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Oh, they joys of summer. No school, swimming, barbeques with friends, and the beautiful sight of moving trucks and boxes. Yes, summer is PCS season! How can something so fun and exciting for many of us be filled with worries and stress?

Although moving has never been a favorite of mine, our move last year proved to be anything but hectic. How so? With the right tips and resources, you can make moving smooth and exciting for the whole family.

Clean-Up Tips…

-Take advantage of the change in season to get rid of anything that you may not need or you know won’t fit. There simply is no use holding onto something that simply will take up valuable space. Separate all items into three piles; keep, trash and donate. One you have separated your clothing and belongings you will notice that nice large space in your closet. 

-In order to get the most out of your space, separate clothing by type and use. This will not only help you know where your things are, but will also reduce the amount of mess you create by looking for something. This is also a good time saver, when looking for something. So if you know that there are dresses you will most likely use less often, place these items to the back and your more frequent clothing in the front.

-My obsession in this life is handbags, every time I see one I buy one. So needless to say my closet started looking like the handbag department at Macy’s. So to better organize my bags, I started a very handy and clever system. I purchased large clear plastic containers that I filled with my bags by category. I marked each container with a label; large bags, small bags, clutches, beach bags and so on. This helped me to keep a very good inventory on what I had, and it was also easy to search for a bag when I needed it. This system can be used for practically anything from bags to toys! And when it’s time to move, just slap a lid on it and throw it on the truck!

PCS Resources…

DoD Household Goods Portal: www.move.mil (the place to schedule your move)

Plan My Move: www.militaryhomefront.dod.mil/moving (checklists, calendars, and contact information to help you move door-to-door)

MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: www.militaryinstallations.dod.mil (an overview of installations with contact information and hours of operation)

Automated Housing Referral Network: www.ahrn.com (the official Department of Defense sponsored website lists available rentals on and off the installation)

Military OneSource:  www.militaryonesource.mil (includes a Relocation Assistance Program and relocation counselors available to help you research any moving related questions)

For more PCS Season Tips, be sure to check back here on the Veteran Journal soon!

For more on Angela Caban, visit her website at www.angelacaban.com.

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