So on this stormy April evening, I'm stuck up in the attic partaking in one of my least favorite activities: preparing to move. I love the freshness of moving into a new place, but I hate the messy process of getting there. And the first step in this process (as soon as I'm done procrastinating by blogging and watching Rules of Engagement) is a massive purge of everything I don't need.
This purge hasn't always taken place. When I've moved place to place in Ames, I've tended to pack everything up and just move. Well, I have farther to move this time. I need to downsize as much as possible. I've devised a plan that's going to help me in this purging process. And all it calls for is three empty, tall plastic laundry hampers.
Hamper 1: Keep Handy
These are things I come across that I will need to have easy (but not immediate) access to in the upcoming weeks. Certain outfits and shoes. Hair, bath, and beauty products that I don't use everyday but will need shortly upon moving. Electronics chargers. Important documents/papers/notebooks. Once full, this hamper will be packed into easy-to-get-to and easy-to-transport bags.
Hamper 2: Take Home
I'll be taking a bunch of unneeded items to my parents' place during the transition from my current apartment to the next apartment. Decorative accessories. Books. Office/school supplies. Out-of-season clothing and shoes. Artwork. Kitchen items except for the bare essentials. Once full, things will be packed like with like into labeled boxes and shipped off to mom and dad's for temporary storage.
Hamper 3: Throw Away
This is the hamper that means serious business. Anything I come across that I do not need (but cannot recycle or donate) goes here. And gets tossed.
Now, several hampers could be added to this. One for recycling. One for donating. Etc, etc. I don't have enough hampers or time to devote to that. I've got to get purging and packing and moving. And fast. If you're wondering about the items I need here-and-now all the time, those won't go into the hamper. Rather, I'll be collecting them in a small corner of my room for easy and immediate access.
Do you have any tips and tricks to purging, packing, and moving? Leave 'em in a comment below. I can use all the help I can get. Take a look at my mess of an attic right now:

Comments
I put clothes on hangers in garbage bags, hanger and all, for transport and then I just pull them out, shake them off, and hang them up again. Labeling is SUPER important. Other than that, I just kind of muscled through it. No dilly-dallying, just box after box until it was all done in about a day and a half. Good luck!