As many of you know, a few months ago I was faced with a difficult decision--to move to a new town in another state (you can read about it in my blog post, "When God's Plans and Your Plans Don't Mesh") or to stay put. Over the summer, I've shared our moving journey and how we've remodeled much of the first floor of our new house. Today, I'm sharing a few of the perks I've enjoyed from the move.
1. Close proximity to schools, grocery stores, library, and my husband's job.
I never realized how much time I actually spent in my car until we moved here. Where before, stores and schools--even baseball practice--were a minimum of fifteen minutes away, now we're within five minutes of schools, a large grocery store, baseball diamonds, and the library. An added bonus? I used to drive 50 minutes to have coffee with writer friends. Now the commute is fifteen. I love it!
2. An established neighborhood with sidewalks and friendly neighbors.
Our previous home was in a subdivision, but it was new and underdeveloped. I really enjoy walking my little dog around our new neighborhood, which is full of mature trees, pretty landscaping, and people who wave and say "hi." Maybe not everyone would think this is a perk, but I certainly do!
3. Gorgeous parks only minutes from our house.
I'm a nature gal; always have been, always will be. So when I drove a short ten minutes to one of the most beautiful metro-parks I've seen, my soul sang. We've been too busy and the weather has been unusually hot this summer to explore the trails, but in a few weeks we'll be hiking, and I can't wait.
4. Fantastic shopping and a movie theater nearby.
Confession time: I'm a snob when it comes to malls. Before we moved, we had a shopping mall, but it had lost all of its anchor stores except for Target, and it lacked variety. Since our old town was within 45 minutes of three big cities, we usually drove to one of their malls for major shopping trips. Imagine my delight when we found a new, incredible outdoor shopping mall, with a movie theater, minutes away.
Maybe you're noticing a theme? The biggest perk of our move is we have gained time, precious minutes and hours that used to be spent driving in a car. With that time, we are saving money. We were spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars on gas for our vehicles each month. I am estimating our gas budget will be cut in half.
What is your favorite thing about where you live? Least favorite? I'm curious what perks you get from where you live!
Have a fabulous weekend!
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Friday, August 17, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
No Kitchen? No Problem!
It's been one month since I last enjoyed a fully functioning kitchen. I have to say, it hasn't been as horrific as anticipated. Maybe it's because my husband is so dedicated and has worked hard to keep the project moving, I don't know, but the end is in sight, and I couldn't be happier!
When we decided to gut the kitchen, I worried about meals during the renovation. Eating out frequently would kill our budget, not to mention my waistline, so I knew I'd have to get creative about cooking.
We have a working refrigerator in our garage, and our new house has an upstairs laundry room with a wash tub. Two problems solved right there! Cold storage and a sink. :) We set up a temporary kitchenette in the formal dining room. Until last week, a microwave took up half of our table, and I stacked my small appliances (electric skillet, crock pot, and griddler) in a laundry basket on the floor.
Our coffee maker and toaster stay on a small folding table, and I keep the handful of dishes we use there too.
One choice we made based on the lack of sink on the main floor was to use plastic silverware and paper plates. I confiscated a few cheapie shelves from my kids' rooms to store a small assortment of dry goods and the paper plates and such.
I found it challenging to cook meals for a month without the use of an oven or stove. Thank goodness the refrigerated section offers such a wide variety of ready-made foods. Here is a sample of some of the meals we enjoyed:
- Crock pot roast beef with ready-made mashed potatoes (we all decided the ready-made mashed potatoes must be full of cream and butter because they are delicious!)
- Hot dogs or brats on the grill w/baked beans heated up in the microwave
- Grilled pork chops, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, deli pasta salad
- Grilled chicken tenders marinated in Italian dressing, large green salad
- Caeser salad with breadsticks
- Lasagna from the freezer section, salad, breadsticks
- Shrimp stir-fry with ready-made rice
- Chicken rice casserole (this was the only meal we all hated!)
- Grilled cheese sandwiches, chips
- Steak or Chicken tacos using frozen, cooked meat
Using ready-made products added to my overall food budget, but it still was a quarter of the price of eating out. Plus, we saved time, and we tend to eat less portion-wise when we dine at home.
Although our kitchen isn't 100% finished (next up--installing the sink, dishwasher, and stove!), I'll be unpacking our dishes this week. I'm so excited!
Have you ever had to live without a fully functioning kitchen? How did you do it? Any tricks you care to share?
Enjoy your Wednesday!
When we decided to gut the kitchen, I worried about meals during the renovation. Eating out frequently would kill our budget, not to mention my waistline, so I knew I'd have to get creative about cooking.
We have a working refrigerator in our garage, and our new house has an upstairs laundry room with a wash tub. Two problems solved right there! Cold storage and a sink. :) We set up a temporary kitchenette in the formal dining room. Until last week, a microwave took up half of our table, and I stacked my small appliances (electric skillet, crock pot, and griddler) in a laundry basket on the floor.
Our coffee maker and toaster stay on a small folding table, and I keep the handful of dishes we use there too.
One choice we made based on the lack of sink on the main floor was to use plastic silverware and paper plates. I confiscated a few cheapie shelves from my kids' rooms to store a small assortment of dry goods and the paper plates and such.
I found it challenging to cook meals for a month without the use of an oven or stove. Thank goodness the refrigerated section offers such a wide variety of ready-made foods. Here is a sample of some of the meals we enjoyed:
- Crock pot roast beef with ready-made mashed potatoes (we all decided the ready-made mashed potatoes must be full of cream and butter because they are delicious!)
- Hot dogs or brats on the grill w/baked beans heated up in the microwave
- Grilled pork chops, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes, deli pasta salad
- Grilled chicken tenders marinated in Italian dressing, large green salad
- Caeser salad with breadsticks
- Lasagna from the freezer section, salad, breadsticks
- Shrimp stir-fry with ready-made rice
- Chicken rice casserole (this was the only meal we all hated!)
- Grilled cheese sandwiches, chips
- Steak or Chicken tacos using frozen, cooked meat
Using ready-made products added to my overall food budget, but it still was a quarter of the price of eating out. Plus, we saved time, and we tend to eat less portion-wise when we dine at home.
Although our kitchen isn't 100% finished (next up--installing the sink, dishwasher, and stove!), I'll be unpacking our dishes this week. I'm so excited!
Have you ever had to live without a fully functioning kitchen? How did you do it? Any tricks you care to share?
Enjoy your Wednesday!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Scared of the DMV?
I'll admit it. I'm scared of the BMV (Bureau of Motor Vehicles). You may have a DMV. We've had those too. They aren't any better.
Since moving in early July, we put off getting our new drivers licenses, new plates, and new vehicle registrations as long as we could, but the time had come to do it.
First, I had to locate the nearest agency, find directions, and figure out what documents we would need. This alone caused shallow breathing. I've had more than one rough experience at the BMV--if it isn't getting into the wrong, endless line and having to start over in another endless line, it's not having the proper documents and having to come back.
Thinking I might need a paper bag to avoid hyperventilation, I printed out the locations and stepped away from the computer. Just finding this info took 15 minutes. By the time I clicked throught the various links to figure out what to bring, I needed a break. A three-day break.
So, here's a question for you--do you know where all of your birth certificates, social security cards, marriage certificate, vehicle titles, vehicle loan contracts, registrations, proofs of insurance, and proof of residency documents are located? No? Yes? Well, you're going to have to find them. Because the clerk will NEED THEM ALL.
When I'd tracked all of these down along with a few vials of blood (just in case), we headed to the strip mall across town and got in line. Naturally, we chose the wrong line, but we were blessed. The place hadn't filled up yet. However, things were about to get weird.
We were informed since we were from out of state, we would need to take a written test. Written test?? My palms grew clammy, and I squeaked out, "Are you serious?"
Yes. She was.
I haven't taken a written test since...well, probably since I was fifteen years old. So my husband and I took our matching driver's training booklets, sat in chairs, and proceeded to skim the 85 page manual for the next 20 minutes. Finally, I grew agitated, slapped the booklet shut, and announced I was taking my chances.
We entered the other line. And found out we had to take vision tests too. I fidgeted, wondering if my blurry vision from seasonal allergies would fail me. Luckily, the tester was really nice, and we flew through the test in no time at all.
Then, we each were assigned a station to take the written test. I thought the set-up was pretty cool. Touchscreens gave clear directions and even let you know if your answer was correct. I got a bit worried at a few questions, but managed to pass that bad boy. Score!
Next up? More waiting. We had to get back into the original line to actually get our new licenses. We filled out more paperwork, paid the lady, took our pictures, and sat back down to wait for the new cards.
One step down! So I look sunburned and frightened in my picture--at least I have a valid ID. :)
After this phase, our clerk did a quick inspection of our vehicles, wrote up some paperwork, and sent us three doors down to get new titles. Once completed, we headed back to the BMV and got to the final portion of our trip--the new registrations and plates. When we exited the building, we both sighed in relief, feeling a bit drained.
Let's tally the numbers: Prep work--1.5 hours (researching BMV stuff, finding documents, etc...), heart palpatations and sweat attacks--12 (finding out I might not have the proper proof of residency started them and finding out about the written test didn't help!), actual time at BMV--2 hours, number of checks written--3, feelings of satisfaction that I don't have to go through that for a long, long time--countless!!
Do you fear the department of motor vehicles? Tell me I'm not the only one!
Have a great day!
Since moving in early July, we put off getting our new drivers licenses, new plates, and new vehicle registrations as long as we could, but the time had come to do it.
First, I had to locate the nearest agency, find directions, and figure out what documents we would need. This alone caused shallow breathing. I've had more than one rough experience at the BMV--if it isn't getting into the wrong, endless line and having to start over in another endless line, it's not having the proper documents and having to come back.
Thinking I might need a paper bag to avoid hyperventilation, I printed out the locations and stepped away from the computer. Just finding this info took 15 minutes. By the time I clicked throught the various links to figure out what to bring, I needed a break. A three-day break.
So, here's a question for you--do you know where all of your birth certificates, social security cards, marriage certificate, vehicle titles, vehicle loan contracts, registrations, proofs of insurance, and proof of residency documents are located? No? Yes? Well, you're going to have to find them. Because the clerk will NEED THEM ALL.
When I'd tracked all of these down along with a few vials of blood (just in case), we headed to the strip mall across town and got in line. Naturally, we chose the wrong line, but we were blessed. The place hadn't filled up yet. However, things were about to get weird.
We were informed since we were from out of state, we would need to take a written test. Written test?? My palms grew clammy, and I squeaked out, "Are you serious?"
Yes. She was.
I haven't taken a written test since...well, probably since I was fifteen years old. So my husband and I took our matching driver's training booklets, sat in chairs, and proceeded to skim the 85 page manual for the next 20 minutes. Finally, I grew agitated, slapped the booklet shut, and announced I was taking my chances.
We entered the other line. And found out we had to take vision tests too. I fidgeted, wondering if my blurry vision from seasonal allergies would fail me. Luckily, the tester was really nice, and we flew through the test in no time at all.
Then, we each were assigned a station to take the written test. I thought the set-up was pretty cool. Touchscreens gave clear directions and even let you know if your answer was correct. I got a bit worried at a few questions, but managed to pass that bad boy. Score!
Next up? More waiting. We had to get back into the original line to actually get our new licenses. We filled out more paperwork, paid the lady, took our pictures, and sat back down to wait for the new cards.
One step down! So I look sunburned and frightened in my picture--at least I have a valid ID. :)
After this phase, our clerk did a quick inspection of our vehicles, wrote up some paperwork, and sent us three doors down to get new titles. Once completed, we headed back to the BMV and got to the final portion of our trip--the new registrations and plates. When we exited the building, we both sighed in relief, feeling a bit drained.
Let's tally the numbers: Prep work--1.5 hours (researching BMV stuff, finding documents, etc...), heart palpatations and sweat attacks--12 (finding out I might not have the proper proof of residency started them and finding out about the written test didn't help!), actual time at BMV--2 hours, number of checks written--3, feelings of satisfaction that I don't have to go through that for a long, long time--countless!!
Do you fear the department of motor vehicles? Tell me I'm not the only one!
Have a great day!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
My Tips for a Smooth Move
Two weeks ago we moved during the hottest ten days of the summer. Loading a U-Haul, unloading a U-Haul, and unpacking, painting, and remodeling during 100-102 degree heat (don't get me started on the obnoxious humidity!!) does not make for a smooth move! However, we worked hard to make our transition as easy as possible.
My Tips for a Smooth Move
1. Put your real life on hold for at least a week.
If you're working, take vacation time. If you have small children, spend some money on new toys/books/activities to keep them occupied, or, better yet, have someone watch them. You might not have phone service, Internet, or a television for several days. Just remind yourself it won't last forever. Life will be normal again!
2. Get the beds set up ASAP! You can live among boxes for a long time, but everyone gets grumpy without a good night's sleep.
3. If you're without phone, Internet, or television service, make appointments to get them installed. I actually had Internet and satellite television installed the day before we moved. Sure, I had to sit in an empty house for 4 hours, but it gave me time to clean. :)
4. Take an hour to check out the new neighborhood/town. We moved across the state line to an adorable town. While we haven't had time to visit the shops yet, we have walked the neighborhood and checked out the new schools.
5. Tackle the chaos one box at a time. Normally when we move, the first room I unpack is the kitchen. I cook most of our meals, and the kitchen always has the most to unpack. Besides, I love having an organized kitchen. The more boxes I can empty and break down, the better. However, our kitchen won't be fully functioning until the end of July, so we moved all of the kitchen boxes to the basement. In the meantime, we unpacked the bathrooms, organized bedroom closets, and dealt with my office.
6. Realize every home will have ongoing projects. We love our new house, but we have so many plans for it, we couldn't possibly get them all done soon. By prioritizing our most important projects, we can relax about the ones that won't get done until this fall, winter, and next year.
7. Celebrate! I bought a bottle of champagne the day we loaded the truck. We were going to toast our new digs when we arrived that night. Unfortunately, the bottle fell out of my hands in our old driveway and shattered everywhere. That's okay--life isn't perfect!
I always forget how many things are involved with a move. Changing the address on all of our accounts, signing up for new library cards, ordering new checks--all of these things take time. I just do a little each day, and eventually, everything is transferred.
I've missed you! How is your summer going? Anything new you'd like to share?
Have a wonderful day!
My Tips for a Smooth Move
1. Put your real life on hold for at least a week.
If you're working, take vacation time. If you have small children, spend some money on new toys/books/activities to keep them occupied, or, better yet, have someone watch them. You might not have phone service, Internet, or a television for several days. Just remind yourself it won't last forever. Life will be normal again!
2. Get the beds set up ASAP! You can live among boxes for a long time, but everyone gets grumpy without a good night's sleep.
3. If you're without phone, Internet, or television service, make appointments to get them installed. I actually had Internet and satellite television installed the day before we moved. Sure, I had to sit in an empty house for 4 hours, but it gave me time to clean. :)
4. Take an hour to check out the new neighborhood/town. We moved across the state line to an adorable town. While we haven't had time to visit the shops yet, we have walked the neighborhood and checked out the new schools.
5. Tackle the chaos one box at a time. Normally when we move, the first room I unpack is the kitchen. I cook most of our meals, and the kitchen always has the most to unpack. Besides, I love having an organized kitchen. The more boxes I can empty and break down, the better. However, our kitchen won't be fully functioning until the end of July, so we moved all of the kitchen boxes to the basement. In the meantime, we unpacked the bathrooms, organized bedroom closets, and dealt with my office.
6. Realize every home will have ongoing projects. We love our new house, but we have so many plans for it, we couldn't possibly get them all done soon. By prioritizing our most important projects, we can relax about the ones that won't get done until this fall, winter, and next year.
7. Celebrate! I bought a bottle of champagne the day we loaded the truck. We were going to toast our new digs when we arrived that night. Unfortunately, the bottle fell out of my hands in our old driveway and shattered everywhere. That's okay--life isn't perfect!
I always forget how many things are involved with a move. Changing the address on all of our accounts, signing up for new library cards, ordering new checks--all of these things take time. I just do a little each day, and eventually, everything is transferred.
I've missed you! How is your summer going? Anything new you'd like to share?
Have a wonderful day!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Moving: Pictures Before Remodeling
We're moving in a few days, and, as promised, I'm sharing some of the "Before" pictures of our new house!
First up: Family room.
Bye, bye stained, green carpet! We're painting the walls a pale gray and installing a neutral carpet. My husband wanted a more modern look for the fireplace, so we're replacing the beige ceramic tiles with tiles in earth tones and changing the wood surround to white.
Next up: Nice, but dated kitchen.
No offense to all you wallpaper-lovers out there, but my husband and I prefer a straight-up paint job. We're taking down wallpaper, replacing light fixtures, installing new cabinets, counters, appliances and flooring. Basically, I'll be without a kitchen for 3-4 weeks. I'm trying to think of it as an alternate form of camping! It will be worth it! (I keep telling myself it will be worth it...)
Bathroom-a-rama!
The wallpaper continues...in every bathroom! Eventually, all will be removed and a nice, neutral paint will take its place. :)
Last, but not least, the sad deck. It looks better in this picture than up close. We originally wanted to tear it down and pour a concrete patio, but the budget actually laughed at us. Who knew a piece of paper could heckle? We're going to stabilize the deck then stain it. It will do for a year or two!
I can't wait to show you the "After" pictures when we finish the work. My husband already gave the garage interior a fresh coat of paint, and in a few days, we'll be moved in and ready to tackle the rest. Yay!
We can tell the previous owners took pride in the home, and we're looking forward to bringing it up to date. We also hope the owners of our old house love ours as much as we did!
How do you feel about wallpaper? Can't live without it? Or do you prefer paint?
Enjoy your day!
First up: Family room.
Bye, bye stained, green carpet! We're painting the walls a pale gray and installing a neutral carpet. My husband wanted a more modern look for the fireplace, so we're replacing the beige ceramic tiles with tiles in earth tones and changing the wood surround to white.
Next up: Nice, but dated kitchen.
No offense to all you wallpaper-lovers out there, but my husband and I prefer a straight-up paint job. We're taking down wallpaper, replacing light fixtures, installing new cabinets, counters, appliances and flooring. Basically, I'll be without a kitchen for 3-4 weeks. I'm trying to think of it as an alternate form of camping! It will be worth it! (I keep telling myself it will be worth it...)
Bathroom-a-rama!
The wallpaper continues...in every bathroom! Eventually, all will be removed and a nice, neutral paint will take its place. :)
Last, but not least, the sad deck. It looks better in this picture than up close. We originally wanted to tear it down and pour a concrete patio, but the budget actually laughed at us. Who knew a piece of paper could heckle? We're going to stabilize the deck then stain it. It will do for a year or two!
I can't wait to show you the "After" pictures when we finish the work. My husband already gave the garage interior a fresh coat of paint, and in a few days, we'll be moved in and ready to tackle the rest. Yay!
We can tell the previous owners took pride in the home, and we're looking forward to bringing it up to date. We also hope the owners of our old house love ours as much as we did!
How do you feel about wallpaper? Can't live without it? Or do you prefer paint?
Enjoy your day!
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