Thursday Threads: Moving Tales

Finding a house to move into and transform it into your own home is so exciting!! And then...you wrap your brain around the reality of moving. The packing, the stuff, the cleaning, the stuff, de-cluttering, and oh,...more stuff. Hubby is a bit of a minimalist and I am counting down until we tackle the basement together.

While the task of packing and cleaning are quite daunting in my head, it has not been as bad as I envisioned {so far}. Today, I want to share a few tips and tricks that I have learned over the past few weeks. This advice comes from my own 'Thank goodness I learned that early' experience. I am no expert, but hopefully this will help a few people and can help spruce up your home even if you are not planning a move.

So, on to business!

{TIP 1}
Gather materials! I initially thought I could pack up our life in the boxes we had laying around the house. I am always keeping boxes, but it will definitely not be enough. Instead of running to a retail store for boxes and packing paper, I searched Craigslist. Within a day, I had 100 boxes for only $40! Many people were giving them away for free. Use them and pass it on!

{TIP 2}
Thank goodness for family! And for smart sisters! One of my younger sisters visited today with Mom to help clean, take photos, and babysit. I was staring at scuffed and fingerprinted walls and she suggests a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. 'I think I have one stashed under the sink!' Sure enough, I did and it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! Scuffs, marks, food, fingerprints, dirt, and more easily wiped off the walls, doors, and trim. I couldn't put it down! Just make sure you have enough on hand. They can wear down quickly and it's addicting!

{TIP 3} 
Speaking of family, lean on your support system! Call a friend, neighbor, or family to help you clean or pack. Or have someone take the kiddos for a few hours while you bury yourself hip deep in packing paper and tape!

{TIP 4}
One day at a time! Make a list of the projects that need completed. Be specific. Tackle one room each day. Or pack 2-4 boxes each day. Be concise in your labeling and before you know it...life is packed and ready to move!

That's it for now. What tips have you learned from moving or cleaning? I hope to share more tips as our journey progresses! Have a great Friday!

Fair Train

Friday morning I spontaneously decided to meet some friends at the State Fair {after Miss C boycotted her nap}. To add to the experience, we boarded the train and chugged 30 minutes down the track to the fair! Both kids were enamored and it was so humbling to see Mr. E's eyes light up as he watched the BIG train comin' down the track to the station!

TICKETMASTER!

ALL ABOARD!

RIDING HOME

{These photos were sinfully taken with my phone...sorry for the fuzziness!}

We had an amazing morning and were all worn out from our adventure. Do you have any extraordinary plans this weekend?

Hiking {in Photos}

I promised a few {or more} photos from our hiking adventure. Enjoy!

Gone Hiking...

We traveled to the lake yesterday and are off hiking trails today. I absolutely love exploring with the kids! I will share our fun later this week. Have a great Monday!

HIKING with MR. E {12 mo}

It's Been Awhile...

It seems like business as usual, but busy. It is finally time to plan Mr. E's 1st Birthday!! He's getting to be such a big boy...standing on his own and I am sure will walk any day! He has really enjoyed pounding away at the piano every day and has learned how to climb the stairs. He is also convinced he can go down the stairs head first...which never ends well.

Mr. E and I visited my parent's house most of last week working on a surprise birthday gift. Grammy is definitely a wonderful, creative artist! Kudos to Aunt Kelly for corralling Mr. E while we were hard at work!
Business has been taking off as well! Wooohooo! Not through Etsy, however. I have found a wonderful group of women through Ju-Ju-Be! Yes, the crazy diaper bag people...the same place where I won my beach bag. I have had the pleasure of altering diaper bags for some wonderful ladies. It has been so fun to get back into sewing and crafting.

We spent a weekend recently at my parents lake house and had a blast. Hope to do it again soon!

Hubby and I also got some dirt on our hands today with landscaping work. Demolition anyway. Our bushes in front of the house are D-E-A-D, dead! We worked for a few hours ripping those out today...whew! Not sure why we waited until the 90 degree heat weekend to do that! It's done and I am excited to start planning a new landscape out front! The main problem with the front landscaping is that it does not get much sun. If anyone has any suggestions for shade loving shrubs or perennials, please let me know. Just send me an email to help me plan that space - something that only gets as tall as 4-5 feet and not more than a few feet wide. Thank you for all of your suggestions!

Hope everyone has been enjoying the warm weather as well. And relaxing! Off to bed to start another week!