This week the empty POD was taken away. After going through most of the boxes and crates and garbage bags of stuff, I have a few tips.
Without further ado, here are the top seven things you should not put in a storage unit, ever.
1) Boxes of half used crayons. I have unpacked approximately elevenity hundred used crayons. I have another bazillion inside my house already. You know what you don’t need to bring with you, wherever you’re going? Used crayons.
2)Glitter. If you weren’t doing glitter crafts before you packed up, what makes you think you’ll suddenly start wanted to do glitter crafts when you unpack?
3) Clothes your kids have outgrown. If you have to fill out paperwork to become parents like we do, and your 99% sure you’re not going to feel compelled to do that again, just let them go. Yes, baby clothes are cute and sentimental. Know what’s more sentimental? Pictures of your kids in said clothes. Make a favorite outfit flipbook and move on.*
4) Toys your kids have outgrown. See #3.
5) Cleaning rags and towels. I unpacked a box full of old towels and cleaning cloths. Why, I ask? Oh why?
6) Perishable toiletries and food items like cough drops. This isn’t from me, it’s from a coworker who packed up his medicine cabinet and left it in storage for over a year. Cough drops melt. Saline leaks and rusts things. Deodorant turns to goo. If you are trying to declutter, commit to using up what you’ve got and resist the temptation to stockpile more. But don’t pack toiletries for storage.
7) The Blender. You know when you’re going to want frosty beverages and smoothies? When your blender is at the back of a storage unit, unable to be unearthed. It’s not that big. Trust me on this one.
I could go on and on, but sometimes you don’t really know what you don’t need until you don’t see it for awhile. I remember going to Goodwill so many times while we were packing, and I went to Goodwill so many more time during our 40 bags in 40 days month. Guess where I’ve been dropping loads off weekly every week in August? Goodwill. Yes, we paid to store a lot of things I ultimately unpacked and then proceeded to get rid of.
Oh well. Live and learn, right?
*I’ve also come to the conclusion that there is enough baby stuff in the universe that should a child fall from the sky and into your lap, long after you’ve passed on your baby goods, that child will not be naked or wanting for anything. I am convinced of this, and I’ve yet to meet anyone who can prove to me otherwise.
Well, That Was Fun
Have you entered a time warp? No, no, you haven’t. There really was a post up last two weeks ago, all about what you don’t need to put into a storage unit.
Last weekend, however, this little blog was hacked, and it’s been restored to mid-August. Michelle: 1, Hacker: 0.
Anyway.
I’ll put the storage unit post back up, and maybe, just maybe, write a post or two for September.
First Day of School! First Day of School! (Almost. And a Giveaway)
[This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for playing}
Some kids have finished a week of school, some start this week and some start in the coming weeks, but there’s no denying it, summer vacation is winding down in Indiana.
Monday night we took MaM to her new school to see her classroom and meet her teacher, and she was mightily impressed with the classroom library. There were easily 500 books on the shelves, including a shelf full of the Magic Treehouse Series, which she loves, along with the Rainbow Fairy books, which she also loves.
After that meeting, I went down to the Fox’s Montessori school for their orientation and was delighted that the first thing they had us do was make a little something for our kids. The teachers had cast plaster of Paris in shallow bowls, and stuck a paper clip in it as a placecard holder. The parents all got to decorate their child’s place card holder for lunch with paint and ribbon- isn’t that fun? Then, instead of giving the parent orientation talk, I got to listen to it (and nod my head vigorously at all the good parts).
Unfortunately, both kiddos are under the weather, and MaM actually missed her first day of school. It was kind of devastating. I’m hoping with one more day of rest, she’ll be ready on Thursday.
When she does finally get back to it, I have a few surprises for her, including a couple of fun things sent to me by my friends at Hallmark. Their Back to School Confidence Care package features items from their Kids Encouragement collection, including greeting cards from their kids collection, little lunch box notes, and a recordable storybook . The lunchbox notes are my absolute favorite- this set of 50 notes have sweet, funny, inspirational sentiments, and few to help on those rough mornings when getting out the door wasn’t easy. I plan to keep them with the lunch making supplies and use them as much as I can!
{The Giveaway}
I am giving away a Back to School Confidence Care Package with the same items to one lucky reader this week. If you, or someone you know, is getting kids out the door for school, please enter to win by leaving a comment about your favorite thing when it comes to back to school. Be sure to fill out the email field in the form so that I can contact you if you win!
The second way to enter is to cut and paste this tweet, and then leave an additional comment telling me that you did, “I entered to win a Hallmark Back to School Confidence Care Package from @Gotchababy and you can too! http://wp.me/pVbJS-DO”
Comments will be open until Friday night around 9pm. The winner will have until 9pm Sunday night to respond to my email, or I will pick a different winner.
Disclosure: Hallmark sent me my own Back to School Confidence Care Package, and I was happy to give another one away. My opinions on the products are expressly my own.