So I'm getting ready to set up home...I'm getting married and we are moving out in December, a month after the babe is born. People keep on asking us what we need/want out for our new house. We have the basics: microwave, vaccum, silverware, plates, glasses, huge sectional, crib, stroller, etc.
What are things that you found are lifesavers around the house?
If you have wooden floors.. deffinetley invest in throw rugs!! We put all the shoes on the throw rugs so we dont get mud, dirt, or water all over the place. Helps the cleaning be less!!
yeah.. where ever we have non-carpet we put down rugs!! Having a big rug in front of my kitchen sink is good too.. one thing that took us for surprise when we first moved out .. lighting! We moved into this place not realizing there were only 3 lights in the whole place, so we had to go out and buy a bunch of stand lamps and table top lamps.. whichw as good because the second place we moved into was the exact same and had NOOO lighting in either bedroom! Do you know where you might move yet? Make sure you'll have enough space for dishes AND food (best place we ever lived had a "pantry" closet exclusively for food).. make sure you have room for linens (do you have towels yet?! that was something we didnt even think about when we moved out) make sure you have all your neccessaties too.. soap, laundry detergent, dish soap, cleaning supplies, etc etc.. broom? mop? here are things i use ALOT in each room you didnt list:
kitchen:
baking pans
mixer
cutting board
various "cutlery" like spatula, pizza cutter, mixing spoons, measuring cups/spoons (you can buy these all together ina box for really cheap at basically any store and usually get a jar or something to hold them in)
knives
tupperware (the cheap gladware works wonders)
paper towel holder (we just set them on the counter for the longest time though)
living room/dining room:
small table & chairs (although we went forever without one.. we ended up buying one at ikea for $99 w/ 4 chairs included, it's held up really well)
coffee table
tv, vcr/dvd player & stand? (not sure if you watch tv?)
... basically ANYTHING I needed for either of these rooms I went to Ikea and got because they're stuff is so damn cheap.
side table?
bathroom:
plunger!!
toilt bowl brush
shower curtain
we eventually bought fun stuff like a soap dish, tooth brush holder, etc to match our shower curtain.. we also got a set that included a bath mat, under toilit mat and toilit lid cover for like $12 at fred Meyers
bedroom:
bed (obviously)
dresser
stand closet (if your apt doesnt have one in the unit already)
when we first moved out we got along without much at all. oh also make sure you have some sort of little tool kit too.. phone.. we use an answering machine because it's cheaper then voice mail.. BABY GATES!! and BABY PROOFING SUPPLIES!! .. things like pens, paper.. etc etc.. it seemed like for the first year or so we were constantly looking at sales and running to the store because we didnt have things :)
good luck mama!! moving out is exciting!
Sounds like you got the most important stuff already. I'd second the other poster's suggestions: pens, paper. Also scotch tape, thumbtacks, scissors. Several pairs of scissors, distributed in random (baby-proof, of course) drawers throughout the house. You never realize how often you use these things around the home until suddenly you don't have them. Then you're just stuck out, unable to find scissors to trim your pubies or cut open the plastic on your ice pop or whatever.
Some paper plates and plastic cutlery, perhaps, to use until you get your dishes and silverware unpacked, washed, stored (for me at least, moving/ unpacking/ settling in is a several-day-long process, a huge pain in the ass, which is why I've lived in the same apartment for almost seven years now).
A shower curtain. Toilet paper, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes.
Also, a can-opener. Don't even pack it in a box with other stuff; you'll never find it in time for dinner. Just carry it with you in your purse when you move.
If I think of anything else, I'll add to this list.
:wink:
Good luck, ~ fairy
Several laundry baskets so you never have anything lying around on the floor. And Rubbermaid bins are great for easy storage.
Trash cans. Trash bags. Towels. Sheets. Pillows.
Two words...
Baby wipes!!!
Lots and lots of them. LOL They are so handy for cleanups and such.
Good idea. Watch for sales where you can baby wipes in bulk. I like to buy big boxes of them (2 or more at a time)... That way I have a huge supply and I never run out. Even if I already have a box, I'll still buy more if they're on sale.
A rice cooker. They sell ones that steam vegetables while the rice is cooking, this saves soo much time in the kitchen.
shelves: for food, books, toys, stuff in general.
how big is your house? is it apartment? house?
how big are the closets?
floor lamps.
I'm *hoping* to recieve most of the things that you have listed as a wedding gift, but I never thought about the scotch tape and scissors! I'll have to post everything we get so you can help me make a list of things we'll need.
We have beds and a t.v. and stuff like that. We are moving into an appartment that he's parent's are building for us. (only $90 a month for rent!) It will have a kitchen, full bath, bedroom and living room. Pretty small, but it will work wonders for a first year family. It will actually be complete and ready to move within 3 days, but we are waiting until a month after our baby comes to move out of my mom's house. I want to have her near me so she can help me learn what to do. After having twin boys and me within 21 months of each other, she's my hero.
wow.. what an awesome deal for rent!! lucky mama.. I wish someone would build me an apartment! ;)
That sounds SO nice. I want one! :) I agree with everything everyone has been saying, I love stuff that is decorative but good with storage since we have very little space here. Like for Chloe toys that end up everywhere I have nice baskets in each room for them (it just seems cleaning with the toys in them, instead of in piles- and it saves trips to her room to put them away and to get them out). Umm... If you can I'd invest in a nice pots/pans set. We got our first one at family dollar for like $12 and it rusted right away.
Yeah, and they are wasteful. Cloth diapers make excellent dust rags, and they are environmentally friendly.
I would also like to encourage you to use METHOD home cleaning products. http://www.methodhome.com
In my opinion, they work and smell better than mainstream cleaning products, and they are environmentally friendly. They are also safe if accidentally ingested by a baby or pet.
I have a electric kettle I adore, as well as a wok.
I still dont have everything I need at my house, but it sounds like you have a lot, and it is okay to move in and buy what you need as you realize it.
I think you have a fairly comprehensive list here, but what I did when I first moved out was went around each room in my parents house and wrote down a list of what I considered 'essentials' from each room. Seeing what other people have is a good trigger. Also don't forget basic food stuffs (rice, pasta, sauce, salt and pepper, butter etc etc) and cleaning products (pegs, dish rags, tea towels, soap, toilet paper, washing powder, dishwashing liquid, deodorant) etc.
you can cope with just about anything for the first few months as you decide what you do definately need but don't have. just keep an eye out for stuff you want and then wait until there is a sale and buy up. In my house basically everything we bought 'new' was bought at a discounted price...and I mean EVERYTHING!
Some of these have probably already been mentioned...
frying pan
laundry hamper
pegs
potato peeler, masher, egg flipper etc
salt and pepper shakers
quilt cover
pillows
linen
tea towels/dish cloths
torch
iron/ironing board/iron aid
kettle/toaster
serving dishes
microwaveable dishes to cook in
colander
And I second the rice cooker! I love that thing! Also a crockpot is a great way to make cheap and healthy meals.
Good luck with your move!
If you're looking to buy kitchen supplies, I would def. suggest going to a Macy's if you have one close by. Macy's isnt cheap normally, but when they have sales everything is more than affordable. I was there over the weekend and they had a bunch of supplies from their brand, Tools of the Trade, on clearance. i got a $35 for $7, a 5 piece baking set for $7, a measuring cup and mixing bowl set for $5. After leaving I spent $30 for over $100 worth of stuff. Also, I've found that their blenders and toasters are of comperable price to the kmart over here.
Plus, Macy's usually has some sort of sale going on.
GOOD pots and pans. At least one big stockpot, a wok-type pan, a large frying/saute pan, and a small pot. Investing in nice pans makes cleaning and cooking easier. Around here is the Wilton warehouse, and they do a big overstock tent sale each June. That's where I picked up my pans.
Also, heat safe spatulas, lots of spoons, I second the necessity of lots of scissors, vaccum, mop, if you have wood or tile floors the swiffer thing is god-like, flour-sack towels (they dry things without leaving lint - great for cleaning glass), a decent iron and ironing board, lots of hand towels and washcloths, at least 2 sets of sheets, a shoe rack to put near the door if you don't have a coat closet there, extra hangers, shower curtain, toothbrush holder, a garbage can for kitchen and bathroom, lots of pillows, shelves for the little one's room are very handy, and lamps if you don't have ceiling lights.
last but not least a decent set of knives that can be sharpened and a good sharpener. Sharp knives are actually safer than dull ones, because they don't catch in the food and jerk around. They also make cooking less frustrating.