Overly Honest

Which part of my inner housekeeper insists that I must launder every single item that was relocated prior to finding it a new home, and how can I shut it up?? And why MUST I unpack the entire contents of the kitchen BEFORE determining where and how everything will be put away? I’m so sick of laundry and cluttered kitchen counters that I’m about ready to scream. This weekend has been & will be focused on organizing … or, I’ll hide out in the bedroom (which is nicely coming together) and pretend it’s not there. Today it’s been a fair mix of both.

Latest tips from the move now that we’re in the ‘unpacking’ stage are:

1. Dispose of cardboard quickly – break down boxes as you unpack them and get it out of the house. It is amazing how much more at home you feel when there is no lingering residue of the move, even if you’re still a cluttered mess with everything drifting gradually to its final home.
2. Color code your boxes by room, ideally with something simple like construction paper or duct tape that you can quickly label rooms for movers to easily drop them. It was a mistake not to do that this time and I’ve regretted it. Much better to get everything in the room it belongs instead of sorting through it from one main locale as I did this time.
3. Keep the laundry going non-stop until it’s done and put away. You’ll be wearing clothes and adding to the pile so you will feel like it is a never ending effort if you don’t go at it aggressively from the moment you arrive.
4. There’s no substitute for good manners. Be good to your movers, and anyone who helps you get settled into your new home, and make sure they know you appreciate them. I don’t know what I would have done without our movers staying until 10pm to put together furniture when things finally got delivered that first day.
5. Get internet up ASAP…it is staggering the amount of dependency we have these days on looking things up online, and iPhones simply do not do the trick as well (although they can get you through in a pinch).

So far it’s been a lot of laughs, a few significant bumps and bruises, and thankfully a good start at our new home and work. Let’s hope things continue on this path!