Hello!
I missed writing this letter last week because I was busy moving. I took the week off, and while it wasn’t a relaxing vacation, spending the time setting into my new home and working in a different way was surprisingly refreshing nonetheless.
I hadn’t moved in a long time (more than a decade), and it was (like all moves, I hear) a stressful one. But I figured out a few tricks along the way that made it more bearable:
- Start with the kid rooms. My first priority was setting up and unpacking Lily’s room. That meant she could live her life with minimal disruption last week, and we didn’t have to worry about that and all of the unpacking at the same time. I didn’t know where our shower curtain was amongst the boxes for two days, but she was able to play, sleep, and eat like almost-normal.
- Join your local Buy Nothing Group. I’ve known I’m moving for close to a year, and I spent that time relentlessly decluttering my one-bedroom apartment to prepare. And yet… I still unpacked a few boxes with no obvious home (and a few others that were truly confusing… how did I acquire one billion hangers?!). Each day, I took photos of the excess and posted it in my local Buy Nothing Group on Facebook. The next day, everything was promptly picked up for a new home in the neighborhood. I didn’t have to worry about lugging huge bags to a local donation center or unnecessary waste.
- It's OK if it takes a while. I had big ambitions that taking a week off work (a huge privilege) would mean a totally settled home by the time I logged on for work the following Monday morning. Lol. My daughter and I both came down with a truly awful stomach bug on Friday, and we spent our first weekend testing out just how washable her new washable rug and crib mattress were. I fretted for a while about the stagnant to-do list… but finally I just went to sleep. It’s a week later, and I’m still sitting amongst a few boxes and way more piles. But it doesn’t really matter. We’re safe and healthy and we’re going to live here a long time. I’ll get to it.
What are your best unpacking and settling-in tips? I’d love to hear them — you can reply to this email or DM me on Instagram!
Warmly,
Laura
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