And She's Off!

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It's that time of year again. The house is a cluttered mess as we empty out my daughter's room and bring all the things that have been stored in the basement for the summer upstairs so we can jam them into the car. In a few days, when we return home, everything will look much too empty. The odds and ends I've been grumbling about all summer because they seem to be everywhere will have disappeared.

We're getting ready to take my daughter back to school.

Fortunately, the organizing habits my daughter and I have developed when it comes to packing transfer here as well. Though I'm not as good at traveling light as she is, I've definitely learned how to streamline the packing process.

Since we're not doing this for the first time, we can replicate what worked last year (using garbage bags to transport hanging clothes, for example). In addition, much of the stuff that came home in May is still packed which, theoretically, gives us a head start. 

Here are a few of the other strategies that we hope will see us through:

Pack inside the stuff that's going to live at school. Now that we know what stores and resources are in her neck of the woods, we know what we need to bring from home and what we can buy once we arrive. Since storage is at a premium in this year's room, we did purchase one drawer unit, which is stuffed with the clothing it will house once she gets to school. I'm a big fan of anything that does double-duty -- packing containers now, storage later--so anything purchased before we leave has to be cheap, efficient, perfect for the space or, better yet, all three.

Keep similar items together and label liberally. This is one of those at-home rules that applies to travel, too. Move-in day is chaotic and, though this year will probably be a less emotional endeavor than last year when she was a freshman, I suspect the move-in process will still feel very scattered. Any simple step that reduces the chaos is a good one. Packing things by category and labeling containers makes turning a dorm room into a home faster and easier. And, these strategies eliminate the need to deal with with multiple mystery packages.

Keep it flexible. Smooshy stuff compresses more easily than plastic bins. Duffel bags and totes stand out in a sea of bins and garbage bags bursting with clothing. A collection of smaller bags can be tucked into nooks and crannies too tiny for a foot locker or trunk. Under circumstances like these where every inch of space matters, assess your packing space and choose your containers accordingly.

Now I'm going to hand off to you. If you've been down this road, what suggestions can you offer?