I Like to MOVE IT, Move it!

As of today, Prince Charming and I are exactly eleven weeks away from our first anniversary, which means that we are ten weeks away from finishing our lease on our apartment. For the last several weeks (who am I kidding?) several MONTHS we've been discussing what to do when our lease runs out. You see, we currently live in a town that PC has nicknamed "The Town That Goes to Bed Early," because even our Starbucks closes at EIGHT O'CLOCK.

So, we're doing what any sane person would do... Moving. To a land where Starbucks closes at 10 and Chick-Fil-A is abundant.

The unfortunate part of moving is packing - particularly since I finally managed to unpack the last of the boxes just a while back. Then, (Lord willing) we're only planning on living in the new apartment for 6 months before we attempt to buy a house.

Needless to say, I'm planning a massive organizational and packing attack since this may turn into TWO moves before the year is over. These are the things I've thought through so far:

1. Stock up on (and buy stock in) plastic bins and space-saver bags. Since there is a good possibility that many of our boxes won't be unpacked until the second move, I don't want to put everything in cardboard boxes (which are known to attract spiders, roaches, and silverfish). Additionally, the plastic bins will be easier to retrieve things from if I do end up needing things sooner rather than later.

2. Color code, color code, color code. I'm planning on adhering colored cards with a list of contents to each box, and sticking a matching colored sign to each door of the new place. That way, nobody will have to ask "which one is the office?" or "where's the linen closet?" a hundred times.

3. Mark the boxes to be unpacked first. It's no secret that my favorite color is red, so in addition to my color coding, I'll be packing all of my favorites (and all the urgent needs) in boxes with a red duct-tape stripe.

4. Prepare a first day kit. Before we even begin to get settled in, there are a few things that we're going to need: toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, bottled water, quick snacks, and a basic toolkit are all at the top of the list. These things will need to be carried in our car, and not packed onto the truck with all of our other boxes.

I'm already tired just thinking about all of the things I need to get done, but hopefully lots of advance planning will make the process easier...

And, hey, if  when I do get worn out, at least Starbucks will be open until 10!

P.S. If you have any brilliant packing/moving tips, please share them in the comments! :)