WELL RED

When we first started talking about our move east I was told to contact a "relocation specialist" to help with our preparations.  Clearly, this advice came from someone who didn't know who they were dealing with!  By age ten my family had produced several major moves around the country (I was convinced my parents were fugitives, running from the law..not the case, unfortunately, with a Philosopher and Psychologist as parents..to move or not to move, that is the pressing question).  It was during those formative years that I fell in love with my label maker.  I labeled everything from my sock drawer to my Cabbage Patch doll's clothes.  While other kids played tennis, I rearranged my tennis shoes.  Those hours spent in the closet growing up were well worth it!  In our tireless efforts to ensure that our "T's" are crossed and "I's" dotted, I've purchased colored dots to make sure everything heads to its proper destination.

GET REDY:

I LOVE heading to Staples (www.staples.com) to pick up little organizing tools. Label makers, file folders, DOTS. Even if you aren't planning a move, maybe you're organizing a closet, sending things to storage or cleaning out your garage. If you don't want to lose track of it, make a list and put it in a notebook. Here's what I've done:

1.) Created inventory list of what's staying in Pasadena (we're staging the house with some of our furniture for open houses, etc.), what's going to storage in New York, what we're throwing out and what we're donating. I've assigned a colored dot to every item with a corresponding list. RED dot, heading to New York, GREEN dot, storage, ORANGE, throwing away, etc. I've inventoried every item so in a month when Joe asks where his slippers are, I can say..check out the red dot sheet. It's here somewhere!!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Never ending (the move)...

COST: $4.78 for 500 red dots

STRESS LEVEL: I'm not red in the face anymore: LOW