How to Create a Thirty Day Planning Calendar for Moving

You're moving and you would be excited if you didn't dread all the work ahead. How will you ever decide what to do and how to do it? By using a countdown calendar , you can have a checklist for each week so that you are good to go on moving day.

Things You'll Need

• Moving boxes and packing supplies
• Markers
• A notebook just for the move

Instructions

1. Organize your ideas on the first day of the first week. Write down the things you need to pack up, room by room. This is your packing list to cross out as you go. Write a separate list of things you want to give or throw away. Think about the curtains, bathroom color schemes and all outgrown clothes and toys that may be easier not to pack.

2. Get a few big bags and boxes and start tossing the giveaways and throwaways into these the first week. Concentrate on getting rid of everything you can't use in your new place (like those 200 old VHS movies no one ever watches and toys, games and sports equipment that have sat idly for a good while). Go through kids' toys and games with them to prevent fights and tears later. Take everything to donate to the local charity, take the trash outside and don't look back. You will never get done if you do.

3. Call the movers in the second week and make your arrangements. Get moving boxes (office-supply stores have wonderfully heavy boxes with lids that paper comes in) and packing materials such as old newspapers, bubble wrap or pieces of cardboard. You can get short rolls of clean newsprint free from any newspaper. Start packing the things up in the spare rooms first in week two. Then move to the living room and kitchen. Pack up everything you will not be using for the next few weeks. Mark the boxes well -- write the room and general contents on each. Take down curtains in unused rooms -- or those with good blinds in them. Save the garage and/or shed for a Saturday when the whole family can help. This is usually the worst job to tackle.

4. Start week three with a refrigerator and freezer inspection. Plan to use up what you have and don't buy any food you don't have to. Stock up on cleaning supplies if you need them. Make calls this week. Call a babysitter for moving day if you have small children. Arrange for the pets to be in a kennel or at a friend's house for the day. Go to the post office and get all the change-of-address forms. Continue to whittle down the packing. Leave only a couple of weeks of clothing for each child. Keep the laundry caught up and pack what you don't need.

5. Start cleaning in week four. The unused rooms should be empty, so wash windows, mop or vacuum and then close the room off, telling the family it's now off limits. Clean the cellar, garage and shed when family is around to help. Continue packing -- you need only a week's worth of clothing and food, so box up everything else. As you count down, empty and clean each room and close it up. Clean your stove, fridge and other appliances toward the end of the week. By week's end you should be all ready to go.

Tips & Warnings

• Throw out or give away everything that your family doesn't use. It will save a lot of work and start your new place off cleaner.

• Mark your boxes well or unpacking will be a nightmare.

• Get the kids and pets taken care of on moving day -- you won't have time to watch them.

• Don't clean a room until it's empty. Then close it up and stay out of it. There's no need in doing anything twice.