The Container Store Buckhead Reopens in New Location

Yesterday the WOW team had the privilege of attending a blogger preview event for the opening of the relocated Container Store Buckhead. The new store, located on the corner of Peachtree St. and Wieuca Rd., is significantly bigger than the old store and appears to carry a greater variety of products. For frequent shoppers, the parking is also much easier!

The WOW team absolutely loves The Container Store for their multifunctional and innovative storage products, but also for their commitment to conscious capitalism. If you’ve never heard about the store’s corporate culture, you might be interested to know that it is dedicated to running their business in a way that is good for the environment, local communities, and their employees, as well as the bottom line. For example, their employees are paid significantly higher than the average local wage for similar jobs and receive 263 hours of training in their first year (compared to an average of 7-10 in the industry). Learn more about their Founding Principles here.

In celebration of the store opening, there will be events and giveaways held this Saturday and Sunday (11/10-11/11). Some of the reasons to check out the new location this weekend include:

  • Prize giveaways every hour, on the hour, including a $1,000 Elfa Space Makeover
  • $10 Store More Gift Cards for the first 100 Facebook Check-Ins &
  • 10% of all sales throughout the weekend will be donated to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Thanks again to Container Store Buckhead for inviting WOW to be a part of your grand reopening events. We loved the new location and will certainly be shopping there soon.

TWOW

How To Stay Organized When You Are Moving With Kids

No matter what your situation, staying organized during a move is a daunting task. There is so much to do and to plan, and there are always unexpected problems popping up at the last minute. Parents of young children especially have their work cut out for them. Not only do kids usually have a disproportionate amount of things to pack (especially the tricky to organize toys), parents have to make sure that favorite toys don’t get accidentally packed away and they still have access to the right food, toiletries, and supplies that come with raising a kid. Plus, kids are especially disturbed by a change in their routine, which means they might be in need of some additional time and attention – two things that you will be very short on during a move! In short, staying organized for a move when you have children is challenging, but here are a few tricks to ease the process:

Make A Kid-Friendly Checklist

A checklist can be a great way to stay organized for any task, so why not get started teaching this valuable skill to your kids? Some of the anxiety that children face during a move is a fear that their favorite possessions aren’t going to make it to their new house. Help alleviate this fear by going through their room together and making a checklist of their things. Spend some time helping them pack and checking off the items as you go along. This will help to put them at ease and reassure them that nothing important gets left behind. You can even give them special stickers to decorate the boxes once they are all packed up. This will also give you the chance to make sure their rooms get packed up in an organized way.

Get A Helper

Once your distraction technique has run its course and you can sense your child becoming antsy or bored, it might be time to call in some reinforcements, they can be that assistance you need . This is a challenging time for a child, so why not arrange for their favorite babysitter to take them to the park or to the swimming pool? Even if it is for a short period of time, you will be amazed at how much more you can accomplish when your little one is away – especially if you know that they are out having fun! If you are moving to a new city or state, this is also a great time to arrange play dates with their friends, on this Website you will find some of the best Worldwide Moving Companies for either business and residential situations.

Remember, this is a stressful time for everyone in the family. These tips will help you stay organized and happy throughout your move.

This post was generously written by Logan B. Logan is a guest author and organization expert. When he isn’t writing, he’s helping people find the best moving company for the job.

International Moves: How to Prepare & What to Do

Recently, WOW has been assisting a client with her impending move to a foreign country. Although any move can be stressful, an international relocation adds much complexity to the process. It is important to prepare for such a move months ahead of time and maintain an organized strategy. To help with this, we have created the below list of tasks to address prior to your move. Follow this list and you’ll find yourself living in the new country without issues left over from the U.S.

Tasks to address in your current home:

  • Prepare home for move: cancel lease, sell home, engage renters, etc.
  • Contact utility companies and schedule service end-dates; arrange to pre-pay final bills or have a new billing address/system set up
  • Disengage services: maid, gardener, pool maintenance, etc.
  • Donate non-relocation items to Goodwill. Arrange for a pickup one week prior to move
  • Return any borrowed items and retrieve anything you’ve loaned to friends or neighbors
  • Pack house and all belongings. If shipping your belongings, be sure to pack with extra care

Tasks to prepare for the relocation:

  • Research your new location and secure housing
  • Request digital statements for all necessary incoming mail and bills
  • Make arrangements to obtain copies of school, medical, dental and veterinary records
  • Make preparations for schooling in the new city
  • Obtain list of all schools your kids attended and dates, including contact names and addresses, original transcripts or report cards, list of current text books and course outlines (This will assist you and the new teacher in determining what level your child is at), test results of tests, in particular any standardized exams, particularly for English, Maths and Sciences.
  • Determine if immunizations are required in order to enter new country
  • Double check that passports and travel documents are up-to-date
  • Prepare for communication in new country (international calling plan, etc.)
  • Secure an international drivers license, if necessary
  • Obtain insurance in new country (health, driving, personal, etc.)
  • Meet with an immigration official, if necessary, to discuss required documentation (visas)
  • Check with your account regarding tax requirements in the U.S.
  • Get custom forms for household goods if shipping
  • Arrange for access to funds while overseas (maintain one U.S. bank account)
  • Communicate your new forwarding address to family, friends, interested parties
  • Exchange some money prior to leaving for arrival expenses

Shipping Belongings vs. Selling/Leaving Everything:

  • Determine if you will be engaging an international shipping service or if you will sell all items prior to moving
  • Research at least 3 international freight companies that ship to your new location and compare estimates
  • Make a list of all items being shipped, including values
  • Purchase shipping insurance
  • Prepare to have items packed and ready up to 3 days before pickup
  • Confirm destination location, pickup/drop-off procedures, tracking, and contract details
  • Research airline baggage policy to ensure maximum allowances are not exceeded if bringing many belongings via commercial airlines

Items to carry on the plane:

  • Hard-to-replace documents: passports, birth certificates, immunization records, ID’s
  • Jewelry and other valuables
  • Medications
  • 1-2 days worth of clothing and toiletries

Good luck with your exciting journey and moving company!

For more information on stress free moving, please, visit http://thewellorganizedwoman.com/2012/05/22/international-moves-how-to-prepare-what-to-do/.

Organized Moving: A Checklist

Many of our clients have recently moved into new homes. While a move can be an exciting event, it can also trigger many chores and responsibilities. In an effort to keep you organized and minimize the stress associated with moving, we have created a basic checklist of tasks to execute before, during, and after a move. There are also some packing tips you can follow. In our experience, preparing for these common issues and needs can help to create an easy transition.

4-6 Weeks Before the Move:

  • Research and book a moving company or organize for friends and family to help.
  • Purchase or acquire moving supplies. Moving supply stores are great, but if you’re on a budget you can usually find free boxes behind major retail stores.
  • Sort, organize, and purge while you pack. Ensure an easy move, by carefully labeling boxes with room and contents.
  • Create a moving list inventory and organize a strategy of what will go where.
  • Measure your current furniture and the new space to ensure you have enough room. Door dimensions and tight corners should also be taken into consideration.
  • Investigate new professional service providers and organizations that you may need and set up relationships. These can include doctors, dentists, schools, vets, pharmacies, banks, etc.
  • If you are moving in or out of an apartment building, secure the elevator for your moving day. And ensure to leave the apartment, through Maid2Match, as clean as it was when you first moved in. If your moving truck will need to block anything or park in a designated area, make the necessary arrangements and notify those affected.

1-2 Weeks Before the Move:

  • If repairs or improvements are needed in the new home, attempt, if possible, to get them done prior to the move. They will go more smoothly without furniture or family members interrupting.
  • Set up a change of address with us-mailing-change-of-address.com and notify your subscriptions and bill providers directly. This is also the time to send out moving announcements to friends and family.
  • Call utility companies (gas, electric, water, garbage, sewage) and organize for the new home to be switched into your name. Schedule a turn-on time for the new place and turn-off time for the current home. Don’t forget to ask the waste management company what day pickup occurs.
  • Research cable, internet, and phone providers in your new area. Set up appointments for service installation.
  • Start using up perishable items and liquids that can be difficult to move. Throw out flammable or potentially toxic items prior to the move.
  • Procure or update items pertaining to your address, including insurance policies, car registration, voter registration, and driver’s license. (Read here to find out how a risky borrower  can get car finance).
  • Empty, defrost, and clean your fridge 24 hours before the move to ensure there will be no leakage.

Moving Day:

  • Verify licenses of movers if applicable.
  • Prepare payment, including tips for the movers.
  • Pack snacks and drinks and/or order lunch for those helping you move.
  • Organize for a cleaning crew to come following the movers departure from the old home.
  • Leave all sets of keys and garage door openers in the old home when you are officially out.
  • Take a wrap up inventory to ensure nothing is missing or broken, prior to signing any close of move documents.

Following the Move:

  • Replace smoke and carbon monoxide batteries. Mark the next replacement on your calendar.
  • Consider having locks re-keyed for safety.
  • Locate your circuit breaker box, water shut-off valve, and fire extinguishers for emergency purposes.
  • Create a filing system for documents related to the new home. The following categories are useful: warranties/purchases, insurance policies, repairs/home improvement, and tax write-offs for moving related expenses.
  • Determine if you need any new storage items, furniture, or other household goods in the new home to create organization from the start.
  • Ask neighbors for referrals for pool maintenance firms, gardeners, and cleaning services. Since they are already in the neighborhood, you can often get a discount.

Remember, the key to a successful move is organization and planning.

Good Luck and visit this site for more information.
TWOW

Reference: Northern Lights Exteriors.

Consolidating Two Households

Spring is a popular time of year for weddings. Following this joyous occasion, many will be tasked with the process of joining of their two households. This consolidation often requires tough choices and concessions to be made, but if you tackle the task in an organized fashion it does not have to be painful. In order to help decrease the possibility for complications (and marital tension), we’ve created a guide for how to execute a merge in the WOW way.

The first step in merging two households is to take an inventory of everything. With a complete inventory you can then determine if there are duplicates (keep the newer/nicer version) or items in need of purging (old, broken, unused). Although many duplicates will be obvious, others are easily overlooked, such as linens and kitchen tools. Following the removal of the these types of items, you should then assess the amount of combined belongings versus the amount of space in the new home.

If space is limited, begin discussing which items are must-haves and which are negotiable. In this process, keep in mind that just even though you hate his old Lazyboy chair, it may be his favorite piece of furniture and thus a keeper. If these discussions are particularly heated, consider inviting an impartial third party, such as WOW, to make the final judgement. The outsider does not have the same emotional attachments and thus can make decisions based on quality, necessity, or space requirements, etc.

While reviewing the inventory, take notes as to which items are moving and which are being purged. You should also note the new location of where the item will live to ensure that you actually have space for it. If the intended storage location is to remain unpacked in the moving box, in the basement, it may not be something you absolutely need to keep.

After you have conducted the move, the next task is to thoughtfully merge the items in the new home. Many find it to be a challenge to blend the design aesthetic of two individuals, so we often recommend several things. First, assess the two looks and determine if a few new purchases will help create a smooth synthesis. Small items like new throw pillows can seamlessly blend artwork or other items that would have otherwise looked out of place. Couples can also mix their styles by finding new and creative uses for furniture doubles that simply cannot be parted with. For example, if you end up with two beloved dressers, repurpose one to be a dining room console or hallway storage unit. A final option is to enlist the help of an interior designer.

Although many aspects of this process will be stressful, having an organized and beautifully merged household will be conducive to long-term harmony.

Good Luck!
TWOW

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