Alois Blouse | Wedgie Icon Jeans | Owen’s Striped Pajamas
It’s officially been a week since we moved! When I think about how many times we’ve moved since coming to Chicago, it makes my head spin. We’ve been here about 6 and a half years and we’re in our fifth apartment. The upside is that we’ve had the opportunity to live in several neighborhoods over the year and experience all that they offer. The downside? Well, the actual process of moving.
The only part that I do like about moving is the purge that happens with it. We donated countless bags of clothing, decor and baby things and tossed a bunch of old papers and random things that we weren’t able to donate. The rest of it was not fun though. Packing takes forever, and I swear, we always end up realizing we have so much more stuff than we thought. Once I’m done with that part, I just want a break for a month, but sadly that’s just the first step of moving!
This year was especially tough with Owen in the mix. Packing took twice as long because I could only get stuff done when he was napping and the actual day of our move was so much more hectic with him. I found myself getting so stressed about the whole process weeks before it had arrived. Now that it’s over, I’ve learned a few things that make the moving process a lot smoother if you have a baby or kids!
Tips for Moving with Kids
1. Start Packing Early
I started somewhat early, but got a few boxes in and stopped for about a week. The last week before we moved was frantic and hectic. I’d recommend starting earlier than you think you should because it takes so much longer with a baby. Start with the items you don’t use everyday like out of season clothes, shoes you don’t wear very often and the stuff that’s stored in closets.
The kitchen always seems to take the longest to pack, so start packing the small appliances and things you don’t need everyday as early as you can. We have two sets of dishes and silverware, and I packed one set pretty early on! It’s nice to spread that out because it took me 4 days to do it all!
2. Hire Movers
Yes, movers are expensive, but in my opinion, they are worth every penny. Plus, do you really want to enlist your friends and family members to help you move? They might say yes because they’re nice, but no one actually wants to do that!
From start to finish, our move took 6 and a half hours, and after that, we were done! We weren’t having to make a thousand trips back and forth to our old place. Everything was in! All that was left was to unpack.
3. Hire Unpacking Help
If I’m being honest, this probably isn’t something I would have considered in the past, but Brooke from The Neat Method reached out and asked if I’d like some help with unpacking and organizing. Duh!! If you’re not familiar with The Neat Method, they are a home organizing company with locations all across the country!
Side note, Brooke was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met! She’s also due with her first baby in a month! Maybe a new friend for Owen?!
Brooke and two of her organizers arrived as our movers were finishing up and immediately got to work on our master closets and the kitchen. They unpacked all of our clothes, hung them up in the closet on pretty new hangers, organized the top shelves and our dressers. They also unpacked the entire kitchen and created an organization system that allowed everything to fit in our small city kitchen. Before they left, they took measurements for organization products.
Brooke came back the next day with all kinds of goodies and put it all in place. Now, our kitchen looks like it’s straight out of a home decor magazine. Literally every single thing has a place—even the stuff under the sink like sponges, dish towels and soap. She even made a special little are for Oliver’s food and treats!
By the end of our second day in our place, our kitchen, laundry room and master closets were completely unpacked and organized. I cannot tell you how helpful this in making the transition smoother and so much more enjoyable.
All that’s left for us to do now is to get Owen’s room in order and hang art! Owen’s room is three times the size it was before so I’m trying to figure out how to arrange it with all the new space, ha!
4. Have Someone Watch the Kid(s)
Rob’s mom asked if she could come in and help us with Owen while we moved and we said yes! I wasn’t sure if we were actually going to need that much help, but I was wrong. I don’t know what we would have done without her. It made the process so much less stressful knowing that Owen was being taken care of and that Oliver was getting some love too.
Have you moved with kids before? It’s so hard, right?! What tips do you have for making moving with easier with babes?!
BTW, 12 enviable closets, and how to clean your closet in 7 steps.
