I want to be sentimental about leaving our nest, but truthfully, it’s an answer to prayer! I moved into a preexisting man cave with two kids. Can you imagine was it was like to see an XBOX, a PS3, and BluRay DVD player, but no coordinating hand towels for guests, or lamps for the rooms, or duvet for the bed box spring? Or what it was like to try to cut fruit with a butter knife because it was the only knife on hand? Basically, moving into our apartment was an adventure! A caper! An experience! [I added exclamation marks to those words to make them sound fun. It didn’t work.]
After much prayer, rearranging of finances, and responsible budgeting, Matt and I found a house to call home. It’s not a mansion or my dream house on Pacific Coast Highway, but it’s ours. And we love it.
I’m on a busy packing schedule set by the resident project manager [aka Matthew Olthoff], but I am definitely making room on Saturday to do the following:
- say au voir to our next door neighbor with the cat who is perpetually in heat and screams like it’s being tortured
- blow air kisses to our down stairs neighbor below us who bangs on her ceiling/our floor with a force that says, STOP MAKING NOISE OR I WILL GO UP THERE AND WHOOP YOU
- sprint away from our upstairs neighbors who bicker and smoke cigarettes like Marge Simpson’s sisters
- give my best pageant wave to the screaming kids who play in the courtyard at all hours of the day
- never drive around the apartment complex aimlessly after work in hopes of finding parking
- hug the door of our apartment that was my welcoming committee as I entered the man cave
Congratulations!!!! 😀
Thanks!!! Even though it’s technically not our home, I still will make it feel like ours 🙂 Thanks for being part of journey from start until now, chapter 2.
Many people move boxes in the house first, then the furniture….I really don’t understand this concept..I move furniture in and demand that NO BOXES BE SET ON TOP OF THEM. I label each box with whats inside and where its to go.
I get up on the day of the big move and pray, eat breakfast and take one last shower, dress in sprinting clothes and quickly order pizza to be delivered at the new place so our dear friends who have volunteered their muscles have a delightful meal to indulge in half way through the day…
PS..I haven’t moved in 20 years So, I may be a little out of touch…
Happy Moving and Congratulations on your New home! Many many more memories will be made and you can make nitches in the door jams as reminders!
God Bless you and Matt as you make room for more!!!!
Love ya!
No advice to give except Congratulations to you and your family and I wish you beautiful memories in your new home together! 🙂
Yay!!! I’m so excited. This is the first home we get to have as the Olthoff family. So exciting. Even as renters 😉
When I moved in with my husband there was a big basketball hoop game in his room in, it took up half the room. In case you felt like shooting hoops at 2 in the morning! Haha
When we moved before we left I labeled all boxes with which room they belonged in and instead of putting in the rooms, I had the movers bring them in the garage and I bring a few boxes in at a time. I’d unpack take the trash out and keep going. It’s easier then trying to work around unpacking in a room filled with boxes and looking like you are not making a impact.
Congrats on the new place! Goodbye to trying to hit the lottery finding a space to park… I remember those days!
GREAT advice! Our “movers” (friends) may hate me by the end of this! 🙂
My best advice as a real estate agent is to hire someone else to do it. It’s already stressful enough 😉
Hey Jules! You are too sweet 🙂 We aren’t buying (California is TOO high), so the move is just signing a lease. Easy peesy! Thanks for the advice… Lord willing when we can afford to buy, we’ll get an agent 🙂
Moving advice: start drinking. ; ) KIDDING!!!
You need JESUS!!! Hahahahahaha! Just kidding. I totally laughed when I read your comment. In fact, you and your snarky comments always make me laugh.
How exciting!! First unpack the bathroom stuff, the bathroom things are very important and you really can’t do anything without it.
Kitchen, order out (if the captain allows) and the living room stuff will take a little of time. The rooms? well sleep in the living room… which is why the bathroom stuff is more important..
Happy moving and make beautiful memories 🙂
We just moved and someone suggested we set the beds and bathrooms first. Freshlinens and shower curtains with shampoos and soap. I didn’t listen and I should have. First night was hell not finding anything and been tired… second night I took the advice and it was perfect. felt right at home!
Congratulations!
Oh my word! This is brilliant! Especially because I have a speaking even on Friday (when the move starts) and I didn’t plan out where we’d sleep when I got home. Awesome 🙂
LoL! Congratulations love! Wish I could give advice, but i’ve only moved as a single lady… 🙂 xo
Leasing, Renting or not owning, its all good!! Congratulations. As long as you have a place and God is there its what matters thats what makes it a home. Happy for the Olthoff family!!
Congratulations Olthoff Family!!!
Here’s my advice. 1. CLEAN the home from top to bottom to your standards, or hire someone to do that. 2. Buy new toilet seats. Even though you are leasing, you can still do that. Trust me. Eeew! 3. Move ALL of the boxes into the garage if you have one and then slowly move each box into the appropriate room. 4. Finish the beds and bathrooms first, you can eat out for a few nights while you tackle everything else. 5. Have a house warming party, but don’t invite JJ cuz she will cause you to drink! LOL!!!! JK
So happy for you guys! xoxo
Plain and simple…you inspire!!! You and your words are always a breath of fresh air.
Thank you
Michael
Well the only advice I could give you may not actually be possible….but have a baaaaby! haha! That’s what I did. We closed escrow and moved the same day bella was born, so I went from our apartment to the hospital to our house that was all unpacked thanks to the truck load of family members. Needless to say, I saw ZERO visitors at the hospital! But gaaaa! my house was packed! That’s seriously the best way to go…oh, and find out your preggers in the middle of painting so your hubs can paint the rest…but that’s a whole ‘nother story!
Congrats!! All the best to you and your family. We moved several times and the best time was when we had a moving company handle the move. If you can afford it, do it. So many less headaches. God bless and enjoy your new place, this is truly an exciting time in your lives.
Hope all those boxes Huy passed off came in handy! Good luck and first thing have Matt do is wash the sheets and make the bed. Best feeling in the world after a long day of speaking while other move you is crawl into a freshly made bed with a gorgeous Anthro duvet!
Oh Holli, Huy has been a life-saver! My new name for him is David Hasselhoff 😉 Seriously, not only were the boxes awesome, but Huy’s tape gun is Matt’s new favorite toy. I’m not making this up!
Thanks so much!
I am so happy for you and your family! I can’t wait to hear stories of moving in! You know the ones that you wonder, ‘why did we do that?’
Besos!
In 2008 we moved 3 times! Less is more/no hoarding.
1. Big furniture out first.
2. Label boxes and put post its in new place to indicate each room. Put labeled boxes in room they. Belong in and unpack. Get 2 sharpee markers and scissors and packaging tape.
3. Put kitchen stuff together first as you will need utensils and plates to eat on.
4. Have spare change of clothes in trunk with towel so you can shower when its all over. Happy Moving!
Congratulations on moving! Your post reminds me of my apartment living, and the stories made me laugh. While I love my apartment for the most part, I’m looking forward to the day when God blesses me with a house! I hope you thoroughly enjoy this experience with your new family. 🙂
Bianca, if I learned anything when moving a shared home for the first time, you will probably have very different ideas on the best way to do it – so if you can hire some moving help, it’s well worth it to avoid the frustration and tension in your relationship. Other tips – have patience and purge what you really don’t need when packing! move furniture into rooms first and try to agree on placement, even if that means the couch can stay here for 6 months and then we’ll try it “your/my” way – that’s still an agreement 🙂
Good luck!
B~So happy for you!!! I totally get leaving a CRAZY apartment and moving into your own sanctuary. Just left my apt on Greenwood and now i’m in an adorable home on Greenleaf in Whittier. Take your time and enjoy your family and the guest you invite over, regardless if it’s not completely in order. I’m making such great memories having people over and I still don’t even have my couches 🙂 (kinda different for me, since I want things to be perfect-but truly blessed and the best is because God is working on me.
Hope it is everything you dreamed of … even if it’s not quite your “dream house”.
Hope your time in Atlanta is BLESSED. I have 2 friends that will be there.
Mama D.