Moving

It’s May, which means we’re officially in “National Moving Month” – a nod to the start of the “moving season” in the U.S. when approximately 35 million Americans pack it all up and move cross-town or even cross-country. Bet you didn’t even know there was a National Moving Month!

The last time I moved, we hired movers to help us pack up and get everything to the new house. It was nice, for sure, but every move before that was a total DIY project. The packing process usually began with driving all over town to beg grocery stores for their empty produce boxes. I thought I was getting a great deal, until the already-worn boxes collapsed on me mid-move. Since then, I’ve learned that it’s much better to invest in some quality, sturdy boxes to tote around your valuables. ...read more

Guest Blogger Eddie Moye is a summer fellow at Ketchum, the public relations agency for FedEx Office. He recently graduated from college and has lived in four different cities in the past four years – and knows the stress that comes with moving all too well. 

During my four years at a college 600 miles away from my hometown, I amassed a gargantuan amount of stuff. I hoarded and piled everything I owned in my tiny dorm room, leaving only a small walkway from the door to my bed. Since I didn’t have a car at school, I had to fly home every summer – leaving me to fit everything I had accumulated into only the two duffel bags that airline baggage policies allow. Honestly, more of my stuff ended up in trash bags than in my luggage by the time I was done packing up my room.

And it’s no different when you’re getting ready for the return trip every fall! ...read more

At our house, the age-old question – “What’s for dinner?” – is usually met with some groans. It takes a lot of work to find good recipes – or even recipes with ingredients that we’ve actually heard of before! Then you have to plan the meals, do the shopping, put the groceries away and THEN cook the meal…it’s a lot of work! Sometimes, because it is just the two of us, we find that it’s easier to grab some kind of take out.

But even then the question remains – what kind of take-out? Drum roll, please…I’d like to introduce to you the take-out menu organizer! It’s a simple concept, really. Each time you’re in a restaurant that you like, you grab a copy of their takeout menu and then slip into a page-protector sheet in a three-ring binder. Then, when you’re beyond starving and trying to figure out what to order or pick up, you have all the options readily available with contact information, too. ...read more

There are few tasks that I dread worse than moving. The hassle, the disorganization, the chaos of it all is enough to send even the most balanced person into an absolute tizzy. 

I recently completed a major move (my 7th in 12 years, and this one with a two-year-old in tow, no less!) and wanted to stay organized so that the process was as quick and hassle-free as possible. There were two things that I did that helped me keep it all together when our life was in boxes, and I really wanted to share Out of Office readers who may have a move in their future: 

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As you may remember from our wedding series, I recently got married – and for me, that meant moving too! I’ll soon be sharing some of my best tips and tricks for keeping a move (relatively…) painless, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t also share one even more important tip: you have to tell people where to find you!  

Once you’ve settled into the new place, send out a notice of your new address. This is incredibly helpful for family and friends alike, especially around the holidays when they are sending greeting cards. And don’t forget to make these change of address cards as fun as you are by using a photo of your new home, a moving van or a little rhyme.

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