Tips and Tricks: Moving

As you know from the previous post, I recently moved which makes me an ~expert~ on the topic! *kidding, but I did learn some do's and don'ts through trial and error!* Moving in New York City is difficult since you sometimes can't legally park in front of buildings. Because of this, you have to be prepared to load and unload very quickly. This takes several people, we had 4 people total and I don't think we could have done it without everyone.  Since you're in the city and moving on busy streets and sidewalks, it's handy to have someone watch your stuff as you take each load inside the building.

Packing 

Ziploc plastic storage bags totally saved my life. They are heavier than trash bags (which I found would rip under the weight of some of my things.) It was raining on the day we moved but I wasn't worried since the bags seal shut! I used them for clothes, bedding, pillows, and towels. The extra large bags will fit a foam mattress topper and are also perfect for pillows! 

Furniture 

My roommates and I have been scouring the city for cheap, cute furniture to outfit our apartment.  We found a great kitchen table at Housing Works Thrift Store.  Our coffee table and sofa were found through a Facebook "Free and For Sale" page for our college. Social media is a great way to find cheap furniture, especially when you're in school! If you're moving in the spring, chances are there are a lot of seniors leaving that are looking to get rid of furniture any way they can. We got some great items that retail for much more than we paid, they are in good condition and look so nice in the rooms. 

Transportation 

If you don't have a car and you're in an area like New York City where it's hard to get one, is 100% worth it to hire a service.  We were just going to take a few Uber cars but after packing and seeing how much we had we decided to pay for a service to drive us back and forth for a few hours. Since we didn't have furniture or a ton of heavy lifting, we didn't need movers, just a car to get us from Point A to Point B. It was so helpful to have the car and we were able to get most of our things over in just a few hours which was great - and encouraging for the rest of the move! 

Moving is stressful but also very exciting. Ask some friends to help and treat them to brunch afterwards as a thank you! Make sure you have your things in order and packed up the night before so you aren't rushing to throw clothes in bags before the movers get there.  Most importantly, remember that moving marks the exciting beginning of a new chapter! As hectic as it is, take time to celebrate that you're embarking on a new adventure! Plus you get a chance to decorate a new place which, if you're like me and love interiors, is reason enough to move! 

♥ Caro

MOVING!

Over the weekend I moved out of my dorm and into an apartment!! I am so excited to be staying in the city this summer and living with 3 of my amazing friends. We were able to find an apartment in the city fairly easily and jumped on the opportunity.  We are lucky it's in a great location relative to where we work. There is a good amount of storage and the living room is HUGE which will be perfect for having friends over this summer!! This is my first "big girl" apartment and my first time living outside of the dorms in NYC.  This past weekend and the last few days have been insane - I had no idea how much stuff I had.  Moving was hard work and we didn't even have furniture yet! The last time my family moved I was very young so I didn't remember how much went into moving into a new place.  Since coming to college I have had many "adult" moments but moving definitely tops the list. Being so far from home, I did everything myself. This was both empowering and stressful.  In the end, I am glad I was forced to figure things out for myself because the next time I move I will know exactly what needs to be done.  

I am writing this as the cable guy installs my tv and internet [#adulthood] I was so used to wifi I didn't realize how crippling it is to be without it!  The apartment is definitely a work in progress, everything is here but everything is also EVERYWHERE. Boxes and trash bags full of clothes and shoes are taking over the entire apartment and we are all anxious to have the furniture arrive so we can start organizing.  It's a work in progress but I am really excited to see everything come together! I was lucky enough to find some great deals on furniture online and at thrift stores in the area.    I can't wait for things to be in place, I will be writing a post about how we decorate once we can get everything put away! Thanks for being patient throughout this semester, it has been a roller coster and I am excited to have some free time this summer to write posts more frequently and continue to improve Handbags & Heartbeats! :) 

♥ Caro

College Tips: Roommates

Going to college can be very scary; it’s an exciting time with so much change.  If you’re lucky you might have a few friends to lean on or maybe you’ve met the perfect roommate online! In some cases, like mine, you might encounter a roommate from Hell, and in this case your freshman year becomes the ultimate test.  Last year, not only was I moving to New York from the South, but I also didn’t know a single person.

My school also wouldn’t let me pick my roommate, they assigned a girl to me after asking me what time I go to bed, what time I wake up, and how clean I am (definitely not enough questions to know about personalities and possible issues!) We spoke on the phone, then met at move in, and things were fine for the first few weeks.  But as classes started and schedules were set, she didn’t seem to understand that class was something people went to college to attend.  The smallest things I did would make her mad, like if I was drying my hair for class or reading over homework assignments before bed.  It was a very difficult time.  I would call my mom about the latest problem and I was considering moving into a different dorm.  It wasn’t necessarily that she was a horrible person; I just don’t think she knew how to live with someone else. 

Luckily, things worked out for the best, second semester my suitemate ended up switching places with her and the year was so much better! My suitemate (second semester roommate) was great and I really enjoyed living with her (though honestly anything was better than the alternative!) Dealing with my first semester roommate taught me a lot about patience and compromise.  If you have to live with a random roommate freshman year there is a chance it could work out well, I know several people who loved their roommates! But if you end up living with someone challenging, here are some ideas  

• Talk it Out - You never know what someone is going through, there might be some underlying issues there and the best thing you can do is talk it out.  If your roommate is staying up all-night and sleeping all day ask her if there is an alternative. Try to work out an agreement that makes both of you happy and understand that you both have lives and things to do.  Living with another person, especially a stranger is all about compromise. The worst thing you can do is ignore it and pretend everything is fine.
• Plan - Make a plan in the beginning of the year to clean each respective side of the room and figure out a bathroom cleaning and trash disposal system.  No one likes being the only one doing the work so figure this out first thing, that way no one is faced with all of the chores when the room is disgusting.
• Invest in Fabreeze - When someone doesn’t wash their sheets, towels, or clothes a crate of air freshener should do the trick, it’s better than wasting you expensive perfume to mask the smell.
• Hide Your Things - This sounds crazy, I know, but it turned out being SO TRUE.  Someone told me move in day to hide toilet paper, tampons, other toiletries and little things and I thought she was crazy! Turns out my roommate would “borrow” all of the above and more, pens and pencils, scissors, packs of post-its, tampons, toilet paper, etc… You name it, she took it.  I like to believe she took them in an emergency and just forgot about it, but maybe we won’t give her the benefit of the doubt.  Long story short, get a container for under your bed and put your things in it.  You’ll be glad you did when someone forgets to change the toilet paper and you’re almost stranded.
• Push Her In Front of a Cab - wait… what?

♥ Caro