30 Days to Move: Day 10

So, this is not working out as I had planned. Do you know why? Writing a month long series while moving is really not the brightest of ideas....


On Day 10... the guilt of the day before hit me (think hot mess cookie fest). I got busy, cleaning, packing and getting stuff done! Granted, as I packed a box, I had eager help to unpack my boxes. It was a process.

With a great deal of the toys, blankets, clothes, odds and ends from the kitchen and knick knack things tucked into boxes I felt better. This was going to happen, one way or another.

On Day 10, I had moved, mothered and worked several hours for my job. The long week I had was showing on my face.

Reluctantly I pushed my trusty mower out the door and got a good sweat rolling as I made attempts to mow the jungle that was a lawn just 10 days before. Of course, Carla came by and said she was so worried about me... I looked exhausted. I laughed and told her putting in 13 hours on a Sunday and then mowing will do that to a woman. She looked guilty and hurried away.


Overall, Day 10 was good. I mowed half the yard, packed a bunch of stuff and was half way fun to be around for the kids!

30 Days to Move : Day 9

Well, the dream house... wasn't the dream house after all. There was just no way to make it work financially. I didn't get too discouraged. Remember I had a plan to fall on... campground living.

I half joked there.

Well the search continued. Houses were scooped out and promptly passed on when the insides were viewed, or the neighbors were sighted. House hunting proved to exhausting.

So, tossing in the towel for a day I have to admit. I wallowed in misery. I cried. I ate cookies.

That day feeling especially helpless and hopeless I prayed long and hard for God to shove me and I would do the work to get there.

So, on Day #9 of 30... Here are some more tidbits on what not to do:

Don't give up.
Keep Looking! Neighbors be damned, if you need a house, don't give up.

Don't cry.

Don't Wallow in Misery.

Don't turn to cookies.

Instead:

Keep sorting, packing and eliminating things that you really don't want, need or use. This stuff should not be moved to your new house.

Keep your attitude positive. There are houses!

30 Days to Move : Day 8 The Dream House

On Day 8 I found my packing mojo again. I started stuffing things into boxes at the speed of pack! Just seeing the pile of boxes grow bigger motivated me to keep going!

And behold, a call came in! We had a second viewing at a house, that like all others, I got a crush on from photos. I looked again and again. I was ready to make an offer on this house. Forget renting it. I wanted it NOW.

Funny how this works out.  Feast or famine and all.

As we are headed over to look at the "dream house" a call comes about viewing a third house. We make an appointment, options are good!

As we look at the Dream House, my heart pitter patters. I see my family growing up here. Oh, this house. This charming old house with modern updates. Be still my heart.

The catch? It was way out of budget. However, that heart was willing to do what it had to do to get this house... for 20 minutes we discussed dropping this, selling that, blah blah... it was going to happen.

I shared photos of the house with tons of friends, I gushed. I really had a crush on this space!

This made me ready to start packing with purpose. This was the house....

30 Days to Move: Day 7

By Day 7 I had a viewing! The house was cute, but bland. White and gray everything. But, it had lots of closets. As we walked through I liked it... a lot. 

We approached the subject of pets. He said "People with dogs won't be my first choice... but go ahead and fill this out. Let's meet Sunday morning to discuss." Huzzah. A Prospect. 

As we drove away, the mixed emotions played in. The location was not prime. It had no fence, neighbored a car wash and was on Main Street. With Kids and Dogs, this was an issue.

We talked about installing a fence with his okay. End of discussion. Or was it.

We had no more prospects in order so we saw the application out and went back Sunday. The guy wasn't there... he was at Sam's Club. He forgot... 

Not one to waste time, we scouted out several other houses. In no time, we found 2 lovely possibilities and one so so option.

The game continued.

As this was one full week in, we were starting to worry... just a little. 

I continued searching and Adam networked.

As the day continued on, I gave up on packing... I really got discouraged. My stress levels were high. I basically had a mini relapse of Day 6.

30 Days to Move: Day 6

On Day 6 I had good intentions. I was going to call a few numbers. I was going to pack up some kitchen things...

Well, the calls happened. I called and called number after number. No luck, nothing worth checking into further. No one wanted to accept dogs. End of the line.

A dark feeling settled over me as I realized, in 24 days we need to be out of this house. I admit, I let depression take hold. I started to give up a little. So, on this installment I am going to give you advice on what not to do on Day 6 of 30 Days to Move.

Do not grab the remote.
Do not get suckered into watching episodes of Roseanne on Netflix.
Do not act like a ziggy piggy with gourmet popcorn.
Do not put on your pajamas at 1 pm.
Do not feel so sorry for yourself that you have no choice but to have a nap with the baby.

On Day 6 of 30 Days to Move, if you have not found a few prospective houses or apartments, prepare to make a worst case scenario plan. While wallowing in self pity I did devise a pretty comically lame plan. I decided that if I couldn't find a house for my family I was going to get a storage unit, stash 95% of our possessions in there. From there I was going to the near by state park campgrounds to rent a primitive camp site for 6 nights a week and a cabin for one night a week. This would buy us time to keep looking without going broke living in a hotel, and best of all the kids would think of it as a vacation... the cabin was justified by the $26 a night rate and the luxury of a bed,  a tv and electric one night a week would be much needed.

My friends and family laughed. "Oh how silly you are Sara!"

But at least I have my Alamo. A real plan. Even if it is funny to some, lame and not really a great one.

Find your Alamo. Do you have someone that can let you stay with them for a week if needed? Can you afford a hotel room to act as your residence if you can't find a house? Spend Day 6 of 30 thinking out what you will do if the house hunt is harder than expected.