moving | Eleventh Stack

Don't let the smiles fool you!

Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s not. And don’t let these pictures of happy smiling people moving fool you. Moving definitely is one of the most stressful things that you can do. And this is the time of year that most people move. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, one third of all moves take place in June, July, and August.

Did you know that the average person is expected to move 11.7 times in their lifetime? I’ve already moved 17 times since I was born and I am currently in the midst of move number 18. At first, the thought of moving (again!) overwhelmed me to the point of denial. I avoided thinking about the move, so I didn’t begin to prepare for it until about a month ago. At that point, I realized that I needed to begin to work on organizing and downsizing my belongings to make it feasible for me to pack or I wasn’t going to be going anywhere.

So actually, moving, de-cluttering, and organizing are all related. You really can’t, or shouldn’t, relocate without doing the other two actions also. So bearing this in mind, I have some book suggestions to help you through all of these processes…

The Don’t Sweat Guide to Your New Home: Settling In and Getting the Most Out of Where You Live by the Editors of Don’t Sweat Press – This book, by those who brought you Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, starts off with a Chapter entitled “Moving Isn’t a Dirty Word.” Now you and I might beg to differ, but this book certainly goes a long way towards helping dissipate some of the trauma of relocating to a new area. It walks you step by step through the process, covering such things as forwarding the mail, notifying friends and family, holding a garage sale, registering vehicles in a new state, preparing furniture for the move, and unpacking and organizing your stuff.

How to Survive a Move: By Hundreds of Happy People Who Did (and some things to avoid, from a few who haven’t unpacked yet) edited by Jamie Allen and Kazz Regelman – This is a compilation of advice quotes from real

Couple sitting surrounded by moving boxes

Now these two really look like they're moving...

people who have moved. The tips are grouped by topic: advice for moving with small children, best ways to pack a moving truck, how to move your pet, etc. Each quote is followed by the name and hometown of the person and how many moves they have made in their lifetime.

Kick the Clutter: Clear Out Excess Stuff Without Losing What You Love by Ellen Phillips – Just in case your moving plans also necessitate you getting rid of some of your stuff, this book begins by getting your into the proper mindset and offers a set of guidelines for decisions and then moves room by room, inside and outside the house, to help you part with the items you no longer, need, want, or love.

Moving in the Right Direction: The Senior’s Guide to Moving and Downsizing by Bruce Nemovitz – This is a sensitive and practical look at all the factors involved with moving an elderly loved one. It covers how to help the person deal with the change, how to decide where to move to, practicalities of going through their belongings, and dealing with the emotional aftermath.

More Smiling? Really?!?

The Moving Survival Guide: All You Need to Know to Make Your Move Go Smoothly by Martha Poage – This book is most useful for its appendices in the back. There are blank worksheets to help you make sure you have done everything from turning on/off all utilities to making lists of items to be replaced and a blank planning calendar.

The One-Minute Organizer A to Z Storage Solutions: 500 Tips for Storing Every Item in Your Home by Donna Smallin – This is literally an alphabetical list of everything you have in your home and an idea or two of how to store it properly, effectively, and efficiently so you can organize your new space.

If you are moving this summer, I wish you the best of luck. I’m going to need it too…

-Melissa