Settling In

 
AHHHH!!!  The past month has gone by so fast.  It was painful, but fast.  We prepped, painted and scrubbed the townhouse down for the first showing.  We are finally all moved out and moved into the heritage home. 
I spent a week in the Okanagan with my parents before officially moving into the new house.  The past few days my mom has been here unpacking and setting up while I've started work. 
It's nice to have that help!  It's too bad she can't stay longer and cook for us :)  What she did do for us is cube up packages of chicken, marinate and measure out into ziploc bags for the freezer.  All I will have to do now is set up the slow cooker in the morning, throw in the frozen chicken and add in some potatoes and veggies.  Then when I get home from work it will be ready to eat!  I like that!
Unpacking is always so overwhelming.  I'm starting to get better at it as this is around the 8th time I've moved in the past 2 years.  I always spent too much time and energy trying to have everything set up perfectly. 


This is my system now:
1.  Unload boxes into the first accessible large room.
2.  Sort boxes by rooms and distribute
3.  Empty boxes, flatten boxes then throw away boxes... keeping a few for storage
4.  Make sure kitchen, bathroom and bedroom are first rooms to set up. 6.  As time goes on, rearrange
5.  Put everything away into cupboards or shelves
6.  As time goes on, slowly rearrange stuff as I see fit.
7.  Swear to never move again. 


I always find the kitchen to be the worst to set up.  I try to tackle it first then get completely frustrated and overwhelmed.  Because I am still learning to cook and set up house, I have trouble deciding where everything should go.  Utensils in drawer by sink?  Utensils in drawer on end so they're easy to get out with multiple people in kitchen?  Spices by cupboard closest to stove which also happens to be the cupboard closest to sink.... which most people recommend putting your plates?  I'd rather just pay somebody to set up my kitchen.  Then if something doesn't work for me I'll move it later on.  If anyone has a guideline of how they set up their kitchen, please share.


Lastly, this place has spiders.  With an old place it's a given that it has lots of dark, damp places, a spider's favourite place!  I have a phobia of spiders.  I put my slippers up high when not wearing them, give them a good whack before putting them on.  Clothes always hung up and shaken before putting on.  I take a good look in cupboards before sticking my hand in.  I use a stick to move curtains in case there's a spider on the other side wanting to jump on my hand.  I know I'm a paranoid freak.  They scare the sh*t out of me!  I would have loved to spray every cupboard, closet and crack with Raid, but now we've moved in and we have a cat.  So spraying harmful chemicals is not the best decision.  I've hear chestnuts are supposed to repel them, but has anyone actually ever tried it and found a difference???
WISH ME LUCK!