Moving Organization

 So we have our house up for sale. And now that it's Spring I have been busy as a bee trying to box up as much as I possible can to make the house less cluttered and more organized.
Now, I was also determined to make this next move a lot smoither and more organized and I was searching everywhere for ideas. Colored printable labels, circle stickers, buying expensive moving boxes,etc. But they all seemed like a lot of money and time printing,cutting,etc.
So I kind of adapted to fit my budget.

I found these 15ft rolls of different colored/patterned duck tape at the Dollar Tree (the hello kitty one was on clearance at Kmart). I liked them because most of them were shiny and thus stood out against all the used boxes Id gathered.

Then I assigned a different style tape to each room and just made my "key" on a piece of paper. No printing required! I still need to get a couple different styles but this gets me started.

I then made little signs to put on the wall or door of each room so whoever is moving the boxes can easily see where they go without reading anything. I'll cut them pages in half later.

Now, I could have gotten a copy of each and just boxed the boxes up with the assigned rooms tape, but being the frugal minded person I am I decided to just put a small strips on a side or two of each box instead. It takes a little more time but it makes the tape last and it still makes it easy to sort boxes.

I got this square container at the Dollar Tree as well which I put all the tape, perminant markers (which I use to write on the box what's in it), scissors and my key so its easy to carry around and i dont loose it as easily! 

I will use the container for other uses in the new house!

I've seen where people number each box and have a binder with what's in each box but let's face it I'm trying to pack everything as quickly as I can before my children get into it so I skipped this step. If you have the time and patients this is a great idea! There's even printable labels out there with space to number and write the contents which are excellent!

But for me this is good enough:)

I have also started to do some other things in preparation like putting together a "open first" bin (mine is big and clear and doesn't have much in it yet). It has things like paper towels, paper plates, scissors, plasticware, toilet paper, serving utensils,toilet paper,work gloves, and if you choose you can add ingredients and pots/pans you will need for the first couple meals you will have. For us we will order pizza and have leftovers we carry over in coolers from the last house. But we won't be moving across the country so having coolers of food is much easier to do. Adjust your "open first" container to fit your immediate needs the first couple days. You'd be surprised what you find you need. Lip balm? Cups anyone? Tape for those boxes that need to just be boxed back up for storage you accidently opened...(I haven't done this 100 times or anything)...maybe even some basic tools for those little things you didn't notice when purchasing the house like that nail sticking out or that plug cover that needs to be screwed back on,etc. (Hammer, screwdriver, pliars,etc)
I will also be throwing in cleaning supplies and sheets because I know I'm always searching for them and I don't want to search for sheets when I'm exauhsted from moving. Maybe I'll need 2 bins??

Another great tip I read was to pack a bag with essentials for each person like shower items, makeup, a couple pairs of clothes, PJs, and to make moving less stressful on your relationship with your spouse pack "something special" to help "break in" your new house ;)

So here's a list of things I'm putting in my open first bin so you can easily access a list:
1-toilet paper
2-paper towels
3-paper/plastic goods: cups,plates,utensils,bowls,etc. (Trust me even if you unbox everything you will want to clean everything first and that's just not going to happen the first night!)
4-basic tool kit:screwdriver,pliers&hammer
5-work gloves
6-office supplies: boxing tape, a fridge magnet, scissors, marker, pen, reg tape, etc.
7-cooking supplies:optional if you want to cook meals at home the first couple nights
8-hand towels: one for each bathroom and the kitchen
9-dish towel/washcloth
10-set of sheets for each bed
11-towel for each person for first night shower/bath
12-basic cleaning supplies: Window spray,all purpose spray, toilet cleaning items, cloths, plunger, dish soap,spundge, magic eraser,etc.
13- pack a small bag for each person with a couple pairs of clothes, PJs,socks,hair things, hair brush,toothbrushes, soap, lip balm, make-up,shampoo/conditioner,razor, chargers and extra something special (for hubby and maybe a small toy or book for kids,etc.), kids special items,etc.
Pretend you're going somewhere for the weekend.

So there you go! My secrets to keeping you organized and sane during a move!