31 days day 2 Moving Back To The Future October 2, 2014

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A while ago I lived at some lovely quiet apartment complex. It is a little like living in a condo without owning one. I pay monthly and they take care of everything. It was great. Then I got remarried and we moved out to some property my husband owned.
We lived there for a couple of years and decided it was time to sell all the things we didn't want or need and simplify and decide if we wanted to build a small place so guess what. We moved back to the same complex I lived in before and we got another apartment exactly like the one I had before so I knew all the flaws and limitations of this apartment already.
Loaded with information from memory and measurements from the past I started a binder and started laying out what I had and where I wanted it to go. And very quickly was reminded that 5 lbs of butter will not fit into a 2 lb tub no matter how you finagle.
So I started looking for storage ideas at

Ikea, Pottery Barn, Home Depot and Goodwill (what?) yes I said GOODWILL!  and I am not kidding when I tell you I found a lot of wire drawer rollers, plate racks and even some plastic bins for under the sink!
I started planning where I would put things in the kitchen before I ever went into the apartment. So I knew some of the things that would help.
But you can do it even if you haven't lived someplace. Take pictures, lots of pictures of closets, cupboards, how the doors open, any cubbyholes (trust me, they are some of the best places to find storage or design spots), ceilings and walls (try to include something to reference these picture to once you get home cause you'll be lost if you don't) and take them up high and down low so you know where that shelf or mirror will fit. If you have time measure...the closet, cupboards, bathrooms etc. Then go home and make a rough sketch of it right away before your memory fades.
When you lay everything out decide where things will go in general then when you're packing it will be easy to label the box to the room.
Tomorrow I'll show you how I got 2 Pantrys count 'em 2 PANTRYs into an apartment that doesn't have any.
 Due to the fact that we are waiting for internet hook-up I don't have my pictures yet, but bear with me they are coming. Lots of them.

31 days day 1 A Moving (and organized) Experience October 1, 2014

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This is the perfect time to write these articles cause I'm moving into an apartment with my DH and

Poppy the cat. We are simplifying and organizing. So we are already in that mode. Let me show you some ideas that we are using.
First thing, we sorted...a lot.

We're talking about 2 people x 35 years + crafts + tools + children's stored items. You can see that's a lot of math and a whole lot of junk. We  gave away,.. threw away..not enough...and sold...at an auction (no garage sale this time I didn't have time to deal with it and the stuff that is left over,),
I went to

pinterest for moving ideas and got a lot.
One of my favorites is using colored tape on the boxes that match each room. I went even farther
I used different graphics for each room also the garage and

a pole barn that some of our things are going to be stored in.
I wrote on a tag what was generally in each box and it worked like a charm.
Oh, and I taped the things we would need the first night we were there in bright yellow tape so we would know what boxes had the toothbrush, PJ's, pillows and sheets and coffeemaker in them. Very Important! The coffee and coffee pot, you know.
But tomorrow I am going to take you back a little farther in the planning which made everything so easy for us.