packing & moving part 2

more thoughts from a veteran mover ...

day 4: stuff in your closets and cupboards (not counting linens, dishes, clothes or cleaning supplies - we'll get to those later). this one seems daunting because you actually have to make some decisions about whether the things in the closet are worth the hassle of moving.  the last time we moved, we needed to be ruthless since we were downsizing so much.  so instead of asking myself "will i use this?" i asked myself "am i able to get along without this?"  and if the answer was yes (and it usually was) i put it in the donation bag.
tip: pack all your winter things in a few boxes (including boots if you can!) and label them really big.  then you can leave them boxed in your new place til next winter and you won't be tripping over them all summer.
again, just a few simple steps:
1) decide if you can get along without it and sort it accordingly.
2) clean the shelves/racks as soon as they are empty, and keep the packed/labeled boxes there until moving day.

day 5: drawers.  again, not clothing or silverware.  drawers in your bedside table, junk drawers, coffee-table drawers, drawers in the bathroom ... it's weird how many places have drawers. pull the drawer as far out as you can, and repeat what you did yesterday with the closets.  can i get along without this?  if you can, save yourself the pain of moving it!  donate it or throw it out.  old game pieces and half-burned candles are not worth the hassle of keeping!
1) keep a supply of baggies on hand for keeping small things together (ie: batteries + their charger, an opened package of safety pins, whatever).
2) keep a running list on the side of your boxes what things are in them.  since drawers usually have small things, you'll probably fit a lot of things in one box - it's nice to know exactly what's in the box so you don't have to rummage through a zillion things when you're hunting down just 1 thing.

day 6: non-essential dishes.  fancy ones, big ones (what are the odds you're going to feel up to cooking a huge casserole during Moving Week?), and excess ones.  pack 'em early & get them out of the way.  again, label boxes clearly because these are breakable, and they can be the quickest things to unpack since it's pretty much a no-brainer as to where they belong.
1) wrap breakable dishes in towels, facecloths, cloth placemats, etc.
2) use sturdy boxes or tubs; dishes are heavy.


so there you have the next few days of my moving tips :)