an hour and a half on Sundays!!!

#10. My very own house, once again our HOME- oh how we missed you!

Moving Again!

It is becoming evident that we will probably be moving within the next couple of months. Another chapter is about to begin. Unlike most people who have mental chapters that pertain to segments in their lives such as age, schools, jobs or births of children, I use another reference point to organize the chapters of my life - MOVING.

My moving experiences began when I was a baby and we moved from one house to another house that I don't remember to "the green house." (It's not green it's yellow with green painted foundation) Most of my young childhood days were spent in this house. A.k.a. the snake house. We had snakes in the basement, in the yard and underneath the front doorstep. My dad tried to help me get over my fear of snakes by catching one and showing it to me. I wouldn't go near it. My dad then proceeded to kill it and throw it into a neighboring field. I will NEVER forget that! (Dad do you remember that?) If you know me at all I have a TERRIBLE fear of snakes. It began at that house. I do have good memories there too but for sake of time I will continue with my moving experiences. We then moved from "the green house" to "Camp," this was probably my favorite place to live because we had so much fun there! From there we moved to "the Anita Acreage" we were only there for a short time while we prepared for my dad to go to college. We moved into a travel trailer and "moved" to Florida where my dad went to school for one year. Then we moved our trailer from Florida to my grandma's backyard. We then sold the trailer and moved into "the acreage" and dad continued going to school. We lived there for a few years then moved again to a parsonage when my dad became a pastor. At this point my parents stopped their moving and stayed for several years but I continued the moving cycle as I went on to college, back home, spent a summer living at a friend's home, back to college, then to an apartment with a friend while I finished college. After I graduated I became engaged to my hubbie and until we were married I lived at my parents home again. My husband moved me to his hometown and we were there for 6 months. Ministry possibilities moved us again and we were in an apartment for 2 months. The utilities were too high so we bought a house. After a year my husband was asked to become an assistant pastor at a new location so we put our house up for sale and it sold in 2 weeks. We bought a house and were there for a year and a half then we moved to "Camp" for the summer and helped out there. Now we're in our current apartment while my husband goes to school for his M.A. Whew! That was a total of 20 moving adventures! And now we're preparing for #21 and (unless something changes) we're moving back to the house we bought (shown in the picture) which was being rented and will be empty soon. I am only 26! I wonder how much experience it takes to be considered a PROFESSIONAL mover? I think I can cut it! I can unpack all of my possessions in about 3 days - I used to be able to do it in 24 hours but since kids came along, I need 3 days! But needless to say I am looking forward to the house again. The dishwasher, privacy and room for the kids to run is looking VERY attractive! In that order too!

I must say however, that looking back I can see God's handiwork in all of it. It's all in the journey of following God wherever He leads us. If God wants us to move like this for the rest of our lives, I am fine with that. If God wants us to stay in one place for the rest of our lives, I'm fine with that (although that would be a transition!) Wherever and whatever God leads us to, we will follow.