Archive for August, 2011

If your trash collectors are anything like mine, you’ll probably agree with me that they ought to just wear skirts to work. I mean, they are picky about what they will pick up. Nothing too large, too heavy, nor anything that isn’t wrapped up neatly with a tidy little bow. Puh-lease.

So what to do with that big musty old couch? Hmm. Let’s look at a few ideas. Here’s a list of ten ways to get rid of an old couch: 

1. Free to Good Home – Depending on the traffic on your street, this may be a fairly quick way to see that sofa off. Put a “Free Sofa” sign on it at the curb and wait.
2. Sell It – There’s something psychological about placing a dollar value on something that makes it seem more valuable to people. Price it to sell, and put a for sale sign on it instead. I’ve heard anecdotal stories of things disappearing shortly after a Free sign was replaced with a For Sale sign.
3. Donate It – If it’s still in fairly decent shape, this could be an option for Goodwill Industries or a local shelter. Call around to charities in your area listed in the yellow pages. Some of them may even pick up.
4. Post It Online – Take advantage of your social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Put up a message and post some pics of that couch.
5. Advertise – Laundromats, the local college, coffee shops. Think about where people who may be looking to furnish an apartment cheap would be hanging out, and get the word to them.
6. Swap It – If you’re getting rid of an old one to replace it with a new one, check whether the store you’re buying from will pick up the old one.
7. Consignment Store – If there’s a consignment store in your area, you may be able to have them sell it for you. Clean it up and let them handle the rest.
8. Furniture Bank – Some cities have furniture banks which will accept donated furniture for resale. Check your local listings and see if there’s one near you, and if so, whether they pick up.
9. CraigsList – Place an ad for your area on CraigsList, either for free or priced to sell fast. You’d be surprised how many calls and/or emails can result.
10. 1800gotjunk.com – As a last resort, you can usually find some outfit like these folks in your area who will pick up your trash for a nominal fee. If you just want to see it gone, and haven’t had luck with the other options, this one just may be the ticket for you.

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Going off on your own for the first time can seem overwhelming. The last thing you want to think about is how you’re going to eat. Although most colleges provide a cafeteria, in the long run that’s not very appetizing and eating at a restaurant every day gets pricy. So, here are a few essentials for cooking solo.

1. Compact refrigerator – Duh! Man cannot live on Ramen noodles and canned goods alone. You need fresh fruit, vegetables, and dairy products, so a fridge is an essential. Besides, where else are you going to chill your drinks?
2. Toaster oven – Ah, yes. Regardless of the three A.M. infomercials, a microwave cannot do everything. To make real, edible, food you’ll need an oven. P.S. these things also work as a toaster, so you just cut out a second appliance. Be aware that they’re small, so usually a full-sized pizza is out of the question. But you’d be surprised at the versatility of the little things.
3. Microwave – Speaking of versatility, a microwave is a wondrous machine. I’m sure you’re well versed in the usage of them, so I won’t blather on. Get one. You’ll need it.
4. Coffee maker – Mmm… the best part of waking up. Or in some cases, staying up after an all-nighter. It is way more affordable to make your own than to buy Starbucks every morning, and the things come dirt cheap. Just remember the travel mug and you’re good to go.
5. Cookbook – We all have our favorite foods, but I guarantee you’ll draw a blank when it comes to actually cooking it. For anything more complex than mac and cheese, pull out your trusty cookbook. “The Joy of Cooking” covers everything, but you can get more specific cookbooks almost anywhere. I suggest a used book store, as they can get expensive.
6. Flatware – Um… Something to eat with would be good. I know how fun it is to eat with your fingers, but soup and steak have a tendency to make that a bit difficult. A good steak knife is a necessity – you can pretty much use it to cut anything. Butter knifes (try to find ones with a bit of edge on them), forks, regular spoons and a serving spoon, a spatula (you’ll use it more than you think), and measuring spoons and cups should cover the basics.
7. Dinnerware – Also, something to eat on. You cannot just lean over the sink! Hunker down and get yourself plates (big and small), bowls (soup and serving/mixing), and some cups and mugs. Do not depend on paper plates and plastic cups, one day you’ll run out and then where will you be? Besides, it’s more environmentally responsible to wash a dish than it is to contribute to landfills.
8. Can opener – Remember what I said about soup? Not all cans have a pop-top, so get yourself a can opener. The electric ones are more expensive, and you really don’t need it. Just get a simple hand-powered one and use those typing muscles!
9. Electric skillet or hotplate – Ah, another indispensible tool for edible food preparation. I’m a meat eater myself, and I certainly don’t want to bake my steak or burgers! Both the options work well, but just remember- if you go for the hot plate, you’ll need a pot and a pan to cook with. I recommend cast iron. It’s heavy, but it holds heat and cooks evenly, so you’re less likely to burn your meal.
10. Casserole dish and cookie sheet – This is only if you opted for the toaster oven! Most toaster ovens come with a small baking sheet, which typically works okay. If yours didn’t include a baking sheet, find out the size the oven can take before buying one. You’ll need something to put your food on when you’re cooking with the oven. Why a casserole dish too? I have one word for you – brownies. Well, really any cake or cake-like thing. But you’ll be shocked at how many things you’ll end up baking in your casserole dish. Just make sure, once again, that it’ll fit.

That’s the basics. And this list isn’t just for dorm dwellers. Anyone starting out from scratch, especially those on a budget, needs to purchase these essential ingredients for a happy, healthy cooking experience. The rest is just icing on the cake… Mmm… cake.

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This move story was brought to us by Doris Thompson a friend of MoversAndPackers.org:

OH the stories we can tell about moving across the country, or across state lines.  Not just me – yes-I have one – but you as well.  Moves are challenging at best.  The route we take the routine we go through to see that everyone is settled without a lot of interruptions in their life is stressful.

I had hardly traveled beyond the state line of Tennessee when I ventured into Mississippi and met my husband.  After we married, I realized just how home sick I was; not just for my family but for the farm land I had allowed into my soul.  Sure there was farm land in Mississippi, but it was not Long Branch.   There was only one Long Branch and it ran deep in my veins, and would forever be compared to any other piece of earth I might land on.

I had little to move with me, as we were just starting out for a life together – thick or thin – in sickness and in health until death parted us.  I had dreams of grandeur evidently, and never stopped to consider the consequences of choosing to live in a foreign land I hardly knew with people of which I knew very little more. 

We struggled for the five years we lived there – it was probably the times in which we were living, along with the new life we were adjusting to.  However my husband had an opportunity to go to Memphis to find work.  It was not Long Branch, but it was Tennessee.  My mother was thrilled I was back on Tennessee soil in God’s country!  My children were babies, so moving young children was an excitement to them.  They got involved in the move, exploring their new surroundings and 10 years later we had moved into a new house and things were looking up. 

After the move into the new house, my husband got the new job and the money was great – the down side was he would be driving for Levi Strauss – making runs from the east coast to Texas and points beyond, taking him away from home 5-6 days a week. 

After a couple of years on the Levi Strauss job, the company decided to move the dispatch/trucking division more center of the US, and knowing the job was a God send, we made the choice to move with the company to Arkansas.  We had added another son to our growing family, and now with 4 children, two teenagers and two pre-teens I did not know what was in store as far as challenge was concerned.  But I would soon learn.

We put our new home on the market in the fall of that year.  Winter passed, and spring came, but the children and I were still living in Memphis.  My husband came home on Friday nights only to leave again on Sunday afternoon to drive the two and ½ hours to Little Rock to make his weekly run again.  It was grueling on him, and to watch my children as they longed for their Dad, after he started the trip back to Arkansas, was getting heavy to carry.  Raising children was not meant to be a one person job as far as I was concerned.  They needed their Dad, and I needed a helper.  They were growing up when he wasn’t there.  For all intents and purposes I felt like a married widow.

Summer began, school was out and still so signs of moving were in site.  One Sunday night I gathered the children for prayer concerning my husband’s safety as well as ask the Lord to send someone to purchase the house.  Shortly after our prayer that same night there was a telephone call.  If there was ever anything to build faith in God into my children it was the prayer, and then the call that came so timely.  Our realtor called to say someone was interested in seeing the house, and wanted to come by that night.  I wasn’t about to tell them it was too late and to wait another day.  This is why we had prayed, and this call was an answer I had asked for.

The young couple looked at the house that night around eight o’clock and the next day while I was at work, the realtor called to say he had an offer!

After several trips to Little Rock, we found the house we would call home for the next 25 years.  Visualize this if you can.  Two cars overloaded; inside one car was a first time mother dog and 5 puppies, a U-haul loaded with all our earthly possessions, and 4 anxious kids with a weary Mom and Dad.

I left behind my beloved Piano I had purchased at a give-a-way price and refurbished.  There was just no room.  I felt I was leaving a child behind I loved that Piano so.  Several hours later, we arrived at our new home only to learn the papers could not be signed for another few days.  What to do?

Where the mix up came from, I have no idea whom to blame.  Our Realtor at the new location was aware we would be arriving on that particular day, so he went into hiding and could not be found for several days.  Now our challenge had increased in load limit.  What to do with a truck load of furniture, and a weary family until the papers could be signed. 

After a laborious 48 hours, we got permission from the seller to move in.  Though the papers were not signed, we had the key and would at least be able to unload boxes, the dogs, the children and a place to sleep.

Even with all the above, I learned too late that uprooting teenagers is not an ideal situation.  When children are young, they seem to adjust much better than when they are established in a school, church and community.  Short of leaving them behind, the only solution is to watch for signs of discontent.  By all means “keep communication open” I was told. 

The next five years were bumpy for my first teenager, but we made it through each new challenge we faced.  In making new friends, the ones who came by to befriend him, were of questionable character which caused complications.   Often our problem areas were solved before my husband got home.  However we realize looking back on 25+ years, that all ended well. He learned to be wiser about choosing his friends but it took a few years of tears, prayers and a loving family. 

We were determined to accept our new home, new state, new school and church.  Eventually we started finding our place and each day as we settled in, we found a way to be together and laugh.  Yes, laugh.  Forgetting the challenges of uprooting a family to follow employment; forgetting the map of the city which lay on the car seat beside me for the greater portion of a year; and even forgetting the hassle of the first day of our arrival, we have learned to laugh and remember the move was an answer to prayer.

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