May is the kick-off to the busiest moving season. In fact, nearly 40 million of us move in the summer and begin to plan in May. If you are one of those on the move this season, we want to help you plan. Unlike the popular perception, moving doesn’t need to be a stressful and overwhelming process! The key is to plan ahead and then the to-dos of moving are very manageable.

Nearly 40 million of us move in the summer and begin to plan in April. If you are moving this season, we want to help you protect your precious belongings and make your move a smooth one! 

We have compiled a list of the top 10 items damaged when moving. It’s surprising what items make the list. Not only have we compiled the most breakable list, we’ve included tips on how to protect them properly so you can “break” this pattern. 

So, it’s that time of year again when we get down on our hands and knees to scrub our home top to bottom. Sponge? Check. Eco-friendly cleaning solutions? Check. Rubber gloves? Check. Ready, set, clean. You step back to admire your hard work only to realize your home doesn’t look any different after hours of scouring.

Avoid the spring-cleaning blues. Put the duster down and actually make a visual difference to your home. Remember that feeling when you just moved in? It’s like a new car smell. Everything had its place, décor was new and you had just what you needed. Find that home again! It’s simply a change of mindset, look beyond the mop to the tasks that will actually transform your home for the entire season. Follow these spring-cleaning hacks to a cleaner, brighter home:

• Out With the Poinsettias: Replace houseplants with fresh spring plants from a local farmer’s market. Fresh plants help improve the flow of oxygen in your home, bringing in that clean spring-like air.
• Toss the Pillows: In the spring, it’s time to put heavy fabrics, throw blankets and extra toss pillows in storage. Less things and textures will make you feel cool and clean.
• Raise Your Kids: Beds, that is. Purchase bed raisers for your kids’ rooms to create under-the-bed storage. You can store everything from shoes, laundry basket, books to any bulky items that might otherwise clutter their room.
• Sort the Soups: Done with winter’s comfort foods? Sort through your kitchen cabinets and box up canned foods you have not used in three months. Donate them to your local food bank. An organized pantry creates space for fresh spring meals and perhaps a cleaner diet.
• Seasonal Style Assessment: Take a look at your winter shoes, coats and purses. Will they make it another season? If so, remove them from your closet and put them in storage. If they won’t make it another season, donate them. And, no shopping for new spring clothes! That is until you make room for them. Get rid of an old item for every new item. Then say hello to your organized closet!
• Clear Clutter Magnets: What are the places in your home that attract the most clutter? By the front door? That special junk drawer? Bedside table? Coat closet? Identify your clutter magnets and pick one per weekend to de-clutter.

Oh my, as if moving once wasn’t bad enough. You need to do it twice? Construction not complete? Haven’t quite found your dream house? Old house sold and new one not ready yet? Okay, let’s make this as easy as possible for you. First, don’t think of it as the same thing as the “Big Move” this is a different process. Here are some steps to help you through your transition without having to feel like a vagabond.  

All it takes are these five simple steps. You will be happy and organized in your temporary home. Here’s your new mindset for the temporary home: move only what you would take to a hotel for an extended stay, plus basic furniture and daily household items. The rest of your belongings for the big move: can go into storage (or are donated to charity). You need to focus on only moving the bare minimum to your temporary home. It can be challenging to determine what you need to make it through your transitional move. Never fear, we have the guidelines to overcome the bewilderment. Follow these five steps to a triumphant temporary move!

The start of a new year brings the same old resolutions: get organized, get in shape and eat healthier. What if we all look beyond ourselves and add find new ways to be kinder to Mother Earth to our list? The impact would be pretty fantastic, a re-energized movement to preserve our one and only beautiful earth.

One simple way to fulfill that resolution is to be eco-conscious on moving day. Moving is one of the most wasteful times in a household. We finally get around to cleaning out those over stuffed closets, basements and garages. It’s the time we toss out those old clothes, electronics, magazines, bikes, etc. On top of the major weeding out of our belongings, we use tons of boxes and packing materials; and create piles and piles of waste that contribute to our landfills. Let’s just face the fact: moving time equals major trash time.

The great green news is there are simple steps you can take during a move to reduce your waste. Being eco-conscious on moving day will save you some green in your wallet too!

‘Tis the season of gratitude, giving and of course: decorating, parties, feasts, shopping and more. But before you go down your merry, merry to do list, think about the needs of your community and all the stuff and clutter you don’t need around your home. Perhaps, you have clothing, furniture, kitchen items, or even food you have been meaning to clear out? The jolly news is charitable organizations make it even easier for you to donate your household items to assist those in need this time of year. You can make a difference, so everyone can have a joyful holiday. And, you get to rediscover the holiday joy you experienced as a child.

This is not just another to do on your holiday list, it’s very simple and the rewards are immense – it’s the ultimate win- win! You assist others and at the same time you get a clutter-free home, all prepped for the holidays. No need to scramble to find a solution for outgrown clothes and furniture, and pantry items you will never use, simply follow this guide of “What to Give and Where to Give” and the process will be Grinch-free!

 

Have you ever wondered how “The Bachelor” moves into the mansion each season, or if the home your favorite movie is set-in is just a set? These magnificent houses are often not sets, but are private homes the production company rents from the homeowner for filming.

As you can imagine, there are a lot of moving pieces to transform someone’s home into a movie set. Detail management is key. It takes a specialized synchronization of activities. First, the homeowner’s belongings are packed up and moved out. Then, the location managers take over, setting up the home for the movie; music video; or reality or scripted TV show. After the director calls it’s a wrap, the set furniture and props are wrapped up, protected and moved out. The homeowner’s belongings are moved back in, unpacking and setting up their furniture and knick-knacks exactly how they were before the movie magic occurred.

So, how does this massive moving production of transforming a home into a set and then back into a home take action? Think James Bond like movers: fast, stealth, precise and in the final scene leave no trace they were ever there. To accomplish a production move without a teacup out of place, Hollywood moving companies need to create a system such as Photo Perfect Packing^™, a photo logging process to arrange clients’ items in an exact prescribed layout. Down to recreating the exact layout of the homeowners’ sock drawer and medicine cabinet, the homeowner would never know a full-scale production took place in their beautiful home. This system has worked for decades and in today’s digital world, the process is even simpler.

So, how do you use your smart device to conduct your own production precise move? We’re going to make your day: we are going to share the secrets of the foolproof system with you. Photo Perfect Packing^™ is done in five steps:

Many of us are now, or soon will be, helping our parents downsize and move. Moving a parent is accompanied with unique challenges and emotions. And, one of the most difficult and trying times in life is losing a parent. The grieving process also often includes the horrendous task of sorting out and moving the cherished belongings from their home. I have experienced all of the above and it is a roller coaster of emotions.

Not only is there the task of sorting through a home lived in for decades, the task is compounded with item-by-item decisions: what stays, what goes to the parent’s new home, what goes to your home and to your siblings’ homes, what goes to storage and what goes to charity; all enveloped with the deep emotions that come from saying goodbye to a lifetime of belongings and a well-loved home full of treasured moments.

It is not easy boxing up memories. The organizational and physical tasks associated with planning and implementing such an emotional move can be overwhelming for the entire family. That’s why it’s okay to ask for help. Sometimes, someone outside the family can be just the right figure to assist all of you through the transition.

Did you know there are actually professionals that can assist you? They guide families through the daunting process, showing you where to start, how to sort your parent’s belongings and then help you sell the valued items. After all, you shouldn’t go through it alone.

Here is some insight on these specialized experts, as well as tips to get you through the process and find closure.

Halloween is full of tricks, treats, ghoulish games, frightening frocks, cute costumes, glowing Jack O’ Lanterns, pumpkin packed parties, and of course spookiness! Unfortunately, all of the frightening fun has dangers lurking behind them. Whether you are a parent of two-legged loved ones or four-legged furry loved ones, it is critical to be aware of the true spookiness that is hiding behind all the ghostly fun. So I called upon two experts that have simple tips for a safe, scare-free Halloween to keep your children and pets safe.

First up are the experts in keeping your little pumpkins safe. They may have “boo” in their name, but there is nothing scary about Boo Boo Busters. As a leading professional childproofing service they know a thing or two about keeping your kids safe. Following, are Halloween safety tips for your pets from Dr. Anthony George, doctor of veterinary medicine and certified veterinary acupuncturist. He has been taking care of all kinds of pets for over 20 years and his tips are sure to keep you furry friends from howling at the moon.

So, it’s been a month since you moved into your new home. The empty boxes are stacked in corners like miniature Leaning Towers of Pisas and you are missing some key pieces of mail. The moving checklist guided you day by day, but now that the moving storm has subsided, how do you complete the settling in process?

Ready for the best news ever!? Unlike your two-month long moving-in check list, there is a short list of tasks that will not only ensure you don’t miss the next People magazine, but will also help Mother Earth and others in need. Too good to be true? You can thank me later. Follow these five steps and you will forget you ever moved.