We've moved! As with any move, I anticipated about a week of being in limbo--a few days before and a few days after with packing and then unpacking and getting settled. We didn't plan for three weeks though. The kids have held up remarkably well (Squeak felt displaced without her crib and "Mo" and other special things, but the tantrums were minimal considering, and Pip didn't even seem fazed). After being homeless for two weeks, we've MOVED IN
(this doesn't mean we're unpacked; it just means we're sleeping in our own place). My parents were very patient and let us stay with them until we could move in here.
We had a lot of help from family and friends--babysitting, meals, cleaning and packing, taking extras to Savers or the dumpster, loading and unloading, etc. and we're so grateful. We couldn't have done it without everyone's help!The great thing about life is that we can learn things that will (if we're wise) help us in the future. We've learned some very valuable lessons from this move. Here are all the "dos and don'ts:"
DO:1.
Sell and Re-buy if you're moving to a different city. We thought it sounded like a good idea before we did it, but now we're absolutely sold on the concept. We sold almost all of our furniture and extra stuff on Craigslist: curio cabinet, kitchen chairs, extra strollers, bikes, microwave, old computer monitors, printer, bookshelves, bassinet, freezer, hammock, desk and office chair... What a thrill to not have to pack and transport all that stuff!!
2.
Call Penske, U-haul, and Budget and ask them to price match to give you a better deal on truck rentals. I started with a quote of almost $600 and got down to under $300. I sure love a bargain!
3.
Start packing early, and pack the things you're not using and get them out of the way. I didn't do this very well because I kept thinking I had to pack a whole room at a time. Nonsense!
4.
Go through your stuff and get rid of what you don't want a few months before moving. I sort of did this, but I was busy in other ways at the time and didn't focus like I should have.
5.
Get more boxes than you think you'll need, plus packing supplies like bubble wrap, newspaper, and tape, and have them ready ahead of time. We were so blessed to get all the boxes we needed for free from nice people on Craigslist. We love Craigslist!
6.
Fly your awesome, service-oriented brother down to help you pack, clean, and drive with two little kids.DON'T:1.
Don't move out of state over a weekend. We rolled out of Phoenix late Saturday afternoon and D had to be at work in Provo on Monday morning. BAD IDEA!
2.
Don't try to drive a moving truck over Hoover Dam. The dam guy wouldn't let D through and he ended up driving 180 extra miles (on top of driving all night). Also, it was stupid for us to take separate routes. I went straight north through Page (slightly shorter route) and D went through Las Vegas (safer for a big truck because of better roads and weather). If we had gone the same route, D could've slept in our hotel room instead of being stuck in the truck all night.
3.
Don't leave on a 10-hour drive at 4 p.m. with two little kids and expect to drive straight through. After a few hours of Pip screaming, we decided to spend the night in Kanab. My kind parents called ahead and booked a hotel, ready with two cribs and a yummy breakfast in the morning.
4.
Don't unload your moving truck until your new place is ready to move into. We unfortunately had no control over this and had to unload our truck into the garage. All my careful labeling was for naught because instead of the kitchen boxes going into the kitchen and the bedroom boxes into the bedroom, etc. everything was a jumbled mess in the garage. Finding things (now that we are actually living in the house) has been a real challenge.
And about those withdrawals...Last night I had to
BUY some baby wipes. It was so sad. I kept thinking that if there was a CVS here, I could get them for free. Boo hoo hoo!!
