With the colder months creeping in, normally November or December would not be the time to buy a mobile home and begin the process of moving out of an apartment.  It's cold, it's expensive, and most of my friends would much rather come home from work and watch a football or baseball game and go to bed than spend an evening, or even a weekend, helping me out in the moving process.  If I wasn't moving myself, I would much rather go to the gym, hang out with friends, or snuggle under the covers and watch movies on my big screen television.  Alas, I am moving though.  Yes, in the middle of November.  I have a lot of things to move and I'm nearly overwhelmed.  I also have a family member's wedding to attend mid-month!  With so much going on, I'm having to reign in my anxiety and, as Little Nicky would say, use it for good.  Therefore I've created a list of 10 things that will help me get through the next month of the moving process in an organized, easy fashion, and I'm hoping that they might be helpful to someone else who might be going through the same process, winter or not.

1. 4 weeks before the move, take down and pack all wall hangings, nic nacs, and breakable decorative items.  Any currently unused books, movies, games, etc., that can be packed up and stored for the time being can be taken care of at this time.  A good investment for this: small and large plastic bins at Walmart.  Many can be purchased for under $10 or $20.  It's a great investment as they're reusable, and even better that they're cheap.  Also, any cardboard boxes that can be gleaned from grocery stores, businesses, etc, can be very helpful in moving items and can be easily marked so you know what's in them.

2. Now, in between each week take a break, enjoy yourself and relax.  Whether it's in the evenings for a few hours or on the weekends, it'll help to do something low-key or even to get out of the house for a bit and relax.  Take your mind off of the process for a while.  It'll help so that you don't become over-anxious or run down.  This will also cut down on any stress you may be feeling.  Don't worry!  Worrying won't get you moved into your new home.

3. Three weeks before the move go through storage closets, craft cupboards and other stored items and if it is something still usable but no longer wanted or needed, box these items and bring them to a thrift store.  This may include clothing closets.  Well, for me it does!  It's even a good practice to go through kids' and adults' closets every 4 to 6 months just to make sure items still fit and/or are being worn.  My kids grow out of clothes constantly and this really helps.  For items that are no longer usable by anyone or are throw-away items, including old papers from school or bills, etc., they can be trashed.  A shredder is really handy for getting rid of any old receipts or bills that are no longer needed for your personal records.  If it's possible to sell any items via a yard sale or ebay or whatever method you choose, now is a good time to sell those items.

4. Don't forget to relax! :)

5. Two weeks before the move, dishes that are not used on a regular basis can be boxed.  Also, any items such as lamps, room dividers, shelves, blankets, supplies and such that won't be used within a week to two weeks before the move can be boxed up and prepared for the move.  Any leftover things that need to be done can be done at this time.

6. Take a break!  You've done so much work already, you deserve a break from it all.

7. One week before the move, call internet/cable/phone/electric services, and any others you need, to have them transfer services and let them know when you will be moving into your new home.  Don't forget to let the post office know as well!  Filling out a card at the post office for a change of address will help transition the mail aspect smoothly and they'll transfer your mail to the new address for up to a year if you don't have time to make the proper arrangements with all contacts right away.  Any loose ends in packing can also be done at this time.

8. 1 to 3 days before the move, pack up any remaining items for the move.  Make sure boxes are clearly marked as items that will be used right away so they will be unpacked first, such as kitchen utensils and bathroom toiletries.  What has helped me is packing a suitcase as if I were going to visit a friend for a few days.  I put the essentials for what I need for daily use in the bag as well as a few day's worth of clothes.  That way the rest can be packed up and will be ready to go.

9. Because I'm moving from an apartment to a mobile home, moving will typically take anywhere from 1 to 2 days.  Here's how this can work for you.  I gather 3 or 4 helpful friends, plus one trailer or U-Haul and one pickup truck to help me out.  With everything packed and ready to go, moving day is all about transporting the items, not packing.  Packing the day of the move just makes things take longer.  The packing has been done over the past 4 weeks, so things should go relatively smoothly.

10. The last day of the move: The last items to be transported from apartment to mobile home should be complete.  If it isn't it will be finished the last day.  All that is left after transporting all of the packed items and the heavy furniture, hence the use of a trailer or U-Haul.  Since there are 3 or 4 people helping, perhaps more, this won't take long.  Then the cleaning of the apartment can take place.  My apartment is a 3 bedroom, 1 bath, and only needs to have basic cleaning and wipe-downs done.  The carpets will be steam-cleaned and the ceiling fan dusted.  Appliances will be cleaned as well.  This always takes longer than I expect, so if you're in the process of getting ready to move, expect it to take a good 4 or 5 hours, even if you think it will only take 2 or 3.  I don't know about you, but with me it seems as though there's always something that gets overlooked in the process as taking less time than it actually does.  Once you're through you can truly relax before diving into unpacking your new home.  Take your time and enjoy!

Wow, I'm already beginning to feel less anxious about the process now that I've written it down.  I hope that this is helpful if you're in the process of moving or have an upcoming move in the near future.  These 10 steps may help you stay organized and make the process go a little smoother and perhaps you'll be able to breathe a little easier throughout the process.  Happy moving!   It certainly will be happy for me.