You're thinking, "Everyone moves. Of course Realtors move too." Yes, but I'm not talking about my personal house. I'm talking about the real estate company I work for.
Today I started the process of changing real estate companies. I have decided to leave RE/MAX and join a smaller, local real estate company. Why? For numerous reason, all of which I won't go into here. Let just say it was time for a change, and I like the idea of working at a smaller company. Aside from the company change, there is one big(ish) thing that's changing. I am now going to be able to sell houses as well. You see, the team I was on before only allowed me to work with buyers. Now I will be working on my own and will be able to help people buy AND sell homes. I am SO excited about this change.
Will I miss RE/MAX? Yes, a part of me will. There are some people there I will miss interacting with on a regular basis. But you know what? The people I've meet at my new office so far... I think I'm going to like working with them too.
Once my website is up at the new office, I'll do a new post so you can see just how cool my new real estate company is. And if you know anyone looking to buy OR SELL in the Manatee, Sarasota, or Charlotte County areas of Florida, send them my way!
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
They Grow Up SO Fast
As any parent can tell you, kids grow up so fast. I can't believe my son is turning 10 in less than a month (mostly because I can't be old enough to have a 10 year old)! And my daughter lost her first tooth (albeit late and with the help of a dentist). My nephew is talking in full sentences and I've missed it (sniff). But all of that is for another day, because today is about another big thing that's happened in our house.
After living with us for the last 7 months, my parents have been able to find a place of their own. In fact, they spent their first night at their new place yesterday.
I'll be honest. I'm happy they found a place. Happy for them, because now they have their own space to do with as they like. They no longer have to worry about whether we will approve of something. I'm also happy for us because pretty soon we will be able to move my daughter into a bigger room.
At the same time, I'm a bit sad. After all, it's been nice having my parents around. I've had company when hubby was at work at night. I've had an extra set of hands in the kitchen, cleaning, and running errands. I've also had someone available to babysit pretty much at the drop of a hat. And most importantly, my kids are going to missing having lots of time with their grandparents. I didn't spend that much time with my grandparents because we lived so far from them, so 7 months of living in the same house gives them a relationship I'm happy for.
The good news is that their new place is only 4 miles (and about 10 minutes) from our house so it's not like they live states away as before so although they are not living in the same house as us, the close relationship can continue.
After living with us for the last 7 months, my parents have been able to find a place of their own. In fact, they spent their first night at their new place yesterday.
I'll be honest. I'm happy they found a place. Happy for them, because now they have their own space to do with as they like. They no longer have to worry about whether we will approve of something. I'm also happy for us because pretty soon we will be able to move my daughter into a bigger room.
At the same time, I'm a bit sad. After all, it's been nice having my parents around. I've had company when hubby was at work at night. I've had an extra set of hands in the kitchen, cleaning, and running errands. I've also had someone available to babysit pretty much at the drop of a hat. And most importantly, my kids are going to missing having lots of time with their grandparents. I didn't spend that much time with my grandparents because we lived so far from them, so 7 months of living in the same house gives them a relationship I'm happy for.
The good news is that their new place is only 4 miles (and about 10 minutes) from our house so it's not like they live states away as before so although they are not living in the same house as us, the close relationship can continue.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Memory Lane
It was strange being in Virginia knowing that it would be the last time I would see the house I lived in for 15 years. Walking around seeing the marks on the floor from when I wore my roller skates in the house. Seeing the stains in the carpet from when we had a HUGE party for a family friend when he got back from Dessert Storm.
Although we were in Virginia to help my parents pack and get moved, I made sure to try to stop by a few places that I figured I wouldn't see again. Among them (in no particular order):
Carousel Ice Cream Shop
The church where we got married (we happened to drive by on our 14th anniversary).
Wegman's (our favorite grocery store because it has great prices and awesome bread).
I also made a point to see some of our friends. We went to our old church and saw a few friends there. The kids and I got together with my matron of honor and her daughter. We also got to see another set of friends, my hubby's grandparents, as well as my brother-in-law and his family. Let me just say, my nephew is growing up WAY. TO. FAST.
Of course we will go back to Virginia to visit family as long as they live there, but they don't live very close to our other friends. The good news is that we live in Florida so if any of our friends find themselves down our way (we're only 2 hours from Disney folks), we'd love for you to swing by our house or we could even meet you. Just give us a call in advance ;-)
There was one place we wanted to try to see but didn't have time for and that was King's Dominion (an amusement park for those not familiar). That was where hubby and I said goodby to each other the summer we met. It was also where we went for our 1st and 2nd anniversary. I guess the good news is that it's pretty close to where hubby's grandparents live, so perhaps we will find ourselves there at some point in the future.
Although we were in Virginia to help my parents pack and get moved, I made sure to try to stop by a few places that I figured I wouldn't see again. Among them (in no particular order):
Carousel Ice Cream Shop
The church where we got married (we happened to drive by on our 14th anniversary).
Wegman's (our favorite grocery store because it has great prices and awesome bread).
I also made a point to see some of our friends. We went to our old church and saw a few friends there. The kids and I got together with my matron of honor and her daughter. We also got to see another set of friends, my hubby's grandparents, as well as my brother-in-law and his family. Let me just say, my nephew is growing up WAY. TO. FAST.
Of course we will go back to Virginia to visit family as long as they live there, but they don't live very close to our other friends. The good news is that we live in Florida so if any of our friends find themselves down our way (we're only 2 hours from Disney folks), we'd love for you to swing by our house or we could even meet you. Just give us a call in advance ;-)
There was one place we wanted to try to see but didn't have time for and that was King's Dominion (an amusement park for those not familiar). That was where hubby and I said goodby to each other the summer we met. It was also where we went for our 1st and 2nd anniversary. I guess the good news is that it's pretty close to where hubby's grandparents live, so perhaps we will find ourselves there at some point in the future.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Funny Meeting You Here
First let me start off by apologizing for not posting for so long. My family has been away from home for almost 3 weeks and rather than announce to all the world that our house was sitting vacant, I decided to go silent till we got back.
Now that we are back, I will take a few posts to recount our trip.
Traveling (especially traveling with kids) can be problematic. Luckily we got the drama out of the way early. We hadn't even made it 1/2 mile from our house when we realized we'd forgotten something. So we decided to use a parking lot to turn around. We were in our pick up truck so that would not usually be a problem, but we were towing our trailer. That can make it harder to make certain turns. The big issue was that we weren't counting on the sand along the edge of the parking lot being about 5" deep. So hubby had to get out of the truck and put it in 4WD and after a bit of rocking back and forth we got out.
Needless to say, we got a much later start than we wanted to that day. Add to that the fact that kids and their bladders don't always cooperate with our plans and we were just hoping to get close to 1/2 of the way through our 900 mile trip.
Towing a trailer necessitates stopping strategically. We can't use a drive thru for meals and we can't just park at a Burger King to use the bathroom either. We've found that rest stops at the state line are usually pretty clean and has ample truck parking for us to fit in.
On our way into the GA welcome center bathroom, my kids pointed to a car in the parking lot and said, "Mom, I know them from Lego class." I looked at the child in question and said, "It can't be them, but it does look like them." On our way out of the bathroom, we walked by the car again and I saw the mom and guess what? It was them! What are the odds that we would see someone 250+ miles from our house. And then to find out they were headed to Virginia as well (150 miles away from where we were headed).
When I think about it, if we hadn't had the delays in our departure, that wouldn't have happened. Interesting how things work out.
Now that we are back, I will take a few posts to recount our trip.
Traveling (especially traveling with kids) can be problematic. Luckily we got the drama out of the way early. We hadn't even made it 1/2 mile from our house when we realized we'd forgotten something. So we decided to use a parking lot to turn around. We were in our pick up truck so that would not usually be a problem, but we were towing our trailer. That can make it harder to make certain turns. The big issue was that we weren't counting on the sand along the edge of the parking lot being about 5" deep. So hubby had to get out of the truck and put it in 4WD and after a bit of rocking back and forth we got out.
Needless to say, we got a much later start than we wanted to that day. Add to that the fact that kids and their bladders don't always cooperate with our plans and we were just hoping to get close to 1/2 of the way through our 900 mile trip.
Towing a trailer necessitates stopping strategically. We can't use a drive thru for meals and we can't just park at a Burger King to use the bathroom either. We've found that rest stops at the state line are usually pretty clean and has ample truck parking for us to fit in.
On our way into the GA welcome center bathroom, my kids pointed to a car in the parking lot and said, "Mom, I know them from Lego class." I looked at the child in question and said, "It can't be them, but it does look like them." On our way out of the bathroom, we walked by the car again and I saw the mom and guess what? It was them! What are the odds that we would see someone 250+ miles from our house. And then to find out they were headed to Virginia as well (150 miles away from where we were headed).
When I think about it, if we hadn't had the delays in our departure, that wouldn't have happened. Interesting how things work out.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Purpose Driven Cleaning
Well, my parents have booked the moving truck so we know when they will be moving in with us. They should be pulling up to our house in 3 weeks.
As a typical woman, I feel it's my responsibility to make sure the house is clean when guests arrive, but this is a different situation. They aren't just visiting; they will be moving in for a few months while they figure out where they want to settle down themselves. That means cleaning takes on a new meaning. It's probably more accurate to say, we've been doing lots of organizing (with a little cleaning).
My daughter has done a FANTASTIC job of widdling down her craft projects into a more manageable pile. That means that her stuff is no longer overflowing into the guest room (the room my parents will be in).
Hubby has been cleaning out an area for them to store their stuff.
Son and I have been rearranging furniture in the family room into a more practical layout for 6 people (plus 2 more to visit in late July and early August). And we've also been organizing my stockpile of food and household goods so that it's easier for multiple cooks and shoppers to figure out what we do and do not have.
Luckily we have a little more time to get things done, but the progress we've made so far means I'm not feeling stressed at all about getting things done in time. And my propensity to make lists doesn't hurt either :-)
As a typical woman, I feel it's my responsibility to make sure the house is clean when guests arrive, but this is a different situation. They aren't just visiting; they will be moving in for a few months while they figure out where they want to settle down themselves. That means cleaning takes on a new meaning. It's probably more accurate to say, we've been doing lots of organizing (with a little cleaning).
My daughter has done a FANTASTIC job of widdling down her craft projects into a more manageable pile. That means that her stuff is no longer overflowing into the guest room (the room my parents will be in).
Hubby has been cleaning out an area for them to store their stuff.
Son and I have been rearranging furniture in the family room into a more practical layout for 6 people (plus 2 more to visit in late July and early August). And we've also been organizing my stockpile of food and household goods so that it's easier for multiple cooks and shoppers to figure out what we do and do not have.
Luckily we have a little more time to get things done, but the progress we've made so far means I'm not feeling stressed at all about getting things done in time. And my propensity to make lists doesn't hurt either :-)
Monday, May 7, 2012
Freaking Out
As we were eating dinner on Saturday, just before leaving the new house, hubby tells me he wants to move to the new house permanently... this week even. We got a lot done over the 3.5 days we'd just spent there and he's been able to get an area set up for him to work, so he figured lets just move.
I love the idea for two reasons:
1. Maybe the landlord can get the house rented out sooner and we can get some money back, and
2. It will mean less travel back and forth.
The down side is that now I am in super-stressed mode. Anyone who knows me, knows I am a planner. To be told on Saturday that the goal is to be out of the house on Wednesday (yep I have 4 days) is a bit stressful. It's true we don't have a lot of big things to move (no furniture to speak of), but gathering together all the little things is probably more time consumptive. Add to that, hubby is busy working on a project right now means it's mostly on me to get the prep work done. Then there is the cleaning so the house is presentable and so we get our deposit back. Oh, and I have a surprise trip to a movie theater planned for tomorrow to see Chimpanzee (can you say half of tomorrow is booked already with that).
I guess the good news is that although the wish is to be out of the house on Wednesday, we have more time. I would like to be at the new house by the weekend though. Now that I have been able to vent and share a little, I feel a bit rejuvenated, so I bid you adios as I go to pack and clean some more.
I love the idea for two reasons:
1. Maybe the landlord can get the house rented out sooner and we can get some money back, and
2. It will mean less travel back and forth.
The down side is that now I am in super-stressed mode. Anyone who knows me, knows I am a planner. To be told on Saturday that the goal is to be out of the house on Wednesday (yep I have 4 days) is a bit stressful. It's true we don't have a lot of big things to move (no furniture to speak of), but gathering together all the little things is probably more time consumptive. Add to that, hubby is busy working on a project right now means it's mostly on me to get the prep work done. Then there is the cleaning so the house is presentable and so we get our deposit back. Oh, and I have a surprise trip to a movie theater planned for tomorrow to see Chimpanzee (can you say half of tomorrow is booked already with that).
I guess the good news is that although the wish is to be out of the house on Wednesday, we have more time. I would like to be at the new house by the weekend though. Now that I have been able to vent and share a little, I feel a bit rejuvenated, so I bid you adios as I go to pack and clean some more.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Connecting?
One of the things about being a homeschooler and moving to a new area is the fact that you and your kids don't have the opportunities to make friends in the same way that families with kids in school do. It's only compounded by the fact that our neighborhood is half empty because it's a snow-bird community and very few of the people who are living here have kids (much less kids as young as mine).
We are members of two homeschooling groups, one of which is relatively local. The second is based one hour away. So far, I have made better connections with the people who live farther away. I'm hoping that PE class with the more local group this week will remedy that.
The other way that I've found to make friends is at church. Unfortunately, since moving to Florida we have not been to church. Last week, I was sick and this week the kids both had tummy issues and I wasn't willing to chance it.
We've only been here for 10 days so I'm certainly not going to sweat it at this point. Just an observation that although I've mentioned homeschooling's advantages, it also has some disadvantages.
We are members of two homeschooling groups, one of which is relatively local. The second is based one hour away. So far, I have made better connections with the people who live farther away. I'm hoping that PE class with the more local group this week will remedy that.
The other way that I've found to make friends is at church. Unfortunately, since moving to Florida we have not been to church. Last week, I was sick and this week the kids both had tummy issues and I wasn't willing to chance it.
We've only been here for 10 days so I'm certainly not going to sweat it at this point. Just an observation that although I've mentioned homeschooling's advantages, it also has some disadvantages.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Settling In - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Part 3
We have been in Port Charlotte for a week now and guess what? We are now officially Florida residents! Today we were able to get our driver's licenses and transfer titles and tags over for the truck and trailers and request our voting registration cards. We even went to the bank and got a safety deposit box. The only thing left to do to make me feel more "local" is to get our library cards, which I plan on doing tomorrow. Yeah!
Being that this will be the last "settling in" post I do, I figured it was time to share some of my thoughts about the house and the area.
I'm loving the inside of the house. I love the layout, the furniture, and mostly I love that I have a dishwasher and a washer and dryer that I don't have to use quarters to use. I've also been able to bake using full size pans. Yippy! My only complaint about the house is the landscaping. There is actually too much of it. The area I was hoping to plant a garden is covered by a trellis with flowering plants on it (and lots of bees), so now I'm wondering if I'm going to be able to have a garden.
We've been able to use the pool a couple of times already and it's a wonderful thing. I have always loved to swim so this is a dream come true for me. It doesn't hurt that it's a great way to have fun with the kids (as well as wear them out).
And the view from the back of the house is almost as good as you can get (better would be directly over a beach rather than across a canal at the back of other houses). Here is a picture of a sunset I saw the other night.
We've also done some exploring around the area. We've found that just about every store and restaurant I could possibly want are within a 10 minute drive. There are a few exceptions, but I'm pretty sure I will be able to survive. Now all I need is a babysitter, so we can go out to dinner and a movie (did I mention there is a movie theater in town as well?)
Why exactly did we wait so long to move South?
Being that this will be the last "settling in" post I do, I figured it was time to share some of my thoughts about the house and the area.
I'm loving the inside of the house. I love the layout, the furniture, and mostly I love that I have a dishwasher and a washer and dryer that I don't have to use quarters to use. I've also been able to bake using full size pans. Yippy! My only complaint about the house is the landscaping. There is actually too much of it. The area I was hoping to plant a garden is covered by a trellis with flowering plants on it (and lots of bees), so now I'm wondering if I'm going to be able to have a garden.
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| Front of the house |
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| Living / dining room |
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| Kitchen |
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And the view from the back of the house is almost as good as you can get (better would be directly over a beach rather than across a canal at the back of other houses). Here is a picture of a sunset I saw the other night.
We've also done some exploring around the area. We've found that just about every store and restaurant I could possibly want are within a 10 minute drive. There are a few exceptions, but I'm pretty sure I will be able to survive. Now all I need is a babysitter, so we can go out to dinner and a movie (did I mention there is a movie theater in town as well?)
Why exactly did we wait so long to move South?
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Settling In - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Part 1
The last few days have been rather hectic in our house. Not because we have had a lot of places to go, but because we've had a lot of things to do. Don't get me wrong, we have gone out (storage lot where the camper is parked - twice, restaurant, grocery store, hardware store, and a homeschooling function).
But most of the work that we've been doing has been around the house. We've been unpacking our stuff, making phone calls (LOTS of them), and sorting through the stuff that was already in the house.
The down side to renting a furnished house is that you find things that you would NEVER in a million years have in your house. For example, who needs 8 hammers? What about an electric hand mixer that is missing one of it's beaters? How about paint that no longer matches any of the colors currently in or on the house or is crusty and unusable? And don't get me started on the child-unfriendly decorations. I guess we shouldn't be surprised since before us, this house was rented seasonally to snow birds (meaning with no kids).
I haven't really had time to think about homeschooling except to think that I really need to get a library card. But before I can get a library card, I need a driver's license. Because I want to get my driver's license and my tags done at the same time, I need to get proof of insurance on our truck. (Can you begin to see all the phone calls that I've been talking about?)
The most interesting thing about this whole process is that at one point I was thinking we might not be able to get insurance for our truck. You see, it is one of, if not THE biggest non-commercial truck built and as such is in a category unto itself when it comes to insurance through my company. The good news is that I have been able to confirm they can insure it (and it's not much more than when we were in VA). The bad news was that I had to wait for them to mail me the proof of insurance because their system would not let them email it because our truck is too big. It finally showed up today. Not that I've gotten the contract to sign (again, they can't email it without the system being overridden because of the truck's size).
I also found out the insurance company that was insuring our camper "is not taking applications for waterside communities." After numerous calls over multiple days, I think that I have found a company to insure it.
Being that hubby is self-employed we are also responsible for our own health insurance. Our old policy will not cover us in Florida so I've been working on that too. I found out today that they have lost 2 weeks time because their system said they needed additional information, but we were never contacted to get the information. I guess it's a good thing our old insurer will give us 2 months to find a new policy down here.
Oh, and tomorrow the kids and I are driving an hour each way to attend two homeschool co-op classes. Looks like it's going to be another long and busy day tomorrow. Looking forward to the weekend (you know when I can't make phone calls because everything is closed).
But most of the work that we've been doing has been around the house. We've been unpacking our stuff, making phone calls (LOTS of them), and sorting through the stuff that was already in the house.
The down side to renting a furnished house is that you find things that you would NEVER in a million years have in your house. For example, who needs 8 hammers? What about an electric hand mixer that is missing one of it's beaters? How about paint that no longer matches any of the colors currently in or on the house or is crusty and unusable? And don't get me started on the child-unfriendly decorations. I guess we shouldn't be surprised since before us, this house was rented seasonally to snow birds (meaning with no kids).
I haven't really had time to think about homeschooling except to think that I really need to get a library card. But before I can get a library card, I need a driver's license. Because I want to get my driver's license and my tags done at the same time, I need to get proof of insurance on our truck. (Can you begin to see all the phone calls that I've been talking about?)
The most interesting thing about this whole process is that at one point I was thinking we might not be able to get insurance for our truck. You see, it is one of, if not THE biggest non-commercial truck built and as such is in a category unto itself when it comes to insurance through my company. The good news is that I have been able to confirm they can insure it (and it's not much more than when we were in VA). The bad news was that I had to wait for them to mail me the proof of insurance because their system would not let them email it because our truck is too big. It finally showed up today. Not that I've gotten the contract to sign (again, they can't email it without the system being overridden because of the truck's size).
I also found out the insurance company that was insuring our camper "is not taking applications for waterside communities." After numerous calls over multiple days, I think that I have found a company to insure it.
Being that hubby is self-employed we are also responsible for our own health insurance. Our old policy will not cover us in Florida so I've been working on that too. I found out today that they have lost 2 weeks time because their system said they needed additional information, but we were never contacted to get the information. I guess it's a good thing our old insurer will give us 2 months to find a new policy down here.
Oh, and tomorrow the kids and I are driving an hour each way to attend two homeschool co-op classes. Looks like it's going to be another long and busy day tomorrow. Looking forward to the weekend (you know when I can't make phone calls because everything is closed).
Monday, August 15, 2011
A Day of Rest
In our house, Sunday is typically a day of rest. That means that after church we take it easy. That could mean a nap, watching TV, reading books, knitting, or visiting with family or friends.
Being that the friends we are helping move right now, are having their air freight picked up today (Monday), our typical Sunday did not happen. Rather, Jon slept in (he fell down some stairs on Saturday so he was a bit sore and didn't sleep all that well) and then we went over to our friend's house to help finalize the shipment being picked up today.
Even though there was boxing, hauling, and labeling of packages it was still a restful day in a way. It's amazing how enjoyable packing can be when you are having good conversations with friends.
Being that the friends we are helping move right now, are having their air freight picked up today (Monday), our typical Sunday did not happen. Rather, Jon slept in (he fell down some stairs on Saturday so he was a bit sore and didn't sleep all that well) and then we went over to our friend's house to help finalize the shipment being picked up today.
Even though there was boxing, hauling, and labeling of packages it was still a restful day in a way. It's amazing how enjoyable packing can be when you are having good conversations with friends.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
The Countdown has Begun
If things go according to plan, we will be leaving Northern Virginia on Friday afternoon. We have a few more things to do but we're confident we can get them done before we leave.
Our trip is starting out pretty low key. We will visit family in Southern Virginia for Easter weekend and then we will proceed to Florida. This trip is exciting for numerous reasons. 1. It means the next stage of our lives is beginning. Hopefully, the life of being a nomad is about over. 2. We are going to be heading South, which means we will get to be warm even first thing in the morning. My kids and I love being outside and being South will allow that to happen more. Hubby has been complaining about VA temps for YEARS. In fact, he wears flannel till the temps go over 70 or 80 degrees. Perhaps now, I will see him in flannel less and maybe even shorts on occasion (that doesn't happen unless the temps are over 90). And 3. We have booked a campsite in Florida near Kennedy Space Center which will allow us to see the shuttle launch without having to steak a claim somewhere hours before the launch.
Just like the shuttle, we've had a few delays of our own. In fact we found an issue last night, but it can be overcome. I'm going to miss Northern Virginia, because it's where I've spent almost all of my life. It's where most of my friends still live. But I've found that those times that I've gone out of my comfort zone have been tough at first, but well worth the leap of faith. So T- minus 65 hours.
Our trip is starting out pretty low key. We will visit family in Southern Virginia for Easter weekend and then we will proceed to Florida. This trip is exciting for numerous reasons. 1. It means the next stage of our lives is beginning. Hopefully, the life of being a nomad is about over. 2. We are going to be heading South, which means we will get to be warm even first thing in the morning. My kids and I love being outside and being South will allow that to happen more. Hubby has been complaining about VA temps for YEARS. In fact, he wears flannel till the temps go over 70 or 80 degrees. Perhaps now, I will see him in flannel less and maybe even shorts on occasion (that doesn't happen unless the temps are over 90). And 3. We have booked a campsite in Florida near Kennedy Space Center which will allow us to see the shuttle launch without having to steak a claim somewhere hours before the launch.
Just like the shuttle, we've had a few delays of our own. In fact we found an issue last night, but it can be overcome. I'm going to miss Northern Virginia, because it's where I've spent almost all of my life. It's where most of my friends still live. But I've found that those times that I've gone out of my comfort zone have been tough at first, but well worth the leap of faith. So T- minus 65 hours.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Scrambling
Hubby has set a departure date... Saturday, March 19. Needless to say this has me scrambling a bit. I'm frantically trying to make sure all paperwork that requires my physical presence to be completed, packing things for storage or in the camper, figuring out what other things we might need to make life on the road easier, and visiting one last time with friends and family... all while trying to keep things as normal as possible for the kids.
This has been quite the feat I must say, but things are going well so far. The weather has turned warmer and dryer as of late which makes getting outside and doing things much easier. The kids have also been a bit more cooperative, making errands a bit easier and faster. Perhaps they realize that once we head South we will be able to visit beaches and some really cool museums and parks that we just don't have access to here.
I think they are also getting a bit tired of the life of a nomad and they realize that although we will be living in a camper and driving across the country, this will ultimately put us one step closer to our ultimate goal of moving into a house (be it in Australia or somewhere in the US - but where it is warmer).
As much as I'd like to update you more, I should probably get working on my to do list, so that when Friday comes around I'm not running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
This has been quite the feat I must say, but things are going well so far. The weather has turned warmer and dryer as of late which makes getting outside and doing things much easier. The kids have also been a bit more cooperative, making errands a bit easier and faster. Perhaps they realize that once we head South we will be able to visit beaches and some really cool museums and parks that we just don't have access to here.
I think they are also getting a bit tired of the life of a nomad and they realize that although we will be living in a camper and driving across the country, this will ultimately put us one step closer to our ultimate goal of moving into a house (be it in Australia or somewhere in the US - but where it is warmer).
As much as I'd like to update you more, I should probably get working on my to do list, so that when Friday comes around I'm not running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
Friday, September 24, 2010
The Science of Cleaning out the Pantry
As someone who is about to move for the 4th time in 2 years I have come to realize that there are certain areas of the house that you can't just pack up at the last minute. The primary one being the kitchen. You would think that because you will be using the kitchen pretty much till the last minute that you would need to pack it up almost last. Most think it's the equivalent of packing your toiletries for a trip right after you've used them for the last time before your trip. However, there should be more planning involved that that.
The first move we made was only 10 miles, but it was down a mountain and we were moving into a short-term rental that was furnished. My biggest concern with that move was making sure nothing broke on the bumpy roads and that I had enough food to last for a couple days once we got to the new house so I didn't have to shop right away. That meant that I tried to make sure we consumed anything in a bottle before the move. Anything that needed to be kept cold was taken in a cooler and at the last minute.
The second move was about 50 miles and we were moving stuff from storage into an unfurnished house while we were still living in the furnished rental house. This allowed me to unpack pots and pans and such before we actually moved in. Very convenient I must say. Again, I tried to make sure we consumed as many bottled items as possible, but I also tried to finish off anything that was in large packaging. The idea there was just to take up as little space as possible.
Move three was 300 miles. In this case, I tried to clear out everything but staple goods (flour, salt, pepper, etc.). How you ask? About 8 weeks before the move I stopped shopping for bulk items. That meant no shopping trips to Costco and it also meant that unless I KNEW I would use it all, I wouldn't even buy large quantities of meat from the local grocery store. About 4 weeks before the move I started making menus based on what I had in the pantry and less on what I wanted to eat. It meant we all ate things we weren't too fond of on occasion (just because of the way the canned goods were paired with other things) but I must admit that we didn't have much to move.
Move four is going to be 300 miles again but there is a bit of a twist. This time we will be moving into an RV when we get to the other end rather than a house. That means that I need to plan on limited storage space. In addition to using up just about everything I can, I need to reduce the size (and maybe number) of staple goods I'm bringing.
It is certainly not something that can be done at the last minute unless of course you want to throw a bunch of things away (including your hard earned money).
The first move we made was only 10 miles, but it was down a mountain and we were moving into a short-term rental that was furnished. My biggest concern with that move was making sure nothing broke on the bumpy roads and that I had enough food to last for a couple days once we got to the new house so I didn't have to shop right away. That meant that I tried to make sure we consumed anything in a bottle before the move. Anything that needed to be kept cold was taken in a cooler and at the last minute.
The second move was about 50 miles and we were moving stuff from storage into an unfurnished house while we were still living in the furnished rental house. This allowed me to unpack pots and pans and such before we actually moved in. Very convenient I must say. Again, I tried to make sure we consumed as many bottled items as possible, but I also tried to finish off anything that was in large packaging. The idea there was just to take up as little space as possible.
Move three was 300 miles. In this case, I tried to clear out everything but staple goods (flour, salt, pepper, etc.). How you ask? About 8 weeks before the move I stopped shopping for bulk items. That meant no shopping trips to Costco and it also meant that unless I KNEW I would use it all, I wouldn't even buy large quantities of meat from the local grocery store. About 4 weeks before the move I started making menus based on what I had in the pantry and less on what I wanted to eat. It meant we all ate things we weren't too fond of on occasion (just because of the way the canned goods were paired with other things) but I must admit that we didn't have much to move.
Move four is going to be 300 miles again but there is a bit of a twist. This time we will be moving into an RV when we get to the other end rather than a house. That means that I need to plan on limited storage space. In addition to using up just about everything I can, I need to reduce the size (and maybe number) of staple goods I'm bringing.
It is certainly not something that can be done at the last minute unless of course you want to throw a bunch of things away (including your hard earned money).
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A Blogging Newbie
This is my first official blog so forgive me if I seem rough around the edges.
I have decided to do this blog because I have been traveling a lot over the last month and it looks like there will be more to come. You see, my husband has been offered a job in Australia. We have lived on the East coast of the United States for our 11 years of married life and both of our children were born on the East coast as well. This will be quite a change for all of us but it is one we are looking forward to. Of course we will miss our friends and family, but we are looking forward to all the adventures we will get to have. What an opportunity for our children to experience a different culture (and I don't even have to learn a different language)!
We are not sure when the move to Australia will happen. Unfortunately, we are waiting for our paperwork to be processed and it doesn't seem to be any faster there than in the US. While we wait, we've decided to embark on another adventure of sorts.
In October, we are planning on getting an RV and setting it up so that we can not only live in it, but so that my husband can still contact his new employer in Australia. Then we are heading South for the winter. Our plan is to start out in Florida (near Disney) so that we can take the kids to all the attractions there. Then we will move West. If the paperwork takes long enough, we hope to be able to see the Grand Canyon and maybe even Old Faithful.
I just started homeschooling my 1st grader in preparation for all of our travels. It has been quite an adventure in and of itself, but it is one I'm enjoying. I hope I enjoy the rest of my upcoming adventures just as much. I hope you will too.
I have decided to do this blog because I have been traveling a lot over the last month and it looks like there will be more to come. You see, my husband has been offered a job in Australia. We have lived on the East coast of the United States for our 11 years of married life and both of our children were born on the East coast as well. This will be quite a change for all of us but it is one we are looking forward to. Of course we will miss our friends and family, but we are looking forward to all the adventures we will get to have. What an opportunity for our children to experience a different culture (and I don't even have to learn a different language)!
We are not sure when the move to Australia will happen. Unfortunately, we are waiting for our paperwork to be processed and it doesn't seem to be any faster there than in the US. While we wait, we've decided to embark on another adventure of sorts.
In October, we are planning on getting an RV and setting it up so that we can not only live in it, but so that my husband can still contact his new employer in Australia. Then we are heading South for the winter. Our plan is to start out in Florida (near Disney) so that we can take the kids to all the attractions there. Then we will move West. If the paperwork takes long enough, we hope to be able to see the Grand Canyon and maybe even Old Faithful.
I just started homeschooling my 1st grader in preparation for all of our travels. It has been quite an adventure in and of itself, but it is one I'm enjoying. I hope I enjoy the rest of my upcoming adventures just as much. I hope you will too.
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