I live in a very transient community. With the state university and military base both in my area, I make friends with people that are here only for a short amount of time. When I was in college and renting I moved 4 times in 4 years all within the same town. And I have to admit, the wisdom my military friends gain from their many moves could have served me well in college.

After chatting with a few military wives and looking back on my many moves, I compiled a list of tips for you.

Here are 10 tips for making moving simple:

1. Utilize storage rentals

If you are moving within the same town, then place as much stuff as you can in a storage unit as you can. Minimizing the amount of boxes you have to unpack when you arrive will cut down on the stress you feel. Plus, if you are moving into a home that is not open when you need it to be a storage unit can keep your belongings safe while you wait to move in.

2. Cut down on clutter

This is good for life in general, but if you know you have a move ahead of you, keep the clutter out of your life. The less junk you have to go through when you are preparing to pack, the less anxiety you will feel. Get to know Freecycle.org, local donation sites and your trash can. Don’t keep things you do not need.

3. Get the kids out of the house

Moving is really stressful on you, but watching their toys get packed up is also very stressful for children. Their whines and cries will only increase your frustration so try and find a friend or family member that can treat the kids to a day at the park or zoo while you pack.

When I was moving in college, I stopped labeling boxes because I just ran out of time. This was one shortcut I regret the most. Unpacking is so much easier when you know which order to unpack in.

If you organize your packing with most important to least important you can unpack easier. Everything is all about how easy it will be for you to move into your new home and finally relax in your new place.  The organized list will cut down on “box peeking” time.  It will also cut down on the “what the heck do I pack next” feeling you get when you prepare to move.

6. Use small boxes

A huge mistake I made in college was finding any and every empty box I could as long as it was free. I found huge boxes from stores. What I didn’t think of was huge box = heavy box. Smaller boxes are lighter and easier to carry up and down stairs.

Before you move, get rid of as much as you can. Have a moving sale, donate to friends or goodwill, visit consignment shops. Whatever you want to do, getting rid of stuff you don’t really need will make unpacking easier. There is nothing like that “clean plate” you get when you move!

8. Plan enough time to clean

This is especially important for renters. If you want to get your full deposit back you will need to make sure your home is completely spotless. Packing way in advance gives you enough time in your empty place to clean like Martha on speed.

9. Pack in suitcases

Think about it – you finally get to your new place and all you want to do is crash. If you have a few suitcases full of important clothes, toiletries and essentials you can just take some time off and unpack later. It is ok to live out of a suitcase while you let your body catch up to the work you went through.

10. Celebrate!

Order pizza and have a picnic on the floor when you arrive! Congratulations, all your hard work paid off and you can enjoy your new home!  Don’t wear yourself out unpacking before you take a moment to enjoy getting there.

I also found this helpful infographic online and thought you would enjoy it too. (Click to enlarge)

We all want to save money on gifts this holiday season. Saving money is even more important when you have a bunch of family members and birthday parties to buy gifts for!  Not to mention if you want to purchase new toys for charity drives and Angel Tree gifts.

K-Mart is one of the lowest priced stores around.  I always make that store the place I take Lizzie and David when they earn toys by the completion of their sticker charts. I can just get a lot more bang for my buck there.

This holiday season you can save even more money when you use K-Mart coupons with your already discounted prices on purchases. You can print off the coupons on the site above. Coupons on that site are hot – like 15% off Fisher Price toys!

Let me know if you get any awesome deals at K-Mart! I’ll be looking as I take my kids shopping there for Angel Tree gifts!

*sponsored post

This is a photo I took last year. Kansas gets awful cold and dangerous in the winter. I am not looking forward to the icy roads we get every single year. To prepare, I am getting new tires on my van.  I am saving up so I can get a Toyota Sienna because it is the only minivan made with All Wheel Drive. And I need that all wheel drive more than I need storage space!

I remember the horrible ice storm of 2007. I lived with my in-laws and the power was completely out for almost a week. Now that I am in my own home I am going to put together some survival kits and buy a generator.  We already have a wood burning stove to provide heat to my house and I have a propane stove to cook with. Really the only things I need in the survival kit is first aid stuff, water, batteries and flashlights.

We are also going to insulate a few more windows to keep the heat inside and the cold out.  Then there is the small matter of moving all the outside toys into the shed to prepare for snowfall.

How are you preparing for winter weather? Do you or someone you love have medical alerts? Did you buy winter tires?

I can tell you one thing – this is my least favorite weather. I’d rather deal with 100 degree temps and humidity than below zero temps and ice.

To make light of the temps, here is one of my favorite winter songs!

This is going to be fun! I will be partying it up with Mom Central! They are giving away SIX Amazon.com gift codes – perfect way to save money on gifts! I hope you can join me this afternoon! Follow the moderators and chat with the hashtag for a chance to win, that is it!

What: Encyclopaedia Britannica Twitter Party
When: Thursday, December 1, 2011 from 3:00-4:00PM EST
Hashtag: #BRITANNICAapp
Moderator: @MomCentral
Assistant Moderators: @DadCentral, @MomCentralChat & @StacyDeBroff
Prizes: Six people will win a $50 Amazon gift code during the hour-long party. We’ll also be giving away two $50 Amazon gift codes for tweeting before the party.
Questions: Contact Matt Moretti at mmoretti@momcentral.com
TweetGrid: http://bit.ly/sC93YF

Pre-tweet to Win!
Anyone who tweets this from now until the #BRITANNICAapp Twitter Party will be eligible to win one of two $50 Amazon gift codes before the party starts.

About the party:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. announced its trusted encyclopedia is now available as an iPhone and iPad App through the Apple App Store. The Encyclopaedia Britannica App gives mobile users the ability to find information and explore subjectswithout compromise – users can feel confident that what they are searching for is accurate and provided by professional editors and expert contributors.
The app is free to download and comes with complimentary high-resolution images, maps, access to 100 free articles plus the first 100 words of every article, and the Britannica “link map.” For $1.99 a month, iPhone users can upgrade their app to include full access to all 80,000 articles in the Encyclopedia, the ability to download information to read offline, save andsend articles, store favorites and search history and more. Android and Microsoft versions of the app are expected to follow in early 2012.
For more information about the Encyclopaedia Britannica Twitter Party click here.

Johnny Depp recently told UK tabloid The Guardian that he though his most recent film “Rum Diary” is going to be a huge hit everywhere – except in Wichita, Kan.  What he has against his Wichita fans I have no idea!

Here is what he said:

I believe that this film, regardless of what it makes in, you know, Wichita, Kansas, this week – which is probably about $13 – it doesn’t make any difference,” he said. “I think it’s an intelligent film…And a lot of times, outside the big cities in the States, they don’t want that.

Wow. I am speechless. I used to be a fan of Johnny’s. I love his accent, his acting talent, and thought he was a pretty intelligent fellow. Apparently he forgot to think before he gave that quote. Does the rest of the world think Kansans all have horses hitched to the general store? Or was Johnny merely saying people in the midwest wouldn’t like his movie because it went against their “Bible belt” values?

I realize he made a mistake and I hope he regrets this. What a fail.

Guest Post

A Direct Buy membership offers access to all the benefits that Direct Buy has to offer. You will be a part of an exclusive shopping experience with special pricing that is only available to members. Direct Buy offers all types of items for your home including appliances, furniture, flooring, construction needs and more.

A Direct Buy membership is needed in order to take advantage of all the good deals. Once a member, you can search and find some money savings that are perfect for what you need.

For example, if you are planning to remodel your kitchen you can find plenty of cabinets, counters, flooring, and appliances to choose from at a great price. With a Direct Buy membership, you can purchase hundreds of top brands at manufacturer cost.

If you are considering a membership with Direct Buy, do an internet search first to see if it could be the right option for you. You can read online reviews and find out what customers think of this company.

Some Direct Buy reviews specifically talk about the infant section and there are many pleased customers. Most people welcome access to special pricing at a time when you are spending a lot of money. Preparing for a new baby is one of those times. A Direct Buy membership could reduce your stress and increase the savings.

You can also find a nearby location, call them and set an appointment to come in to discuss a membership and the benefits you will receive. You will meet with a salesperson who will give you a tour and answer your many questions. A smart thing to do, is going with a list of items (with prices) you know you need, this way you will be able to compare each of them to Direct Buy’s prices. After that, you will be able to decide id Direct Buy is right for you!

This was a sponsored guest post. I, Annie, do not have any personal experience with Direct Buy. Please research before purchasing membership. This guest post does not reflect a personal endorsement of Direct Buy.

In the middle of the insanity that is BlogHer11, I am so excited to partner with Kerri (@_themaven) from the Maven of Social Media to give away a Macleran Triumph stroller and bag! The giveaway is only open to BlogHer11 attendees (sorry friends!) but for all you gals not here, there is more to come, so stay tuned!

Why you want it:

Because it’s Macleran! Seriously though, these umbrella strollers are super lightweight and portable but also very cute and durable.  They have 5 point harnesses and raincovers and made of high performance allumnimum. You can buy one online or win one here!

And Macleran now makes bags! Their diaper bags are not on the site yet – but they are coming out with some lovely ones. Using the same mix of durability and style that their strollers are known for, they made their bags useful, roomy and beautiful.

Win It!

One lucky Maven or Mama Dweeb reader will win their choice of Triumph stroller pictured above (Crown Blue or Scarlet) and their choice of any bag! Retail value: $225!

Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. You must have javascript enabled to use it. Instructions for how to use it are listed on the form.

 



Giveaway ends Sunday, August 7th at 11:59pm EST. Giveaway winner must be an attendee of BlogHer11. Maven and MamaDweeb are using the same Rafflecopter form on both our blogs, so you do not get extra entries for entering on both blogs.  Giveaway open to USA only.

Ever since my hairdresser cut my hair shorter than I wanted her to, I’ve been kinda self-conscious about my hair. Thankfully, we will always have celebrities that cut it shorter and still looked good. Well, most of them did anyways. I still think some of them looked better with long hair.

What do you think?

Britney Spears
Emma Watson

Halle Berry

Hillary Swank

Jessica Alba

Kierra Knightely

Michelle Williams

Natalie Portman

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of FRESCHETTA® for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

New from Freschetta is FRESCHETTA® By the Slice. Now when you browse for your favorite frozen pizza, you will see the option to purchase this freshness all packed in one individual slice. No more worries about how you will share Freschetta (or coming up with ways to not share) when you purchase it by the slice it is all yours. 

How does it taste? If you haven’t tasted Freschetta pizza yet, you are missing out on the freshest tasting frozen pizza in the freezer aisle.  It’s like fresh pizza, just frozen! 

What is really wonderful are the varieties. So you can even have a fun mix and match pizza party – buy a couple By the Slice pizzas in every variety, cook them and then eat a collage of fresh pizza goodness!

What flavors are there? 

• BBQ Chicken (my favorite! The sauce is not too spicy)
• Vegetable Medley (should be my favorite, it is the healthiest)
• Chick, Spinach and Mushroom
• Six Cheese Medley (perfect for the kiddos)

Socialize with the Pizza Peeps!

You can check out Freschetta on Twitter at @Freschetta and on Facebook too!

GIVEAWAY!

I am giving away one 3 piece storage set and a free coupon so you can try out this slice of pizza for yourself! 

To Enter::

Just tell me which flavor (listed above) you are going to try.

That’s it! The easiest giveaway ever – now go eat some pizza  

I am very impressed with Kolcraft right now.  They are showing true heart!

Click the button above for the full details. Basically, a family lost a father and husband to cancer just recently. To raise money for funeral costs and other living expenses for the family, Beth at Happily Domestic is hosting a silent auction. You will be able to bid on 4 items each worth at least $175. Go to her site to see the list of products – you won’t want to miss this! All proceeds go to the family, every dime.

Please spread the word! Tweet this post, facebook it, share in every way. Let’s get the word out and support this family!