1. Packing tape jams and sticks to itself. Usually at the worst possible moment. Do not, under any circumstances, rip said tape from roll and stick it to your forearm until you can finish the box. Your arm hair thanks you.
2. Yes, you need bubble wrap. Yes, you need to hide it from your kids.
3. Real life doesn’t pause while you’re elbow deep in boxes. Tag in friends, family, neighbors, or your local green grocer and accept you can’t do it all.
4. Embrace takeout. You’ll get back on track later.
5. Accept the fact that one or more of the following will happen while you need to be shoving stuff in boxes: cat pee in not-so-good places, dog puke in other not-so-good places, a major school project, the printer dying, plumbing surprises, an Urgent Care run, flash floods that bring muddy paws, horrible allergies/colds/viruses/headaches, and an acute urge to run far, far away. Any of them, all of them, it’s all up for grabs.
6. You do not need the closing papers for the house you bought eighteen years ago. Period.
7. Cats are vertical creatures. Be careful where you stack your boxes.
8. Know your helpers. For example, “Go through your clothes.” One hears: “You might want to get rid of that swimsuit from four years ago that probably doesn’t fit anymore.” The other: “Get rid of every stitch of clothing you haven’t touched in the last three weeks regardless of season or possible future needs.” Supervise accordingly.
9. Warn people you’re likely to drop out of sight. Unless you enjoy random visits from local law enforcement to gather proof of life, then keep a tally of who cared enough to report a missing person.
10. Keep a stash of whatever walks you back off the cliff – chocolate, chips and salsa, boxes of wine, no judgement here. Now this is important. You can run out of boxes or packing paper or bubble wrap or tape BUT FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT’S HOLY, don’t run out of your stash. You’re welcome.
Hang in there. It’s a nightmare. It’s the fact that everything is made to be just 1 inch too big for the packing boxes and the fact that the tape is like super super glu when it’s impossible to get it off the role or when it’s stuck to the floor – yet somehow manages to lose all its sticking power when it gets within close proximity of the packing boxes….
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SO TRUE. You’d think the tape engineers would have reversed that design…
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Sending positive thoughts your way. I’ve moved house enough times that just reading your words here makes me anxious. You’ve got a good grasp on the situation, but still… it’s a bear to move.
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Thank you! I’m collecting up all these positive thoughts & tucking them away for the next OH MY GOSH THIS IS NEVER GOING TO GET DONE moment because you know there’s always another one on the horizon. The thing that keeps me going? My mom did this 19 times. NINETEEN. Navy wife. If she survived that, so can I. 😆😂
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I feel for you. Is it ALMOST over?!? You’re doin great!
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There’s a light that might be at the end of the tunnel. Unless something crashes & burns & we have to extend the tunnel & start all over again…but we don’t speak of that scenario. It is sorely testing my “what will be will be” skills.
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Sing it, Laura, twirl your skirt 😉 Que sera, sera…
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🎶 Whatever will be, will beeeee…
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You’re obviously moving. My condolences. I’d send wine and chocolate, but you’re moving. And we don’t really know each other that well….so condolences will have to do. 🙂
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I will take the condolences. And some metaphorical wine and chocolate. 😉
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I’m going to put this in a safe place but hopefully, my moving days are over! ~Elle
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We’d thought ours were, too. Life is full of surprises. Bwahahahaha!!
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“Cats are vertical creatures…” just absolutely slayed me.
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A tip from my vet. Ever since she said it that’s all I’ve noticed! 😆
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I have moved more times in my life than… hmm… drawing a blank here so “something that moves a lot.” Your list is quite excellent. Better than what you get from professional moving sites. Now, being an expert myself, I will suggest that you can multitask that tape feature by not applying it to your arm but applying it to your legs. Packing and lady grooming! You’d spend a fortune at a spa for that, so maybe continue the practice after the move. If your stash runs to things like 100 proof Southern Comfort, then it is especially important that you check the empty boxes before taping them up, if you have a cat. (True experience there, no animals harmed in the process.) Also, in that situation, don’t stack boxes higher than your head, because the cat, possibly miffed at being taped into a box earlier in the day, will be on top of that stack and pounce on you when your stash has made you unwary. Then you have more than cat pee to clean. On a slightly more serious note, I swear by copious amounts of stretch wrap film that comes on rolls (the cats like to help with it too), like https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Gadget-Industrial-Stretch-Supplies/dp/B01MXF3K9S/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1549299594&sr=8-7&keywords=moving+supplies Hang in there. Some how, despite all evidence to the contrary, things do get done, and it will be over. Then it’s just a simple matter of UNpacking. 😀
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THIS was the laugh I needed for lunch. Let’s just say this cat scenario doesn’t seem impossible so good moving tip. (Oh, and I’d never even heard of this shrink wrap thing so thanks!!)
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Shrink wrap holds together small dishes in stacks, holds cabinet doors shut to prevent banging, just a million things once you get going. It might be tempting to wrap up the limbs of said cats, especially after the pouncing, but probably not a good idea. 🙂
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You have my sympathy, empathy, glad I’m not you-ithy, and won’t it be wonderful when it’s all over. Whenever that might be in the next 100 years.
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Someday. Soooommmmeeeeedaaayyy. I’m keeping the faith.
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Hmm, I can’t seem to press ‘like’ but I do, and I wish you luck.
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Many thanks, Dan. People ask how I am and the answer right now is a variation on “still breathing,” “still standing,” or “I’m here.” 😆
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Hang in there 🙂
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