A link and moving questions
Just one quick link that I had to mention, especially as we enter a new year.
Oh, and by the way (and on an entirely different subject), since it looks like we are really and truly moving this week, I thought it would be fun to ask how many times you've moved in your lifetime? What's your best moving tip or word of advice?
I moved once in my childhood. Yes, I said once. Maybe that explains why moving three times in the last four years has been more of an adjustment for someone like me. :) I'm gradually getting the hang of it, though! I doubt I'd ever make it as a military wife, though.
Oh, and by the way (and on an entirely different subject), since it looks like we are really and truly moving this week, I thought it would be fun to ask how many times you've moved in your lifetime? What's your best moving tip or word of advice?
I moved once in my childhood. Yes, I said once. Maybe that explains why moving three times in the last four years has been more of an adjustment for someone like me. :) I'm gradually getting the hang of it, though! I doubt I'd ever make it as a military wife, though.
posted by Crystal Paine at 10:34 AM
37 Comments:
I hadn't realised that I had moved house 12 times and I am only 26! How did that happen?
I suppose my best moving tip would be to clear out as much stuff as you can as you pack. I love sorting my things into keep, throw away, give away - I actually feel physically lighter not being burdened by so many material things. It's also much easier to keep the place tidy with less things!
Will be praying for you as you move. Glad things seem to be sorted.
I have moved a total of 5 times in my growing up and teenage years. Then I joined the Army and they only moved me once. Then I got married and the Army has moved us twice in our 5.5 years of marriage.
I don't have any tips for you though. We never really got rid of anything during those moves. But now I just began selling stuff on EBAY because I am trying to simplify and declutter my life. Hope it works.
Good luck on your end!
I lived at home until I got married at the age of 23. In those 23 years, the longest we ever lived in one place was three years....there were several much shorter stays of just one or two years or less. I don't know how many - haven't taken the time to try to count them all! Since our marriage 6 years ago, we have moved one and a half times. Once majorly from state to state and the 'half' was getting our gear out of storage and moving into our current home. We stayed with friends for about 5 months while waiting for a house. So while it wasn't a full move, there was still a lot involved.
My mother hates moving, but I have always enjoyed the anticipation of settling into a new home, new surroundings, new people etc. (And no, ours was not a military family - my dad's work just kept us on the move from job to job)
I have moved 16 times in my life. My husband and I have been married 3 years 9 months and have moved 4 times. lol I am a military wife. My best tip is to pack a "first night" box that you take in your car with you. In it you pack a set of beding for each bed to be used, and pillows, a manual can opener, frying pan, pot, tea kettle or coffee maker, a very few appropriate utensils, paper plates, plastic flatware, plastic cups, measuring spoons, etc. Just enough to get you through the first night or so until you can open your moving boxes. It's so nice not to have to sort through so much to find bedding etc. when you are so tired. God bless you as you move, and I thank Him for your husband's job!
I've been praying for you guys, and am so happy to hear that things are looking up!! :) God is so good.
We never moved when I was a kid, and my parents still live in the same house where I grew up. But my hubby and I have moved 4 times in the 7 years that we've been married. Now that we are in our own house that we are building, I think we will be here for a little while, Lord willing. :)
Happy house-hunting!!
Hello, I'm a new military wife, but I moved all them time as a kid. Here is a convenient tip. If your mattresses have zip openings put a clean set of sheets inside the mattress. That way you won't have to go through tons of boxes to find them.
Rachel
SO GLAD to hear that things are coming together for you... As for moving, I have moved quite a bit in my lifetime. Eight so far and counting. It doesn't seem like much, but keep in mind that the last six were after I turned 20.
Let me tell you, I dread moving. If I had access to unlimited funds I would simply sell and re-buy everything rather than pack and move!
Hope all goes well with the move. Try not to push yourself too hard. Once you're settled, how about some pictures of your new home?
Kim in WI
20 times in 18 years.
My favorite moving tip: Don't stress out about the packing, packing up the boxes is a lot easier than alot of the emotional "roller coaster" you go through when legistically planing a move.
2nd tip: Buy good strudy boxes that won't fall apart, even if they are more expensive, they save you the heartach of some precious items being broken.
3rd Tip: pack tight. Don't over stuff boxes, but don't under pack either.
4th Tip: Always pack books with the spines up & pack glass plates standing up along with glass bowls. when packing apliances like corck pots and pots and pans, you can "nest" smaller items inside of them.
Having a plan for the way you want things packed & not Thrown in is important & saves your hair.
God loves to get us out of our comfort zone. You know that Crystal! lol
I never moved in the first 20 years of my life. I married Rich and moved to New England... Since then I've moved six times in not quite 13 years.
We stayed at our first place for 4 years, so the other 5 moves were in 9 years, with two being cross country. :p We've been here almost 2 years. (So it was techincally 5 moves in 7 years.) Yeah, I've pretty much had my fill of moving. Did I mention I hate moving?
The good news is that I think God's going to let us stay here for a couple more years. I'll be able to enjoy all the painting and decorating I did in the first year - without doing it again too soon.
Hugs & Prayers!
My dad was in the military. I've moved 10 times in my life, between my dad's work related moves and my own moves to college and such. I've lived in 16 different houses/apartments, and gone to 9 schools. I hate moving, and hope we can stay at our current place for awhile!
Well, I've moved alot. I've been married 25 years and have moved 17 times. That's quite a bit since we've lived in this house for 9 years. As a child I lived in a few different houses, but always in the same area.
As a child we moved 6 times...once I moved out on my own I moved 4 times. After hubby and I married we moved 4 times. Hubby is in the process of searching for a less stressful job so it is possible that we could have another move or two in our future. I pray that your move goes well. Hugs...Ann'Re
I have moved an average of twice a year. I'm 27. My parents are NOT missionaries and we never moved due to business. Ever. Yes. Don't ask me why. Don't get me started. Now, WHY did I marry a musician? The adventure, maybe? One year, I moved three times with my husband, and TWO of those times were while I was pregnant. Yes, indeed. The last one was when I was NINE MONTHS PREGNANT. Oh yeah. Needless to say, I HATE moving. Hate it. My best moving tip would be simply to keep your house decluttered. I declutter every day. We have very little "decor". I don't like knick knacks. Even in my kitchen I declutter. Do you know how LONG it takes to pack a kitchen for moving? Ugh. Other than that, my only moving tip would be "Avoid it at all costs."
I do not consider myself an expert on moving though in my 54 years so far, I have lived in 5 states (moving to 2 of them twice between other states), 16 towns and 24 houses...some for only a few months. I did live in one place for almost 13 of those years and NEVER in my life was so glad to escape from that awful place. There truly are places on earth without any redeeming value, in my opinion...other than to see that no matter what, you can with God's help survive! SO...living a long time in one spot does not guarantee happiness or a wonderful life. Actually there are 2 places I have really loved...lived in one for a year and 20 months in the other! And where we are now (going on 4 years) is ok...by no means the worst place. If my daughter had a life here, it would be good in fact...I keep hoping that will happen. And praying...
Hope where you are going will be a very wonderful place to be!!
You know it would take me a really long time to count how many times!!!! Let me see, Weed, Ca. -Yreka, CA, -Tacoma, WA,-Wash. DC-Florence, OR-Kirkland, WA-Bothell, WA, -Hubbard, OR, to Kalispell, MT-Springfield, OR-Rexford, MT-Silverton, OR-Libby, MT-Otsego, MN-St, Francis, MN-Finland, MN-Beaver Bay, MN- 2 more destanations and then my final destianation I am going to leave off, but that is how many times? 18 times, plus in the town I live in, I have moved also. No, we did not belong to the military growing up, but our parents loved to move and travel!
In my lifetime I have moved six times. (Only two times since I've been married! Not bad...in 19 years! ; )
My best bit of advice is Label Every Box!!! And also state which room it is to be delivered. That will ease the question on moving day " Hey, Crystal, where does ths box go?"
When my brother last moved, he put a sign on each door as well, such as, Landon's room, office, etc.
Ruth, PA
we also only moved once in my childhood. as an adult i've moved twice. i hope that is all we will be moving.
i'm glad everything has worked out for you.
Let's see I moved 8 times as a child. My father was military and most of those moves were from that.
As an adult, I've moved about 6 times. One being a move to overseas and the other from overseas back to stateside.
Total of moves in my lifetime is 14.
Tips? Really try to declutter on a monthly basis. If you can keep the clutter down before you move, it'll help make packing/unpacking easier and faster.
I was married at the age of 19 and moved into my 19th house, and we were *not* a military family.
I know how hard it must have been on my parents, but we kids loved having a new house all the time - like rearranging the furniture only far more exciting! Homeschooling helped us avoid the typical emotional upheaval associated with frequent moves, so we just "enjoyed the ride." Interstate moves were the best!
My life as a married woman has been far more stable - Hubby and I have only lived in 5 houses in 14 years, with just 1 interstate move.
I moved three times as a child, twice as an adult. Only once have I actually packed and moved myself though. I saw on someone's blog a system for moving which I loved and I am going to use this summer when we move. Using colored dots to designate which room the box goes in. Put a number after the dot. Then write on an index card or in a notebook that stays out: Pink 1- Child x's pajamas. Pink 2- Child x's pants. This way you know what you have and exactly where it is. I loved this idea! Good luck house hunting and with your move!
I didn't move at all growing up. My husband and I moved twice with the Air Force, once when we joined and again when we got out after 4 years at the same base. Then, we moved 6 times in the past 2.5 years (not counting motel stays while looking for a place to live). We thought we wouldn't be moving after we left the military! The best tip I have is to use storage lockers. The Air Force kept most of our stuff in storage for almost a year (we stayed in furnished rental places), and then we used a local storage locker until we got a more permanent place. It really helped to have less stuff to worry about.
My family has only moved once, but I was too young to remember it, so I don't have any moving tips for you! I'll move when I get married in June...so I'll take some of the advice you're getting! I hope all goes well with the house hunting/moving!
5 times before I was 18, then I went to college and moved 11 times in 4 years. Then I graduated and have moved 3 times in 8 months. I don't have advice because, with that much moving, I can fit everything I own (including books, minus bike) into one car. I guess the only thing I have to say is that less is more.
Although I know you have done most of your packing, my best tips are, get colored index cards and put them on the outside of your boxes --then color code your rooms. All green index card boxes go in the kitchen..etc. Easier to glance at the box and place in the right room. Once I actually inventoried each box and made a master list in a notebook. Box 1 contained... blue Sheets, jewelry box, brass candle holder etc. so I could know right away whether that box was a priority to open while it was still stacked in the garage--I just had to write the box number on all sides instead of a list of items.
Last time I moved I was very pregnant and I had to be quite organized. Best of luck!
23 times......5 in the last 14 months.
I've moved about a dozen times depending whether you count temporary situations in rooming houses. My advice would be a repeat of some others'- label every box and inventory them by number so that you can account for every box. Get a safety deposit box and a PO Box in your new city before you move, so that you can set up your mail and stash your valuables before the craziness of the move itself. Pack a box each of cleaning supplies, cooking supplies, clothing/toiletries and sleeping bags/bedrolls and put those in your car so that you can live in your new place before the movers arrive (if you're using movers).
I'm 31 and have moved 30 times...in 9 different countries...and doesn't count moving home between terms at borading school and summers during college (which still involved packing).
My biggest 2 moving tips are...
1- purge, purge, purge- -from reading your posts it sounds like you're doing a good job of cleaning things out and getting rid of junk- why move something you don't need
2- cook an easy meal and freeze for moving day- pack plates and utensils somewhere easy to find- when you get to the new house, put the dinner in the oven while you move in boxes, etc, and then your family can enjoy a nice 1st meal in your new home. My roommates and I did this a few years ago and it really took the stress of moving day (even easier than calling for pizza).
If you have an easily accessible attached garage on your new house, my suggestion would be to use that to store your boxes in until you can sort them. I too, when we last moved, tried to put certain boxes in the rooms where they were to go. When that was all done, we realized that not only did the boxes not go into the rooms they were supposed to, but with all the boxes in each room, we had no space in which to set up the furniture. And to be honest, it is going to take a while to unpack everything and get it all put away. It won't happen the first night and unless you like tripping over piles of boxes all the time, it's much easier to have them out of the way and be able to bring them in one at a time to unpack.
Just a thought. Happy house hunting/setting up/settling in!
Well, I just counted 11 moves in 26 years! Wow, I'm just thankful that we recently bought our hopefully "forever" house, and we may never move again.
We've moved several times due to DH job. I agree with color-coding boxes so they end up in the right rooms. I use the little round colored stickers for garage sales.
Everything that goes into the box gets written on the box. I find lists taped to boxes get lost in transition. I like to have one necessity box for each room. It included all the things we cannot absolutely live without or wait a day or two to unpack. Since you are pregnant I might break down backing into things that go into kitchen cupboards, drawer etc. Your moving crew can take it out of the box and directly into the pantry, cupboards. You can move it around later but at least it is in.
Ooooh...best tip for moving...hmmm... I like you, had only moved once in my life (until marrying my husband). Since then we have moved 3 times already! :o)
Best tip- label boxes clearly and pack a separate box for things you'll need immediately upon arrival (paper plates, cups, a quick meal, etc.) I went overboard when we moved here and color-coded the boxes according to rooms (with colored stickers)! LOL It worked well, but I think my movers thought I was a little obsessive! LOL
Best wishes for a swift, easy move, Crystal! :o)
In His joy,
Mrs. Wilt
Congratulations on getting the "go" to move. I hope that whole process goes well for you. I have only moved once in my life too and I was only 4 at the time so I really don't remember a whole lot. We may be moving this next summer/fall though. Exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. The biggest key for us I think is to get rid of all extra stuff! Labeling boxes that are packed: it might be helpful to have a "master list" and label each box specific for the room the contents go in. So for the dining room it might say DR1 on the box and then on your master list next to Dining Room 1 you write what is in that box. I hope that makes sense.
I've moved 16 times. The next time I move will either be to a nursing home, the house of one of my kids, or to Heaven!
Since I've been married, my husband and I have lived in 17 different houses or apartments, in two countries, and in 8 states.
Growing up I lived in two countries and five states, and moved five times (plus going off to college and back, out of state).
As a military kid who has moved over 20 times...I think the best tips are label every box clearly, in detail, so you know what's in there and don't pack JUST BOOKS in any box. They're WAY too heavy! You can't lift a box that is all books. Oh, and use your towels and linens to wrap breakables.
Since 2000 when I left for school...10 times.
I think you've done well. Don't keep stuff you don't need, and constantly stay organized. Keep 'necessities' separate from other stuff so that if you need to downsize and store elsewhere, you are ready to go. Never underestimate the last minute resort of trash bags!
Be positive and realize that it will get done!
I'm a military wife and we move an average of every 2 years. We've lived in bunches of places stateside and are currently living in our third country overseas (in Italy).
Yep - purge, purge, purge. Nothing worse than waiting for your stuff to arrive, then wondering why you thought you had to keep some things. The military packs our stuff, but we try to locate like things together in one area (all the bed linens, towels, craft supplies, etc) so they get packed together. We can't sort by room because our "room" designations change every move (we might not have an office or guest room, or a garage depending on where we end up)
Most of all - pray and remain patient. Everything you're moving are only material things. You'll have God in you and your family by your side!
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