I have such fun news to share: we are having a little girl!
We found out the week before Christmas, and did a fun reveal for our families. It's the tradition to read The Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve, so we volunteered to read it. Instead of the book, we had composed a little poem that ended with revealing the gender of our little one. It was really fun and special.
We confirmed the gender at our recent 20-week anatomy ultrasound, so we figured it was time to go public!
As for how this affects my projects...let's just say I have a lot of ideas on how to reuse all the Bonnie Pink fabric left over from our wedding. Stay tuned!
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Friday, January 17, 2014
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
2014 Resolutions
I think 2013 ended up being sort of a "resting year" for us. We traveled a good bit, but nowhere super exotic. We worked on the house a bit. Aside from getting pregnant, it was a pretty low-key year (in a good way). I'm thankful to be wrapping up the year with healthy and happy friends and family, and I'm really excited about what all might happen in 2014!
I had five resolutions for 2013, and did good on 2.5 of them. I volunteered 50 hours. We traveled out of the country twice (BVI and Canada), and within the country afew times ton (Orlando, Houston, Los Angeles, Captiva FL, Alabama, South Carolina, rural PA, Ocean City MD, and NYC). I was doing well being healthy and active until I got pregnant and felt horrible for months. I didn't do so well on maintaining our home as a refuge or keeping up with friends.
So on that note, here are my 2014 resolutions!
1. Maintain health: I plan to get in 15 minutes of exercise (even walking the dog) every day, and focus on eating nutritious foods.
2. Finish the big projects in our house: Namely, the nursery and the basement. Both are indescribably awful at the moment, and are causing undue stress in our lives. Right now I'm staring at mountains of stuff from the bedrooms (piled all over the dining and living room) because we're getting new carpet upstairs. I really want for stuff like this to not happen anymore, especially once the baby is here!
3. Make our home our refuge: Same as last year, I want our home to be inviting and relaxing, not a source of stress. Maybe we'll hire a housekeeper, or make a chore list, but something needs to give!
4. Maintain relationships: This includes visiting my family at least once after the baby arrives, seeing our local family in person at least once a month, and connecting with friends at least once a month. I think one thing that would really help this is getting decent bluetooth in my car. I have a long commute, and being able to catch up on the way home would make it easier to keep in touch with people.
5. Start a business: I have the idea, I just need to get rolling on testing and implementation!
I had five resolutions for 2013, and did good on 2.5 of them. I volunteered 50 hours. We traveled out of the country twice (BVI and Canada), and within the country a
So on that note, here are my 2014 resolutions!
1. Maintain health: I plan to get in 15 minutes of exercise (even walking the dog) every day, and focus on eating nutritious foods.
2. Finish the big projects in our house: Namely, the nursery and the basement. Both are indescribably awful at the moment, and are causing undue stress in our lives. Right now I'm staring at mountains of stuff from the bedrooms (piled all over the dining and living room) because we're getting new carpet upstairs. I really want for stuff like this to not happen anymore, especially once the baby is here!
3. Make our home our refuge: Same as last year, I want our home to be inviting and relaxing, not a source of stress. Maybe we'll hire a housekeeper, or make a chore list, but something needs to give!
4. Maintain relationships: This includes visiting my family at least once after the baby arrives, seeing our local family in person at least once a month, and connecting with friends at least once a month. I think one thing that would really help this is getting decent bluetooth in my car. I have a long commute, and being able to catch up on the way home would make it easier to keep in touch with people.
5. Start a business: I have the idea, I just need to get rolling on testing and implementation!
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Not all gifts come under the tree...
Guys, I have really big news to share!!!
We're having a baby!!!
Tommy and I are so excited to be welcoming our first child sometime towards the end of May. That puts me at 18 weeks! So far, everything is going great, and we hope to be able to announce the gender soon.
We have lots of fun projects planned to get our nursery all set up. We've actually been working on a few already, under the guise of "guest room" projects (like crown molding). Since the guest room is becoming the nursery, we're also working on renovating the basement to become a welcoming guest room, especially since I know a set of out-of-town parents who will be visiting quite often :)
I apologize for being a bit absent lately. Between first-trimester sickness and lots of other crazy stuff, my projects have been taking a back seat to life. But now I have my energy back, and we're gaining momentum getting our house back in order (new carpet upstairs, plus a leak in the basement that caused massive structural issues have been big setbacks), so expect to be hearing from me a lot more!
We're having a baby!!!
Tommy and I are so excited to be welcoming our first child sometime towards the end of May. That puts me at 18 weeks! So far, everything is going great, and we hope to be able to announce the gender soon.
We have lots of fun projects planned to get our nursery all set up. We've actually been working on a few already, under the guise of "guest room" projects (like crown molding). Since the guest room is becoming the nursery, we're also working on renovating the basement to become a welcoming guest room, especially since I know a set of out-of-town parents who will be visiting quite often :)
I apologize for being a bit absent lately. Between first-trimester sickness and lots of other crazy stuff, my projects have been taking a back seat to life. But now I have my energy back, and we're gaining momentum getting our house back in order (new carpet upstairs, plus a leak in the basement that caused massive structural issues have been big setbacks), so expect to be hearing from me a lot more!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
My Sewing Machine
Happy Sewing Machine Day!
In honor of this bizarre "holiday", I thought I'd tell you a bit about mine...
It starts with my Mom. When she was a 22 year old newlywed, she scraped together all her savings and bought a fancy-pants sewing machine - a Bernina 930. I'm pretty sure it was the most expensive thing they owned, including their VW Beetle. With this machine, she started her first business sewing wedding and bridesmaid dresses for the public.
Four years later, I came along! I know that those many hours listening to the whir of her machine in utero and as a small child are exactly why I find the sound of a sewing machine so peaceful.
I learned to sew on this machine. She started her second business on the machine, designing clothing for her own store. It's also the same machine that made countless Easter dresses, prom dresses, high school theater costumes, quilts, and eventually my wedding dress!
So when I went off to college, I obviously had to have a machine of my own. I wanted something good quality and that I was comfortable with. So I did what all normal college freshman do and order a 20 year old sewing machine off Ebay and have it delivered to my dorm! (Actually it was delivered to the Student Union, and I had to push/drag it half a mile to my dorm)
Yep, I bought an identical machine to my Mom! The funny thing was that over 20 years, they hadn't depreciated hardly at all! (And 11 years more past that, they're still selling for the same price)
The pros were this: I already knew how to use it, it's well known to be a "workhorse of a machine" (especially after lasting through daily use by a seamstress), and my Mom could talk me through fixing it. It's all mechanical, so no computers or electric bits to wear out.
Cons are as follows: It doesn't do all those nifty computer things that modern machines can, and it weighs 50 lbs. (oof)
So what's the verdict? I love it! I love how it sews, how it sounds, and how my Mom can talk me through cleaning and repairing it. If you want a "forever machine", this one fits the bill!
PS: Apparently Bernina also make a mini-me version called a Bernette that's cheaper and lighter, but is still a workhorse.
In honor of this bizarre "holiday", I thought I'd tell you a bit about mine...
It starts with my Mom. When she was a 22 year old newlywed, she scraped together all her savings and bought a fancy-pants sewing machine - a Bernina 930. I'm pretty sure it was the most expensive thing they owned, including their VW Beetle. With this machine, she started her first business sewing wedding and bridesmaid dresses for the public.
Four years later, I came along! I know that those many hours listening to the whir of her machine in utero and as a small child are exactly why I find the sound of a sewing machine so peaceful.
I learned to sew on this machine. She started her second business on the machine, designing clothing for her own store. It's also the same machine that made countless Easter dresses, prom dresses, high school theater costumes, quilts, and eventually my wedding dress!
So when I went off to college, I obviously had to have a machine of my own. I wanted something good quality and that I was comfortable with. So I did what all normal college freshman do and order a 20 year old sewing machine off Ebay and have it delivered to my dorm! (Actually it was delivered to the Student Union, and I had to push/drag it half a mile to my dorm)
Yep, I bought an identical machine to my Mom! The funny thing was that over 20 years, they hadn't depreciated hardly at all! (And 11 years more past that, they're still selling for the same price)
The pros were this: I already knew how to use it, it's well known to be a "workhorse of a machine" (especially after lasting through daily use by a seamstress), and my Mom could talk me through fixing it. It's all mechanical, so no computers or electric bits to wear out.
Cons are as follows: It doesn't do all those nifty computer things that modern machines can, and it weighs 50 lbs. (oof)
So what's the verdict? I love it! I love how it sews, how it sounds, and how my Mom can talk me through cleaning and repairing it. If you want a "forever machine", this one fits the bill!
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| she sits on a fold-away stand that I spray painted to match my craft room |
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| My favorite "Bonnie Pink" sewing supplies are within easy reach |
PS: Apparently Bernina also make a mini-me version called a Bernette that's cheaper and lighter, but is still a workhorse.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Sponsor Love: Sherwin Williams
Sherwin Williams sponsored my recent painting projects, but gave me the freedom to say whatever I want about their products.
OK, so I'm relatively new to this whole blogging thing. I stay busy with projects, write about them fairly frequently, and get enough traffic to make it worth my while (not financially, but in a someone-actually-reads-this kind of way). But the sponsor thing is a little new, so bear with me!
Hands down, my favorite product of the past year is Sherwin Williams Emerald paint. I first used it in our living room. In the past I had heard about these alleged no-VOC paints, and I had heard about alleged one-coat only, self-priming paints, but I didn't believe them. In my experience, any painting project takes multiple days, 3-5 coats, and is a complete pain.
But I tried something new. I listened to the Sherwin Williams guy give his speech on what all the different paints did, and why they're worth spending more. For once, I took the advice, and got the fancy paint.
I painted the entire living room in 5 hours, including moving the furniture. It was unreal - only one coat of paint! It wasn't smelly! It wasn't drippy! And so far, it wears beautifully.
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| Painting the Living Room |
Following the living room project, I spent the next month talking about this paint to anyone I know who's ever painted a room. Only then did it occur to me to contact the company to tell them how I feel and how I'd love to talk about them to my readers, too. Turns out, they were just as excited about me as I was about them, and they sponsored the paint for my next painting project!
As of this post, we have Sherwin Williams Emerald paint in our living room, kitchen, foyer, and half-bath, on both the walls and the trim.
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| Painting the Kitchen |
Just like the first time I used it, it's still only been requiring one coat of paint (seriously! It's self-priming), it's not smelly, and it's holding up great, even when I scrub tomato splatters off it.
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| foyer |
The one-coat thing blew me away, and it's great that it's pretty, but for me the really important thing has been no-VOC aspect. I'm LEED certified, meaning that once upon a time I studied for and passed an exam on green building theory.
It grossed me out to learn that stuff in our homes offgasses chemicals not just for the first few weeks or months, but for years. Cabinetry, flooring, paint, furniture, even caulking, keeps on offgassing long after that "new car smell" (i.e. carcinogens) is no longer noticeable. I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea my loved ones breathing in chemicals all the time. Given the chance, I choose low-VOC or no-VOC.
It grossed me out to learn that stuff in our homes offgasses chemicals not just for the first few weeks or months, but for years. Cabinetry, flooring, paint, furniture, even caulking, keeps on offgassing long after that "new car smell" (i.e. carcinogens) is no longer noticeable. I don't know about you, but I don't like the idea my loved ones breathing in chemicals all the time. Given the chance, I choose low-VOC or no-VOC.
Sherwin Williams also has this cool Color Visualizer app on their site that lets you try out colors in your space. It's really easy, you just upload a photo, select the area to "paint", and change out the colors! I discovered really quickly how awful my kitchen would look in red, yellow, or purple. I had my color ideas narrowed quite a bit before I ever set foot in the store.
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| Trying out blue paint in Sherwin Williams Color Visualizer |
Obviously, I'm a big fan. Next time you're paint shopping, stop in a give Sherwin Williams a try.
Happy projects!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Valentine's Fantasy
A blog I follow challenged readers to create a fantasy with their dreamboat guy saying dreamboat words. Here were the directions:
Let’s be honest. Your husband/boyfriend/significant other’s greatest Valentines day wish is to have the ryan gosling hey-girl treatment done to one of his photos. I don’t care what he says. It’s what he’s always dreamed of.
No matter how adamantly he denies it.
That’s why next Thursday, February 7, I’ll be hosting a “Hey Girl” link party right here. Here’s how it’ll work. You find your sultriest photos of your man and hey-girl-ify him. You can use something he’s actually said in real life, or just something you dream of hearing him say someday.
And so on that note, here's the love of my life, my husband :)
I wish!!!
Let’s be honest. Your husband/boyfriend/significant other’s greatest Valentines day wish is to have the ryan gosling hey-girl treatment done to one of his photos. I don’t care what he says. It’s what he’s always dreamed of.
No matter how adamantly he denies it.
That’s why next Thursday, February 7, I’ll be hosting a “Hey Girl” link party right here. Here’s how it’ll work. You find your sultriest photos of your man and hey-girl-ify him. You can use something he’s actually said in real life, or just something you dream of hearing him say someday.
And so on that note, here's the love of my life, my husband :)
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
2013 Resolutions
2012 has been a phenomenal year. We got married and bought a house, my sister-in-law got engaged and married (look for the flower photos soon!), my brother-in-laws graduated college, and most everyone close to us is healthy and at a really good point in their lives right now. We are incredibly blessed and thankful!
All these wonderful things have made me quite a busy person, so my resolutions this year center around making time for the important things. My professional coursework has drilled into my head that goals be S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound), so I'll try my best.
1. Catch up with friends more often in person and on the phone. I have some really great friends, and I really miss them! My goal is to catch up with my best friends at least once a month.
2. Get in shape. I've been kind of lapsing on my regular exercise schedule, and we haven't been eating great. My goal is two-fold here: exercise at least three times per week, and be in shape such that all my clothes fit properly. Before the wedding, we had good success following the eating guide in The Seven Principles of Fat Burning by Eric Berg. Basically, you eat lean proteins, fruits, and veggies. We felt great doing it! I still don't have time for meal planning, so I'm changing our Emeals subscription to the Paleo plan. I don't know anything about being Paleo, but the recipes agree with the Fat Burning book, so I'll be using those.
3. Maintain our home as a refuge. This means staying organized, continuing to work on the projects (but in a timely manner so they don't take over our home), and keeping work separate from home life.
4. Travel! Outside of visiting family, my goal is to go on at least one international trip and one stateside.
5. Volunteer. My goal is to volunteer for 50 hours this year.
All these wonderful things have made me quite a busy person, so my resolutions this year center around making time for the important things. My professional coursework has drilled into my head that goals be S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound), so I'll try my best.
1. Catch up with friends more often in person and on the phone. I have some really great friends, and I really miss them! My goal is to catch up with my best friends at least once a month.
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| Lovely ladies at my bachelorette party |
2. Get in shape. I've been kind of lapsing on my regular exercise schedule, and we haven't been eating great. My goal is two-fold here: exercise at least three times per week, and be in shape such that all my clothes fit properly. Before the wedding, we had good success following the eating guide in The Seven Principles of Fat Burning by Eric Berg. Basically, you eat lean proteins, fruits, and veggies. We felt great doing it! I still don't have time for meal planning, so I'm changing our Emeals subscription to the Paleo plan. I don't know anything about being Paleo, but the recipes agree with the Fat Burning book, so I'll be using those.
3. Maintain our home as a refuge. This means staying organized, continuing to work on the projects (but in a timely manner so they don't take over our home), and keeping work separate from home life.
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| Foyer before and after |
4. Travel! Outside of visiting family, my goal is to go on at least one international trip and one stateside.
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| In Dominican Republic for our "engagement-moon" |
5. Volunteer. My goal is to volunteer for 50 hours this year.
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| Shopping trip for toy donations |
I wish everyone a wonderful year!!!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Wedding Dress Wednesday: The Big Reveal
Wedding Dress Wednesdays are guest posts written by my Mom, Janet
When our daughter Bonnie was born, my friend gave me some
tiny dresses, almost doll size! Bonnie was a pretty big baby (8lbs.12oz), so
when she was a few weeks old, I started putting them on her and taking
pictures!
My husband laughed, “you dress her up like a doll!” Sure, it’s
fun! And look how cute she is!
Then I started sewing for her. I learned to smock, and I
made tons of cute outfits for her. By the time she was in grade school, she
preferred store bought clothes, but we still made party dresses, costumes and
swim suits. Then, in high school she re-discovered my talents. She realized
that store bought gowns were not well made, had crappy fabrics and didn’t fit
her figure. I was ‘in’ again! :)
I always told her, “when you get married, I’ll make any dress
you can dream up!”
I used to sew for the public and made lots of wedding gowns
over the years. But doing Bonnie’s gown has been the most special thing – ever!
I’m so happy we decided not to buy a dress, and I really enjoyed the process
and working as a team. For months we discussed whatever daily issues came up.
Of course, the dress was just one thing out of a hundred that had to be taken
care of for the wedding!
Well, if you have been following this blog – you have read
about designing the dress, picking fabrics, making and testing the pattern,
tweaking the details, beading, all the disasters and joys of making my
daughter’s wedding gown!
It was fun to show our family how it was all coming along.
The Groom’s mother swore he would cry when he saw the bride! I don’t think he
did – he was so excited he couldn’t sleep! But I do know he was wowed! You can
see in all the photos – both of them are just glowing!!
Enjoy the photos and I hope you have enjoyed our journey.
Congratulations Bonnie and Tommy!
Love, MOM
Here are a few photos of the journey:
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| we shopped for inspiration |
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| found a pattern to start from (a vintage 80's pattern no less!) |
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| shopped the garment district for the perfect fabric and lace |
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| tweaked the pattern |
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| did lots of fittings, some long-distance |
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| added accessories and beading to finish the look |
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| and took care of some last-minute issues |
And finally it was ready for the wedding!!! A sweetheart strapless fit and flare beaded lace wedding dress with ruffled train! (These beautiful images are by Whitney Huynh Photography)
Friday, August 3, 2012
A Summer Visitor's Guide to DC
Unfortunately, nobody pays me to write! All opinions are 100% mine.
Washington, DC is the most touristy place I've ever lived! It's been so much fun having friends move here for jobs long-term, and having friends and family come visit short-term.
I was recently asked to help out some friends with their itinerary for an upcoming trip. My recommendation list turned out to be pretty extensive, so I thought I'd share it with you.
The qualifications were that they are a group of several adults and three teenagers, want to get a little off the beaten path, are staying in Crystal City, and don't want to go home broke.
What to pack:
- Comfy shoes - You can easily walk 10+ miles a day here without even knowing it
- Sunscreen - It's sunnier than you'd think!
- Water bottles - There are water fountains all over, but it's expensive to buy water from vendors.
- Hand sanitizer - The metro is germy.
- Subscribe to Dealery DC to get a consolidated daily email of all of DC's Groupon-type discounts
- Smart phone - Download the NextBusDC app so you know when the next metro or bus is coming, and use Google Maps for finding your way around.
Bonnie's Recommendations on DC Activities:
Touristy but worth it:
- Shopping in Georgetown, plus cupcakes from Sprinkles
- Newseum (the only non-free DC museum I've been to that I would pay money for)
- Segway tours (I know they look dumb, but this was the highlight of my parents trip here!)
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| segway tour of DC |
- Botanical Garden (free!) (Side note - this was the ONLY thing open during Snowpocalyse 2010)
- Natural history museum (butterfly garden is free on Tuesdays)
- Renwick (less-frequented Smithsonian art museum, always has something unexpected!)
- The Old Post Office Pavilion (the second-best view next to the closed Washington Monument, free, plus decent food court)
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| view from the Old Post Office Pavilion |
- Zoo (free!)
- Nationals game (they're actually good this year! Fireworks after Friday games, and several free concerts on Saturdays)
- Lincoln monument (very romantic at night, too...)
- FDR monument (very unexpected but lovely!)
- Jefferson monument
- Washington monument (but closed till 2014 due to the earthquake)
- WWII monument
Off the Beaten Path:
- Jazz in the Sculpture Garden (free!, can get crowded)
- Kayaking on the Potomac
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| See the monuments from your kayak! |
- Shopping at Eastern Market for local crafts and food
- Bike riding - Our favorite way to get around DC! (There are rental companies and I think the bikeshare program has now been opened to tourists)
- Kennedy Center (fun shows, especially Shear Madness and the National Symphony Orchestra. Also have free shows all the time. Fabulous 360 views of DC and Arlington)
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| Enjoying a view of Georgetown and the Potomac at the Kennedy Center |
- Outdoor movies (in Crystal City, Navy Yard (near ballpark), the Mall, etc.)
- Watching planes take off and land at Gravelly Point Park
- National Arboretum (especially their bonsai exhibit)
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| My Dad with a white pine that's been in training since 1629 |
- Simply exploring the city
Bonnie's Recommendations on DC Dining:
Ok, dining in DC is expensive! Don't go anywhere with "bistro" in the name or anywhere that makes tapas - you'll be broke! If you want my real opinion, eat breakfast in your room, and make sandwiches for lunch. DC simply isn't known for having good food. It's alright, but definitely not worth the price and time it takes away from doing other awesome stuff. These are my recommendations for folks trying to dine casually without spending a million dollars. Maybe another time I'll do a post on the more posh DC restaurants worth splurging on)
- Eastern Market (food vendors, fresh fruit, delicious subs) <$10
- Matchbox is really yummy! I like the one in Chinatown or on Barracks Row $15-$25
- Ethiopian (the ONE thing DC is known for, go to any near U street) <$20
- Ben's Chili Bowl (good prices, quick, metro friendly, very historical) <$15
- Vapiano (lots of Italian choices, but can get crowded with the happy hour scene on weekdays. Decent prices and you don't have to tip like at a regular restaurant) $8-$15
- Mai Thai in Old Town - good Thai food on the Old Town waterfront $10-$18
- Paradiso Pizza in Old Town or Dupont $10-$20
- Sweet Green - they have 9 salads they serve, that's it! $8-$10
- Pentagon City Fashion Mall (Loads of inexpensive options. All the tour buses stop here)
- Native American Museum (they have real American Indian food that I hear is really good! Can't get that outside of DC!) <$10
- Museums
- Cupcakes (DC is known for their cupcakes)
- Teaism (somewhat more ethnic and healthy food, plus huge tea selection) <$12
- Pork Barrel BBQ (in Del Ray in Alexandria) <$12
- Pat Troy's (very authentic Irish pub in Old Town) <$8-$20
- Nando's Peri Peri (Peruvian chicken, very delicious, awesome sangria) <$12
Have a wonderful trip! And say hi if you see me!
Friday, July 27, 2012
A Newlywed Move: 9 rules for moving in without trauma and tears
Combining households...an idea that sounded so fun when it was many months in the future, then slowly clouded as it approached. Nobody likes to move. It sucks. But sharing a home with your brand new husband? Fabulous! So here are some tips and tricks for making the transition as painless as possible so you can get back to basking in newlywed joy.
1. Make a realistic timeline
I started packing about a week before the big move. I'd like to have started earlier, but other events (ahem, wedding!) got in the way of that. A week worked out well though. I could pack about 20 boxes a night before hating life, and it wasn't horribly overwhelming.
DO NOT PACK THE DAY BEFORE. YOU CANNOT FINISH AND YOUR BOXES WILL BE TOTALLY DISORGANIZED. (ok, stepping off the soapbox)
Also, plan to be out of your old place well before the lease is up. That way, you can get settled in to your new place, then go back and clean your old place, without being rushed and stressed.
2. Buy boxes that are uniform size
When I was in college, I would collect up liquor store boxes for a few weeks before my move. It was always a huge challenge to pack them in the truck efficiently, and stack them up later in storage.
This time, I had three sizes of boxes: small, medium, and heavy duty plastic crates. The truck got packed more efficiently, because we could make entire columns of like-size boxes. Same thing with our storage space. No teetering stacks of mismatched boxes! The uniform ones stack sturdier and save on space.
I bought 75 boxes at Home Depot ($0.78 for small, $1.12 for medium), and borrowed the plastic crates from Tommy's work. It was sooo worth it.
Also, pack like things together. There's nothing worse than opening a box labeled dishes and finding the TV remote! Don't forget to label really well. Having a list of ten things on the side of the box is far superior to saving 30 seconds by skipping this step.
3. Use proper packing material
I bought real packing paper. I suppose you could use newspaper, but the clean, fresh, sheets really seem to make a difference. Plus then you don't feel like you have to wash everything when you unwrap it. Five boxes at $3.50 each made all of our belongings safe and sound.
I also rented blankets from Uhaul for $10 for 12. I wrapped them around our nice wood furniture, and sealed it up with plastic wrap (also cheap). During the move, I wasn't at all concerned with my furniture getting bumped and scratched, and none of the drawers were falling out. Stress Saver!
Just do it. Spend the cash. You won't regret it, and it'll save you loads of money in the long run because you won't have to fix or replace furniture, plates, wine glasses, etc that were broken in the move.
4. Get a bigger truck than you think you need
I initially got some flack for renting the biggest truck imaginable. My counter argument was that it cost the same and we wouldn't have to be as careful about how we packed. Well, we packed it tight and it still didn't all quite fit.
Here's some quick math: It costs $0 - $10 to upgrade to the next size truck. Every mile you drive the truck costs $1. If you have to make an extra trip, it's probably already more than $10 just in mileage (unless you're moving like a block away). So suck it up and get the bigger truck. You won't regret it.
5. Ask for help (or hire it)
It sucks way less, and goes way faster, when you have helpers. It probably also forces you and your newlywed spouse to be nicer to each other since you have company. I was so thankful for all our helpers during the move!
6. Focus on key areas first
Yes, I wanted to set up my project space first. But it was causing a lot more stress to have a wreck of a kitchen and a bathroom where I couldn't find anything. We started by getting our most-used areas put together first, so our lives wouldn't continue to be so interrupted by the move.
Keeping priorities in mind helped us stayed focused. We'd keep seeing other projects (painting the front door, removing wallpaper) that were calling to us. But those wouldn't immediately boost our quality of life as much as, say, finding the socks, so we put them on hold for the time being. It's been hard, but in the long run, better.
7. Schedule a date (or three!)
We really wanted to work hard and just finish the move. However, we found some time for a few little dates, like a long bike ride, a dance class, and a stroll to a new restaurant. Those dates were so much more special because it felt like stolen time. They left us relaxed, rejuvenated, and remembering why we're doing this in the first place.
8. Discuss your ground rules
We've never lived together before. We have spent a LOT of time together over the past few years, but living together is different because for the first time both of you feel like it's your space. We took some time to talk about our expectations for our new home, so we can get started with a common vision.
We want our home to be welcoming, relaxing, and fun. As we transition into our new home, these goals may translate in a variety of ways. We'll choose comfortable furniture, and keep plenty of space for guests. We'll keep the house clean. We'll have a nice guest room. We'll create spaces for groups to gather.
We also discussed things like clutter on the kitchen counters (none, please), dog hair (kept at a reasonable minimum by Tommy), and laundry (my job, done when I feel like it). It was quick, easy, and painless to talk these things over early, and it'll save hours of expectations and arguments later.
9. Love each other!
In the midst of hard and dirty work, take a few seconds for a quick kiss or a nice strong hug (or an unexpected dance to your first song). Compliment each other on what a great job they're doing. You're both exhausted, dirty, tired of this chore, but you're in it together, and you're creating your home! Congratulations!
1. Make a realistic timeline
I started packing about a week before the big move. I'd like to have started earlier, but other events (ahem, wedding!) got in the way of that. A week worked out well though. I could pack about 20 boxes a night before hating life, and it wasn't horribly overwhelming.
DO NOT PACK THE DAY BEFORE. YOU CANNOT FINISH AND YOUR BOXES WILL BE TOTALLY DISORGANIZED. (ok, stepping off the soapbox)
Also, plan to be out of your old place well before the lease is up. That way, you can get settled in to your new place, then go back and clean your old place, without being rushed and stressed.
2. Buy boxes that are uniform size
When I was in college, I would collect up liquor store boxes for a few weeks before my move. It was always a huge challenge to pack them in the truck efficiently, and stack them up later in storage.
This time, I had three sizes of boxes: small, medium, and heavy duty plastic crates. The truck got packed more efficiently, because we could make entire columns of like-size boxes. Same thing with our storage space. No teetering stacks of mismatched boxes! The uniform ones stack sturdier and save on space.
I bought 75 boxes at Home Depot ($0.78 for small, $1.12 for medium), and borrowed the plastic crates from Tommy's work. It was sooo worth it.
Also, pack like things together. There's nothing worse than opening a box labeled dishes and finding the TV remote! Don't forget to label really well. Having a list of ten things on the side of the box is far superior to saving 30 seconds by skipping this step.
3. Use proper packing material
I bought real packing paper. I suppose you could use newspaper, but the clean, fresh, sheets really seem to make a difference. Plus then you don't feel like you have to wash everything when you unwrap it. Five boxes at $3.50 each made all of our belongings safe and sound.
I also rented blankets from Uhaul for $10 for 12. I wrapped them around our nice wood furniture, and sealed it up with plastic wrap (also cheap). During the move, I wasn't at all concerned with my furniture getting bumped and scratched, and none of the drawers were falling out. Stress Saver!
Just do it. Spend the cash. You won't regret it, and it'll save you loads of money in the long run because you won't have to fix or replace furniture, plates, wine glasses, etc that were broken in the move.
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| awesome helpers pictured with padded and wrapped furniture and uniform boxes |
4. Get a bigger truck than you think you need
I initially got some flack for renting the biggest truck imaginable. My counter argument was that it cost the same and we wouldn't have to be as careful about how we packed. Well, we packed it tight and it still didn't all quite fit.
Here's some quick math: It costs $0 - $10 to upgrade to the next size truck. Every mile you drive the truck costs $1. If you have to make an extra trip, it's probably already more than $10 just in mileage (unless you're moving like a block away). So suck it up and get the bigger truck. You won't regret it.
5. Ask for help (or hire it)
It sucks way less, and goes way faster, when you have helpers. It probably also forces you and your newlywed spouse to be nicer to each other since you have company. I was so thankful for all our helpers during the move!
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| Have awesome helpers |
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| keep your helpers happy ( = pizza and beer) |
6. Focus on key areas first
Yes, I wanted to set up my project space first. But it was causing a lot more stress to have a wreck of a kitchen and a bathroom where I couldn't find anything. We started by getting our most-used areas put together first, so our lives wouldn't continue to be so interrupted by the move.
Keeping priorities in mind helped us stayed focused. We'd keep seeing other projects (painting the front door, removing wallpaper) that were calling to us. But those wouldn't immediately boost our quality of life as much as, say, finding the socks, so we put them on hold for the time being. It's been hard, but in the long run, better.
7. Schedule a date (or three!)
We really wanted to work hard and just finish the move. However, we found some time for a few little dates, like a long bike ride, a dance class, and a stroll to a new restaurant. Those dates were so much more special because it felt like stolen time. They left us relaxed, rejuvenated, and remembering why we're doing this in the first place.
8. Discuss your ground rules
We've never lived together before. We have spent a LOT of time together over the past few years, but living together is different because for the first time both of you feel like it's your space. We took some time to talk about our expectations for our new home, so we can get started with a common vision.
We want our home to be welcoming, relaxing, and fun. As we transition into our new home, these goals may translate in a variety of ways. We'll choose comfortable furniture, and keep plenty of space for guests. We'll keep the house clean. We'll have a nice guest room. We'll create spaces for groups to gather.
We also discussed things like clutter on the kitchen counters (none, please), dog hair (kept at a reasonable minimum by Tommy), and laundry (my job, done when I feel like it). It was quick, easy, and painless to talk these things over early, and it'll save hours of expectations and arguments later.
9. Love each other!
In the midst of hard and dirty work, take a few seconds for a quick kiss or a nice strong hug (or an unexpected dance to your first song). Compliment each other on what a great job they're doing. You're both exhausted, dirty, tired of this chore, but you're in it together, and you're creating your home! Congratulations!
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