Tips for Moving as a Single Parent

 

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Moving homes can be a daunting endeavor, especially for single parents. In New Jersey, where the pace can be fast and the surroundings ever-changing, the process may feel overwhelming. With the right preparation and support, however, relocating can also mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for both you and your children. This guide offers practical tips tailored to the needs of single parents, aiming to make your move smoother and less stressful.

Start Planning Early

For single parents, thorough planning is crucial to a successful move. Begin by mapping out each step of the moving process well in advance. Create a detailed checklist of tasks to complete week by week leading up to the move. This might include sorting belongings, finalizing housing arrangements, setting up new school records, and scheduling moving services. Early planning not only keeps you organized but also reduces the last-minute rush that can add unnecessary stress.

Seek Reliable Moving Help

Moving on your own can be physically and emotionally taxing. It's important to find reliable help to ease the burden. Somerset County moving companies, for instance, offer a range of services tailored to fit the needs of single parents, from full packing and unpacking services to transportation and temporary storage. These professionals can handle the heavy lifting and logistical details, allowing you to focus on your family and other aspects of the move. Invest in a reputable service to ensure your belongings are handled with care and efficiency.

Involve Your Children

Including your children in the moving process can help them feel involved and might ease their anxiety about the change. Depending on their age, children can help pack their toys, choose items to donate, or plan the layout of their new room. This inclusion not only helps lighten your workload but also gives them a sense of control and participation. Discuss each step with them, use visual tools like calendars or planners to mark important dates, and listen to their input and concerns.

Declutter Before the Move

Decluttering before you start packing is essential. It reduces the amount of stuff you need to move, which can save time and money. Go through each room with your children and decide what to keep, sell, donate, or throw away. Selling items can be a useful way to raise additional funds for the move. Organize a garage sale or list items online. Donating items not only clears out space but also supports local charities and provides resources for other families in need.

Organize Important Documents

Keeping track of essential documents is vital during a move. Organize all important papers, such as birth certificates, legal documents, medical records, and school records, well before moving day. Store these documents in a secure, easily accessible place during the move. Consider making digital copies of the most important documents as a backup. This preparation will save you from frantic searches during the move and ensure you have all necessary paperwork at hand when you need it.

Establish a Support Network

Creating a strong support network is invaluable for single parents during a move. Reach out to friends, family members, and neighbors to ask for help when you need it—whether it's for packing, babysitting during moving day, or simply providing emotional support. Additionally, engage with community resources such as local parenting groups or online forums specific to your new area. These connections can provide practical advice, emotional support, and even friendship, which are crucial during and after the transition.

Pack an Essentials Bag

An essentials bag is a must-have for any move, especially when you’re managing the process alone with children. Pack a bag for each family member that includes items you will need for the first few days in your new home. This includes toiletries, a few changes of clothes, medications, chargers, snacks, and favorite toys or comfort items for your children. Having these essentials readily available will alleviate the stress of searching through boxes when you arrive, letting you focus on settling into your new space.

Communicate with Your Children's Schools

If you're moving to a new school district, it's important to handle the transfer of school records and inform both the old and new schools about your move. Start this process well before the move by contacting the current school to gather all necessary documentation and learning what the new school requires for enrollment. Facilitate an open line of communication between the schools to ensure a smooth transition. Discuss the move with your children as well, addressing any concerns they might have about changing schools and making new friends.

Manage Moving Day with Care

Moving day can be particularly hectic, and as a single parent, it’s important to manage the day with care to ensure it goes as smoothly as possible. Consider hiring babysitters or asking family members to help keep your children occupied and safe while you handle the logistics with the movers. Set clear tasks for the day and communicate effectively with everyone involved. By keeping your children engaged and having a clear plan for the day, you can minimize stress and make sure that everything goes according to plan.

Take Time to Settle In

Once the move is complete, take time to settle into your new home without rushing. Unpack essential items first and gradually set up each room to make your new space feel like home. It’s important to maintain routines to give your children a sense of stability. Allow yourself and your children to adjust at a comfortable pace, and explore your new community together. This can help everyone feel more at home and can create a positive start in your new environment.

Conclusion

Moving as a single parent involves a unique set of challenges, but with proper planning, organization, and support, it can be a manageable and even rewarding experience. By starting early, involving your children in the process, and ensuring you have the necessary support and essentials ready, you can ensure a smoother transition. Remember, each step you take in preparing for and executing your move not only helps in reducing stress but also sets the stage for a successful new beginning in your new home. Embrace the journey, knowing that each challenge overcome is a step towards a new chapter of opportunities for you and your children.

INTERSTATE MOVING – 5 TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW

 INTERSTATE MOVING – 5 TIPS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Long-distance moving can be an exceedingly strenuous process. From deciding your budget to choosing what items to pack, there are numerous things to consider for interstate travel.

But what if we told you it doesn’t have to be this way? That with a few golden tips and tricks, your life can be made much simpler. Continue reading to know a few of those tricks and the secrets to a stress-free interstate move:

·  Declutter

Arguably, one of the most stressful parts of a move is deciding what’s worth keeping in your new home. Especially considering the cost of interstate moving, you’d want to reduce clutter and unnecessary objects as much as possible.

Therefore, we recommend looking through all your current possessions. This includes checking through all your kitchenware, computer accessories, clothes, equipment, and other items. Then selectively choose to sort them into one of three piles: sell, toss, or donate.

When an item has marketable value, you can add it to the "sell" pile and use apps like Facebook Marketplace and eBay to get some extra cash.

·  Be Prepared

Interstate travel is definitely not something to be left to the last minute. It requires a minimum of weeks or months of planning. And, aside from initial decluttering and planning, the day or the week of the shift also requires a series of tasks.

.  These could include the following:

·  Defrost your freezer a couple of days before the move

·  Watering any house plants in advance, as they could end up without water or sunlight for several days

·  Ensure that fragile objects are appropriately packed in the original packaging they came in, or you can ask your movers for a specialized plasma carton to ensure their safe transit.

·  If you have the appropriate tools, get a head-start on dismantling heavy furniture, such as tables, bed frames, or couches.

·  Get Several Estimates

When undergoing long-distance moving, you’d want to ensure that you can trust the team that’s transporting your beloved belongings over hundreds of miles.

Thus, a rule of thumb is to never settle on your first recommendation. Ask various friends and family members for references. And then, when you have around 3-4 trustworthy and reputable options, you can start comparing quotes.

Similarly, you should ensure that the quotes are detailed and well-written from a fully insured and licensed mover. The last thing you'd want for any move is to go over the budget at the last minute; be sure to account for any unconsidered expenses such as those from bulky items, extra packaging, or transit duration costs.

·  Have Insurance For All Items

As brushed upon earlier, you need to exclusively opt for movers that offer insurance on items. Though it may be pricier, it's definitely worth it, considering how easily deliverables can get damaged during long-distance moving.

Moving insurance works by guaranteeing that you’re always fully reimbursed for unexpected loss or damage, ensuring ease of mind for safe transit and storage. Usually, there are additional charges. However, they vary depending on the items you'd be paying insurance for. If the mover you opt for is professional and reputable, they'd happily provide an honest quote for an item’s insurance and information regarding its exact coverage.

·  Leave It All To The Movers

There’s no doubt that moving is stressful, especially when it’s done across states. So, why put yourself through the trouble of worrying? After packaging everything and getting the right item insurance from a trustworthy moving company, simply leave the work to the movers.

Most professional services take everything into account to ensure the safety of your deliverables. They usually cover a variety of services, from including safe packaging of vehicles to the care and maintenance of pets.

With all that being said, if you follow all of these simple tips, we guarantee that you wouldn’t need to worry about moving ever again. So what are you waiting for? Go forth and enjoy the pleasures of a stress-free move!

How Can You Make Your House Moving Fun For The Family

 Realistically speaking, there’s no surprise that moving isn’t considered as the most enjoyable undertaking you can do together with your family. That’s because of the several things that need to be done, thereby making the entire activity exhausting and chaotic. However, it doesn’t also mean that the relocation process will be miserable throughout the journey. Working with experienced movers like United Van Lines can make the whole job much easier.

Thus, if you’re moving home anytime soon, below are some ways on how you can get your family excited from start to finish:

1. Stay Positive

More than anything else, you need your family to be positive about the whole moving process. While all of you will be sad and lonely that you’re leaving behind your home that you lived for many years, it’s important to show positivity to make it exciting. 

Instead of thinking about the cons of relocation, you can focus on thinking about the new possibilities waiting for everyone in your new destination. Also, make some effort to laugh, sing, and joke around so everyone in the family will forget the sadness brought by moving. 

2. Know As Much As You Can About Your New Area

You can make your relocation much more enjoyable by finding useful information about your new. For instance, if you have school-age children, you can ask them to list down all the things they’ll discover about your new city or town and the one who lists down more information will receive a reward. 

Whether it’s about the cost of living, local rules and regulations, entertainment options, and peculiarities of the area, they can include them in their research so they can win. Moreover, in addition to the fun aspect of this activity, you’ll also be able to introduce your new place to your children, thereby letting them know about the things they can expect upon their arrival. As a result, they’ll become more excited to move and have a fresh start. 

3. Keep The Music Playing 

Well, moving doesn’t have to be a boring task. While the family is tackling the household belongings, you can turn on the music and dance with it. Generally, lively music can make a difference in your mood and efficiently. 

Thus, create your family’s playlist now and have it played everyday until the moving day. That way, you can make the process fun and at the same time a lot faster. And to ensure the fun part stays throughout the transition, you can seek help from the best moving company NYC or wherever you may be located. 

4. Turn The Difficult Aspects Of The Move Into A Game

This is another way of making your house moving fun. Instead of doing the usual tedious tasks, you can create a game out of it to make it enjoyable. For example, you can require all the family members to compete with one another for a great game such as who can get rid most of your stuff, clean the rooms the fastest, or use the boxes efficiently in packing. 

In addition, you can organize a treasure hunt or create funny riddles to keep everyone delighted while the work is going on. But, you shouldn’t also forget the most exciting part which is the awarding of winners. For instance, you can prepare some candies, chocolates, gift cards, and many more as prizes to motivate them to participate and win. 

5. Decorate The Moving Boxes

If you decide to pack all your possessions on your own, then decorating your moving boxes with your family can be another fun task to do during a relocation. With your multicolored packing tapes, markers, stickers, and other decoration materials, you and the rest of the family members can make colorful labels for each box. 

For example, you can allow your kids to draw something on the boxes or add decorative stickers to them as well. This will not only let you customize your cartons but also become more creative in making labels, making unpacking much easier and faster. 

6. Organize A Goodbye Party

If you want to make the relocation process extra fun and enjoyable, you can throw a goodbye party for everyone. For instance, if you have school-age children who more likely have made good relationships with their classmates, you can invite their friends and classmates so they can give their goodbye to them. This can really mean a lot for them and for you as well as all of you will be able to spend time with the people you’re going to leave behind because of the move. 

Moreover, to make the event more fun, you can prepare cupcakes, popsicles, or popcorn for your children and their guests, while you can have some bottles of beer and chips for adults like you. Lastly, you can also plan some activities that’ll allow everyone to interact and urge them to reminisce about happy times everyone had together. 

However, in order to do all these things, you may need the assistance of some professionals to get some things done while making the process more enjoyable for the family. Typically, most moving companies NYC or other cities nearby are available to help you with the difficult aspects of your relocation. 

The Bottom Line

Well, relocating to a new house with your family can be an enjoyable adventure as long as you follow the tips mentioned above. But more than that, you and your family should be 100% into this process so you can have fun moving. 

Pros and Cons of Moving to Singapore with Children

Singapore is listed among the world’s top economies, meaning that it is a country with many job opportunities. The Singaporean government is committed towards economic growth, giving major trade incentives for various industries. The finance industry is particularly doing well and over the recent years it has attracted expats from all over the world. 

There are a lot of reasons why foreign expats prefer staying and working in Singapore. First of all, the Singaporean government does not bar foreigners from rendering their professional services in Singapore. Moreover, Singapore boasts a tropical climate, attractive sites, and multicultural ethnicity. This makes Singapore a popular destination for holiday visits. 

If you are planning to move to Singapore with children, you have to factor in the quality of education, level of healthcare systems, and whether the children will adapt in a new environment. In this article, we look at the pros and cons of moving to Singapore with children. 

Pros

The advantages of moving to the city state with children include:

Family friendly

This is perhaps the main reason why Singapore is one of the top tourist-attracting countries. It boasts museums, shopping centers, and restaurants, all of which are welcoming to children. Your family can also visit the Singapore zoo, various parks, and educational centers for fun. If you want to move to Singapore, you can apply for your visa online at https://www.singapore-visa.net.

Quality education systems

The education level in Singapore is considered to be one of the best in the world. There are plenty of school offering an international curriculum. These schools will also enable your kids to quickly settle in and make new friends. 

International schools will help the children maintain consistency in their education. If your switch to Singapore is for a long period of time, then you can enroll your children in public schools, which are incredible and also require lower fees. 

Better healthcare systems

The Singaporean government has invested heavily in the healthcare sector. Once you are in Singapore, you will be assured that your family is in good hands in case a health issue arises. Once you become a permanent resident, you gain access to subsidized public healthcare.  Find top rated NDIS supported speech pathology in Singapore.

Cons

The following are some of the cons of moving to Singapore with children:

Cost of living

This is the greatest challenge that expats who move to Singapore face. A lot of things are costly, even basic stuff like groceries. On top of that, you receive high monthly bills and the luxury of consuming alcohol will not be available if your income is limited. 

For the past couple of years, Singapore has been constantly ranked as one of the most expensive countries to live in. This should be a major consideration before you decide to move to Singapore with a family. The majority of the income is spent on education and accommodation. 

Weather

Singapore boasts a tropical climate, but unfortunately, this does not last all year long. For the better part of the year, the weather is hot and humid, which can sometimes be unbearable. During the hottest months, stepping outside even becomes difficult. One of the major health risks that your family can face is sunburn and dehydration. 

Conclusion

Singapore is a family-friendly city. Once you move in, it is easy for your family to integrate with the residents. On top of that, you do not have to worry about the education of your children as there are a lot of reputable schools. You are, however, advised to start looking for a school for your children as soon as possible because of competition for places in the classroom.

Find more travel posts here.

Fun With the Kids: The Rennaissance Teddy Bear concert Series

My family is always looking for something fun to do with the kids! Lucky for us, we live in Ohio! There are so many things to do in this state! From parks and museums; to the Lake {We have some major #LakeErieLove in this family!}; to the events that are ideal for families!

Next weekend on April 3rd we will be heading to the Renaissance in historic downtown Mansfield to see a really adorable performance with Roo and Harper! They are so excited about the Teddy Bear Concert: The Emperors New Clothes. Let me tell you a little more about this performance and why you are going to want to head into Mansfield for the event!

This show is a part of the Mechanics Bank Education Series. It is the perfect way to introduce your kids to theater and live performances. This performance will feature a woodwind trio playing popular and classical selections along with an interactive puppet retelling of the Emperor's New Clothes with actors Maddie Beer and Colton Penwell. My kids are incredibly excited! 

The show begins at 2:30 pm on Sunday, April 3rd. Of course, doors open an hour before the start of the show. If you are worried about price, don't be! This show is incredibly affordable! Tickets start at $10. 

Have you ever taken your kids to a play? How did it go? We have taken Rolf to a few when he was a toddler. He did really well with sitting and watching! Harper has not been to the theater yet, but I anticipate that she is going to love the Teddy Bear Concert! 

30 Days to Move: Day 11 Get Serious About Junk

Okay, this series started with good intentions but obviously, I couldn't keep up in the midst of a move! (Smart idea, bad timing or bad time management... you be the judge.)

On Day 11, I got serious about what I considered junk and what I felt was worth the trouble of packing and moving. I went through our house (everything that wasn't packed and destined to be kept) and started tossing junk into one of two huge boxes.

What is junk?

By my definition junk consists of:

Shoes I haven't worn in at least a year

Clothes that are outgrown or worse for wear

Toys the dogs never play with because they are well... junk!

Toys the kids have outgrown

Kitchen gadgets I never use

Excess plastic bowls with lids

Magazines I will never read due to time

While I was sorting this junk, I made one box the to donate box. This was the box of things someone could use but I felt had no real value.

The second box was yard sale items.

Yes, I know moving is crazy, but having a yard sale is genius when moving. You will reduce the amount of junk you either have to haul to Goodwill or pack and move. Plus, if you do it right you will make a ton of cash and can buy new stuff for your new home!

30 Days to Move: Day 10

So, this is not working out as I had planned. Do you know why? Writing a month long series while moving is really not the brightest of ideas....


On Day 10... the guilt of the day before hit me (think hot mess cookie fest). I got busy, cleaning, packing and getting stuff done! Granted, as I packed a box, I had eager help to unpack my boxes. It was a process.

With a great deal of the toys, blankets, clothes, odds and ends from the kitchen and knick knack things tucked into boxes I felt better. This was going to happen, one way or another.

On Day 10, I had moved, mothered and worked several hours for my job. The long week I had was showing on my face.

Reluctantly I pushed my trusty mower out the door and got a good sweat rolling as I made attempts to mow the jungle that was a lawn just 10 days before. Of course, Carla came by and said she was so worried about me... I looked exhausted. I laughed and told her putting in 13 hours on a Sunday and then mowing will do that to a woman. She looked guilty and hurried away.


Overall, Day 10 was good. I mowed half the yard, packed a bunch of stuff and was half way fun to be around for the kids!

30 Days to Move : Day 9

Well, the dream house... wasn't the dream house after all. There was just no way to make it work financially. I didn't get too discouraged. Remember I had a plan to fall on... campground living.

I half joked there.

Well the search continued. Houses were scooped out and promptly passed on when the insides were viewed, or the neighbors were sighted. House hunting proved to exhausting.

So, tossing in the towel for a day I have to admit. I wallowed in misery. I cried. I ate cookies.

That day feeling especially helpless and hopeless I prayed long and hard for God to shove me and I would do the work to get there.

So, on Day #9 of 30... Here are some more tidbits on what not to do:

Don't give up.
Keep Looking! Neighbors be damned, if you need a house, don't give up.

Don't cry.

Don't Wallow in Misery.

Don't turn to cookies.

Instead:

Keep sorting, packing and eliminating things that you really don't want, need or use. This stuff should not be moved to your new house.

Keep your attitude positive. There are houses!

30 Days to Move : Day 8 The Dream House

On Day 8 I found my packing mojo again. I started stuffing things into boxes at the speed of pack! Just seeing the pile of boxes grow bigger motivated me to keep going!

And behold, a call came in! We had a second viewing at a house, that like all others, I got a crush on from photos. I looked again and again. I was ready to make an offer on this house. Forget renting it. I wanted it NOW.

Funny how this works out.  Feast or famine and all.

As we are headed over to look at the "dream house" a call comes about viewing a third house. We make an appointment, options are good!

As we look at the Dream House, my heart pitter patters. I see my family growing up here. Oh, this house. This charming old house with modern updates. Be still my heart.

The catch? It was way out of budget. However, that heart was willing to do what it had to do to get this house... for 20 minutes we discussed dropping this, selling that, blah blah... it was going to happen.

I shared photos of the house with tons of friends, I gushed. I really had a crush on this space!

This made me ready to start packing with purpose. This was the house....

30 Days to Move: Day 7

By Day 7 I had a viewing! The house was cute, but bland. White and gray everything. But, it had lots of closets. As we walked through I liked it... a lot. 

We approached the subject of pets. He said "People with dogs won't be my first choice... but go ahead and fill this out. Let's meet Sunday morning to discuss." Huzzah. A Prospect. 

As we drove away, the mixed emotions played in. The location was not prime. It had no fence, neighbored a car wash and was on Main Street. With Kids and Dogs, this was an issue.

We talked about installing a fence with his okay. End of discussion. Or was it.

We had no more prospects in order so we saw the application out and went back Sunday. The guy wasn't there... he was at Sam's Club. He forgot... 

Not one to waste time, we scouted out several other houses. In no time, we found 2 lovely possibilities and one so so option.

The game continued.

As this was one full week in, we were starting to worry... just a little. 

I continued searching and Adam networked.

As the day continued on, I gave up on packing... I really got discouraged. My stress levels were high. I basically had a mini relapse of Day 6.

30 Days to Move: Day 6

On Day 6 I had good intentions. I was going to call a few numbers. I was going to pack up some kitchen things...

Well, the calls happened. I called and called number after number. No luck, nothing worth checking into further. No one wanted to accept dogs. End of the line.

A dark feeling settled over me as I realized, in 24 days we need to be out of this house. I admit, I let depression take hold. I started to give up a little. So, on this installment I am going to give you advice on what not to do on Day 6 of 30 Days to Move.

Do not grab the remote.
Do not get suckered into watching episodes of Roseanne on Netflix.
Do not act like a ziggy piggy with gourmet popcorn.
Do not put on your pajamas at 1 pm.
Do not feel so sorry for yourself that you have no choice but to have a nap with the baby.

On Day 6 of 30 Days to Move, if you have not found a few prospective houses or apartments, prepare to make a worst case scenario plan. While wallowing in self pity I did devise a pretty comically lame plan. I decided that if I couldn't find a house for my family I was going to get a storage unit, stash 95% of our possessions in there. From there I was going to the near by state park campgrounds to rent a primitive camp site for 6 nights a week and a cabin for one night a week. This would buy us time to keep looking without going broke living in a hotel, and best of all the kids would think of it as a vacation... the cabin was justified by the $26 a night rate and the luxury of a bed,  a tv and electric one night a week would be much needed.

My friends and family laughed. "Oh how silly you are Sara!"

But at least I have my Alamo. A real plan. Even if it is funny to some, lame and not really a great one.

Find your Alamo. Do you have someone that can let you stay with them for a week if needed? Can you afford a hotel room to act as your residence if you can't find a house? Spend Day 6 of 30 thinking out what you will do if the house hunt is harder than expected.

30 Days to Move : Day 5

On day 5 of 30 Days to Move, I gathered all of the stuffed animals in our house and put them on the sofa. I asked my kids to pick their most favorite toys out of this pile. The ones that remained on the sofa were safely tucked into an under the bed storage container. The kids insisted on keeping about 20 plush toys out. I chalked it up as a win.

After making progress I checked ads for houses for rent. I made calls. I felt discouraged, but I kept going. I gathered half o the play food, half of the puzzles and half of the trucks into boxes. The kids were okay with the half situation. They like having options for play time.

If your kids are anything like mine... that amounts to hours of work and an embarrassing amount of boxes filled with kid stuff!

So, on Day 5, if you have kids, start with picking out half of their toys. If there are toys that are not in great shape, very carefully dispose of these toys without a fuss or scene. Trust me, the less crap you pack and move, the less crap you have to unpack! Get rid of broken toys, outgrown toys, toys that are not played with.

If you don't have kids, on day 5 you could spend your time sorting through some of your toys! Do you have a lot of books? Do you hoard magazines like I tend to? Look through stuff like that, eliminate what you are not going to read, use, etc.

This makes the move much easier!

30 Days to Move : Day 4

It is now day 4 of 30 Days to Move. Today I am taking on the job of looking at my clothes and being honest with myself. Will I ever wear it again? When did I wear it last? This is hard to do. I always think I am going to wear that. I am going to wear those shoes when I... mow grass.

I started with my shoes. I had a pair of heels I hadn't worn in 5 years. I had 2 pairs of heels I cannot wear due to my broken foot in 2014 changing the shape of my left foot. I had a pair of sneakers that were too tight on said foot. I had a pair that was too big, a pair that was just old and had seen better days. I reasoned with myself that well, someday...

See. It is hard to sort your shoes and part with them!

I compromised by putting them in a box, and putting the box with the Goodwill stuff. If I find I need them in the next week they can come back out. So far I haven't needed shoes that don't fit.

Then I went to my clothes. I found 4 shirts and a pair of shorts that I will never wear again. I packed up a good deal of my jeans and long sleeve shirts as summer is near!

This made my wardrobe seem sad and sparse. But, its not like I don't wear the same stuff all the time anyhow.

Since we are now approaching the task of actually packing. Lets go over supplies needed to pack.

A supply of boxes
A black permanent marker
A roll of packing tape, clear tape, whatever. Not scotch tape!
Old Newspaper


Pack your boxes efficiently. Don't waste space, but don't over pack them. You want to keep them at a weight that you can comfortably lift and carry. As you pack the boxes, secure the lid with tape. Mark on the top and 2 sides what room the boxes is intended for or what is inside. This will help you should you need something sooner than later. I marked each side with the contents {Roo's Winter Clothes}  {Sheets}.

As the days pass by quickly I realize just how much work I have to do, and how little time I have to do it. 30 Days to Move... it really isn't that long of a time frame.

30 Days to Move : Day 3

The clock is ticking, we have 27 days to move. Today I had a few boxes from the attic and I set out on a mission to be as productive as I could. I wanted to begin sorting things out, deciding what could be parted with and packing up some of the items.

I started with our blankets and sheets. I decided that I would keep 2 sets of queen size sheets, 1 full size and 2 crib sheets out. I kept 3 quilts and 3 baby blankets out as well. Everything else went into a huge box. We have a washer and dryer, so this was an adequate amount of bedding to keep out for use. 

After packing the blankets and sheets away. I had my children help me pack up some of their stuffed animals. We put these into a soft case under the bed organizer, this has made it super easy for the toys that they decide they really really want to play with that have already been packed. I can find them at a glance.Yes, when you are spending the days with the 4 and under crowd and moving, tears for favorite toys will flow. Trust me, when the goods get boxed up, suddenly the favorite toy title applies to at least 945 toys.

On Day 3 of 30 Days to Move. I also placed the clothes hangers from the previous day in reusable shopping bags and tied the handles to hold the hangers in.

My husband returned from work to see a big pile of stuff with a sign taped to the wall that said STUFF TO MOVE.

I took time to browse the listed rentals for my area, send messages as needed and cross my fingers for a good outcome in all of this.

30 Days to Move : Day 2

On Day 2 of Your 30 Days to Move you need to drive around and look for potential rentals. Photograph the For Rent sign as well as a picture of the house. This well help you keep track of what house you have called about. I also texted these photos along with the phone number and address to my husband. This helped me keep track of what I found without getting mixed up when it came time to call the owners.

After gathering a few phone numbers, it is time to prepare to pursue the rentals. Listen up folks, trying to rent a house or an apartment is kind of like going for a job interview. You have to present yourself well. You want to be seen as a person that will be easy to deal with should issues arise, you need to give the impression that you will keep the property clean and that you will pay your rent. The first impression you will make will be on the phone. Get yourself ready to make the calls. Get a smile on your face, as a smile can be heard in your voice. Call the numbers, take notes, make appointments to view the property.

After doing your scouting and calling, it is time to start thinking about packing. Start in one room. I started with my sons closet. I sorted his clothes into things that he won't be able to wear next year, winter clothes, and the clothes he will actually wear over the next 29 days. I put the outgrown clothes in a bag for Goodwill. I packed winter clothes into a box. I placed his current wardrobe back into the closet. I did the same with my daughters closet.

It doesn't sound like much, but it sure was! I had 2 boxes packed and 2 bags of outgrown clothes for Goodwill. This also results in less laundry to worry about with kids. I considered this a win. Considering I didn't really intend to pack anything.

If you do not have boxes on hand, you might want to call your local gas station or grocery store. Ask if they have empty boxes available or when they will have boxes after an order. There really is no reason to pay for boxes! Just ask around and you will have more than you can use in no time.

30 Days To Move : Day 1

A new chapter in my life is ready to begin. I got the call that the house I have rented for the past 5 years has been sold... we have 30 days to find a new house and make the move.

To say I am overwhelmed is an understatement. But, one step at a time, the evidence of our life here will be packed away and loaded into a moving truck.

I hope that by sharing my 30 Days to Move series I can connect with new readers, share my tips, tricks and errors and make your move, if you find yourself in a similar situation, as stress free as possible.

On Day 1 you might be a hot mess. Filled with a variety of emotions. From anger at the change in your situation, to panic about what to do, where to begin. 

After getting the news that you need to move, the first thing to do is allow yourself about 20 minutes to get yourself together.  Let your emotions play out for a few minutes. Breathe. Get it all out, cry if you need to. Call a friend and get your news off your chest. Someone to listen to you as you feel like the bottom is dropping out makes a huge difference.

Now- 20 minutes are up! Dry your tears, check your anger. This is not the time to worry, panic or act crazy. This is the time to begin a new thought process. A forward thinking thought process. Like it or not, you will be moving. Nothing will change that in most cases. Instead of dwelling on it, stewing over it or going into denial, this is the time to make a plan.

The first step is to browse classified ads, check out the newspaper, craigslist and groups on facebook. Scout out the options online. This will let you know what the average price of rent is and you can get a feel for what is being offered at what prices. Consider this research. As internet savvy as I am, there has only been one rental that I found online that I actually rented. This may have to do with the region I live in. I am not sure. I do think that to find a great place to live, you actually have to get out and look.

After browsing what is available online, prepare yourself to head out and scope out the rentals in your town. This is as easy to do as driving by and actively seeking out FOR RENT signs. Plan to do this on Day 2 of 30.

You have had a crazy day. If you have researched online and got your emotions under control, it is time to take a break. Don't stress or worry the rest of the day. Just keep your chin up, and rest. The next 29 days are going to be physically and emotionally taxing. Reserve as much energy as you can today.

Check back tomorrow to find out what I do on Day 2 of 30 Days to Move.