Make A Plan Monday: Cooking in Winter without Electricity

How was your winter?  Any spring in sight yet?

What do you do when the power goes out and its cold outside?  How do you cook?  I've mentioned before different methods of cooking/baking foods without electricity.  Today I am sharing some more about using the Sun Oven on a cold wintery day--to show it does work to cook/bake even in cold temperatures.

In order to use the Sun Oven there does need to be sun, and little or no wind; but other than that even when it is below freezing outside, it still works!  Simply angle the Sun Oven towards the sun, using the leg.  During the summer there is little to no need for that leg in the back, but during the fall, winter and spring it will cook/bake better/faster if the leg is used to tilt the Sun Oven to an angle that helps direct the rays into the oven.  Then like always, rotate the oven every 15-30 minutes to keep the shadows even.  I've noticed that in the winter I need to rotate it more often than in the summer--usually closer to 15 to 20 minutes instead of upwards 30 minutes--to keep the shadows close to equal on both sides.  It takes about 30 minutes to get between 250 and 300 degrees inside the Sun Oven.   Once it is preheated, it is ready to bake and cook--yeah!

The above picture was taken on a wintery day when the electric was working fine.  But, when the power went out with an ice storm we had around here, having this solar oven allowed us to be able to still bake food because thankfully we had sun after the storm went through.  If we hadn't had sun, and only clouds, well then we would have simply had to just use another method of cooking/baking.

Now is a good time to start saving for big items like a Sun Oven that often come on sale during the summer.  Other great items to have on hand for power-outages in winter/cold weather:  blankets, battery/crank/solar powered radio, flashlights & batteries, warm clothing, board games/books to read, powerless/alternative cooking/baking methods & fuel for them, cash (when power out ATM/card swipers don't work), car charger for phones/etc. or other small device charger if wanted/needed, and definitely a plan!!!  A plan of not only what to have available, but what to do during a power-outage, and where to go if necessary.

Make A Plan Monday: Scheduling

How do you organize your schedule, your family's schedule?  How do you remember everything that needs to get done?  Below are some suggestions to help in scheduling individually and as a family.

1.  Have a family planning meeting as regularly as needed--like once a week.  During this meeting discuss what each individuals activities, deadlines, assignments, parties, and so forth are for the week.  This allows everyone to see when things are and can then determine how to help one another in getting things done and/or choosing what things need to wait until another time, it also allows everyone to see what is needed--if something needs to be bought or set aside for a project or an activity.  It helps to do this before menu planning so you can plan meals based on what time-constraints before/after the meal may be.

2.  Daily review the calendar/schedule to refresh your memory about what plans were made for that day, also any changes that need to be made can be made--did something come up that will lengthen or shorten meal preparation, family time or other time?

3.  Don't over-schedule yourself or your family.  If you are finding there are many conflicting schedules, not enough family time, constantly having to revise your schedule, etc.  than it may be time to sit back and only do the essential things, letting extra (fun, entertainment) activities wait for another time.

4.  Determine as a family what is important in your usage of time and what will help you meet your goals.  How much/little family time are you wanting/willing to have/give up?  How often do you want to eat together, play together, etc?  What activities are most important to your family to get done on a daily, weekly basis?

By scheduling effectively as a family, including planning the family needs & wants, time can be saved, money can be saved, there will likely be less frustrations and confusions, and a feeling of control over life by planning and accomplishing steps to reaching our goals.  With planning we use time in the best possible way, we aren't making unnecessary or multiple trips to the store or around town, we aren't having to eat out because of poor planning, or eat microwave freezer dinners either (unless we want to and plan to right?).

Make A Plan Monday: Fire Preparedness

No person that I know of would want their house to catch fire and burn down.  But, it is still wise to make a plan on what to do if it does.  For Family Home Evening, or otherwise as a family, counsel together about what your family can and will do if such a tragedy of a house fire were to happen.  Plan and teach fire safety, escape routes, plan a meeting place, and plan for recovery.

PLAN ESCAPE & MEETING PLACE:  every person in your home who can understand the dangers of a fire and move him/herself to another location should learn and know how to leave through doors or windows.  If bedrooms are on a second or third floor, there are ladders made for fire escape from an upstairs window.  Show how to exit through a window--and let them know that in a fire, if they need to break the window to get out--to do it!  Plan at least one place far enough away from the house that smoke and fire aren't a danger.  If you have a big fenced in yard, it could be in a far corner of the yard, as corners are easier to locate and find in the dark.  Think about which areas of the home family members are most likely to be in and plan a meeting place on that side of the house if possible.  If in an apartment/condo, choose a location in the parking lot or by the mailboxes (if they are in a separate area from the building on fire).

Write down your family escape plan.  Also, it is wise to notify a neighbor or family/friend that is close by about your plan.  Most local fire stations will gladly share fire safety tips and allow for tours where children and adults alike can learn what to do in a fire; call ahead and find out what their guidelines for tours and such are.

PRACTICE:  as a family periodically have fire drills where everyone can practice leaving the home and meeting up at the meeting place.  You can either plan these ahead or do random drills to really test everyone's knowledge.  To make it a little more real, invite a family member or friend to call randomly and notify you that you have 1 minute to leave your home for a fire drill.

PLAN RECOVERY:  Many people pay for fire/home or renter's insurance to help cover costs of items lost in a fire, others plan on simply replacing items over time as they are able.  Whether you carry insurance or not, though, a plan for what to do immediately after a house fire is needed.  Where will you live?  How will you meet basic needs of shelter, food, clothing?  What about documents and such that may have been lost in the fire, did you have a plan for replacing those that can be or reproducing them before a fire and having more than one copy?  Who will be notified of your loss?  How will you handle the emotional side of a house fire?  Do you have a good support system of family and friends?  Making a plan of how you will pull through a house fire tragedy, and possibly even loss of loved ones, will help should that time come that a plan needs to be used.  Without a plan, besides the loss of both things both physical and emotional, on top of everything you'll have to decide what to do, how to do it, etc.

No amount of planning and preparing for disaster ever really makes the disaster a breeze to go through, but it does help at least the emotional side of things to have thought it out and planned to the best we could.  The disaster very well may destroy any physical preparations, but I believe with physical, emotional and spiritual preparation we are better prepared to endure it well.

Make A Plan Monday: Alternative Cooking/Powerless Cooking

Making a plan for cooking when there is no electricity.  For the month of June I want to focus on sharing information about cooking without electricity.

If you had to go without electricity for more than a day, what would you eat?  What if you didn’t have electricity for 1 or more weeks?  Would you still be able to eat without going to a restaurant and without eating the same things, like granola bars or peanut butter and crackers, over and over and over?  By having one or more alternative cooking methods available, you can cook food thus widening your menu choices.  Obviously because there is no freezer or fridge available you will need to adjust recipes to make just enough to eat in one sitting, and use items that are shelf stable to begin with, but by being able to cook you have lots more variety.   Below are some examples of food items that don’t require any cooking, and then some examples of food items that can be made using shelf stable items and cooked.  Neither list is exhaustive, but simply a sample of what can be stored and eaten when there is no electricity and to show the wider range of food items that can be eaten when there is a way to cook food.

No cooking required food examples:  granola bars (premade); peanut butter and crackers, canned fruits (and veggies, but not very good cold), canned chicken salad (using small mayo packets that are shelf stable until opened), trail mix, jerky, any bread/muffins that has already been made.

Shelf Stable cooked foods examples:  oatmeal/grits, soups/chilis, pancakes, breads, casseroles, pasta and sauce, muffins, mac & cheese, MREs, other prepared meals made for shelf stable storage.

Make A Plan Monday: Freezer Inventory

April Showers...Freezing Food

Have you ever forgotten you had this or that because it wasn't out in the open or wasn't written down in an inventory?  Have you ever had to throw out food because it didn't get eaten in time or it got freezer burn--or you couldn't identify it?

Today I want to share my thoughts on keeping a freezer inventory and how I label foods I freeze, at least when I'm being good about labeling that is.  Freezing food does NOT make it last forever, or even years.  Freezing simply slows down the processes that cause food to go bad, it does not stop or kill the organisms--that is why once you defrost food it has to be used and can't just stay on the counter or in the fridge for long periods of time.  Some foods freeze better and longer than others, so besides inventorying your food, you should learn how to best freeze it and how long to freeze it for best results.

Inventories for your freezer, as well as other food (pantry, food storage, etc) is a good way to keep track of what you have and what you need to rotate through.  Below is a very simple freezer inventory that I have used with success--meaning I know what I have and can make a plan to use it while it is nutritionally, taste, texture and sight wise the best.

An inventory can be made on the computer or written out by hand, either works.

From the tables, a freezer inventory includes the type of food, amount, when to use it by and location, the date you put it in can also be included, but I think the more important date is the use by date.  Some freezer foods come with use by dates on them, others don't.  In general for home goods--leftovers, freezer meals, things like that I try to use them up within 1 month.  For meats, and store bought goods I follow basic freezer guidelines that can be found in food preserving books & resources, or in general I say 1-3 months for those things, depending if they are raw or cooked.  For things like flour, yeast, dried foods, etc. I use a 6-12 month time frame.

When I use something, I change the amount if I didn't use all of it, or I cross it off my list if I used all of it.  Yes, this means that every month or so a new inventory is needed to keep it up to date.  Most foods don't last long enough for a freezer inventory to only be updated once a year or even once every 6 months; it will need to be updated frequently so I keep mine on the fridge.  You can keep both the fridge freezer and the chest/upright freezer (if have one) inventories on one page or do a separate inventory for each one.  A separate one would be handy if the foods in the chest freezer are longer storage foods that can be stored 3-12 months instead of 1-3 months.  In the example above, I put them together.

The type of food, the type of container and the freezer temperature all play a part in how well and how long the food will maintain nutrition, taste, & texture.  By having an inventory, you will be able to know what needs to be used, and when it needs to be used so that food doesn't go to waste.  Also, by properly preparing and labeling foods when they are put into a freezer, waste can be limited.

When I label foods, besides simply saying what the food is (if not store bought), I put the date I am freezing it as well as the date I hope to use it by, plus any other information that would be helpful like bake temps and times, if it isn't something that doesn't already have that on it.

Examples:  store bought lasagna:  leave in packaging, label with date bought and date to use by; homemade lasagna:  freeze in pan going to use to cook it--if using disposable pan can leave it in it, if using regular baking pan, freeze in pan than remove from pan; wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and place in a freezer bag--labeling lasagna, date frozen and when to use it by, along with bake temp and times if frozen or thawed.

Properly preparing, labeling and inventorying food for the freezer can help limit food waste.  It can also help the food budget as foods aren't wasted, and foods can be bought and made in bulk.

Make A Plan Monday: Water Storage

"April Showers brings May flowers."  For the month of April I will be focusing on water safety, storage and such.  Today, I will simply start with the current guidelines found in the All Is Safely Gathered In pamphlet as found in the March 2009 Ensign or here:  https://www.lds.org/bc/content/shared/content/english/pdf/language-materials/04008_eng.pdf?lang=eng

Guideline 2:  Store Drinking Water

1. Store for times clean water supply is interrupted or non-existant
2. Ways to accomplish:
1. If water comes from a trusted source (pretreated) then no additional purification is needed—simply put into the container you will be using.
2. If water isn’t purified:  need purify first.
3. Containers:  use sturdy, leak-proof/break resistant and clean containers.
1. 2 or 3 liter pop or juice bottles work well
2. Those blue water barrels
3. Milk jugs will only work for a short time—the plastic eventually begins to break down, so it isn’t wise to store in these for long periods of time.  But would be ok for short term water storage.
4. Do not use bottles or containers that had chemicals in them (i.e. bleach bottles)
4. Storage:  store away from light, heat and the floor (cement floors particularly).  If using large barrels, place on wood or something, water is heavy so you will need to have it in an area that you won’t have to move it (hopefully).  If using large barrels, remember you will need a bung wrench and pump.
1. If you don’t have the “ideal” situation (dark, cool), you can cover the container with those black yard waste bags to decrease the light.  Bacteria needs light and heat to grow.
3. Rotation:  if stored & purified properly in completely leak proof containers, it could technically store indefinitely, but generally, plan on rotating every 1-5 years.  Check your storage periodically for leaks, or other noticeable changes (odor, color, etc.).  To rotate you can use it for drinking and cooking or for watering plants and gardens.

Make A Plan Monday: Making a Plan to Use Food Storage

Making a plan to use your food storage regularly doesn't have to be an intense and undesirable work.  Here are some simple ideas that could help incorporate food storage regularly as far as planning it, last week I shared some ideas on using specific long-term food items in this post: Miscellaneous Monday:  Ideas On Incorporating Food Storage.

By choosing a meal or a day each week or month to focus on using food storage items--either in recipes you already know and like or in trying new ones--you are planning a way to rotate and use your food storage.  Examples:  Make at least one dish using food storage items that you need to rotate through--every 1st Saturday, or every Friday or every day of the first week in the month, etc.  Fridays are my day to focus on food storage items, but I tend to slip them in other days too.  Plan and do what works for you.

Also, when you make your shopping list and menu plan, plan meals and recipes based first on what you have on hand that needs to be used, then what is on sale both for stocking up and for using that week to make meals cost less, then choose meals/recipes that will allow you to use something from your food storage, and then of course any special occasions that you need to plan and shop for like birthdays, parties and such.

If you have food storage items that you aren't familiar with in taste and use, start small and simple.  Don't start using recipes that you are unfamiliar with and totally different from what you normally eat, but rather start using your food storage by adding it to meals you already enjoy.  Like adding a little whole wheat flour into baked goods, or adding a little cooked cracked wheat to ground meat dishes that you already enjoy.  Once you become accustomed to using food storage in everyday ways, and you want to expand your usage and tastes, you can try new recipes and techniques for preparing the food like making wheat gluten mock meats and such.

Most of the long-term food storage items can simply be added or used to substitute ingredients in many recipes you may already make; but it can also be fun to try completely new recipes and techniques using these and other food storage items.   Using some of the food storage will take advanced planning to be able to incorporate it; an example is wheat, it will need to be cooked, ground or sprouted first before it can be used.

Have fun planning and using your food storage.

Make A Plan Monday: Hurricane Info

We are in the midst of another hurricane season.  Below are some links to basic information about preparing for and understanding hurricanes as well as hurricane shutters.

hurricane prep: basic info:  http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/basics.shtml

why you want shutters:  http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/C6.html

plywood shutters:  http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/shutters/index2.html

shutter FAQ:  http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/shutters/index1.html

shutter types:  http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/shutters/index3.html, http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/sfl-hc-shutterguide,0,4823608.htmlstory, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/retrofit/shutters.shtml

I hope these links help in better understanding hurricanes and how to prepare a home for them.  When in Florida the local church my family went to used panel steel shutters that were removable, but throughout the community the many different types of shutters were used along with plywood.  Whichever is chosen to be used, it is wise to plan for how to protect homes and structures.

Wednesday Why: Dry Milk & Hurricane Prep Resources

Two questions for today:  1.  Milky May: What is the storage life of powdered milk?  and 2.  What are some resources for the coastal communities in South Carolina and Georgia to prepare for hurricane season which officially starts this Friday?

1.  What is the storage life of powdered milk?

Instant powdered milk has a little less storage life than non-instant.  Both can last in a dark cool space unopened for about a year (non-instant can last about 3-6 months longer on the shelf than instant).  Humidity, heat and exposure to air will reduce both the storage life and the taste.  If sealed in #10 cans or mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, the shelf-life is greatly increased--as long as it is stored in a cool dark place it can last up to 20 years, albeit the taste may not be maintained that long so it is still good to rotate through your dry milk much sooner--maybe every 5-7 years for best taste, taste diminishes with both time and air exposure.  As long as it has been stored properly, the milk will retain its nutrients and will be good for baking or cooking if not tasteful enough for drinking.  If the milk has a rancid smell or taste, toss it.  It is better to be overly cautious than sick.

2.  What are some resources for coastal communities in SC and GA to prepare for hurricane season?

The following links contain information more focused to SC and GA, but it is sound information for anyone wanting to prepare for hurricanes, storms or other disasters.  If you do live in a coastal community, it is wise to prepare and plan for your family.  Prepare supplies you may need both in the event your stay as well in the event you may have to evacuate.  Plan as a family what and when you will implement your plans should a disaster happen.  Be sure to gather and inspect supplies for 72 hour kits for each member of the family, including pets and to review family evacuation plans noting community traffic changes during disasters (some lanes/roads may be closed and/or traffic direction reversed).

http://www.scemd.org/index.php/component/content/article/21-public-information-home-page/public-information/142-south-carolina-hurricane-guide:  this will get you to a South Carolina Emergency Management Division hurricane guide that can be printed (the front page of this guide is the image above, from this website, it is also the guide being delivered with many coastal community newspapers in SC, so be sure to save and review your copy to be sure you are prepared as best you can)

 It includes the following information:  descriptions of tropical cyclones & the accompanying watches and warnings, mitigation (things you can do to reduce or avoid loss of life and property), emergency alert systems and radio stations for weather, important phone numbers and websites, how to prepare as a family, evacuation information

http://www.scemd.org/index.php/news-release:  includes information about the hurricane guide and such, the following quote comes from this link: 

“SCEMD will be using social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and others to communicate important safety information during large scale emergencies as well as passing along preparedness tips and useful information. Everyone is encouraged to visit our recently updated website for links to our social media pages. Follow SCEMD on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at www.facebook.com/SCEMD, www.twitter.com/EMDSC and www.youtube.com/TheSCEMD.”

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/:  links to information and youtube videos on preparedness issues like a brief video reminding people they need to prepare despite not knowing when or where a storm may hit:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9-s4iU1yHI&cc_load_policy=1&list=PL63A9138A2047B1A4

http://www.thecoastalsource.com/content/weather/hurricane/default.aspx:  links to both Georgia and South Carolina evacuation information

http://www2.wsav.com/weather/hurricanes/evacuation/:  information on evacuation for both Georgia and South Carolina areas

Make A Plan Monday: Organizing

In our efforts to organize, we may think like the young girl who told her mom upon seeing a waterskier:  "Look at that man.  He'll never catch that boat." (source unknown).  We need to positively think about organizing and our ability to do so.

When we are determined to change and organize our lives and homes, we need to plan for what we can do, beginning simply, not trying to do it all at once.  If we don't want to become overwhelmed and thereby give up, we need to think about the time and resources we have to get organized.  Most of us don't have all day to do any one thing, but we can usually manage small increments of time, whether it be 10, 15, or 20 minutes or even while we are talking on the phone.

An important part of organizing is scheduling, including a set time to organize or maintain that which is already organized.  A weekly family planning meeting is very helpful in determining what needs to get done and any extra things we may be able to accomplish based on the family needs and activities going on.  It greatly helps to have the whole family know what things are going on in advance rather than 5 minutes before!

There are many areas in our homes and lives that need and benefit from organization.  Some examples--finances, meal planning, scheduling, housework, shopping, education, gospel study, preparing for specific activities, specific rooms and areas of the house and yard, etc.  We may be quite organized in some of these areas, but have utter chaos in others.

We invite the spirit into our lives and homes by organizing--whether it is discarding bad habits and developing good ones or by having a clean home.  The scriptures teach that the spirit doesn't dwell in unholy places (or unclean places).  I know I am calmer and happier when my surroundings are clean and organized, when things are planned out and going as planned.  The Lord has given us a mind to think and lead to actions, we can use it to better organize ourselves and our family, thus doing more to invite the spirit into our homes and lives.

(The thoughts above come from a RS class on organizing that I taught 4 or 5 years ago)

Make A Plan Monday: Planning

If we don’t plan or organize our homes, times, activities, etc. we may find our lives being too full, too empty, or simply frustrating.  But we can limit the amount of wasted time and space, the amount of frustrations if we will simply seek to organize.

Why want an organized home, schedule, life, etc.?  Personally, I want to have a home and life where my family can feel things like love, peace, comfort and joy-fruits of the spirit.  I want to have a home where most of the time spent as a family is doing things that bring joy.  I want to have a home where decisions can be made easily and willingly.  I believe these things are more likely to be accomplished when we seek to organize ourselves, our home and our time.

Some things that I have found that help accomplish these desires:

1. Living the gospel of Jesus Christ, really making it a part of who I and the members of my family are.  President Ezra Taft Benson said, "When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives.  Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities."  (Ensign, May 1988).
2. Taking care of our health.  Getting enough and a proper balance of rest, food, and recreation/exercise.
3. Individuals within the family take care to fulfill their responsibilities and work together to accomplish goals willingly.
4. Properly planning and preparing for activities, routines, the day, etc.
5. Things having a proper place (both in hearts and in home) and being cared for and cleaned regularly.

Some things that I believe may hinder or prevent the above mentioned desires from being accomplished:

1. Not living the gospel of Jesus Christ daily and fully.
2. Unbalanced health:  too little or too much sleep, food, exercise.
3. Individuals within the family are unable or unwilling to fulfill their responsibilities and/or don’t work together well.
4. Improper planning and preparation for the day, activities
5. Things not working properly, not taken care of or things not having their own spot or not being put in their own spot; things &/or schedules becoming more important than relationships.

Some examples of planning:  

Time & things:  Most of the time my family is early for church on Sunday. But, occasionally we lose track of time or didn’t properly plan by having everything ready before Sunday--like making sure everything is clean and ironed, or even can be found because it is in its place.  I personally don’t like to be late and so by being organized in time and things, I do more to prevent tardiness.

Budget:  When shopping, if I take time to go through the ads, to write down prices and such, and make menus based on what I already have that needs to be used and on whats on sale, I do a better job of sticking within the budget I have.

Cleaning:  In regards to cleanliness of a home, like surfaces being cleaned regularly, cleanliness is on a pendulum, it comes and goes quickly--though it stays cleaner longer when everyone is asleep or gone.  Things will not stay cleaned indefinitely, especially with kids or pets.  But thinking through the cleaning that needs to be done can help make use of the time and reduce stress caused by repetition.  What I mean by this is like waiting to mop until after the yard work is done so that it won't need to be done again after dirt is tracked in, or cleaning from top to bottom, left to right (or right to left as long as you are consistent) so things don't get dirty again while doing something on top or next to it.  Also planning who is going to do what & when (by what time is it to be done?), as well as how it is to be done--if you want things done a specific way you will need to plan training time into the cleaning time.

Below are some thoughts from a RS class I taught on home organization 4 or 5 years ago.

In order to organize ourselves, our home, etc. we need to consider some basic steps or preparations to do so.  These would include:

1. Desire and motivation to change current habits, lifestyles, living areas, etc. in order to become organized.

2. Have specific goals in mind, write them down, post them where they will be seen, and make sure family members are aware of these goals and can participate.

3. Set your plan in motion.  You can do it, seek the help of the Lord and you will be guided.

4. Periodically schedule a review/evaluation of how things are going, praise yourself for what you have accomplished, decide if and where more changes are needed, etc.

The answers to the following questions will also help to know where to begin, how to tailor a plan for individuals and families and how to not to do more at once than you can handle so we can be diligent in what we do choose to do.

1. Why do you want to be organized?  What goals do you have in regards to becoming organized?

2. What keeps you from being organized, or rather what do you feel hinders you from feeling organized?  (interruptions, health, scheduling, kids, small areas, large areas, no room, etc.)  These things shouldn't give us the go ahead to not be organized, they may slow us down, but certainly shouldn't stop us from reaching our goals.

3. What do you like to do, what would you do with the time &/or freed up by being organized?

4. What is irritating you and/or your family members?  (what's for dinner?, I can't find..., phone interruptions, last minute runs to grab/do this or that..., etc.)

5. Do I really need this/that?  When do I use this?  Could someone else use this more than me?  This of course is referring to items, but could also refer to things eating away our time--TV, activities, etc.

6. Do I think things through before doing them?  Why do I do certain things, or in a certain way--is it really because it is efficient and the best way to do it or simply because don't know another way?  Example:  how clean the bathroom--what do you start and end with, do you end up doing something over again because did it before doing something else?

I hope these questions and thoughts help in making any changes that would make life more bearable, more enjoyable and easier.

Make A Plan Monday: Moving

Have you ever had to move?  It's not exactly an easy task.  It is much easier when you have a plan.

I found the http://pinchalittlesavealot.blogspot.com/ website over the weekend.  It has wonderful free printables that helps plan and organize a move.  Hence the thought to share a post on making a plan when moving.  The picture below is from that website and represents some of the printables in the moving kit, but the website also has many other wonderful printables that can help with household management as well as simply fun holiday printables.

The method used here is color coordinating boxes with rooms, using a different color for each room or area of a home and then when packing boxes marking them simply with the color that corresponds with the room the box should end up in once moved.

Below are some ideas on cutting down when preparing to move and on organization methods while packing/unpacking. (these ideas come from a class I taught on organization/moving organization a few years back)

Ask yourself these questions in determining whether it is worth it to you to keep & move an item with you or to get rid of it by selling, giving or tossing it away.

1. Does it have a purpose?  Will the item continue to be useful after the move?  Is the item really needed?
2. Will it have its own place after move?  Or will it be required to be stored out of site (and thereby out of mind)?
3. Do you love/like/hate the item?  Will it make you happy to see the item again when it is unpacked?
4. Would it be cheaper to replace the item rather than moving/storing it?  If storing:  does the storage space/cost of storage justify the storage of the items?

Once you decide what to take, you will need to plan and organize your packing and moving.  Whichever method of organizing your move you choose, it is wise to keep an inventory of all possessions, small and great.

Possible methods to organize a move:

A-B-C or 1-2-3 method:  Mark boxes with an A, B or C based on how soon you will need the box--A’s get opened and unpacked first, B’s next and C’s last.  Or 1, 2, 3 respectively.  This method works well when there is priority to certain boxes, but not on others; or when certain boxes are meant to stay packed for storage (works well if a move is going to be short term).

Consecutive numbering method:  Number boxes with next number, inventorying its contents as you go.  This method works well if multiple room/area items are put into the same box--to use up box space and distribute weight between boxes or simply to pack as you go items that can be packed from multiple rooms.

Color or Letter method:  Each room has a color or letter.  Boxes that contain items that go with that room will be marked with the corresponding color or letter.  This method works well when wanting to unpack by area or room.

Combining methods:  combining any of the above methods (or other methods) like  Color + ABC/123 or # + ABC.  This method works well when want to unpack by room/area but also by priority or simply unpack numbered boxes by priority (see below inventory table for an example).

Inventories: Unless you like being driven mad with trying to find something or wondering if you have something, you will want to inventory your items--whether you are moving or not this is a good idea.  When packing a box, even if you write what is in the box on the box, it is still an excellent idea to write the contents on an actual household inventory list--you can alphabetize it or simply organize the inventory by box # or whatever, however it is done it is very helpful!

An example of a box inventory:  if doing by room color, simply color in the box with the number or next to it with the corresponding room color.

Box #/ABC	contents
1-A	frying pan, plates, bowls, cups, forks, knives, spoons
2-C	school year books, sport trophies
3-B	office files

Just one other kind of related suggestion:  Keep a camera with you--don't pack it away.  Why?  You will want to take pictures of the home you are leaving after your stuff is out of it, as well as the one you are moving into before your stuff is put into it--this is so that any damages can be noted by picture, but also so you have some good pictures of what the home looks like before/after you move.  Whether renting or buying I think taking pictures is a good idea so you have picture reference of it all.

Happy moving!  Remember make a plan, execute the plan and then enjoy the results the plan--an organized less stressful move.