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Monday, July 27, 2015

Tips for a Better Move + a Giveaway

I did it! 

I moved back in with my parents. From 6 AM Saturday morning to 6 PM that night, I was moving boxes upon boxes. I still have a few small items to go back and pick up, but for the most part, I'm trying to settle down in my new downsized space. 

In retrospect, I would've done a few things differently in preparation to the "big move."

1. Start early! I didn't actually start packing up things until Thursday evening after work. For sure should've started at least Monday! It's easier to load up a car full of boxes than to scramble around last minute and shove random things in random boxes. You will thank yourself later. 

2. Collect/Buy lots and lots of boxes/baskets/bags! I was able to snag a few from work, but I definitely should've started collecting them earlier. You really don't realize how much stuff you have until you try to fit an entire apartment into one room. I ended up putting things in boxes, shopping bags, tote bags (like the one from Autumn and Indigo you can win below) Pro Tip: go for the clear storage bins if you can. That way you can tell what's in it.

3. Color code boxes with colorful tape/sharpies! Seriously, this Pinterest idea was actually a life saver. I color coordinated my boxes with colorful duck tape (Pink=room, Blue=living room, Yellow=bathroom, Green=kitchen). That way when it came to figuring out what boxes went to the storage unit and which ones went to the house, it was a faster decision process.

4. Recruit Friends! I am fortunate enough to have some pretty great friends who will spend their entire Saturday helping me pack, organize, and move. Find people like this so you don't have to hire burly moving men who will break your valuables. And, don't forget to feed them--it's the least you can do!

All in all, the move wasn't as terrible as I had built it up to be. I am however, going to go crazy if I don't clean, organize, and set up my new room. I'm currently tripping over boxes and have SO many boxes to go through! 

P.S. I've teamed up with some great girls for the most awesome giveaway ever (maybe it's because I'm a sucker for a good "gift basket")

WHAT'S IN THE SUMMERTIME ESSENTIALS BAG:

  • Tri-colored Triple Chevron Tote by Autumn and Indigo on Etsy
  • Floppy Sunhat 
  • Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray
  • EOS Cucumber hand lotion
  • Burt's Bees Coconut & Pear lip balm
  • 2 Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polishes - shades: Babe Blue & Bare It All
  • Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara
  • Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen - SPF 55
  • Ban.Do "Let's Have Fun O.K.?" drink sleeve
  • Printed Hair Tie Set of 6
  • Round Aviator Sunglasses
  • Starfish Charm Necklace
  • Sun & Moon Stud Earring Set
  • $5 giftcard to Starbucks
  • 1-month subscription to MyCoffeeism's coffee box
  • Small notebook & pen
The giveaway will run from now,July 27th to Monday, August 3rd at 12:00 am EST. All entries will be verified so tell your friends! Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

38 comments:

  1. Moving is one of my least favorite things to do. I've done it a few times and I'm such a procrastinator, I think that's why I dislike it so much. The only good thing about it is getting rid of things you really no longer need anymore. These are great tips though!

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  2. Moving is not my shit. Lol sorry for my language. I can't stand it. I would rather hire movers next time. lol

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    1. And if you know me well I can't live without chapstick or lotion in the summer. Ugh I hate dry skin and chapped lips lol

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  3. Great tips! I think starting early is so important. I've underestimated how much time it takes to pack every single time I've moved.

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  4. Great tips, I'm a horrible packer. I hate hate hate it. Friends are a must, they motivate me! Love your giveaway!
    xoxo

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  5. These are some great tips! I've never been responsible for more stuff than can fit in a college dorm room, and even moving all of that is a lot of work! I like the idea of color coding rooms. I would say my #1 summer essential is a hair tie, because I hate having my hair on my neck when it's hot out!

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  6. I feel you! Everywhere we have moved, we moved ourself and this last move we did with 2 toddlers and a 5 month old baby---it was horrible! Love your tips especially the colored tape one.

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  7. I HATE moving. I don't know if you saw my post the other day but I just realized that I've moved 5 times in the past three years :( I plan on not moving for a nice long time!

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  8. Girl, I'm right there with you! We're currently packing to move this weekend, and UGH. THIS APARTMENT. So many boxes, so much crap we didn't even know we had. So done!

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  9. I always think I start packing early enough but you can always start even earlier! Haha.

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  10. Moving is the literal worst! I try to avoid moving as much as possible because 1. I'm lazy and 2. It's so time consuming! Collecting boxes will make all the difference - you never want to be that person who buys boxes from UPS when you can essentially get them for free!

    Alessandra | blog.pumpup.com

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  11. Such a fun giveaway and some great moving tips!
    I've moved almost every single year so I've learned what works and what doesn't although I can never seem to get the box situation perfect and always end up having random things paired together.

    xoxo, Jenny || Breakfast at Lillys

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  12. Moving for me was super stressful! Although that might have been because we moved half way across the country! Our 17foot truck we rented was filled to the BRIM and we actually had to ditch a desk and an arm chair that wouldn't fit! It was crazy!!!
    I'd have to say that my summer essential is bug spray, I get eaten alive when I go outside in the evening!!

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  13. I've been lucky enough to not have to move in over 15 years, but I can image it being extremely stressful. I hate packing for vacations, I couldn't imagine packing to move. Happy Monday!

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  14. I'm a big fan of clear plastic storage bins and have used them ever since I moved into college. Also color coded duct tape or silver duct tape with different color sharpies to color code. Congrats on your movie girlie!

    xoxo,
    Meghan
    Southern Belle Secrets

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  15. Such a fun giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity! I definitely am dreading my next move- my last 2 have been company-paid so I haven't had to worry about the details. Unless I get a job with a new company before my next move, I will be responsible for it and am NOT looking forward to that.

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  16. It's so funny that your posting about this because I'm getting ready to move this weekend! I feel so overwhelmed with boxes and things to pack right now that everything else in my life is on the back burner right now. Those are some great tips!

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  17. Ahhh, I'm so glad that you survived your move!! My summertime essential is a Josie Maran Argan Color stick. I don't know how I lived so long without one!

    XX, SS || A Little Seersucker Sass


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  18. I hate (HATE) moving. I have had to move like 5 times the past year and I am SO done...don't want to move for another 5 years haha. Your tips are fab though!

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  19. Color coding is key! I hope I don't have to move for awhile though. Congrats on moving!

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  20. Chapstick. Always chapstick. Specifically, peach chapstick. ;)

    I'm one of the lucky ones who has never moved house (yet). It's inevitable, unless I'm wanting to live with my parents my whole life, but I'm putting that shit off for as long as I can.
    Great giveaway! Hoping it's international?

    Christie's Take on Life. xx

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  21. a great lotion and chap stick are must!

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  22. I absolutely detest moving, but this post reminded me that I should really get started early this year for my move back to school- just one month left for me until my senior year! I hope that you're all settled in now in the new place. :-)

    xoxo A
    www.southernbelleintraining.com

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  23. I just moved back in with my parents too for the next year while doing my graduate school internships!! We moved in moving all my big stuff from MN back to WI one weekend and then the next weekend I brought back whatever I had left. It is seriously quite the process!

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  24. Color coding boxes is the best way to make moving easy for everyone. I also recommend using laundry baskets to move kitchen items. You can move them directly from your kitchen into the cabinetry in your new place.
    Shaguna
    gold&hearts

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  25. Colored labels are my favorite when moving! Although we didn't have a ton of boxes with our last move, they were all properly labeled and our movers knew just where they went!

    Tiffani
    NotYourAverageSouthernBell.blogspot.com

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  26. Moving always stresses me out. That's awesome that you were able to do in one day though, even though it took several hours. Collecting boxes is such good advice! I refuse to waste money on boxes and will use a bunch of trash bags before I buy boxes from the store. Good luck with unpacking!

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  27. I am currently in the process of moving and what a nightmare! Despite having moved a bajillion times, I still feel like each time I would do things differently! I wish I would have thought to color code my boxes as I am now moving them in to my new place and have a mix of everything everywhere. The clear bins was definitely one of my top recommendations too, as at least I can semi see what is in them!

    xo Ashley

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  28. I'm praying I can stay in my apartment for another year because moving is the worst, haha. Love these tips! Recruiting friends always saves me during moves.

    xo, Alicia | Alicia Tenise

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  29. I remember when I moved two years ago it was crazy. We started early but it took 24 hours to move like a few blocks away... it can definitely be a huge nightmare! So happy you finally did it! Can't wait to see your new adventures. :)

    Lauren
    The Fashionista's Diary

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  30. That bag is so cute!! Congrats on the big move though. I've only move I've ever made was into college and that was a huge deal. I cannot wait until I move into my first apartment after school and will definitely use some of these tips :D

    Annie // Annie N Belle

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  31. I couldn't live without my good book for the pillow! It is such a nice chance to unwind and turn your brain off for a little bit! These are great moving tips! I am always sooo bad about forgetting to collect a lot of boxes beforehand. Ooops.

    XOXO
    Marie H.
    Progression By Design

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  32. I agree with all of those tips, especially the one about starting early. I remember my freshman and sophomore years of college explicity and the fact that I didn't start as early as I should have, and I was so stressed out coming down to the wire of getting everything done.

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  33. Color-coding is something I've never thought of! Normally, I just stick to labeling all of my boxes but color-coding would make things go smoother.

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  34. These are great tips! We have moved twice within the last 4 months. Hopefully we won't be having to move again anytime soon. I wish I would've bought clear containers. Seriously would have made my life 100x better. This giveaway looks awesome!!

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  35. my one summer essential i can live without is sun block. Def need to keep ur skin protected. Also cant live without my ray-bans

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  36. I've never had to make a pretty large move (I'm sort of back and forth all over the place!), but these are absolutely awesome tips! I have had to pack and label boxes and color coding never crossed my mind. That tote is so cute and the stuff it's packed with makes it such an amazing giveaway! :)

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