Packing into Suitcases

You could do that thing they do on the home organization shows, where you turn all your hangers around, and after you wear something, you put it back with the hanger the right way. After a few months donate everything with the hanger turned around. It's a good trick.

I just did something similar. Since I was away for 6 months, before I unpacked, I went through everything in my closet and got rid of a TON of clothing I don't wear and I feel so much better.

Be careful with vacuum - sometimes they're TOO efficient and make your suitcases overweight!

Indeed.  Everytime I go back to the UK with stuff, my suitcases are usually within a pound of the weight limit.

I think I have a pretty good start. I have the advantage of knowing the move is coming within the next year, so I have time to scale back my possessions....it's just hard. 

Tim is still telling me we'll move all my stuff over because he doesn't want me to just move into his house and feel like a guest in my own home.  Which is nice and all, and I appreciate the sentiment, but if I can save us $600....that's a trip back to the US for me!

It is hard, no doubt.  But with little exception most people I know wish they had brought LESS stuff not more.  I was pretty lucky myself because I don't have a lot of attachment to things so I was pretty brutal in the first instance.  I did bring over an insane amount of Bath and Body Works lotion though.  That was probably my only mistake.

I did bring over an insane amount of Bath and Body Works lotion though.  That was probably my only mistake.

Luckily, I discovered I LOVE the Boots brand Lime and Apple or whatever it is (all I know is it's green) while I was recently over...and when I got back I dumped a bunch of beauty supplies/sample sizes that were hanging out in baskets in my bathroom because after 8 months away I was pretty sure most of it was expired!

You could do that thing they do on the home organization shows, where you turn all your hangers around, and after you wear something, you put it back with the hanger the right way. After a few months donate everything with the hanger turned around. It's a good trick.

Never heard that one about the hangers, although I do know the rule that if you haven't worn in in the past year, toss it.  I have a huge bag already for Goodwill but still need a bigger cull 

I won't be shipping all of my stuff via airplane, but I figured on bringing over a couple of boxes that way.  I don't actually have luggage (I'm strictly a carry-on girl), so I bought some of these Rubbermaid containers:

Lots of the reviews, both on Amazon and REI, have said that they're great for international moves.  They've got great handles and seem very secure.  I figured it would be a good way to pack breakables, at any rate.

I've been doing the purge thing, too, but it's getting to the point where it hurts!  I think I might be out of the realm of non-essential and cutting into the stuff that I really love.   Maybe time to stop!

Yes, don't get to the point where you are getting rid of stuff you love!

There are some things I left behind at the last minute literally because I had not planned my packing properly. I had no time to get a friend to take all of it, as this was a "night before" discovery of how it just wouldn't all fit.

Even though they were items of zero value except to me, it's funny but I STILL kick myself, still miss these silly things. I haven't seen anything here that replaces them, they were kind of "one of a kind" or something I've only seen in the US -- or even discontinued things.

You can live to regret and fixate on stupid stuff like this. It is all pretty trivial I know, just "things" -- but purging things that do have a meaning for you can bum you out for some time to come, in the strangest way.

So try not to purge too much -- the process can make you a little crazy to where you are not quite thinking straight and really do get rid of something quite important to your personal world, only to realize later "what was I thinking?"

I walk around the house mentally putting labels on things: keep that, give that to Cousin so-and-so, sell that, take that to Goodwill, take that to the dump ... etc. etc. Its making me crazy
And there are stupid little things that I know people would say to toss out but I know I would regret that.  Like a little plastic container that holds cotton balls and Q-tips very neatly.  I'm sure I'd never find anything like that over there.  I came upon my mother's old camera the other day which is probably worth nothing now in this digital age and I don't really want to keep it but what do I do with it?  Boxes and boxes of slides she took?  A set of funny baseball cartoons my dad did when he was a teenager?  Can't throw those out!  My set of pots and pans, some of the crockery and cutlery, some of the cook books, towels and sheets -- they've all got to be packed and sent eventually.

I came upon my mother's old camera the other day which is probably worth nothing now in this digital age and I don't really want to keep it but what do I do with it?  Boxes and boxes of slides she took? 

I think it might be pricey, but my dad just had our slides digitized.  They'd been sitting in their boxes in the basements of various houses for 20+ years, totally unused.  Now we all have copies of them stored on CD.  If the cost isn't too awful, I highly recommend it.

I think it might be pricey, but my dad just had our slides digitized.  They'd been sitting in their boxes in the basements of various houses for 20+ years, totally unused.  Now we all have copies of them stored on CD.  If the cost isn't too awful, I highly recommend it.

Yeah, thought of that -- only I'd have to go through them all because she sometimes took some totally stupid pictures (like of an arrangement of knick-knacks)

Yeah, thought of that -- only I'd have to go through them all because she sometimes took some totally stupid pictures (like of an arrangement of knick-knacks)

Yeah, there was definitely a big cull involved before sending them off.  I'm sure Thanksgiving dinner in 1978 was awesome, but a picture of the food-bedecked table alone doesn't make the cut.   

Yeah, thought of that -- only I'd have to go through them all because she sometimes took some totally stupid pictures (like of an arrangement of knick-knacks)

This thread is starting to make me giggle -- you know, in some snooty London art galleries a photo of an arrangement of knick-knacks passes for high art! You could make a killing!

I'm sure Thanksgiving dinner in 1978 was awesome, but a picture of the food-bedecked table alone doesn't make the cut.  

I just burst out laughing at this because.... ....in 1993 I totally took a picture of the table laden with the Christmas roast turkey'n'all the trimmings dinner I made....!!

I'm relieved to know I'm not the only one who committed such acts of camera bizarrity (I think I just made up a word).

I think it might be pricey, but my dad just had our slides digitized.  They'd been sitting in their boxes in the basements of various houses for 20+ years, totally unused.  Now we all have copies of them stored on CD.  If the cost isn't too awful, I highly recommend it.

If you have the time, it might be cheaper to buy your own slide scanner and do it yourself. My mom got a HP scanner that does slides for under $100.

If you have the time, it might be cheaper to buy your own slide scanner and do it yourself. My mom got a HP scanner that does slides for under $100.

Oh I thought they would be much more expensive than that.  DS would probably love to do it.  Thing is I hate to acquire any more electrical items that will just have to be sold.  (Hmmm -- wonder if anyone he knows has one he could borrow?)

Oh I thought they would be much more expensive than that.  DS would probably love to do it.  Thing is I hate to acquire any more electrical items that will just have to be sold.  (Hmmm -- wonder if anyone he knows has one he could borrow?)

The one my mom has is just a regular scanner that came with an "attachment" you stick the slide in and then lay on the flat bed, and then we also saw a slide scanner (that only did slides) for $60 at Wal-Mart.