Moving Right Along: A Little at a Time

Sometimes feeling at home in a new place is doing something really small. I shared these lamps just over two years ago after I added the little felt flowers to the shades. They've stayed that way since, one on Mr. Bug's bedside table and one on mine.

 

 

In the new place, we only have room in the bedroom for one bedside table (hello, awkward layout in the bedroom) so we no longer needed this matching set of lamps to be quite so...matchy. I picked up some little felt gift bag decorations at Target for about $1, added some grosgrain ribbon and voila! A fun new lampshade to brighten up my little desk. : )

Sorry for the bad photo here :) I took it last night with my iPhone

Up until now, the office has just been a dumping ground for boxes and piles of stuff we haven't known what to do with. But after spending a good chunk of the day yesterday working on getting it cleaned up, I rewarded myself with something less practical and more fun. Because it's the little shots of personality throughout our home that make it really feel like we live here.

 

I got my little Audrey Hepburn illustration about four years ago from the Jolly Edition shop on Etsy. (I don't think she carries it anymore, but she's got some really beautiful illustrations!) I have kept this card tucked away those years since I got it, just waiting for the perfect place to put it. Well, the other day I decided to stop waiting for perfect and I'm so happy I did. Thanks to The Nester's mantra of 'it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful' I am learning to let go of the idea of perfect. But it really doesn't get much more perfect than Audrey, am I right? : )

Moving Right Along: Moving Away from ‘No’

We're 'moving' away from practicality today (see what I did there?) to look at moving on a more personal level.

My parents had a small print when we were growing up that hung in different places throughout our childhood. I think it usually ended up in a bathroom, which may explain why I read it so many times. : )

It was one of those “Rules for Life” posters. It was full of little bits of wisdom that still pop into my mind every once in a while. Things like ‘return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full,’ ‘say please a lot,’ and ‘buy whatever kids are selling on card tables in their front yard.’ I don’t know how many times I read those bits of advice, but obviously some of them sunk in.

Some of them, like 'say yes when you can,' have taken longer to grow roots and bloom in my life. As a mom, I have found that it can be really easy to just respond to my munsters’ little questions without even considering the request.

“Can I bring my baby in the car?” “No.”

“Can we get the Play-Doh out?” “No.”

“Can I wear this striped skirt with this striped shirt with these striped tights and these sneakers?” “NOOOOOOOOOOO!”

But when I really stop and think about it, what does it hurt? Why can’t that baby doll ride in the car? And yes, Play-Doh was invented by demons and has cost the world millions of dollars in ruined clothing and carpet, but will a little mess kill me? And if she wants to wear a crazy outfit and we’re not attending a special event, why not let that little fashionista go nuts? Worst case scenario is that someone will think her daddy dressed her. : )

I’ve been making an effort to say ‘yes’ a lot more often and you know what? I’m still alive!

My girls mixed and matched their flip flops all summer long and they loved it! We call them swirly flip flops when they don’t match and they think it’s so fun. (And it’s way easier for me because we’re not frantically searching for that cursed matching sandal all the time)

We ride with stuffed friends and toy cars in the van with little to no effect on our health or wellbeing. If anything, it’s helping teach the kiddos a bit more responsibility since they have to carry in whatever they carried out.

This one has been the hardest for me, but I’ve also let them go out and get dirty more this summer. I know that sounds silly, but there is something about giving three little people a bath that I just do not enjoy. But I can handle the dirty fingernails and grimy cheeks because they are so often accompanied by smiling faces. And I get sweet-smelling snuggles from the munchkins when they’re all wrapped in their bath towels. Does mommyhood get much sweeter?

When I find that ‘no’ starting to creep across my lips I try to pause and really think about the question. It still spills out sometimes when it probably shouldn’t, but if I can just get that pesky word to settle down a little bit, I think both my kids and I could enjoy this adventure together a whole lot more!

 

Moving Right Along: Basic Moving Tips

As I believe I have established, I have a little experience with moving. It’s funny though, how every move is different and I learn something new every time. Some of the things I learn are totally common sense that I feel like I should have been born knowing, but some of them are really just good ideas! Here are a few of my basic moving tips.

~    Before you pack up anything, do a quick sweep to toss stuff you know you don’t need. This is not the in-depth purge you do while packing, but you’ll feel better if you can get some ‘stuff’ out of the way.

~    Label two sides of every box—not just the top! You can’t see the top label if boxes are stacked.

~    Speaking of labeling, if you feel so inclined, using a color coded system for labels works like a charm. I started out doing this on our last move and gave up halfway because I couldn’t remember which color went with which room. (So ashamed to admit that!) : ) {This site has a great free template that you can print out on shipping labels.} I know that 'dining' is misspelled on these labels, but you can use them as a starting point for your own labels, if you feel inspired

~    If you are a shopping bag saver like some weird people *cough*ME*cough* those things are awesome for wrapping up your glasses and stemware. Use them to wrap individual glasses and then lay down another level for the next layer. Side note: I feel super fancy saying ‘stemware.’

~    If you’re looking for good packing boxes, check out grocery stores (HyVee, Kroger, etc.) and liquor stores. These are very sturdy boxes and they aren’t too big, lowering the risk of overloading and ending up with a box that only Tom Hardy could carry.

~    Don’t load a big box full of books. Unless you really are friends with Tom Hardy and even then…maybe check with him first.

~    This one I’m sure you know but I’m going to say it anyway just in case a male stumbles on to this blog post: label ALL your boxes. You will not remember which one had your underwear, you will not ‘keep an eye on it,’ and your wife/mom/girlfriend might smother you with a pillow if you don’t. Just do it.

~    Pack up the freaking toys first! If you have kids, you have toys. If you have toys, you have too many toys. And if you have too many toys, your kids will be happy and refreshed to just play with boxes for a couple of weeks anyway. Trust me on this one. Leave out a few books and something they can use to hit each other with and they’re set. And you’ve already got the boxes, ‘cause you went to HyVee and got them, right?

~    Leave hanging clothes on hangers and use a plastic garbage bag to wrap them up. This works best if the garbage bag is unused, but it really depends on how smelly your trash is. That’s your call.

~    Pack one area at a time. You can use three different boxes to separate items from your closet, but stick to just your closet. Don’t pack the way my sister does. (Closet to bathroom to kids’ room to dresser to linen closet to—what was I doing? Oh! My closet!) : )

There are more ideas I want to share, so once we get to a couple of room-specific posts we’ll get into the nitty gritty details. Happy packing!

Moving Right Along: Loading Up The U-Haul And Other Things That Move Me

 

I am so excited to step up and be a part of The Nester’s 31 Days of Blogging! I am also excited to share with anyone willing to listen about my topic of ‘Moving.’ I have a whole boatload of ideas (31 to be exact) and although I’m sure they will change and evolve as the month goes on, I’m pumped to see where I end up!

As I mentioned here, I would like to talk about the physical process of moving in addition to some of the more emotional and figurative ideas that go along with motion. I even thought about calling the series ‘Life in Motion’ but then I decided that sounded too…something for me. Fancy? Put together? Smooth? And since I am none of those things, I decided that ‘Moving Right Along’ would be my new train of thought. It’s got a nice ring to it, dontcha think? : )

If all goes as planned (that’s a laugh!) here is a little bit of what I have planned. A little bit of my moving background, a few tips on preparing to move and some more specific lists to help you stay organized, and some (hopefully) helpful hints on getting settled in after a move. On the more touchy/feely side of things, we’ll talk about the real-life struggles that affect us after a move like figuring out where you fit in along with experiences that move us on an emotional level. Sounds pretty manageable, right? I can just hear Rob Schneider in my head right now. “You can DO it!” Thanks, Rob. You’re a peach.

Moving Right Along: My Moving History

Throughout the course of my 30 years, I have moved a total of 17 times. Let me just give that a moment to sink in. Doesn’t that just seem so dumb? And the funny part is that my parents didn’t even have jobs where they moved around a lot. Apparently it was just a weird, masochistic, expensive hobby of theirs. (I’m mostly kidding) : )

When I met my husband, I was shocked to learn that his parents had lived in the same house since he was a baby. They could point to a spot and say, “That’s where Landon took his first steps” and “That’s where Landon busted his knee open.” It blew my mind.

Although there is a part of me that is jealous of that solid in his life, I have really loved living in so many different places. There are so many memories and experiences that I link to each stage/house that I can’t imagine having lived for twenty-some years in one place.

Here it is, your own personal walk down {my} memory lane. I couldn’t find pictures from everywhere, but here are a few of my favorites. Dig the haircuts, the bad photography, and the wallpaper borders. You’re so welcome. : )

This was the first house I lived in. It was on Reddingdale Drive in New Castle, Indiana.

 

Not a house-related picture (although I think it was in the house pictured above). I just wanted photographic evidence on file that my sister has always been super gentle and loving with me. ; ) Check out those 'boss' Cabbage Patch dolls!

 

This is (obviously) not a place I lived. I just wanted to include it to show how awesome my Grandpa is : )

 

I'm pretty sure this picture was taken in the backyard of our next house, also in New Castle. Tiffany and I rocked that jungle gym.

 

Why yes, Tiffany and I did have boy haircuts for a portion of our childhood! We also enjoy horseback riding, long walks on the beach and hanging out with on of our favorite uncles. Holla at my Uncle Jim! This was taken at my grandparents' house where we lived for a time.

 

Next house: a gorgeous old fixer-upper built in 1901(?). It was super cool; it had a front staircase AND a servant staircase going up from the kitchen. That's my super athletic older sister on the porch. She was instrumental in the roofing process. I was probably upstairs hiding under my Little Mermaid pillow in my closet reading a Nancy Drew book. I've always been quite brilliant.

 

Here are both of my sisters (Tiffany, left and Breanne, right) in Tiffany's room at our next house. This was actually a pretty cool setup because all that separated Tiffany's room from mine were a couple of free-standing wardrobes. We could tell each other goodnight without shouting and we could eavesdrop on each other on the phone. What?! I never did that! *awkward silence*

 

My girls on the front porch of our house in Kearney. We love Husker days!

 

Our little family when I was just a few months along with little Judah. This may have been our Christmas card photo that year. Nebraska fans are hardcore, I tell ya.

 

Those aren't all the places I've called home in my lifetime, and there will be more yet to come. But just looking back is so much fun! Hope you have a great day and you enjoy wherever you are on your list of moves : )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving Right Along: Where the Heck Do I Start?

When we made the final decision in July to move to a new place that September, my initial feeling was excitement. A new place! New neighborhood! New decorating opportunities! This feeling lasted about 4.3 seconds until I realized something very important. I was going to have to pack up our whole house. Again.

I freaking hate packing. And that passion is not limited to packing an entire family of five to move to a new place. I hate even packing to go somewhere for the weekend. How many outfits do I need? Do I have enough Q-Tips to last the whole trip? How many pairs of undies? (Over-sharing alert: I always pack way too many underwear. But who wants to have that be the thing you run out of??)

But sorting, organizing and packing up a whole house is seventh circle of hell stuff. And if you read this post, you know that I just finished this whole process a year ago. And the year before that. And the month before that. Seriously, guys it’s ridiculous.

So instead of jumping in and doing a little at a time and being proactive, I went with the old Brittany standby and tried to plan out the perfect way to move. The only problem? I couldn’t find anyone who could tell me exactly the best way to go about getting started.  There were a few lists and suggestions, but I needed someone to really spell it out for me. Or just come and do it.

Here are a few sites/lists/whatevers that I found. They might be helpful to you, so go check them out!

 

 

Since neither one of those things happened, I ended up putting off the packing until the last possible second. Literally. I was that annoying person who was still packing on the day of the move. I just had random stuff sitting around and my wonderful friends were nice enough to talk me down off the ledge, pack up all of my crap and move it to a new place. You can’t buy friends like that.

All this to say, I needed a step-by-step list of the best way to pack up your house to move. I couldn’t find one, so I’m going to give it a whirl for anyone else out there that is dragging their feet and anxious about where to start. It may not work for you, but hey…I’ll give it a shot! Come back!

 

Starting Up Again

 

I restarted my Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred today. I stepped on the scale this morning and decided that 181.2 pounds is just too much. I am too frustrated with my weight to enjoy basic things right now, and I refuse to give my kids a mom who hates what she’s become. That’s not to say I hate my life or anything! I love my kiddos and I love my husband, but this self-consciousness and disgust is getting in the way.

 

 

 

I don’t think I’ll share actual 'before' pictures at this point besides these Instagrams (I don’t think that would be good for anyone!), but I would like to post on here from time to time and let you know how it’s going.

Today I pushed myself and worked hard, I’m now a sweaty mess, and I have a renewed passion for drinking plenty of water. : ) Feel free to send me a shout out every once in a while to make sure I don’t quit. I have a tendency to poop out on things really easily.

 

 

These are the most important people in my world. How can I show these guys the joys of life and living according to God's plan if I'm granting myself exceptions every time I get a chocolate craving?? I want more for me and for them. : ) Here goes nothing!