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Moving During Christmas

How to not be a Grinch and keep the holiday spirit during your next move!

Moving between Christmas and New Years has become a popular choice because school is out and families find this an easier time to transition schools and work. Although the holiday season may be a popular time to move due to this increased flexibility, the hustle and bustle of the holidays creates even more stress for anyone dealing with a move. For all the joy that the holiday season brings, it can also be one of the most stressful times of year. This becomes significantly intensified when you throw a move into the mix. Not only do you have to plan out your move further in advance, you also have to deal with holiday parties, gifts, and family traditions around the same time – this is the making for the perfect moving disaster!

The following useful moving tips are here to help you organize a holiday move to the best of your ability while still maintaining that holiday spirit and twinkle in your eyes.

Plan WAY in Advance for Your Holiday Move

Planning Ahead Moving during Christmas | Moving During Christmas | Amazing Spaces Storage Centers

You always want to plan in advance, but with Christmas and New Years in the mix, you’ll really want to plan ahead. Movers, truck rentals, and self storage companies tend to book up fast during this time of year. Also, keep in mind that some of these companies may be closed on key dates that you may be moving, so make sure to reserve or rent well in advance of your moving date. Check online and reserve or rent your storage unit as soon as you know your moving date. This will assure that you get dates and places that work well for you.

If you’ll be in a hotel over the holidays, look for a place that is planning a holiday celebration. Also, if you have kids, makes sure that they still get presents to open wherever you are and that you make the holiday as festive as possible.

Pack the Holiday Spirit

Packing Holiday Items Moving during Christmas | Moving During Christmas | Amazing Spaces Storage Centers

We all love to decorate during the holidays, but if you are moving during Christmas, it is wise to pack most everything up. Pick a few special holiday decorations to take with you. Stockings, for example, are easy to pack and can be a nice reminder of home. Packing your home before Christmas will put less stress on the family. Don’t worry about missing out on decorating; try using nature in place of traditional decorations. Use a live Christmas tree and decorate it traditionally with popcorn and cranberries strings. Get the whole family involved and have the kids make paper ornaments for the tree. This will keep them busy while you pack and the whole tree (ornaments and all!) can be recycled after Christmas. Use leaves, fruit, berries and fresh flowers as a center piece on your table use and candles instead of lights. You might like this so much it becomes a new family tradition!

When it comes to purchasing boxes and moving supplies, again, plan ahead. Get what you need early, many stores are closed before and after the holidays. Also, try and pack up EVERYTHING that you know you won’t need, such as summer clothing, household decorations, toys and attic items. To keep your home organized for the holidays, it’s a good idea to put boxed up items into self storage between the moves. This will keep your house clutter free. You should also use a bedroom or garage as a staging area.

By keeping the main gathering areas of the house free of boxes, it will lessen the stress of moving during the holidays.

Ship Your Gifts & Strategically Wrap!

Moving during Christmas Strategic Ideas | Moving During Christmas | Amazing Spaces Storage Centers
There will be a point during your packing that you will feel a resistance to buying presents (just another thing to pack!). Don’t be a Grinch — there are still ways to buy Christmas gifts for your loved ones and minimize the amount of extra work for yourself.  Shop online and have gifts delivered to your hotel, relative’s home, or even your storage unit. Be sure to check with the hotel for their policy on holding your packages. Amazing Spaces accepts all package deliveries on your behalf and even has free Christmas wrapping parties inside each property’s conference room. Once your gifts arrive to your storage space, just bring them down to the retail center and use the complimentary supplies. Grab yourself a cup of coffee or cocoa while you’re wrapping and relax in our waiting lounge — it’s important to take some breathers while you’re moving. If you are unable to find time to join in on the wrapping parties, simply select the gift wrap option upon checkout. Both of these gift wrapping hacks will save you the trouble of trying to find scissors, tape and gift cards when all your things are on a moving truck.

Try To Keep Celebrations as “Normal” as Possible

Keep Things NOrmal Moving during Christmas | Moving During Christmas | Amazing Spaces Storage Centers
Keep your holiday traditions intact as much as possible. Whether it includes a religious celebration or reading a special holiday story, these traditions can help keep you grounded. If your house is the “go to” home for your family, don’t worry, you can still celebrate in a fully packed house. You have several options to host for the holidays. You can order a meal with all the trimmings and just heat it up, go out for brunch – a real treat (most major hotels offer this option), or pre-cook most of the meal. I have found that I enjoy cooking most of the side dishes days ahead, this way I can enjoy my family and friends. Most items can be heated up on the day of the event! Whatever your plan, make it easy for you. Use festive paper plates and disposable cook wear so that you can pack most of your kitchen beforehand. This is not the year to pull out your china and crystal; this should be packed well in advance because it takes so much time. You don’t want to be packing these items at the last minute because they are so priceless. If you start to feel a bit of nostalgia for a tradition that simply cannot be achieved during your move, start a new holiday tradition.  Dining out on Christmas Eve or going to see a holiday play mean less work for you and can lead to a much loved family tradition!

Get Out and Join in on Community Fun

Moving during Christmas having Fun | Moving During Christmas | Amazing Spaces Storage Centers
When you plan and pack up before hand, you might find that there’s not a lot to around the house to keep your family entertained. Kids especially will tell you they are bored and that one toy they haven’t wanted for 6 months is packed away. One of the best thing around the holidays is all the free or inexpensive events offered in your community. Check your local area for free concerts, events and parents’ day out (time when you can drop off the kids during the day, for more packing). Many churches, towns and malls host events for the whole family. Plan again in advance, for some fun time during the move, it will help release the stress and give you a much needed break from packing or planning.

Remember, Moving During Christmas is Difficult, but Every Move has its Challenges

All Moves have Challenges Moving during Christmas | Moving During Christmas | Amazing Spaces Storage Centers
Over the years, the one thing clients wish they did differently, no matter what time of the year the move may take place, they wish they could have relaxed a little bit more. The move will get done and there will probably be some bumps along the way. Put in perspective, you have done what you can and the move will move on, but this time of year – the holidays – only happen a few times in your lifetime! So enjoy them with family and friends, no matter what the stress of life may bring. No matter what, we’re here to help you make this move the as amazing as possible.

From all of us at Amazing Spaces we wish you peace, love and relaxation over the holiday season!

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