"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one.'" ~ C. S. Lewis

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Moving Right Along

It's happened. I'm actually in my new apartment. Woot! I still find it weird to look around and think, this is where I live now...
I had a bunch of wonderful people help me move and they only razzed me a little bit about all the books I own. (Since I used almost all B&N boxes to pack they seemed to believe I had bought out the entire store before I left :)
So we moved all the stuff in on Saturday and then I returned "home" to stay one more night so I could spend Father's Day with my Dad and then Sunday night I came "home" for the first time. (finding both places are now considered home which adds to weirdness)
I am so glad I planned on doing this because after people who helped had left and it was just family, Mom and Dad and sis asked what they could do to help, but I was just totally overwhelmed and couldn't even think, so Mom and I went shopping for things I realized I really really needed (like a kitchen trash can and a shower curtain) and I just left everything to start on Monday.
Monday morning I was up bright and early because my internet installation appointment was between 8 and 10 am. The Comcast guy came right around 8:30 and set everything up within about half an hour. He was super nice and I was relieved I didn't have to go more than half a day without internet (I may have a problem).
The kitchen was my first project and I kept a running list of things I discovered I still needed (like a step stool and sponge caddy). The biggest strain of unpacking the kitchen was washing all of the wonderful new things I go like all of my canisters, my new dishes and silverware. I did things in batches. Unpacked a couple of boxes until the counter was piled high, washed them, let them dry while I unpacked more boxes or ran to the store or ate breakfast or lunch. But I got most of the kitchen done. I have a few more boxes to tackle today and then I can move on to my bedroom.
Here are the "before" pictures of my apartment. As I finish or after I finish unpacking I'll post the after ones.
Kitchen 1
We did move the boxes
around the stove before we left

Kitchen 2
Love all my cabinets


Living Room 1
I don't have a couch yet
Living Room 2
So this is where a lot of boxes
ended up temporarily
Bedroom 1
Yay for closet space!

Bedroom 2
So grateful Mom made up the bed
Made Sunday night less stressful
Office/Spare Room 1
This is such a nice extra space for me
Office/Spare Room 2
Everyone was jealous of my
rolltop desk - my favorite
piece of furniture

These are pretty much all book boxes...





Friday, June 6, 2014

My first apartment!...now what?

1 week from tomorrow is my move in day. Into my first apartment. For the first time I will be living out from under my parent's roof. I am super excited about this, not because I dislike my parents, but because it means I get to pick the stuff that goes into the house and where to put it!

But as I contemplated this move, I began doing many interweb searches on what I would need when moving into my first place. Because there is a lot guys. So many things. And I found some really helpful lists and suggestions that helped me figure things out. For your edification, here is a list of the things I found to be most important or that I hadn't thought about at first that sort of compiles some of the other lists I found along with things I added.

Furniture - this seems obvious, but it warrants a little thinking:

  • tv cabinet
  • bookshelves
  • couches/chairs
  • side tables
  • dining furniture
  • bed
  • dresser
  • desk
  • inflatable mattress (I got one for easy company sleeping)
Lamps and lights - there is, fortunately, good lighting in my apartment, but I will still need more of these than I had in one bedroom.

Kitchen appliances - If there is one thing I'm excited about, it's that I'll have my own kitchen. I like to cook and my apartment has lots of counter and cabinet space. But I'm going to fill that up with

  • toaster oven (or toaster if you prefer, but toaster ovens are the bees knees and I can't imagine living without one)
  • microwave (if you want those evil rays infiltrating your brain. Or to warm up food fast)
  • blender
  • bread maker
  • crockpot
  • mixer (whether stand or hand or both)
  • you might also need things like a coffee maker
  • rice cooker
  • juicer depending on what kinds of things you like to cook
Other Kitchen Stuff
  • pots and pans
  • baking sheets and pans (loaf, 13x9, cupcake)
  • spatulas, spoons, scrapers, etc.
  • glass or plastic storage containers to hold all the delicious food you cook
  • cooling rack
  • measuring cups (liquid and dry) and measuring spoons
  • paper towel holder
  • dish towels
  • dish cloths
  • hot pads and/or oven mitts
  • mixing bowls
  • rolling pin
  • whisk
  • pizza cutter
  • ice cream scoop
  • cutting board(s)
  • knives
  • can opener
  • ladle
  • tongs
  • peeler
  • aluminum foil/plastic wrap/wax paper/zipper bags
  • toothpicks/matches
Dining Stuff
  • plates and bowls
  • silverware
  • serving bowls
  • napkins
  • placemats
  • tablecloths
  • salt & pepper shakers
  • cups and glasses
Bathroom Supplies
  • bath mat
  • shower curtain
  • towels
  • washcloths
  • hand towels
  • toilet paper
Cleaning Supplies
  • sponges
  • toilet brush and plunger
  • broom and dustpan
  • vacuum
  • toilet/glass/bathroom/all purpose cleaner
  • trash cans and wastebaskets/garbage bags
  • paper towels
  • dish detergent
  • laundry detergent/dryer sheets/softener/stain removers
Other random things
  • first aid supplies
  • extension cords
  • picture hanging supplies
  • hammer/screwdriver/allen wrench
  • duct tape/super glue
  • step stool
  • q-tips
  • clothes pins
  • batteries
  • light bulbs
  • recipes
And I also gathered some food stuffs so I wouldn't be tempted to eat out every day during my first couple of weeks:
  • spices
  • flour
  • sugar (powdered, white, and brown)
  • salt
  • baking soda/baking powder/cornstarch/yeast
  • vanilla extract
  • yeast
  • non-stick cooking spray
  • pasta/rice/couscous/potatoes/whatever starchy thing you like
  • oatmeal/cereal
  • bread/wraps/bagels
  • canned and/or frozen veggies
  • salad dressing(s)/soy sauce/worcestshire sauce/bbq sauce/ketchup/mayo/mustard
  • butter/margarine/Smart Balance
  • milk/cheese/eggs
  • chicken/tuna/ground meat (turkey, beef, venison, or whatever)
  • meals in a box like Hamburger Helper, mac&cheese, or other meal starters just so I have easy things to fix or throw in the crockpot while I'm unpacking and tired from the move stuff
  • ice cream (because, let's face it, when you've spent all day at the DMV and come home to an apartment full of boxes you're going to want a little treat)
This is a list I've compiled over the last 6 months or so, but by no means is it exhaustive. Some of the stuff I've listed you might not need and you might absolutely have to have something I never considered. If you think of anything important I've forgotten please feel free to leave it in the comments! And I'll come back and add stuff if I remember anything (or move and wish I'd had it).