OH NOOOOOOOOOO! I'd be freaked out, too! Wish I could reach through cyberspace and help you pack! (Glad to hear that things are going smoothly otherwise.)

Call your friends and offer pizza and pop (or chocolates and wine LOL) if they come over RIGHT NOW and help you pack!

Seriously, can you put together a work party this week? It would lower your stress and give you help with all that running up and down stairs :)

If you have a boys room, it's likely you have boys. I recommend child labor.

Also, this is probably the best reason ever to freak out.

Wow, that's the epitome of the "good news/bad news" situation.
I've been in similar situations multiple times since our remodel started--and it's never, ever fun. However, it always seems to work out. You've received the same advice I'd have given you already, so I'll just offer sympathy. Happy Packing, and I hope the rest of the remodel goes smoothly for you. When it's all over, it'll be wonderful.

Cj

Well, at least it's not "OMG...all of the subfloor is rotted and we have to demolish your house!"

I agree with child labor and with the work party. We packed up most of a 1900 square foot house in one weekend when we moved in October to another house in the neighborhood for our remodel. It can be done. You have more days than that. Work hard every night and by the weekend you won't be in such a panic. Plus, you don't have far to go. We had to rent a moving truck and carry things in and out. Good luck!

dianalo, if there is one person on this forum that could pull this off it would be YOU. You may be freaking but you strike me as a person who does very well under pressure. Now call in all reinforcements... kiddies, relatives and friends,tell them each to bring a few boxes. You are the director!

If I could just pack the things and move, it would be easier. I have to figure out what we will need in the next 7 weeks or so and what can be buried down low.

Child labor? I have one who is helpful, sometimes so much it make one want to scream as his help is his way and not using the best logic at times ;). The other one is little to no help. He announces he is thirsty and is surprised we tell him to get something to drink. I think in his past life, he was an emperor or such, lol.

Dh will be the 6 week mark since having 2 hernias fixed. He was told not to do much for 6-8 weeks, so this is cutting it close.

I will have to buck up and deal with it all. I canceled a drs appt for tomorrow as I don't have the almost 1.5 hours roundtrip it would have taken. Luckily, it was nothing important.

breezy - you are funny because we found not only rot, but termite damage on the sill plates on several exterior walls when they removed the patio and some siding. They have it contained and .it was old damage that had been half ass-ed repaired by a p.o. and deteriorated since then. They are putting all new beams in and it is costing approx $1k to fix. It was in the areas of our bsmt that could not be seen from the inside (or out). I am hoping this is our big "bump" in the road and we got it over with early. One can dream....

Thanks for all he good wishes and I think we will need all the help we can get. I think the biggest help will be if we can farm out the boys for some of the weekend. I host a lot of playdates here, so maybe we can hint around or have the boys make plans with their friends at school (as they usually do and then spring it on me).

Definitely call in the neighbors, friends, parents of your children's friends, co-workers, etc. If you focus on the sorting of what needs to be accessible and what can be packed away for longer term, then all those folks can do the packing, taping boxes, and the trekking up and down.

YOU CAN DO IT! And congrats on moving along so swiftly:)

One way I find more time to do things is by staying off the computer for awhile, it amazes me how I can spend hours here lurking! You`ll get it done!

Oh Dianalo! I had no idea when I posted that! LOL!

How old are the boys? You can't make them help through bribes or threats? My view is slanted though as my 5y.o. DS is the best little helper ever. If you can't make them help then definetly get rid of them during the pack.

I had so make decisions like you on stuff we'd need during reno and stuff to bury deep only I was planning on 4 months not 7 weeks.

Sorry about DH! Be careful with him. Do you have any siblings or in-laws or co-workers who could help?

Dianalo - You will be fine and everything will go great! It is amazing what a little fire under you can make you accomplish. I have complete faith in you that it will be done by Saturday and you'll have the weekend to relax before the chaos starts.

I'm saying this b/ca in the spring, when we bought this house - completely unprepared - I basically had 1-1/2 weeks to get the old house ready to go on the market. I had soooo much energy burning through me somehow - just needed to get that on the market - I was a packing and sorting fiend. On top of that we had the whole house painted and gave the kitchen and powder room cosmetic facelifts so I had to deal with handymen, painters, and granite guys all at the same time.

You'll be fine!! Good luck - how exciting!!

it will be crazy, and hectic, and stressful, but come monday, it will be DONE.

do you usually work well under pressure or are you panicky?

dianalo, Somehow you'll manage to find the energy to get through this. Rather then waiting for New Years to get things started you'll be well on your way, one step closer to your dream. What a great way to start 2011. Good Luck! Looking forward to seeing your progress pictures.

I wish I could help too, but we're a country apart. Make a plan of action. Here's an example:

1) Lists: a) Boys clothes. Include a few lighter weight things for warm snaps or early spring. Include enough changes that laundry isn't an emergency. b) Our clothes. Include at least one "nice" outfit each. c) Toiletries for everyone. d) Books, toys, amusements for everyone (hand each family member a milk crate to put such things in--no overflowing so they can stack).

2) Plan meals.

3) Figure out what kind of cooking, storage and dishware you'll need for those meals.

4) Bedding for each family member with extras for emergencies.

5) Basic stationery supplies, including bill paying supplies.

6) Cleaning supplies.

7) Things that need to be out of the house like computer backups, heirlooms, jewelry, ultra fragiles, etc.

And on like that. Err on the side of generosity because the time in the basement might be longer than planned but will never be shorter. Make a shopping list for containers and whatever you'll need to hold your toiletries, cleaning supplies, food and dishes, etc., plus any boxes and paper or wrap you'll need for what's being packed away.

Once you have lists, you can start divvying up the tasks. For instance, can your husband drive without compromising his healing? Maybe he can run errands while you organize the house.

Maybe you can also schedule brawny friends to come by a an appointed time each day between now and Monday to carry stuff for you and a beer/dinner/game of go fish, or whatever entices them. If they're set to show up at 7 p.m., for instance, you'll know to have a bunch of boxes closed and all at that time, and you can quickly have them carry this here, carry that there, then take a break and enjoy their company while you give them their reward. Do the same with the next set of friends the following day. That way you save your husband's recovery, don't impose on any one friend too much, and have people moving things you've designated at your direction, rather than a bunch of people distracting you by "helping" for a longer period of time, while you're trying to hold too many things in your head and can't deal with their jokes.

You can do it! Just remember to breathe.

(BTW, my GC was shocked when he arrived as scheduled at 10 a.m. on demo day and found the old kitchen completely empty. Apparently, it's highly unexpected. He just started his worker on draping the doors and all with plastic, but would have set his guys to work emptying the last if I hadn't done it.)

LOL! That happened to us, too! In our case, our cabinets arrived almost a month early and we also had to scramble!

Instead of the careful packing (and winnowing out) I had planned for packing up the Kitchen, DR, PR, & Foyer closet, we had to just throw things in boxes! I actually made them wait an extra few days...in our case, they called us on a Monday and wanted to start that Thursday...no way! I made them wait until the following Monday so I had at least a week.

One tip...label boxes w/allcontents. Not just one side, either. Label the top, and at least two adjacent sides...preferably all four sides so you will be able to see what's in them from any angle (and no matter how your family stacks them!)

HI all,
Just got back on to post some bar stools on CL. We won't be using them in this house, so out they will go.
I have started putting stuff downstairs, but I am also finding that we will need to use our rooms in the next few days, so I can't even pack up that much either. I had started on some of our bedroom and one hutch prior to work starting, but then they said I'd have an extra few weeks... and you can guess how I slacked off (while also choosing materials that now need to be here quickly), lol.

Some of our big pieces of furniture will stay upstairs and get shuffled around out of the way. I don't think I will empty them completely as we have those slidey things for underneath. We will also shove stuff in the boys' room once we vacate.
A big issue is the space our materials take up in the bsmt. I have a huge box for the chandelier, and many large lighting fixture boxes. The vanity, medicine cab, vanity top, doors, etc are in the area we will need to be living. I may shove them into the office upstairs because no one will be coming and going from there, but dh needs to set up the computers for the boys downstairs and have his stuff out before I can jam pack it. It is a lot of moving and rearranging that is making it hard. If I could just pack it up and not worry about living in a small area with all our stuff, it would be so much easier.

No matter what, it will get done somehow (meaning mostly by me, if the past is any indication lol).

I second buehl's advice- One tip...label boxes w/allcontents. Not just one side, either. Label the top, and at least two adjacent sides...preferably all four sides so you will be able to see what's in them from any angle (and no matter how your family stacks them!)

- it will get done somehow (meaning mostly by me, if the past is any indication lol).-
Take my word for it. It will be better that way. Someone has to know the big picture.

BIG magic markers and lots of plastic totes. The plastic totes form the bottom layer.

Yeah gather up the gang and step away from the computer You've got oodles of work to do! :>) How exciting to get under way.

I'm jealous! I'm retrieving my holiday decorations from storage as we were supposed to be well underway by now. Sadly we've encountered endless county and engineer snags.

My advice: be generous with your give-away pile.

Good Luck!

I so-o-o-o-o wish I lived near you! I'd bring my 2 grown sons (done with college for the semester and unable to find seasonal work so far) and we'd be a packing & moving team for you! Other than eating everything in sight, they'd be cheap labor. ;)

I know you can do this! I just hope DH doesn't impulsively pick something up that he shouldn't. And if there's anything too big/heavy that you/friends aren't able to get moved, leave it for your GC's crew on Monday a.m. Good luck!

Yeah, we were scheduled to start our family room project yesterday (Monday, 12/6) but I told the GC to start instead in a month. We had a pretty big party Saturday (80 guests), Sunday my 6 year-old had a 2 hour violin recital rehearsal and then a bday party to attend, and yesterday my 4 year-old had his first neurosurgery. My plate is overflowing and I didn't want / couldn't deal with packing up the family room as well. No big deal to tell the GC "wait -- can't start when you want to." It's an easy thing to say.

Everyone keep a good thought for my son! Remodels don't matter when you're working on keeping your kiddo alive ....

Sorry Dianalo for OT, but.....

Rmkitchen, I have good thoughts already for your son! I have a 5yo and think I would shrivel up in a ball in the corner if something happened to him. Please take care and know that I'm thinking of your family. If you can, please let us know how he's doing. A remodel becomes so unimportant at times like these.