Comment about packing clothes

Hi Eve,

You mention that you plan to bring 5 sweatshirts, 5 sweaters and 5 long sleeve shirts when you move here so that you'll have warm clothes when you travel north in the winter. This may work for you but you'll need to wash those clothes regularly, whether you wear them or not, because otherwise they're likely to grow fungus that doesn't wash out. We try to avoid visitng the states in the winter but when we do we wear our normal clothes and purchase a couple of shirts/sweatshirts when we're there and donate them to Goodwill before we return home. Alternatively, if you regularly visit family you might consider leaving some warm weather clothing items with them so that you can wear those things when you're there.

Eve -

Bring a sweatshirt and jeans to wear on the plane and leave the rest of it behind...dntw8up is correct...everything has to be washed so regularly it will just be one more very unnecessary thing to cope with. Remember, simplify. Find a relative with 2 square feet of closet space and leave it with them, and wear the same sweatshirt and jeans when you return to the island. And no - you won't need your footy pajamas...you're going to need to be able to slip on house slippers or flip-flops or whatever for midnight runs because sometimes you have an errant millipede or gongolo....and you really shouldn't NEED your feet that warm anyway...that would be a good thing to leave at the relative's house, though! If you have a couple of lightweight cotton sweaters you might bring those, but that's for the January winter when it's 80 instead of 86.

That's kind of one thing I miss - warm flannel jammies and piles of quilts and a good book....then I go "home" for a week and I remember why I left that behind....

You will be AMAZED at how quickly your body adjusts...and when you go back north after August, you will need LOTS of warm stuff!

I was planning on packing the winter stuff in the waterproof spacesaver bags for storage in the islands. Like I said don't have family in this particular area but if we visit either Oregon or East Coast it would be easier to have winter stuff with me even though it might be a pain. That way to pack for travel throw the bag in the suitcase and wash and poof stuff back into shape where ever we end up. It wouldn't take much storage room either.

Ok on the footy pajamas - sighhhh, nix and poof salvation army pile.

No on the sweaters than... Never really liked wearing them anyhoo.

Thanks for advice.

Buy the REAL spacesaver bags and not the cheaper knock-offs which quickly crack and disintegrate in the heat!

I will watch for the spacesaver logo!
I'm feeling much better and slightly more in control of the situation after a good night sleep. (and my coffee right now). Hubby woke up this morning laughing as he tripped over my piles of wants and tosses in all the bedrooms and hall on his way downstairs this morning! Spent all that time folding yesterday and blupp he forgot in the dark that everything is everywhere. Now, I get to go to the business and start all over. I hate clothing! arrrrrrhhhhgggggg!

You may want to reconsider the Space bags. I bought the REAL thing and put clothing in them that I am bringing to STT with me. I sucked them down, and a few days later........POOF they have all expanded!! I know have re-sucked them and sealed the zippers with mega tape, and I am waiting to see if they again expand! I don't think they are good for a long term storage idea, however I am hopeful they stay small in my suitcase for the duration of the flight!!

Pink

I recommend keeping at least one sweater and scarf, if anything, for the movie theater. If STX movie theaters are like STT's, it is FREEZING. It is also the only time I have the opportunity to use my scarf and sweater (don't forget socks and shoes).

Hi Pink,

I agree with you re: Space Bags.

IMHO they are a great idea that isn't quite there yet.

I bought SEVERAL of the "real deal" a few months before our move and ran through many trials. I think 5 days was the record for a bag remaining sealed.

If you do a search on this board for Space Bags, you will see some additional feedback from other posters -- both pro and con.

Eve, my advice is to buy one or two smaller bags and try them out. You can always return them if they don't remained sealed.

Good luck. Let me know if they work for you. I would still love to use them if I could!!!

:)Mell

I will definately include the real deal space savers as a study and report back! But honest to goodness my hubby is a waterproof sewer so now I'm thinking screw the space- just make me a bag that'll float baby! HMMMMM Now I'm thinking about more fun business stuff...

But are we women all like the worst of clothing horses or what? I am happy to report the STX pile is looking barren and the donation pile much bigger and the stained, don't fit and never will pile is humongous!

Enter everything with humor- right now I need it because I have to find a laugh in all I do. I got the wrinkles to prove it too. If not for the laugh lines I'd have had a heart attack.

I am posting this goofy stuff for reference for others and because I feel many of you can share this. I have been quite for awhile but no more. Bare with me and thank you for the advice. I have two weeks to close down the business and pack. Maybe two and a half!

Thank you

Thanks for the backup Mell!! Hello everyone.

This is an update for the Space bags. I filled all 7 of them last night and also taped the zippers. This evening, 2 remain shrunken, 3 are partially filling with air, and 2 are completely filled with air once again! I guess they will last for my flights! Good luck to all who use them! Mell was right, they are not quite there yet...............

Pink

hi everyone,

this string concerns me because we're moving from brooklyn this sunday (and hadn't thought about this issue until now)!

a friend who used to live in PR said she used something called "Damp Rid" for the closets and under the sink. has anyone ever tried this stuff? it's available online, at home depot, and maybe kmart.

http://www.theairfilterstore.com/allergy/damprid.htm

Hi mjoybrown.

Damp Rid is available on island. It really only works here if you place it in an airtight container that you rarely open. In closets and under sinks Damp Rid absorbs moisture from the air and becomes useless in no time at all.

mjoybrown,

Your best bet against moisture is to have air conditioning. We keep all our closet doors open and run a fan in our bathroom 24/7 to keep things from getting mildew on them. (we do not have air conditioning) Anything leather gets covered in mildew or mold (I do not know the difference) from belts, shoes, if you have leather jackets (why we have one here I do not know). But leather is usually easy to wipe down with a damp cloth and dry off with a dry towel. That is my two cents. Good luck!

Teresa

Hi Teresa.

You're right, air-conditioning is the best way to preserve the integrity of your belongings. We have air-conditioning but it is expensive to run so we haven't turned it on in a LONG time. Our place has great cross ventilation so we keep our doors and windows open whenever we're home and when there are no breezes we up the fan speed. Though we have a solar water heater on the roof we opted to only use it for the kitchen and secondary bath and have installed a small water heater in the master closet for the master bath, which generates just enough heat to keep anything from deteriorating. In the office we put all of our Linksys boxes, transformers and other computer paraphernalia on the floor of the closet in that room and they generate just enough heat to keep papers etc. in good condition.

dntw8tup, that makes much sense.

everyone else, thanks for your helpful advice. we'll give it our best shot!

I am researching a move. What do people wear to work on STX? Such as retail clerk types, office workers, or quasi professionals?

thanks mr madras