Painter Mommy

Fun stuff in the Everyday Life of a Busy Mom & Entrepreneur

Strategic Showering – When to Throw a Baby Shower

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Knowing when to throw a baby shower is important because it sets up the entry of a new child into the world. One that must be celebrated with the friends and family of the soon to be parents. Showing the parents the support they and their child will receive in their new journey.

Start Planning Early

To allow all key people to join in the celebrations you should make sure you give attendees enough time to block out their calendar and attend a baby shop in Melbourne. With that being said it is crucial the event is planned in advance. Traditionally, baby showers are held around four to six weeks ahead of the mother’s due date. Meaning typically the pregnancy is well into the safe zone and also unlikely that the baby will arrive too early. Plus, by this time the mother and father are likely to be well and truly looking forward to giving birth.

 

Consider Co-Ed

Traditionally, baby showers have been focused around the mother. However, more recently, they’ve become more of a joint affair; known as a co-ed baby shower. For this reason, it is a good idea to speak to the parents and ask what their preferred type of celebration would be. If it is catering for both parents, make sure to incorporate games and questions for both parenting roles and invite an equal mix of attendees.

 

Get Help

When organising a baby shower it is a good idea to work alongside other individuals which represent different parts of the mother’s or father’s social network. For instance asking a family member, a colleague, a school or university friend to help plan the invitation list is a good start. This way it will allow all facets of the parents’ social network to be involved and prevents any last minute invitations being sent to long lost cousins.

 

Design Decisions

After the invitations have been sent and you are starting to receive responses, it is the ideal time to start designing the special day. A good starting point is set an agenda as it creates structure and once finalised will give clarity to the event. It will also inform the expectations of both the parents and the attendees. Generally speaking the baby shower should be a mix of stories, games, socialising and snacks and have a clear structure.

A good time of day for a baby shower is on a weekend, in the afternoon, ideally post lunch. This way it will allow people to do any errands before the shower and be totally present when at the shower. Planning the event duration to be a couple of of hours is near the right amount of time. It gives people a set amount of time and a structure to the shower, and provides people with an expected end time in case they have family commitments. Although if attendees wish to stay later then they can.

 

Baby Shower Structure

A good structure to the shower consists of an ice breaker at the start, some nibbles and drinks followed by an easy introductory game. ‘Pick the baby photo’ is an example of a good starter game. It can be a bit time consuming initially, what with asking people to supply baby photos and arranging them on a canvas. However, once the preparation is complete – it is well worth the effort, particularly when everyone is laughing and getting along swimmingly. This game is a great ice breaker because it doesn’t directly focus on individual attendees, and is a more collective approach and a subtle way to enquire and get to know one another. This is particularly good for groups of people who don’t knows one another.

Once the initial ice breaker is out the way, it is a good time to focus back on the new parents. A fun game for mother’s that aren’t body or weight conscious is ‘measure the mum’, where attendees guess the size of the mother’s stomach. This provides a bit of light hearted fun but also creates some real surprises around the growth of a child and opens up conversations around how the expectant mother is feeling and can gear up questions around the birth. This type of conversation will be important for first time parents, especially if there are friends and family members in attendance who have already experienced childbirth.

Remember that although a baby shower should be fun, it should also be informative and supportive. It is the perfect opportunity to show the expectant parents how supported they and their new child will be.

Top Six Tips for a Hassle-Free Home-Shifting!

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Relocating or shifting houses isn’t that easy a task to accomplish. It requires lots of efforts and organizational skills to shift homes, and take the household stuff from one place to another. House moving, especially in big cities, is a quite dreary undertaking. One needs to be extremely cautious, regarding the movement of household items without damaging or losing any of it. Depending on a hired mode of transport or doing it yourselves, may come to your mind. But, the time taken, the accuracy and the professionalism should be considered in such crucial situations.

That’s where an experienced and professional moving company in Fairfax va comes into the picture. Choosing the best packers-movers company is of utmost importance, as they are the ones solely responsible for the well-being of your possessions — namely, your large appliances, furniture, gadgets etc., are some of them. So, to avoid bearing the cost of breaking or damaging any item mid the moving process, do make sure to hire an efficient Fairfax based moving company. Blake & Sons Moving & Storage, Inc. is one such moving services firm, whom you can trust. They offer you solutions for all your moving and storage needs. But along with choosing the correct services for the moving process, you need to follow some tips and tricks that will make the moving process even easier.

Follow these tips for a smooth and easy home-relocating process:

So, along with choosing one of the best residential movers in Fairfax, you still need to keep some things in mind for a smooth moving process. Some rules if followed will reduce your workload by half the amount instantly. Get your organizational skills up to date, and with this checklist in hand, you are bound to become a moving superstar.

  1. Put a Tag: Packing and unpacking of boxes is one of the most tiresome and frustrating work that one can engage in. To make this job a tad bit more tolerable, we advise you to put name tags on the boxes. These tags will let you know what exactly is in the box. This will save you a lot of time, which is otherwise spent in futile searches for a particular item.
  2. Fragile-Cautious: As obvious as it can get, you should definitely be more cautious regarding the fragile items. You should make sure to take special care (and use bubble wrap) to pack expensive and prone-to-breaking items like mugs, saucers, paintings, show pieces, glass etc.
  3. Avoid Unnecessary Baggage:  When you are going about the packing process, you should separate out all the unnecessary and unwanted items. Put them in a separate box or bag, that you can dispose of, or sell it; and hence, avoid taking junk to your new house. Also, you can dump extra things inside a storage cot/pod while moving.
  4. Furniture Care: In case of furniture that comes with a disassembling option, make sure to utilize it to the fullest. Disassemble them, pack them separately, using newspapers, or shopping bags or covers and it will be a much more convenient process.
  5. Fridge Pointers: Your refrigerator definitely needs some care during moving. Along with informing whichever Fairfax residential moving company you choose, you should also take care of a few things.  Before the moving takes place, empty the refrigerator of all items and make sure to keep t properly locked during the moving.
  6. Carry Valuable Items: This is yet another crucial factor to keep in mind. Do not mix valuable items like gold, silver jewellery, documents, cash, among other things that need to be moved. Ensure to carry these with you.

So, these were some of the most useful tips and tricks that will come to your use, when you are moving houses. Follow each one of them, add some more to your liking, hire well known moving services and it will all be a piece of cake. Sounds too easy? Well, do it to believe it.

A Guide to Selecting Your Servcorp Shared Offices

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Servcorp has been providing office space to businesses for close to forty years. In that time, they have revolutionised not only leasing office space but they have made it possible for businesses of all sizes to be able to afford corporate grade office space on any budget. In line with modern business needs, Servcorp can also provide your business with any one of its shared spaces.

The serviced office, executive suite, virtual office, and coworking spaces can accommodate businesses of all types and variations based on your business’s needs. More significantly, in a day and age when office rents are typically high, you can find Servcorp shared offices have some of the best amenities that can make work more convenient, efficient, and affordable. All of the plans take most of the work out of searching for and finding suitable office space.

Lets’ take a look at just some ways that a Servcorp office in the United States can be the perfect office solution to move your business forward.

 

Office Plans

The various office setups can be fitted to your office needs. Both the standard serviced office and the executive suite comes fully-furnished, and you might find yourself occupying spaces overlooking some of the most prolific cities for business in the country, Miami, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles to name a few. These spaces are great for businesses with more than ten employees and people in industries that need to work in spaces that offer a little more discretion.

Your virtual office and coworking spaces can offer businesses and professionals the same accommodations but at a much-reduced price. The virtual office takes the modern office and moves it to the online landscape by providing an internet connection and IT support. The coworking space, alternatively, allows businesses and professionals to share office space, and really of all the plans, it promotes community. Start-ups, SMEs, and larger corporations can all benefit from these versatile office styles.

All of the plans include the standard office equipment and amenities. Moreover, you get the benefit of support staff, such as an experienced receptionist, that can take care of basic duties in the office, and tenants have access to conference and meeting rooms. Furthermore, your business has access to the building around the clock.

 

Major Benefits

The great thing about the Servcorp set up is that they have offices in more than the United States, and some of the plans allow you to reserve meeting space and office space in other locations. If you are travelling abroad for business, you do not have to worry about making accommodations to meet with clients, as you can reserve space in one of their offices. Having a number of locations is beneficial for other reasons as well.

The leasing terms are more flexible in that if you have to relocate your lease is transferable making moving much simpler. For businesses that need to scale up or down, once again, you only need to contact the leasing agent to have the contract modified. In fact, everything about leasing with the company is uncomplicated.

Businesses only need come up with a small amount in initial start-up costs, and when compared to traditional office leasing, you can shave thousands off moving into the space. Typically, a Servcorp lease will only require you pay an initial down payment of one month’s rent and the first month. In essence, your business benefits from getting a whole lot for office space while reducing your monthly rate significantly.

 

Your Perfect Servcorp Office

Your Servcorp office can be fit out to customise your business needs. More importantly, all of the plans present you with the opportunity to use the space for a number of functions. Primarily, your space can be used to provide affordable, clean workspace in some of the most prestigious American business districts.

Five Ideas For Moms To Set Up A Game Room

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Moms who are trying to set up a game room will find that they need to get a lot of different things to use in the room.  You need to set up a game room that will be easy to use, and it has to have all the different things that will make you feel so much better about setting up game night.  You need to look into all the things that are listed because some of them will completely change how you entertain your family.

  1. Get A Pool Table

You can buy a pool table to put in the room, and you need to find a pool cue or two to use in the room.  You can use some information when finding the right pool cues, and people who are looking to buy a pool cue should read up on these items.  You might need smaller ones for the kids, and you can get the bridge and rack that will help you take care of the cues.

 

  1. Get Board Games

You need to have an assortment of board games that will look amazing when you have people come over.  You want all the people who come over for game night to have a good time, and they need to have a lot of games to choose from.  People who do not want to get bored should keep buying board games so that you have a large assortment for everyone to use.  The people who are playing board games can pick up different editions, and you will never get bored.

 

  1. Add A Fridge

You should add a fridge to the room so that you can have refreshments in the room, and you will begin to enjoy this space more because you can always have something to eat or drink.  You need to be certain that you have found the fridge that will be easy to use, and you could get a mini fridge or a large fridge.  You could even get a freezer for your beer if you want something down there for the adults on late nights.

 

  1. Add Game Tables

You could add game tables, and this will give you a chance to play normal card games with your kids.  These games tables are easy to set up, and they can be folded or stored.

 

  1. Add A TV

You need to have a TV in the room so that you can keep everyone entertained if all your games are over.  You could also play games that you will watch on the TV.  It all depends on what you want, and you will find that you could easily get everyone interested in game night when they are watching something.

You could have a game room in your home that is very easy to use, and you could put all the things in the house that will make your game room fun to use.  You can buy a lot of things, and you will start to build a room that everyone enjoys.

How To Set Up A Sound Bar Above Your TV

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In this time and age, the idea of having a poor sound system is actually unthinkable. It will actually be illogical for you to have a nice tv set and have some poor sound system. This is where the soundbar comes in. Putting in mind the fact that people like maximizing their spaces at home, this still holds as the best sound system idea there is. With a soundbar, you will definitely not need a set of spacious wall unit or get some space to place your subwoofers speakers.

A sound bar is actually an advanced speaker with high-quality sound but in a small package. Think of it as a sound projector. Typically sound bars are placed at the bottom of the tv set. Which is probably on a surface. Many people argue that the best sound is usually as ear level but that also depends on the structuring of your house. Some rooms will echo when the speaker is placed on the top of the tv set while some will adapt naturally to it. It will actually create a wider range of sound distribution.

Soundbars can be attached on the television set itself. Sound bars have been made such that they can be hosted on the tv. With this, it will actually sound as though the tv is using its internal speaker and this creates an even better experience. Universal soundbars can actually be mounted on the tv or even better on the stand. With such a setting it seems as though you have made an upgrade to the TV

However, putting in mind that a good speaker will always have vibration attached to it due to the high-quality bass emission it is really crucial that you fit rubber washers as you install the soundbar. Superior Standard Flat Washers go in handy with such installations as they incorporate spacing and distribute the load evenly. They also help prevent wear and distortion on the surface of your tv. This way even when you need to change the position of the sound bar it will not have tampered with your tv. You may also consider having rubber washers as they do well with heat dissipation and vibrations. Combining the two would be a good set.

Having a sound bar at the top means that you also have to have a stable and solid base to your tv set or rather attach the sound bar to the wall just above the placement of the tv set, this way you will not risk interfering with the tv. Have you ever gone into a mall or any other cool structure and heard some cool music playing from all over above? Then good news is that you can translate the same to your home

It is also better of when the soundbar is connected to the tv as it will actually conceal all the connecting cables and it will only the tv and the soundbar will be visible. Get the most out of your home appliances.

 

How to Get Rid of Ants From Inside of Your House

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Seeing a few ants every now and then is not the end of the world. But when a long trail of ants is being spotted marching across the floor of your house on a daily basis, this can be a cause for concern. Not only can ants  be a nuisance, but also they can create a health hazard by easily getting into your food causing contamination.

When it comes to controlling ants there are a few different treatment options available, you could  try to solve the problem by doing it yourself.

Here are six steps that will help you to effectively get rid of ants in your kitchen inside of your house and the backyard without the need of hiring a professional.

 

  1. Keep the Area Clean

Ants are most likely to appear in your kitchen and bathrooms first, because of moisture and food being readily available there. All other rooms in your house can also attract ants if there is food left behind. For the most part, ants are drawn to, scattered crumbs on the floor, grease traces on the kitchen counter and sweet products in the pantry.

The most important in not attracting ant is to keep your kitchen area clean. Ensuring that you wash all your dishes and get rid of food stains from the counters is a very good start. Regularly sweeping and vacuuming the floor is always a great help too.

 

  1. Identify the Type of Ants

Ants are one of the most successful, well organized and structured insects. They live in colonies that range from a few hundred to many thousands of individual ants.

There are many different ant types around, but only a few common pest ant species in the urban environment are known to cause havoc inside homes and gardens. The very first step in successful ant control is to determine what type of ants are causing the problem. Take a closer look at them, or have them identified be a professional. Alternatively you can search for information about this particular ant  online in order to find as to what steps can be taken to keep them away from your house.

 

  1. Use Acidic Wips

If you see only a few ants in an area of your house, you can be sure that more will follow, especially if there is a smaller ant type infestation. What works well in preventing ants is, mixing one part of lemon juice with one part of water and using it for wiping all areas and surfaces on which ants are trailing.  Vinegar is also very effective and can be used, mixed with three parts of water for mopping the floors. Ants are deterred by all acidic products and lose their sense of following their tracks. It will eliminate the scent that the outside ants use to follow the trail of those who already inside.

 

  1. Locate and Kill the Ants Nest

When the odd ant appears it makes sense to spray it immediately. But if you are starting to see an army of ants regularly parading on your kitchen counter, it is a sign there may be a more serious issue. In this instance, it is always a good idea to find out where all the ants are coming from. Follow the trail and it will often lead you to the ants nest. You can use vinegar and water mix to kill the colony.

 

  1. Set up Ant baits

While finding the ants nests is not always possible, setting ant baits can be an excellent alternative. All ants are drawn to moisture and food and setting food baits for ants is the most effective way to get rid of these annoying pesky pests in your home. Ants will naturally find themselves going into those traps transferring the poison bait throughout the entire nest.

Once this happens the ant colony will be eliminated and all the ants should disappear. This is one of the better choices to ensure the entire nest is dead and ants are no longer an issue.

 

  1. Weigh up Your Options

It is it not always easy to engage in effective ant control during the hot summer months, especially when the problem gets out of hand. But if you keep the area clean, set bait and use ant traps, you will have a very good chance of eliminating the entire ants nest.

While getting rid of some ants may be an easy task, cases of a severe ant infestations may be best left for the professionals.

DIY Gifts for Kids

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There is no a greater joy in life than having children of your own; getting to nurture them, watch them grow into amazing people and guide them through life. Once in a while, during birthdays, holidays, when celebrating milestones and achievements with your child, gifts are an exceptional requirement to show how much you appreciate them and how proud are you of them. Luckily, gifts do not need to be expensive, they have to come from a place of love, and what better way than to make them yourself?

Here are Some gift ideas that you can DIY at home for your kids…

Cardboard Box Castle

Children love stories about royalty and fairy tales such as sleeping beauty, the beauty and the beast, Jack and the Beanstalk, so you can be sure they will be delighted if you turn one of the stories into something real like creating a castle. They are quite easy to make at home, and if you do not know how to do it, there are always videos online guiding you on how to go about it. You do not need much stuff, just cardboard, a few trinkets for decoration, glue, confetti for decoration and a few more things to make the castle beautiful for your kid.

 

Treasure Chest

Kids develop interests as fast as they drop them, and most of these interests are inspired by stories we read to them or the cartoons they watch. Hunting for treasure is a fun activity for your kids, and you can create a treasure chest for them to store souvenirs they find and keep as they grow for them to reminisce about when they are all grown up. It is also inexpensive; you can use card boxes or cereal boxes to create a dome-like chest and paint the outside of it to resemble cool treasure chests like those of pirates – your kids will love it.

 

Child’s Tool Belt

If your children (either boys or girls) like building stuff, then a tool belt for them will come in handy. There are a lot of detailed tutorials on the internet on how to make one with things lying around the house, especially fabric and sewing kits; and line the belts with plastic tools – so that they do not hurt themselves – such as hammers, spanners and wrenches. Watch your children play pretend with the tools and enjoy pretending to fix things around the house; you never know; they could be future engineers.

 

Felted Stuffed Animals

For parents who are tired of buying many gadgets and tech toys, a stuffed animal is another way to go, and they can easily be crafted by hand. Make your kid’s favourite animal into a stuffed toy using only felt wool, a pair of scissors, sewing kit and a steam iron; adding appendages like ears and wings and noses will make the stuffed toys quite adorable. They are inexpensive and simple to make, and your children will want to cuddle up with them during nap time.

 

Conclusion

Home-made presents are inspired and thoughtful, fun to make, made with love and a personal touch, and save on money. Wrapping your kids’ gifts will give you and them the satisfaction of tearing into the packaging to discover what is inside; just because they are made at home does not mean they cannot be wrapped. This is precisely why The Works have this amazing offer of 3 for £2 Cards and Wrap to make sure your gift looks neat and ready to be open.

Free Summer Activities for Kids

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Can you believe it’s already August? The new school year may be right around the corner, but there are still those last few weeks of summer to enjoy. As the summer progresses, you might find the kids start to get a little bored and restless around the house.

There are plenty of super fun summer activities you can do with your kids without breaking the bank. In fact, there are plenty of free activities you can do to keep the kids busy, and your wallet full!

 

Go Hiking

Hiking is a fun, free, and active way to spend time with your kids. Not only is it a great way to see the outdoors and get some fresh air, it’s also a great way to work some physical activity into your family’s routine. You can hike through community trails or routes near your home. Do some research online to find great walking trails near you.

 

Go For a Bike Ride

There really is nothing like riding bikes through the neighborhood. If you don’t have an ideal neighborhood for bike riding, take the kids to local parks or community trails for bike riding. Like hiking, this is another great way to work moderate exercise into your kids’ routine, and teach them to enjoy playing outside.

 

Hit Up a Public Pool

Even if you don’t have your own pool, you can still take the kids swimming pretty often. Take the kids to your nearest public pool (or better yet, beach!). Kids really do love to swim, and many community pools will have a free public swim where you can take your kids to enjoy a few hours of sun and swim.

 

Host a Backyard Olympics

This is a fun one – have your kids invite some of their friends over and host a backyard Olympics! Split the kids into teams and organize some fun events like: three-legged races, egg and spoon races, water balloon toss, and any other fun outdoor games you may think of. These olympics can take up a few hours and you can do them as frequently as you like.

 

Turn Your Living Room Into a Home Theater

Family movie nights are always great for night time, but movies are also a great way to spend a rainy day when the kids get a little stir crazy all cooped up in the house. Make it extra exciting by printing out movie ticket templates online and giving them to the kids. If you don’t have a printer, you can make your own homemade tickets.

Pop some popcorn and give the kids some snacks to make the experience super authentic. If your kids have play money, you can have them “pay” you for their tickets and snacks to sneakily practice some math skills while you’re at it!

 

Host a Book Club

Reading is always a fun way to pass the time, and helps your child’s mind develop. If your kids got a summer reading list at the end of the last school year, turn reading into a fun activity by hosting a book club! You can provide snacks and a list of fun reading questions about what they liked most about the book. Asking insightful questions will help your kids engage with the books.

Hit up your local library to get the books for free!

 

Color

Coloring isn’t just for little kids! The influx of adult coloring books has given way to plenty of free printable coloring pages for adults and children of all ages. You can print the pages for free and color to your heart’s content. Coloring is great for rainy days or when your children need to relax and calm down.

Bonus: If your kids are big Disney fans, check out the Disney Family page of free Disney crafts and printables! Disney updated this page with plenty of fun (and free!) printable and craft ideas for families.

 

Sponsored Post by Brittany McGourlay – Content Manager – freebies.com

 

Working Moms – 5 Tips for Balancing the Pressures of Work & Family

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Balancing your work life with being a mom can be overwhelming at best, and sometimes it can seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. However, being a great mother while holding down a job is possible – countless moms have done it before, and you can too. Here are 5 tips to reduce stress on yourself and make your life as a working mom easier:

Photo by Jurien Huggins on Unsplash

Investing In Proper Childcare

One of the most significant concerns of every mother is the safety of their children. Establishing a good childcare system comprising nannies, babysitters, and child care centres will help to ease the tension. Opt for daycare centres that are closer to your home or office, which will make it easier for you or your partner to rush there in case of any problems. Do your research thoroughly and choose a centre that is highly recommended by other parents, has employees with the necessary training and certifications, offers flexible hours, and is equipped with proper medical facilities.

 

Communicate With Your Employer

Many working mothers are scared to have an open discussion with their employers, with fear of ridicule, rejection, or losing their job stopping them from openly communicating their issues. However, to expertly manage both work and home pressures, it’s imperative to have an open channel of communication with your higher-ups. Many a time, the mother is the primary contact for nannies and daycare centres to call in case of emergencies, which means you may have to leave the office at a moment’s notice. Or, you may have to work from home or skip a day because your child has fallen ill suddenly. Talking about these issues with your employer is essential. Assure them that you will make up for the lost hours by either working during lunchtime or on weekends.

 

Tech For Good

We are living in a highly connected world where everything has gone digital. Take full advantage of all the technology available at our disposal. Ordering groceries online, getting food delivered, and using doorstep laundry services will free up your time for other pressing family issues. There are also numerous mobile apps that you can use to arrange babysitting services and even book doctor’s appointments.

 

Plan Beforehand

Sorting tasks for the next day after a tiring shift at work can be arduous, but taking that extra 20 minutes every night to organize your child’s clothing, plan meals, and schedule tasks and appointments for the next day can help ease up your mornings. This will ensure that you’re not hurried and frustrated when you step out to face the day.

 

Don’t Feel Guilty

Mother’s guilt is a universal phenomenon. Trying to adhere to antiquated societal expectations of how a mother should behave can invoke a sense of guilt in many women, who are often torn between wanting to spend more time with their kids and work commitments. Don’t give in to the pressure, and think about the positives of being a working mother. It makes you financially independent and boosts your family income while giving your kids a strong role model to look up to. Moreover, your children will always be your priority, and that knowledge itself should free you from any guilt.

Being a working mother is not easy, and now and then you may need to take a break to recuperate and rejuvenate. Most importantly, don’t forget to give yourself a pat on the back for making a tough job look effortless.

5 Ways to Make Moving Less Stressful

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You’ve finally found the right house in the right neighborhood with the right schools, and the best mall in the state right next door.  You navigated the mortgage minefields and managed to get a fairly decent interest rate on your loan without completely destroying your credit score.  The negotiations were tough, but you finally got the seller to agree to fix the heat pump and the compressor and knock 15% off the price because of the roof that hadn’t been changed in 22-years.  Now, you are ready to make the big move from apartment dweller to homeowner where instead of calling the landlord to fix the garbage disposal; you go to a big box store, buy an In-Sink-Erator and watch the YouTube how-to about 5 times before you finally call a plumber to install it.  But, at long last, it’s time to move in.

 

1. MAKE A PLAN AND STICK TO IT

If you are moving locally, say within a 15-mile radius, you want to plan very carefully so that you get all of your ‘stuff’ out of one home, and into the other, within one day.  This is definitely doable – if – you plan your day carefully and intelligently.  This also means that all of the pre-packing of boxes, and labeling of said boxes, has been done beforehand.  That way, you’ll be able to estimate pretty accurately how long it will take to pack the moving van.  Unpacking it will take about one-third to one-half less time than packing because you aren’t mentally organizing the various objects to fit inside the truck.

But if your new home has narrow or complicated entryways and elevators to deal with – those impediments could increase unpacking time significantly.  That’s why it’s a good idea to actually visit your new home, with a representative of the moving company, if possible, days before the actual move, so that you can both survey your new home’s location and pre-plan for any impediments that might be there.

 

2. KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING

Another benefit of surveying your home before your moving day would be to take the time and effort during this scout day to discover the very best route between your old house and your new home.  That means driving the route at approximately the same time that your moving van will be doing so on your moving day so that you have some idea of what the traffic will be like.  For example, it might be wiser to use surface streets for part of the drive, instead of a freeway because a factory near that freeway changes shifts at the time your van will be traversing that part of your route.  Google Maps or Mapquest can be very helpful in your route planning because of their ability to help you change the route and offer alternatives.

 

3. PAINT BEFORE YOU MOVE IN

If scheduling allows, it is always a good idea to do repair, paint and remodeling tasks before you move into your new home.  Also, paint takes many hours to dry completely and the odors and chemical residues during the drying process can be nauseating.  But a good paint job is so important not only for the beauty of your home, but also for its durability.

If you are going to paint your home before your moving day, why not consult with a professional stylist to help coordinate your home’s colors to give it a coordinated look.  The money you spend on a designer could be more than made up for if you end up changing your mind and re-painting several rooms multiple times.

4. WATCH OUT FOR THE HIDDEN COSTS

Different moving companies use all sorts of different methods for determining the costs of your move.  Make sure you pin the company sales rep down on his/her estimate before your moving day commences.  It is always a good idea to get an Outline of Moving Costs from any moving company that you involve in the bidding process for your move.  You don’t want a big $urprise at the end of a day in which you have been going full-force for 12-to-14 hours and are, consequently, too tired and stressed to even consider haggling about prices.

 

5. BE PREPARED

In spite of all of your pre-planning, moving days, by their very nature, can be filled with unexpected disruptions.  We can all certainly apply Murphy’s Law to any enterprise, like a moving day, that utilizes so many people and consists of so many moving parts.  So, be prepared for the ‘wheels to come off’ some time during your moving day.  If you’ve anticipated this, and planned prudently, you’ll be able to handle that disquiet with composure and poise so that it doesn’t spoil your day and you can eventually get back on track.

Judy Lees is a super-connector with Photographers In Islamabad who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, Photography, branding and networking. He frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing, digital photography.

 

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