No More Garage Cleanup Posts

So we might have to move. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand I'm not happy about it; on the other hand I'm crazy excited. On one hand I have too much junk to take to a new place; on the other this is a great excuse to finally go through it all and minimize! On one hand I hate the POS trailer that I've been living in but I love love LOVE the property!! I would miss it so much!! On one hand, we can't afford anything nice...anything we could afford is going to need a LOT of work; on the other THIS place (the POS trailer) needs more work than is worth spending the money on...we'd have to tear this place down and start all over again.  On one hand it would be great to start all over in a brand-new place, on the other it would take a lot of effort to clean, prepare, move and repair all my valuable items (valuable to me anyway). On one hand it would be a great learning experience for the kids; on the other hand it will be hard for them to leave their friends here, especially the three who have hoards of friends that they hang out with every day! And of course there's the money ~ the down payment, etc, etc, vs not having to pay rent anymore!

Even though my mind keeps going back and forth between how wonderful it would be and how horrible it would be, I have an obsessive/compulsive need to be prepared either way. While I'm currently in discussions with my husband, the kids and various extended family (and family-like friends) my mind is already getting ready for a move we might not even make. I already have a moving AND packing checklist for the whole family. I am already thinking of what I'll want to buy new and what I'll want to save. I'm already asking businesses about their cardboard boxes and looking into temporary storage companies.

We have already looked at a few houses and we've done one walkthrough.

Right now we are still trying to decide whether or not we're going to try and get the property we're on or move somewhere else, and the uncertainty of it is driving me up the wall. I haven't slept an entire consecutive 8 hours since we started talking about it! I HATE not knowing for sure, and if things aren't planned out exactly right we would end up temporarily homeless, and I'm certainly not wanting to experience THAT! ESPECIALLY with five kids, two of which are my stepchildren, who's biological mother is prone to throw fits over any little thing if a certain mood hits her. So everything has to go smoothly!

My first order of business was to make up a list of things NOT to pack. A list of essentials and things we'll need before we unpack all our junk at the new place:

-Bible (ya, I'm religious)
-Spot (he is a stuffed animal that will be buried with me, I won't risk him being lost or otherwise destroyed or damaged)
-Toilet paper & paper towels
-Notebooks & pens (OCD!! I NEED these!!)
-Soap (hand & body)
-washcloths
-toothpaste, tooth brushes, floss & mouthwash
-sunscreen
-trash bags
-bath towels
-5 school/work outfits, 2 play outfits, 1 dress outfit, & shoes for each outfit
-nail clippers and a nail file
-hair brushes
-broom & dustpan
-1 complete set of dishes or disposables
-a shower curtain
-flashlights & some basic towels
-curtains for bedrooms and a set of sheets for each bed
-important papers
-ladder
-camera
-favorite snacks for the kdis
-a favorite movie to watch on a laptop and the laptops.

I will also likely bring a scale with my workout binder just because I am trying to get healthier and I don't want to get out of the habit of working out every day while we're in the process of moving (if we move).

Next will come packing. The things we are the least likely to need will be packed first and unpacked last, and while I'm packing I forsee a LOT of trips to two places: the local Goodwill for donations, and the DUMP. Even if we DON'T end up moving I am on a mission to get rid of ALL excess belongings!! I'm sick of it! I will be ruthless!

All this and we're not even sure we're moving yet!!

I'll keep you updated!!