Moving Tips and Tricks

Tomorrow is another moving day for me!

Mom and I counted the other day.  I have moved 10 times in the past 9 years of my life.  We counted those 10 as the times I have fully and completely packed up all my things, loaded into a truck or van, and had to unpack in a completely different place.  No wonder my dog started to get super anxious any time I pack for even something as simple as going over to my parents house for the evening. I am really hoping we love this new place and stay put for a little while.  My plan is to stay put until we are ready to buy a house. I also know the saying "the way to make God laugh is to make plans" holds so much truth in my life.

With all of those moves under my belt; I have learned a few things along the way to help make transitions a little easier and run smoothly.

Don't take everything.  I know it sounds crazy but a move is a fresh start. Take some time to really go through your things, organize, and evaluate whether you have used something in a while.  If it doesn't serve a purpose any longer or it has been collecting dust under the bed the whole time you have been in this place - maybe it's time to find a new home.  I always have three piles going during packing; one for goodwill, one for trash, and one that will go with me to my new place.

Trash bags + Clothes = Besties. I learned this trick a while ago and it has saved me so much hassle.  Instead of taking all your clothes off hangers folding them, packing them up, then having to unpack once you get to your new place - cut a hole in the bottom of the trash bag [big black kitchen size with drawstrings] and drape them over the hangers then close the drawstring at the bottom of your clothes.  You can just take the hangers and hang them up in the new closet! Bonus the trash bags will protect your clothes from getting messed up during the move.

Start with things you don't use.  I go around my house and think of it like layers.  I will collect all the decor items or things that don't serve much interaction function first, put them in a central location pack them up.  Then I go to closet spaces.  What season are you moving in?  Summer? Great you don't need your winter stuff.  Pull out everything in storage spaces - organize it - then into boxes it goes! Keep peeling through the layers day by day until you are a few days before your move and you can slim down kitchen items, etc.  Think about it realistically - I mean I love my crockpot as much as anyone but I am not about to slow cook some brisket 2 days before I move - we have been eating whole foods hot bar for a few days instead. So keep one or two plates and utensils out, maybe one pan for cooking, and everything else can get packed up!

Pack an overnight bag or box. This is a life saver!! I used to want to get into a new place unpack everything and have it all decorated perfect the same day.  Then I realized I was projecting my incredible anxiety onto my loved ones who sacrificed their time and energy to help me.  Instead, I am going to pack a weekend bag for myself.  It will include things I use daily like face wash and toothbrush, a few changes of clothes, and of course my beloved coffee pot and coffee because duh.  So now once my furniture is set and the necessities for night one unpacked I will be able to go out and celebrate and treat my friends and family for helping! Plus, now I know it won't all be perfect overnight and I am excited to slowly go through my new place, decorate it, and make it feel truly like home, but that's for me to do.

Have a friend [or your parents] keep your dog day of. Finn hates to be confined. HATES it. As much as I love my pup, he doesn't need to be in the way or locked up while the door needs to stay wide open for moving boxes and furniture. He will spend the day at my parents house relaxing and will come over once we are settled in and he can sniff out the new place in peace. Don't stress your pups out and have them tear up your bathroom floors in the process [true story]

Don't forget to change your address. If you are like me. Amazon is your bestie. You want all your fun packages to get to you when you move. Change your address for the postal service but also all your information. Bank. License. Amazon. BarkBox. etc... You can mail out a cute e-card to friends and family too once you have moved letting them know where you are! Don't want those wedding invitations to get lost either!

Keep healthy snacks accessible.  Moving day is always a huge production.  For some reason I never eat day of. I am always so busy loading boxes and doing heavy lifting, plus everything else has been packed up. It's not healthy.  Moving is hard work for your body and you need fuel.  Keep a bunch of protein bars out on a counter so that anyone can grab them when they feel like they need to re-charge a bit.  Your body and friends will thank you.

What are some moving tips and tricks that have helped you stay sane during moving? 

Currently | July

Location: Avon, North Carolina [Outer Banks] 

Outfit Details: 3/4 sleeve top [Ivy & Leo; use the code AMANDA10 for 10% off your online purchases] | Jean Shorts [Target: old] 

It's July! Can you believe it? Halfway through 2017 already.  How is your year going? Your summer so far? This summer has been wonderful as well as really busy.  We are moving this upcoming weekend, it's definitely wedding season /year for my friends, I am teaching practically my parents whole neighborhood how to swim, and trying to have some me time too.

I am linking up with Anne and Stephanie to share more of what I am currently up to. 

documenting: Life through my camera lens. I love having a creative outlet and find that once I have one idea so many more come.  I am saving up for a DSLR so my passion can really take off. 

accomplishing: Lots and lots of packings and organizing happening here.  Since I was on vacation I really only have about a week to pack up the whole apartment! Talk about a time crunch.  

enjoying: The long summer days full of sunlight.  I feel like I have so much time to do all the things I want to.  My days are spent at the pool, spending lots of quality time with my pup, and finding new adventures around Charlotte.  

reading: Real talk.  I love to read. I also have to force myself not to read so that I don't become so engrossed in the book world that I don't live in my own.  So sadly because of packing all the time I haven't had a chance to get to the library. Once I settle I am going to get some fun books to read by the pool, any recommendations? 

spending: My time packing and dreaming of decorating the new place.  I have so many fun ideas.  I have been itching to get out of the place that I am in for a while now and it seems so surreal that it's finally here!

What are you currently up to? 

Home Decor Inspiration

There is something about moving that just gets my creative juices flowing.  I love to organize and purge so basically packing up all my stuff every single year to move apartments has become the way I do it. The downside is that I have moved every single year and all that heavy lifting can get exhausting.  Plus I have never really taken the time to decorate with quality pieces since my mindset is "I will be out of here next year" 

My plan for this next move is to stay put for a little bit and be able to really make this next place my own. I have 3 pinterest boards full of home decor, apartment ideas, as well as organization tips that I have been revisiting lately. As you can see from my "mood" board collage above I am really vibing on warm neutrals with touches of gray and blues.  I also love love love decorating with plants.  Our new place will have so much more natural light so I can truly have plants all over instead of crammed all together by the window salvaging sunlight.

I am so excited to be moved and settled.  The new place is in a really fun area of Charlotte surrounded by so many things to do and people our age.  Our specific apartment will have a loft that will be so much more space to decorate! Hello office/ guest room combo decor ideas.

We are moving in July so before we can even get to the fun decorating part there is so much packing to do! I will keep you updated on this journey; I have moved so many times that I have this down to a science and will be sharing tips and tricks I have learned along the way.

What are your favorite decor tips and tricks for making a place truly feel settled and like a home?

How I Meal Plan and Organize My Week

Today is the first day of the bikini series with Tone It Up!  Go beach babes, you got this!! I will be joining you soon :) This week I actually didn't plan or prep anything because I am camping in West Virginia with thirty 4th graders and all of our meals are being provided at the campsite.  I am just going to enjoy the experience and still try to be as healthy as possible with what I have.  

I wanted to share a little of how I typically prep for success for my upcoming week.  It's kind of funny because I used to not be a planner at all.  Then I went to grad school and it all changed.  I had to be super organized - working 2 jobs, taking graduate classes, keeping up with homework, internships, and social obligations - not to mention planning meals for all this running around and trying to fit in workouts. 

Since I am on a budget I started meal planning as well as planning out all my events all together.  I wanted to know what I was doing for the upcoming week so I could plan meals around it or have healthy options to bring with me.  Eating out was never really an option because of the added cost that brings.  

Now I am not in grad school but still living a pretty hectic life I have found peace of mind in being a little prepared for what is coming.  So every week I get out my computer, colored pens, my Passion Planner, and a notepad for lists and get to work.  I check a few things.  1. My school calendar 2. My personal calendar 3. Offline [a fun app that posts events in Charlotte] 4. Tone It Up's weekly schedule for workout 5. My tone it up Nutrition plan.  

First, I put everything into my planner according to the time I want to accomplish things.  I even make sure to write down journal time in there because there is power in writing your goals down and I need that time set aside for prayer and self care! Then I add in workouts from tone it up or classes like bootcamp or yoga that I typically go to with friends during the week.  Lastly I plan out my meals.  I plan out what I am going to eat for every single meal each day of the week.  I try to make it as simple as possible and tone it up has taught me how to reuse ingredients for multiple recipes so nothing goes to waste!  This also helps you be creative with your meals multiple times throughout the week instead of just getting things to make one meal like I used to do [My old roomie / current bestie would be so proud] After the meals are planned I make my grocery list and head out to Trader Joes.  Sometimes I will even prep for the week especially if there is something like muffins I want to eat multiple days but not always.  I pack my lunch for work every night so while I am at it I prep for all my meals for the day ahead. 

I find that I am calmer and more likely to reach my goals when I set aside this time every weekend.  Meal planning and organizing my life with my calendar I feel has made me a bit more successful from week to week.  Of course things always come up but I am not ever far from my planner to check and make adjustments.  Or if I happen to go out to eat I consciously make a healthy choice and then just shifts some meals around. There are so many ways to prepare for the week ahead but I find the most important thing is to think about what you truly want to accomplish.  At the end of the day or the week what will you be proud of yourself for when you look back and plan to do those things!

How do you set yourself up for a successful week?