The Organized Move

There is an art to moving.  Some pack up and move maybe once in a lifetime.  Others are well versed at the repeated use of cardboard boxes, packing tape, and the need to “lift with your legs.”  As with many things, there are steps you can take to make the grand task of moving easier on you and your family.

First, have a plan.  Throwing a mix of things into boxes just because they seem to fit can make for some head-scratching unpacking.  Prioritizing how you pack up and load out can streamline the process of unloading and unpacking. 

Use a lettered priority system, along with a detailed box labeling system.  Tape a white piece of paper to each box top.  Mark a large letter in the corner of the paper to immediately indicate the priority of the box from “A” to “D.”  Write the details of the box contents on the page for easy hunting.  “A’s” are your top-priority, need-right-away items.  Pack an “A” box for each room.  The kitchen “A” box has one of each basic for everyone that can be unpacked right away for the first quick and easy meal in your new place.  This includes a plate, glass, and set of silverware for each person, plus paper napkins, paper towels, soap, kitchen shears, a couple of dish towels, and your essential appliances like the coffee maker and maybe the toaster.  Each bedroom “A” box has a pillow, set of sheets, a blanket, and towels for each person in that room.  An “A” box for cleaning supplies helps you locate the supplies you will need right away to get settled, which includes hand soaps and shower gel for each bathroom. 

“B” boxes are the remaining quantities of the limited items you put in your “A” boxes: kitchenware, small appliances, more towels, bathroom rugs, shower curtains, pillows, blankets, comforters, and lamps.  “C” boxes are the next step down in priority, which includes wall art, decorative pieces, extra linens, and non-everyday kitchen items like bakeware and serving pieces.  “D” boxes are things that may stay in storage in your garage, like keepsakes, tools, and lawn care products. 

When you pack out your original home, you pack from “D” to “A” for your own convenience in what you use from the least to the most.  When you unpack in your new place, you unpack from “A” to “D.”  When your boxes are clearly labeled and have proper details written on each box top page, you can find just about anything quickly and easily.  When you have unpacked and thrown away the box top pages, you can break down the cardboard boxes and store at least some of them flat to be used in the future, and they are not written on.  That makes reuse much easier. 

Use this tested-and-approved system of mine for an organized move that gets you out of one place and into a new spot in a most simplified way.  Now you just need to enlist the help of others who know to “lift with their legs” . . .     

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 25th.

      

Spring Forward . . . In Little Steps

Adding some seasonal flair to your space can be done in little elements that combine to put a substantial spring stamp of approval in your home.  When you are shopping for some pieces to hop right into place to give you that blossom-and-bloom feeling, keep an eye out for the following trendy items. 

A glass drink dispenser takes lemonade to the next level.  Don’t wait for a party to mix up a pitcher of a flavored drink, accompanied with floating slices of fruit.  Drink dispensers keep things cool on a kitchen counter or a buffet.  To serve some glasses of your thirst quenching beverage at your next get-together, use a brightly colored melamine serving tray.  This inexpensive tray can be a pop of color on a coffee table or foyer table.  Beyond food service, they can hold mail, keys, or small office supplies on a desk.

Go beyond your usual style comfort zone and spring for two bold-printed throw pillows for your couch.  A 20”x20” square on each end that stands out from your couch will draw rave reviews into summer.  Add the quintessential floral arrangement to a living room end table or bedside table.  Wrap a palm frond around the inside of a medium-sized square or rectangular glass vase, and top it off with a collection of seasonal blooms in pink, white, or yellow.  To make it really last, pick the most realistic silk flowers you can find. 

Take the formality out of your grandmother’s candle sticks, and opt for chunky, contemporary versions instead.  Whether you find the perfect bright hues on a store shelf or take garage sale finds and dress them up with glossy spray paint, add a hot accessory collection staggered down the center of your dining room table for a party or your everyday weeknight dinners.  Another easy update for your table is cloth napkins at each table setting.  You can find happy spring florals or colorful geometric prints to dress up your dining experience without footing a hefty bill.   

You don’t have to go big and expensive in order to create an airy, spring-forward feeling in your home.  It really is in the details.  And when you add them up, you can have little touches in bloom in every room.                  

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 18th.  

Spring Cleaning Your Way to a Fresh Start

Spring Cleaning can illicit visions of aprons, pink rubber gloves, and feather dusters a plenty.  At least that’s how I like to picture myself in cleaning mode.  Taking the time to roll up our sleeves and do some of that heavy-duty cleaning and organizing that does not make the regular maintenance list can be tasking, but it can also be very rewarding.  Nothing says spring like a new level of fresh and clean.

Go past the usuals – the dusting, vacuuming, mopping, bathroom cleaning.  Consider these areas to really put the elbow grease to in order to start anew this March:

Window treatments – Blinds could use a thorough wiping down, and curtain panels could use a spin in the washer and dryer if the fabric allows.  Give the windows themselves the wax-on-wax-off treatment as well.

Up High and Down Low – Clean ceiling fan blades and ceiling air events.  Dust the tops of high pieces of furniture like armoires and entertainment centers.  Use the brush attachment with your vacuum cleaner hose and go over the baseboards in each room.  Rugs could also use a shampooing.

Behind and Underneath – Move large furniture pieces (with some help) like dressers, beds, and couches to clean their backs, along the wall and baseboard, and underneath.  Vacuum hose attachments greatly aid this task as well. 

 Spring Cleaning can also be a great time to cast off some of the excess and strive for more organized, paired-down spaces.  Go through closets and dresser drawers to remove clothing and accessories that never saw the light of day this winter, and send them off to a resale shop or donation center.  Here are some categories that could use a good look:

Jewelry – Assess what you do and do not wear, and remove the pieces that consistently get overlooked.  This will help your jewelry storage method look tidy and ready to wear.

Shoes – We love our boots and heels, but we can literally walk the soles right off of them.  Inspect your footwear for sets that have seen better days.  Shop for next fall’s replacements at today’s after-winter sales. 

The Works – For the cleaner serious about clearing out, go through it all: undies, socks, hosiery, slips, pajamas, swimwear, scarves, belts, and exercise wear.  If you’re not wearing it, it’s just taking up space that could be used to house new purchases this season. 

 Even one weekend’s worth of work can make a big impact on your home.  And then you could sit back with a tall glass of lemonade and drink in the feeling of being totally ready for a true spring break.

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 11th.

The Hostess Diary: A Little Shower and Wedding Etiquette

Designing and preplanning go hand-in-hand.  To have the polished event you desire, the right prep steps can get you well on your way.  As we enter spring, events of the bridal and baby shower as well as wedding variety abound.  To start right as a hostess and as a guest, know the rules that call the shots today.  Etiquette is not a thing of the past.  If you need a refresher about what applies, you’ve come to the right place. 

When hosting a shower, invitations need to go in the mail 3 weeks prior to the event.  This allows time for guests to have them in their hand with more than 2 weeks notice.  When mailing wedding invitations, the current rule of thumb is mailing your invitations 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding.  Four weeks, which is done on occasion, is cutting it close.  One rule to not overlook is if a guest is invited to a bridal or couples shower, they are to also receive an invitation to the wedding.  Inviting someone to a shower, which elicits a gift, and not invite them to the wedding, is considered poor form.        

The use of “Save the Date” cards after an engagement is announced gives your wedding guests months of notice in most cases, and this practice is still optional.  For smaller family weddings, you may bypass a “Save the Date.”  For larger-scale weddings with guests traveling from a distance, a “Save the Date” can help your invited guests plan ahead with plenty of notice.  Some couples are foregoing a “Save the Date” card and setting up wedding websites instead, sharing all their wedding and guest travel and accommodations information online.     

Registries help brides-to-be and expectant mommies receive gifts from thoughtful family and friends that they are sure to use and enjoy because they had a hand in their selection.   How you share registry information is something to handle only one way: correctly.  Registry information is to be printed on shower invitations.  Showers are centered on bringing the recipient a gift.  Weddings are centered on celebrating the marriage of a couple.  And though it is customary to bring a gift to a wedding, registry information should NOT be included on a wedding invitation or added in a wedding invitation mailing in the form of a small insert.  Wedding guests know to ask close family members where the couple is registered; it should not glare at them from a wedding invite.    

Knowing the rules that reign over the behind-the-scenes of celebratory events can smooth the process for hosts and guests alike.  Plan accordingly, and you set yourself up for a successful event to be enjoyed by all who take part.      

DesignInMind column; appeared in the Valley Morning Star March 4th.