Organize Your Move

" Are you moving out? Well, don't stress yourself out. Make that move easy. Ellen Damaschino gave our very own Brooke some tips for her big move."

" Yes, that's right. I'm moving out of my townhouse, and my husband and I are moving into a new house. We're actually gonna be neighbors with Ellen."

" So excited."

" But before we move, before that big moving day, there's a lot that needs to be done."

" You gotta de-clutter before you move because everything you move costs money, whether you're moving it or whether you're paying movers, if by weight, if by volume, cut it down. So, here's some tricks and tips for now."

" Okay, what do we do first?"

" Books and magazines are one of the biggest culprits. Look at these things. Man, I could do some weightlifting."

" I know, I know, they're heavy."

" If you haven't looked at them, if you haven't used them, then you need to leave them here. Don't pack them with you. They're very heavy, they're very bulky, and you don't need them on the other end."

" What if they were gifts?"

" That's a should, I should keep it because it was a gift, let that go, too. That's just guilt going with you."

" Alright, alright."

" You're living with magazines. You're a little bit of a culprit here, Brooke. Look at all these cooking magazines. Now, when's the last time you really looked at those?"

" Who knows, you know."

" A long time ago."

" It has been a long time, but I did keep them because I thought, well, I might read this some day so, yeah."

" This is money. This is dollars. Is that worth moving?"

" No."

" Okay, bye bye. Those are gonna get thrown. Books and magazines. And the ones you are gonna keep and pack, make sure you do it in a small box like this. Books are heavy so you don't wanna be lifting large boxes. Keep it small, paperwork and books are heavier than you think."

" Okay."

" Speaking of paperwork, another huge culprit. People tend to keep a lot of papers. Here's a good rule of thumb, if you haven't used it or looked at it older than 7 years, unless it's for legal papers or permanent records, then you can let it go. Don't move that paper with you, and now's the time, before you're moving, to go through your files."

" Okay."

" You don't take it with you."

" And where do you get started? Because I think this moving idea gets so overwhelming."

" Go room by room or pick paper if you want to, pick clothing, pick projects. Look around your house. Anything that you haven't finished, needed, or used, get rid of it before you move. Okay, now that we're packing, here's a great organizing tip. Make an open first box."

" Love that idea."

" That way, when you get to your house, you have all your essentials and you can feel like home right away."

" Yeah, so what do we put in the box?"

" Well, first things first. You wanna do the twin sheets because you wanna make the bed and feel all comfy."

" Yes."

" And then you might wanna take a shower because you're all hot from moving so make sure you pack a towel and you also want some toiletries. Toiletries are, don't forget those as well. Sometimes, when you get to your destination, not so clean, so make sure you have some cleaning supplies, garbage bags, wipes."

" Paper towels."

" Your favorite, kitchen towels."

" Uh huh."

" And speaking of kitchen, eating. So we wanna make sure that you pack some canned goods, these are really good to take with you. They won't spoil."

" Okay."

" And also maybe some snacks, especially if you're working and unpacking, you want something quick to eat."

" Okay, can opener."

" Yeah, we could, because it got that. And don't forget things to eat with. So, you wanna have some plates, cups, paper, it's fine, just stick it in there. That way, when you get to your destination, you'll be able to eat and set yourself up."

" Well, my favorite thing in this box is the paper towels because first thing I'm doing when I get there is ordering pizza."

" I'm gonna be there with you. So, here's your pen, label your box, and happy moving."

" Alright, thanks, Ellen. Back to you guys."

" Alright, and Ellen has one more tip. Before you start packing at all, make a donation pile or have a garage sale. She says there's no reason for you to move all that stuff that you're not gonna use."