• Boxes: These can be purchased at a moving supply company (check your yellow pages). These folks also sell used boxes at a reduced rate. You can also go to local stores for their boxes. Keep in mind that you do not need to get huge boxes, because they will be too hard to lift when filled. So keep them manageable.
• Packing Tape: Be sure and get plenty of tape to seal the box top flaps. It is not that expensive and is worth having enough so you don't have to stop and run out to buy more. Also get the dispensers to hold the tape and have more than one if there will be more people helping pack.
• Scissors: If you don't get the dispensers, you will need scissors, just remember, scissors are hard to keep up with while you are packing.
• Garbage bags: Preferably, the kind that you can see through. That way you will not have to reopen the bags to see if it is trash or something you packed that would not fit in a box. Get very strong ones. Mark them with colored ribbons for code.
• Colored Magic Markers: Use colored ones so that you can give each room a different color and that way, when you are unloading the truck, all you have to say is: "Yellow boxes go in the kitchen, green in the bedroom, purple in the living room, etc". Then you can post the color of boxes over the top of the doorway to that room. You can also use colored ribbon to tie around the garbage bags. Stickers and markers usually don't work, because they either fall off, or you can't see them. Clothes are usually in these bags, so raid your sewing stash for old ribbon or your Christmas stash for Christmas ribbon. It is cheap and easy to recognize. Decide ahead of time what your color codes are going to be and put those supplies in the room. Just don't label all the boxes "Misc" (or "Stuff" and "More Stuff")! You can also give the boxes a number and put the contents of that box on your notepad, so you can find where the item is without tearing open each and every box - and creating even more CHAOS!
  
  As far as labeling the boxes, if you start packing up the things that you will not need, and start at 1 and label in ascending order, you will know that the boxes with the lowest numbers can be unpacked last. The higher numbered boxes are the ones with the stuff you use the most.
• Newspapers: This is for packing your dishes and other breakable items. You can never have enough newspapers.

If you have plenty of time to prepare for the move, you can have everything labeled and ready to load on the truck, all before the final day. No stress and no worry. Also, you will be able to find things when you get to your new home. Color Code the boxes and number them. Label on the outside the contents or which drawer they came from and put it on your master moving list. Get a clipboard and keep everything together or a zip up notebook or canvas bag to hold all your markers and supplies. Keep your moving supplies together.

Now let's talk about what you are going to need when you get to the new house. No need ripping open boxes, looking for things. So here is what you need to do first before you start to pack anything. Think about what items you are going to need when you walk in the door of your new house.

• Cleaning Supplies
• Rubber gloves
• Disinfectant
• Vacuum, broom, mop.
• Rags and paper towels
• Basic kitchen utensils: A skillet, pot, coffee pot, and maybe even your crock-pot. Then a spatula, sharp knife, silverware, dishwashing liquid, dishtowels, paper plates, napkins, and glasses.
• Simple food: peanut butter, cereal, crackers, bread, coffee, and sugar.
• Clothing: Have a couple of changes of clothes for each person in the family; everything from underwear to socks, shoes and pajamas.
• Personal items: You will need a basic bathroom bag. Everyone's toothbrushes, razor, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toilet paper and towels and washcloths. Don't forget make up, hair dryer and contact lense items.
• For the first sleep in the new house: Also pack some sheets and blankets for each person's bed and an alarm clock. This should be just enough to help with camping out, while you are working on getting the new house put together.
• And: a phone and your packing supply bag, with garbage bags, and your inventory and special labels that you have made for each door way so the movers will know where to put the boxes, without you standing at the front door directing traffic. Let the workmen do their work, so you can start cleaning and unpacking your kitchen as it comes in the door. Especially the food that you may have moved. If you are moving frozen food, you will need good ice chests to pack it in. Best to use up all your frozen and refrigerated food before the move or giving it to your old neighbors before you leave.

Now before you leave the old house, make sure the power is on at the new house, as well as the phone, or have a cell phone. Also think about having a cleaning service come and clean the old house for you. Your attentions are not there anymore. Let someone else do it for you.