Moving house? Eight Tips from a self-proclaimed procrastinator!

If anyone is a moving guru it should be me….except…I’m not.  I am a procrastinator to the core!  I’ve lived in 7 different buildings in the last 5 years.  I remember moving from my junior year apartment to my senior year apartment and my move out day was the Friday leading into Memorial Day weekend.  I had lived alone that spring semester so when it came time to move, I had no help with the packing and cleaning.  I had also never been responsible for getting back a security deposit.  Oh and did I mention I was on the 4^th floor of a building with no air conditioning or elevator?? My mom called her stepdad’s ex-wife’s nephew who brought his two young children to try and get my dresser and bed down the stairs and across campus.  One of my best friends showed up to carpool up north and became an unwilling participant. Yeah, that move probably takes the cake for the worst move out experience so far.  You never really know how much stuff you have until you have to carry it all down the stairs and jam it into a strangers SUV.

As I shit my pants looking at how few days I have to pull this move off, I have compiled a helpful list of 8 things I think are crucial to planning a stress-free move.

1.       First: If you have the funds, I suggest hiring a moving crew and truck.  I did this the last time (when I had engineering job #1).  You can save time and money by packing ahead of time, otherwise they will charge you their hourly rate ($75-100+ an hour) to help you put things in boxes.  They came on time (IMPORTANT), they loaded everything up and unloaded without me noticing any theft or laziness….okay maybe a hint of laziness but it was hot out.  Don’t forget to tip! There are plenty of local and family owned moving businesses in the Milwaukee area to choose from.  (I used All My Sons moving, they called in advance multiple times to confirm the appointment and to update me as the time of arrival changed.  Reasonable prices, friendly service).

2.       Avoid: Last minute rentals.  Especially if you are moving on or close to the first of the month, call early and set something up!  I have attempted to rent from U-Haul on two different moves and each time I’ve had to cancel.  In the rental reservation stage you get to choose what size vehicle you want to reserve and the date/time, but on every confirmation, it was a different truck on a completely different day and time.  If you are hiring help, they should be catering to your schedule, not the other way around.  At the same time, you should give any company enough notice to meet your demands.  

3.       I try to tackle one room at a time.  Pack the things you use the least, first!  Last night I started on my kitchen:  I packed away any bigger appliances like the electric skillet and crock pots into their original boxes and started stacking them in the closet.  I started to go through the drawers and pack away any extra linen and gadgets that aren’t used every day.   As it gets closer I will start to pack up my dishes, pots and pans, and silverware; leaving one or two of each to use up till the move.

4.       Stay organized!  I’ve learned it’s a good idea to label your boxes not only with what room it will go in but also a little summary of what’s inside.  There have been so many times I’ve had to go looking for something and it was still in a box.  Trust me, label everything.

5.       Have a game plan for the larger items.  Especially if you aren’t renting a truck, you’ll have to find a willing friend to haul mattresses, couches, etc.  If things like tables can be disassembled, do it to save space!  I usually try to move all of boxes and smaller items myself and gather everything for last that I need help with.  Then once it’s over, I treat my generous friends to dinner and drinks (they deserve it and you never know when you’ll need their help again!).

6.       “Clean as you go” was a phrase driven into my brain by the food/catering industry.  But it is wise advice for any application.  Don’t be afraid to lighten the load!  Go through your clothes and get rid of anything that doesn’t fit or hasn’t been worn in a year or more.  Donate whatever you can.  Sort through junk drawers and get rid of any clutter.  As you clear a drawer, wipe it down.  Clean out your fridge and try to use any items in your pantry first instead of buying more groceries.  Moving will be less stressful when your place is clean!

7.       Ask for help.  It’s insane to think you can do everything by yourself.  Ask everyone you know for help in advance because nothing is worse than scrambling for extra hands when you’re on a deadline (Memorial Day *cough cough*).  Offer to pay them an hourly rate!  Offer to make them/order them dinner!  Turn it into an impromptu house-warming party!  Ask often and early and let them know how much you appreciate it.

8.       Boxes:  I scavenge freecycle.org on occasion for free boxes, most places I’ve worked have let me take some boxes home for my move, you can try driving past Walmart or Home Depot and seeing if they have any by the dumpsters.  I met someone through work that sells boxes on the side for $1 and I think that’s what I’m going to do this time.  If you’re interested, their site is www.1buckboxes.com.  While browsing through that site I came across another website, www.borrowmybins.com/, where instead of cardboard boxes you can rent plastic bins/boxes in the Milwaukee area.

That’s all for now!  I have more boxes to pack and more drawers to clean…..

Hello again!

I am back on Blogger! I was assigned to start a blog for my company's new website this morning which jerked my memory and viola!.  A lot has happened since last fall.  I spent a few months at a real low in my life.  I lost my confidence in myself after losing my job and failing to locate a new one immediately.  Every job rejection just further chipped away whatever confidence I had in myself and my abilities, which made it difficult just to search for jobs on the couch.  I started to sell myself short and look for positions that I was too over-qualified for.

The relationships in my life started to become strained.  After I told my parents about losing my job, they were very supportive at first but I still couldn't bring myself to ask them for money so I struggled and pinched pennies until I had less than $25.00 in my savings account.  Things between us started to get testy once they summoned me to Green Bay and made me a plan for my life which ultimately pointed to moving in with them and leaving Milwaukee behind.  I started to resent them and their help because I felt like they were trying to take me away from this life I had built down here while I went to Marquette. 

 With no money coming in, I couldn't go out as much.  But I also did not want to go out.  It was hard to see my friends happy and employed with their lives coming together while mine was quickly unraveling.  I avoided any one-on-one time with my best friends, afraid of what they would say to me  once they had me alone. 

Basically I could feel myself crawling into a lonely little place, and I was perfectly content to cut off everyone that cared about me.  The less they knew about how upset I was, the better.  Matt was the only one who really knew how difficult this was for me.  It is truly the mark of a good man, and I love him so much for grabbing my hand and dragging me along when I needed it.  The week we were to leave for New York for our Christmas holiday, I got a call for an interview for a job I had applied to earlier that day.  I went in, had a relaxed conversation, and got a call for a follow up the next day (Friday, the day we were leaving).  I accepted the position just hours before I went up to Green Bay for my parent's Christmas party, and I was able to enjoy my break knowing I would come home and start pulling my life back together (and filling my savings account back up!).

I've been working for just over 2 months now, I love my job.  I am in a position where I feel my knowledge and skills are valued, which was what I was missing at my last job.  I work with really good people. I have begun to stitch my friendships back together, as well as my relationship with my parents.

I spent one third of 2013 feeling like I was failing at life.  One majorly good thing that happened in that time was my weight loss.  As of this morning, I have lost 32 pounds which is about 14% of my starting weight.  I feel better.  I smile more.  I like to go out and see things.  I laugh.

More updates to come, gotta go do some work!

A short rant about government employees PLUS a mini life update

Today was one of those days where you have not a worry in the world (temporarily because let's be real, I have TOO MANY things to worry about) and then one person comes along and brings you back to reality.  I woke up in my super comfortable bed, watched the last half of Inception with the man (his first time, loved it of course), showered, made delicious pizza, put Serendipity in and then got the phone call from the unemployment office.

Okay so I sent in my forms a little late (three days probably, felt bad but I was out of town, didn't have stamps, spilled liquid all over one of them........still my fault though) and the lady on the phone is quizzing me for a massive excuse about why they were late.  She claims they are 10 days late because they were due on the 7th.  I don't know how to explain to someone that a letter just doesn't show up the day you send it AKA I didn't send it 10 days late, it just took a few days with the weekend to get it through. (Also a mini rant here, but why are they still sending forms through the mail if they have a fully functional website where I originally signed up?? ANYWAY) After I told her a couple times about me sending them a few days late and still being interrogated as to the reason I couldn't make it to the post office, this lady tells me that the forms I sent in didn't change her decision about my benefits anyway so WHAT WAS THE POINT OF HARASSING ME ABOUT THE POSTAL SERVICE!!?  It doesn't seem like a big deal but it was her tone of voice and the way she repeated my answer back to me in a question.  She asked me the same thing so many times that twice I asked, "I'm having trouble understanding what to do next because you just keep asking the same thing, what should I do now?"

I try not to judge people before knowing them, and especially in a professional environment it is important not to talk to people like they are lying to you.

SO ANYWAY...

Since the last/first time I posted there have been so many bloggable events in my life and lots of yummy food consumed.  The plan is to upload all of my iPhone pictures and when I don't have wifi I can write up seperate reviews on many of the places I visited.  Keep your heads up for Simple Cafe, Cafe Centraal, Milwaukee Art Museum, Bar Louie, and Paddock Club (a bit of a drive but so SO worth it if you live near Plymouth).

I've spent most of the last 4 hours researching the ketogenic lifestyle and setting up myfitnesspal with the correct macros.  And I am harassing my mom into letting me borrow her food scale so I don't have to spend the $20 for a cheapo Walmart one.  More updates on that to come...(can't decide if I want my 'before' photos posted online but we'll see).

Monday I applied to 4 or 5 companies and yesterday I had a phone interview.  Things are looking up in that department, just not at the unemployment office.

PS: The Onion is hosting a Society of Free Beer event at the Riverwest Filling Station and I happen to love it there so add that to the bloggable list.

I tried to think of a clever title for this first post but all I came up with was...Welcome. How dumb.

I have been a long time reader and fellow obsess-er of blogs and you know that nagging feeling in your head that says "YOU have important thoughts and funny stories, you could do what they do!"?  I am caving.

A little about myself:

My name is Brittany.  I was born and raised in Green Bay, WI. Lovely little cheese eating Wisconsin (the rumors about cheese are true, everyone loves it and eats it all the time.  In fact, I had a half of a block of mild cheddar last night before dinner...which reminds me of how my ex's family used to slice up cheese and put it on the table with any meal so....I'm not as weird as I think.) Anyway my family traveled mucho when I was a kid and we always drove through Milwaukee and I would always get excited to see the "big" "city" (I laugh about it now that I live here because each day it feels smaller and bigger at the same time), and I eventually obviously ended up here.  I got into Marquette University and spent 4 years working on a Civil Engineering degree.  When you are growing up, your parents explain the plan to  you.  Get good grades in high school, go to college, graduate, find a job, find a husband, get married.  So yeah I thought that sounded pretty nice so I went along with it...3.947 GPA in high school (so close....damn), entry to a really good university, fancy degree that promises a bunch of money, perfect perfect boyfriend (with a string of not so perfect boys in between) and the cherry on top: a full time job right out of college!  Perfecto.

So three blissful months of summer go by and there I am, blindly taking everything for granted, going out with friends all the time, taking trips whenever I want, beautiful new apartment, I was spending money on myself now because I could afford it.  And then when I reach my 90 day review I was abruptly "let go" from the company.

It is hard to explain to someone the panic I feel now everyday when I think about it.  I was on track!  I did everything on the checklist.   I used to see people in my position and pity them because I knew how nice it was to have everything in your life put together and now I am one of those people.  I signed up for unemployment the other day.  I clip coupons.  I am sitting in a public library to write this because I have no cable or internet in my expensive apartment that I can't afford the rent to anymore.  And everyone keeps telling me that I will find a job so fast.  It doesn't seem so fast when I see the days go by and the bills come in and there's no magical direct deposit refilling my checking account.

Anyway, after days of doing the nothing I dreamed about when I was at work, I had this idea to keep a blog.  I don't know what of, but when you have 3 people in 2 days tell you that they would read a blog if you wrote one, something like that sits on my brain until I do it.

I am not very good at keeping up with things.  Keeping Up with the Kardashians YES, but not important things like diet, exercise, studying, cleaning, ect.  But this is where I am in life and these are the things I want to work on and showcase on my blog.

1) I got a gym membership before I lost my job and that and Weight Watchers were the only two monthly expenses I couldn't bring myself to cancel.  It will be good for me to keep up with keeping myself healthy.
2) I am a foodie.  I hate that term but that is what I am.  I love food!  I love cooking it, eating it, smelling it, reading about it, watching other people make it on TV, idk there's just something so calming about following the instructions and coming out with something delicious to eat.  With my lack of funds and new healthier lifestyle I am doing deeper research into what kinds of foods are good for my body and bringing my unsuspecting boyfriend with me on this adventure.  I love a good brag to prepare to see some step-by-steps and final products on here.
3) Milwaukee.  I am in a love/hate relationship with this city.  My favorite thing to do is scour Yelp for new places to try.  And now with a blog I get pass it along to the internet!  Much better than spamming everyone's Snapchats.
4) I am a self proclaimed social media whore.  I am a Tumblr addict.  I spend so much time on my iPhone using my bf's wifi I'm surprised he hasn't kicked me out.  Anyway, I have the best and worst sense of humor and I can't wait to showcase that here.

Part of the joys of unemployment benefits is that I have to apply for 4 jobs every week and my total this week so far is ZERO so I am going to cross "create a whiny blog" off my list and move on.  Cheers!