Camlan: you are one awesome ~ and super organized~ person! You've inspired me and I love your ideas and system!!! I'm following your system. After I read your suggestions, I ran down to the local Dollar Tree where I picked up 10 large plastic shoe boxes, ($10) which will temporarily hold my photos as I sort through them. I also bought 2 packs of (20 total) manila file folders ($2) that I'm going to cut up into dividers for each box to categorize the pics by year and then subcategories for events, holidays and whatever. I like your idea about scanning the best onto flash drives. I can store the master FD in our safe deposit box, I guess. I'd like to create DVDs with special events, holidays, vacations on them vents on them and then make copies for our two kids . . . eventually. I just went back to look at my intimidatingly huge box of photos and I'm so glad that I now have a plan of action to deal with them! Thank you for taking the time to put your ideas down for me and for many of us here who are in similar situations. I really appreciate it! Now, has anybody created their own DVD's from their scanned photos? I do want to make up some myself. I'm too frugal and too creative to have some company do it for me . . . but is it very difficult to do if you have a good photo scanner? Did you use any special program? DLM: I totally agree with you, I know many people that would love to hire Camlan to do this for them. Goldie: good luck with your own project. And, yes, definitely archival-quality albums and photo boxes. Eandhl: good idea and one I'm going to use: get rid of all copies (and similar) photos right away. Thanks! Dedtired: I'm right there with you regarding the albums. I've run out of space for more! Lynn

Trying not to duplicate what's already been said if possible. The labeling was the biggest help for me. I printed a bunch of sheets with all the room names on them and would pack, tape a sheet onto the box and circle the room. That way I knew to look in boxes marked "Kitchen" if I wanted the coffeemaker or silverware. More detail is great and I'd make a comment on the bottom of the paper for things to help, but not go overboard. For instance, I'd note something like "desk drawers" "winter clothes" for the contents. You probably have luggage. USE IT! Why transport empty luggage? Pack your clothes in it or pack other stuff. Who cares. Make a grooming kit or kits. Pack the toothbrush, shampoo, soap, shaver, etc in there and you can work out of it at both places as need be. Put prescriptions in there and also things like aspirin, ibuprofen, aceteminaphin (sp?), antihisthemines, antacids etc. You'll probably be stiff and sore and stressed so even if you don't ever need Tums, you or someone else might. A briefcase is handy to keep valuable papers, checkbook, etc. Print out a listing of addresses & phone numbers for your contacts. Make a schedule and goal sheet. I like the 8 week countdown that you can find all over and adapt to your needs and if you have more or less time, adjust. But then you can see that if your goal was to have the bedrooms packed by Friday you may be ahead or behind schedule. Keep this in a binder with notes and stuff about the move. Could be a good place to keep bills, checkbook, pizza coupons, menus, envelopes, stamps and a pouch with paper clips a small stapler, and other office supplies. I call mine the "porta-office". You can also make notes on things to tell the next owners of the old place. Furnace filter sizes, things like how to use appliances, etc can be nice to know, along with a list of local numbers and such that they might need, even where to vote. But that's another thread! A cooler of pop and water is always appreciated. Some easy snacks, sandwiches, even a pan of frozen lasagna or a crock pot of sloppy joes or hot dogs helps keep the troops going. Maybe a friend or neighbor could tend the food for you? Even if a person can't lift, clean or whatever else, they probably could warm up the food and keep the thermos of coffee stocked. Of course, use paper and have wastebaskets and liners around. (An emptied box makes a good temporary wastebasket/recycle bin too.) Oh and have chairs handy so people can rest. Lawn chairs or folding chairs are fine. A few extra pair of cheap gripper-palm gloves are considerate too. Oh, BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER(S)!! Carry the backups with you in your briefcase and find a secure spot at the new place for them or put them into your safe deposit box. The bathroom will potentially become a mess. Live with it, it's a cost of the move. But have extra toilet paper out in plain sight and I'd maybe put a big wastebasket in there and use paper towels instead of the good towels. Make an essential box. Paper towels, napkins, etc that you would need right away. Paper plates, plate holders, plastic flatware, etc. Extension cords, outlet strips, a phone or two. Get the answering machine set up right away if you can. I've often thought about a "pre-move" move. To get the frig on and stocked with beverages, stock bath with supplies, set up phones and answering machine, etc. Have a stock of things you might need like prescriptions, painstuffs, etc. Small amounts but will cover you during the hectic worst. I would pack and stack boxes against the wall when moving out, but wanted the stack away from the wall at the new place. That way you can have two layers deep and access it from two sides without making as big a mess. Have some carpet runners laid out for keeping the mess down at the new place, especially if foul weather. Keeps the mess from 2-wheelers down too. Have garbage cans (or use boxes) for the trash that will accumulate. And a box for recycling the cans and bottles from the move. Don't skimp on these or you'll be picking up bottles and cans all over the place. Did I say it? HAVE ENOUGH 2-WHEELERS! Save your back! Don't expect people to carry all the boxes - wheel them! Rent them if you have to, you can buy them for $10-$20. I started bringing mine with me when I'd help someone because nobody would ever have them. Pack everything in a box that you possibly can so it can go on a 2 or 4-wheeler. How many times did I see a little stack here and a little stack there that they thought we'll just take that with us and it's a truckload by itself! MARK BOXES IF THEY AREN'T FULL! Otherwise people will stack on top of it and the whole pile will fall over and potentially a huge mess. Either make a briefcase or use the grooming kit to store the cell phone chargers, remote controls and things like that. Keep a phone available at both locations, keep your cell phone charged. If you don't have a cell phone, buy a prepaid phone. $20 investment will keep your sanity! And any numbers you need can be entered in that phone, you will have it on you if you need to call the attorney, realtor, mover, cousin Maude, the pizza place or whatever. I lived on frozen food and take out for several days. I also did some pack & move, although actually I had been packing for months so I would come home from work and load up a load of boxes and bring it to the new place. I basically moved myself the last time except for the biggest furniture. Made a box with cleaning supplies to have there. One move the first thing needed was a toilet plunger! Sooooo, there's something to know where you have it. And a pre-move item potentially. Or buy new? Or buy one and the old one can go to a second bath or whatever. Expect things to go wrong and then you'll appreciate what went right. Try not to overcomplicate things. If you're meticulously organized you'll need to inventory things more thoroughly. If you're less meticulous, put it in a box and mark the room. Some like to get the beds set up right away but I just used a sleeping bag the first couple nights and it was fine and I was comfy. Nightlights in a new place are nice to have. Keep some extra cash handy. Quick store trips or tips or whatever. You'll need it. Boy, what else? Oh, don't forget food, water & vet records for pets if you have any. Probably a good idea to have a few gallons of water so they can avoid Montezuma's revenge for the first few days following the move. It'll be stressful on them too. Just remember the most important moving tip: Life won't end if things don't go smoothly. So relax and bend with it. As long as everyone is safe and secure the other stuff is minimal so don't overstress. All will be well! Good luck!

I visited a friend's house a few weeks ago. Her spices were something to behold. I've never seen anything quite like it. They were on tiered shelves, but that wasn't what impressed me. It was the chart on the inside of the cupboard door. Think Bingo chart, or a spreadsheet. Each row and column was labeled on one sheet. A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5, etc. Then there was a master list, in alphabetical order. Need cilantro? Look down the list. Oh, Row A, Jar 12. Glance at the "bingo chart" for orientation, and then boop, there it was in that spot on the shelf. I'd never be able to keep up with it, personally, but I could goggle in wonderment! Mine? They're in a cardboard box in the cupboard over my stove (shhh). It fits perfectly. I drag it out when I'm cooking and set it on the counter. The jar lids are labeled and placed in random order. There are less than 20 or so spices in there, so it's good enough. (Sweet spices are elsewhere.) When I'm done, the kit and caboodle goes back up and in. Someday I hope to have them in the shallow wall niche as described above, though.

Hi, RDW. This is fun time, but most of it'll be right at home. You'll notice that Marcolo's link has almost nothing to do with yet another shopping trip. A few inserts are prizes, but a lot are unnecessary obstacles to good use. Some flexibility isn't just good, it's required for good function. That link does cover almost everything, so I'll just offer to think in terms of point of first use and, since not everything can be stored right there, in terms of priority--the more often an item is used, the closer it gets stored to point of first use. Long ago I visited someone with a very small kitchen who stored her salad spinner on a shelf by a stack of 4 plates and 4 bowls. I was clueless then, but now I understand completely. Smart lady.