Cozy Up to These Fun Things to Do in Philadelphia This Fall

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Moving to a new city is stressful yet exciting. After all, you’ll be leaving a place that’s familiar to you, and yet the new destination represents a fresh start and the chance to make new friends.

If you’re moving to Philadelphia, you’re in for a treat. Now you’ll get to experience the beauty and atmosphere for yourself. And this is an ideal time of the year to discover and explore everything Philly has to offer.

This article takes a look at fun things to do in Philadelphia this fall for the entire family. Keep reading to get the inside scoop. 

Wissahickon Valley Park

This is a great 1,800-acre park that offers plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy. With 57 miles of trails, you’ll stay for hours.

Lose yourself in this wilderness wonderland, riding bikes or riding horses as you enjoy sun-dappled Wissahickon Creek. Note that permits are required for taking your bike off-road or when horseback riding. 

This is an exceptionally gorgeous location to spend a long day during the autumn as the leaves begin to change color.

Longwood Gardens

If you love exploring botanical gardens, Longwood Gardens is the perfect way to spend an afternoon this fall. Spanning more than 1,000 acres in Kennett Square, you’ll have the chance to enjoy the massive conservatory, cozy treehouses, fountain shows, and the sprawling meadow filled with lovely colorful fall leaves.

Schuylkill River Trail

Are you in the mood for a long run or bike ride? If so, Schuylkill River Trail begins near the Philadelphia Museum of Art and takes you on a winding journey that includes Boathouse Row and the Falls Bridge in East Falls.

Keep in mind that Schuylkill Banks is open the entire year for activities such as jogging, dog-walking, and cycling. There will be plenty to do when you feel the mood to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air.

Benjamin Franklin Bridge Pedestrian Walkway 

Here is one of the most iconic landmarks in Philadelphia. Spanning the Delaware River, the beautiful Benjamin Franklin Bridge connects Philadelphia to New Jersey. The picturesque walkway is the perfect place for a morning jog or thoroughly soaking in the breath-taking scenery, including the Philly skyline.

Pennsylvania Wine Month

Did someone mention wine? Well, you’ve definitely come to the right place to enjoy varietals from some of the finest wineries and vineyards on the planet. 

Sample selections from across the Philadelphia region, listen to live music, and discover a side of Philly that just might surprise you.

Fun Things to Do in Philly this Fall

Moving to an unfamiliar place can sometimes feel a bit unsettling. Fortunately, this list of fun things to do in Philadelphia this fall will help your relocation be as pleasant and welcoming as possible.

Please contact us today to learn how we can help you get started with your moving plans.

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Life Hacks! The 5 Best Moving Tips You’ll Ever Hear

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The way that you address your move is a bigger decision than you think. An ideal move is cost-effective and timely so you can get set up and back to your regular life. 

Consulting with professionals who can execute will help you from packing your first box to putting the key in your new front door. 

Let the moving tips in this article help you. 

1. Understand Peak Moving Seasons and Work to Hire the Most Helpful Company

Use some discernment when it’s time to schedule your move dates. The peak moving seasons run from May to August in most cases. 

Moving during these times is fine, but know that you’re also competing for open dates and likely paying higher prices. Consider booking outside of this timeframe if your move date is flexible. 

Always choose a moving company with several years of proven service on their record, an active license, and the most skilled staff. 

2. Book Your Date and Stick the Mark With Your Moving Checklist Weeks in Advance

Once you know your moving date, consider the many steps that you’ll have to fulfill. 

Take the time to book your mover, and develop your budget at about eight weeks out. During this timeframe, you should also make your checklists, measure your furniture, create a spreadsheet, and back up all your electronics. 

When you’re four weeks out, begin packing by decluttering and packing up items that you don’t use frequently. Make sure to exercise some packing tips so that you’re doing it in the most effective way possible. 

3. Take Some Pictures and Video of Your More Complex Setups

With many people now working remotely, it pays to have a home server. You’ll want to carefully take your infrastructure apart, while also knowing how to put it back together when you get to your destination. 

When you take photos of your electronics setup, you will know how to hook your cables back up in your new home without ruining the configuration. 

4. Use Storage Rentals Whenever Necessary

Renting a storage unit can be a big difference-maker for your move. Booking one of these units lets you unload some of your clutter little by little. 

These rentals might only cost you a few hundred per month. This is an excellent short-term investment that lets you move forward with your move. 

5. Pack a Bag For Your Immediate Needs

The last thing you’d want is to get to your brand new home, ready for a good night’s sleep — only to find out that you can’t find anything that you need. Get past this by packing an overnight bag and an immediate need box. 

You can grab these items quickly without having to tear everything apart to find the essentials. 

Put These Moving Tips to Use

These are the moving tips that you’ll want to use when it’s time to pack up and go. Moving goes beyond just packing boxes and protecting your glasses. 

We can show you the finer parts of moving and happily provide the utmost service for you. Take time to get in touch with us for a quote.

 

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How to Declutter Your Garage Pre-Move

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Do you still need to declutter your garage before moving day?

The garage is often one of the most neglected rooms in our homes, filled with old junk. The last thing you want to do is bring all your old rubbish with you to your new home.

Read on for our guide on how to declutter a garage pre-move.

Schedule Time on Your Calendar

If you’re moving, you’ll already have a to-do list as long as your arm. It’s important to schedule your time and set aside slots for each room,  including your garage.

Decluttering your garage is going to be time-consuming. It’s likely you’ll be sorting through old items you may have forgotten about. Schedule your time for this task by setting aside a weekend or a few days.

Create a Working Sorting System

A working sorting system is vital. An excellent way to do it is to sort your items based on these four things:

1. Keep
2. Donate
3. Throw Out
4. Unsure

Before you start, look up donation centers and drop off points. This will speed up the process.

Use large boxes or storage tubs to keep your items separated. The ones you are saving, you can start to pack for the move straight away. It’s always a good idea to have a color-coded system, and write on each box what it contains.

If you don’t know what items to keep, think about when you last used it. If it was longer than a year ago, you likely don’t need it. And remember, the more you donate or throw out, the fewer boxes you need to take with you on moving day. It also means less stuff to clutter your new garage.

Collect Packing Supplies

If you know you’re moving well in advance, start collecting packing supplies. Things like large boxes from parcels you get in the mail, and large trash bags.

Your local grocery store and pharmacy may have free boxes they want to get rid of too. Check with a store manager for availability. 

If you’re looking for new boxes, most home improvement stores sell them.

Clear Some Space to Start and Divide Into Zones

To keep organized and on track, clear a space in the middle of your garage floor. Park the car outside, and take out any large items.

Divide the garage into sections and start on one. Sort that completely into your piles, then move onto the next. Use the middle section you cleared to store those piles.

Do One Category at a Time

If it’s easier, stay organized and pick one category at a time and focus on that.

Take every item from this category and place it in your cleared middle space. Decide on each item before you move to the next category. If you can’t decide, that’s what you ‘unsure’ pile is for.

Try not to use this pile too much, though, because you’ll need to address this at the end. You’ll need to make that decision at some point, and adding too much will only delay your decluttering.

Dispose of Restricted Items

Properly dispose of the restricted items that your mover won’t relocate for you. Things like weed killer, gasoline, and fertilizer won’t make the cut. Unless you want to transport them on your own, see if a neighbor needs them and is willing to take them, or contact the local waste management to find the proper way to dispose of them.

How to Declutter a Garage Made Easy

Decluttering in advance of a move is the best way to approach it. Stay organized and get rid of as much as possible. The less you have to move on move day, the smoother your move will go.

If you want your move to go off without a hitch, contact us at Sinclair Moving & Storage. We are committed to providing professional service to our customers that surpasses their expectations at every stage. That is the Sinclair Difference.

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5 Ways to Get to Know Your Brand New Community (Fast!)

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Moving to a new community offers a fresh start and unique experiences. While many people get a rush from such a significant change, others can experience depression and unhappiness.

To make sure you’re feeling your best after a move, it’s essential to get to know your new community as soon as possible. Feeling comfortable where you live and having a support system will help you feel successful and happy.

Find out the top 5 ways to get to know your new home quickly.

1. Explore in Your Downtime

Between unpacking and settling into your new job or home, explore your new city as much as possible. Experiencing new places can improve your happiness and help you get a lay of the land.

Try different ways to get around like driving, walking, and biking. Through short-distance travel like walking, you can find nearby parks and trails to enjoy. Longer distance biking and driving can show you different neighborhoods so you can start to understand the best spots for things like restaurants, nightlife, nature, and more.

2. Meet the Neighbors

After your move, prioritize meeting your new neighbors. The sooner you build relationships, the more likely you’ll be able to build a support system. Especially if you have children, neighbors can be crucial connections for things like childcare, play dates, and safety.

So you don’t get overwhelmed, take it slow. Plan to invite just one or two people over for something like an outdoor barbecue where you can get to know each other. You don’t have to be friends with everyone, but letting people know who you are can prove beneficial in the long run.

3. Join Community Organizations

If you don’t have many neighbors, another great way to meet people is through community organizations. Depending on what you’re interested in, you can be a part of many different organizations, such as:

• Professional organizations related to your career
• Sports groups
• Book clubs
• Volunteer groups
• Churches

When you’re still adjusting to your new community, try a few different groups to see what you like best.

4. Become an Active Community Member

Even if you don’t find a single group that you want to belong to, you can still stay active in your community.

One way to become an active community member is through politics. Get to know who’s on your city council and what the local government looks like. Learning your community’s background and history will help you form a deeper connection.

You can also pursue individual volunteer opportunities without being an organization member. Through consistent volunteering, you can improve your health and wellbeing.

5. Find Your Favorite Neighborhood Spots

Everyone has their favorite parks, restaurants, and more. Once you have your go-to list, you’ll know you’ve settled into your new home. Take the time to explore your neighborhood and scope out the local businesses that you enjoy the most.

Enjoy Your New Community

Once you’ve gotten to know your new community, all that’s left to do is enjoy your home. Make the most out of your move by finding people and activities that make you happy.

At Sinclair Moving and Storage, we know you have more to worry about than getting from point A to point B. Contact us today, and we’ll make your transition seamless.

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When Should I Start Packing to Move? Your Ultimate Guide

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It can take anywhere from a few hours to several weeks to pack for a move. When to start packing depends on several factors, the most critical of which is how much notice you have about the move.

Packing for a last-minute move is a different story than a move 2 or 3 months from now. Let’s look at how to know when you should start packing to move.

How Much Time Do You Need to Pack?

The amount of time you need to pack comes down to two things:

1. How much stuff you have to pack
2. How much time you can spend packing

It’s going to take a lot more time to pack up a 2,000 square-foot house that you’ve lived in for ten years than a one-bedroom apartment that you’ve only been in for six months.

And if you can spend 8 hours a day packing, you’ll need a lot less time than if you only have 30 minutes a day.

Our Recommended Timeline for Packing to Move

If you have two months or more notice for your moving date, here’s a suggested timeline to get all your stuff packed up and ready to go. If you have less than that, adjust the times accordingly.

8 Weeks Ahead of Moving Date

Give your home a thorough cleaning to get yourself off to a good start. Go through every room in the house and decide what you want to keep and what you don’t want to move.

4 to 6 Weeks Ahead of Moving Date

Now that you’ve decided what you don’t want to move, determine how you’re going to deal with it. Are you going to sell it, donate it, or give it away?

Put ads in the local newspaper or Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace to sell or give away those items. Drop off anything you’re going to donate.

Now is also an excellent time to choose a moving company to work with. This will give you enough time to research your options.

Now that you have pared down your stuff, gather moving supplies like boxes, packing paper, labels, tape and markers.

2 to 3 Weeks Ahead of Move

This is when you should start packing everything you’re taking with you. Start boxing up smaller items and organizing any more significant stuff, so it’s ready for the movers.

Pack a room at a time. Spend at least an hour a day on it instead of cramming it all into a weekend or several weekdays.

Be sure you label everything as you pack. Include a description of the contents of each box as well as the room location.

The Final Week

Leave anything you need to use regularly until the final week, including things like:

• Kitchenware
• Bedding
• Clothes
• Toiletries

In the final week, set aside what you need to use every day and pack all the rest.

The Day Before You Move

The day before your move is the time to pack everything you kept aside for your final week.

Make sure you pack everything you’ll need on your first day in your new home in a box that you can get at easily. You’re not going to want to go digging through boxes to find a few essential items.

Hiring a Professional Moving Company

Your moving company can also give you advice about packing to move. They’re experts at this and have seen what works and what doesn’t, so get their input.

If you’re in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area, Sinclair Moving & Storage can help. We’ve been in business for nearly 100 years, and making your move go smoothly is our top priority.

Get in touch with us today to get a free estimate for your move.

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5 Tips for Helping Your Child Be the New Kid at School

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Moving is an exciting time of change and opportunity, but this isn’t the case for everyone involved. Many find it emotional, confusing, and downright stressful, and children are often the most affected.

Often, moving can create a lot of anxiety for children, and those aged 12 to 14 are most vulnerable.

One significant source of moving anxiety for children is the prospect of being the new kid at school. Anything you can do to smooth this transition will help.

If you’re looking for ways to help your child settle, you’re in the right place! Read on to find out our top tips for helping your child settle in.

1. Communicate With Your Child 

Starting a new school can be intimidating for any child. They may miss their old friends and feel nervous about meeting new people. All of these feelings can leave your child feeling isolated.

This is why it’s essential to communicate with your child about going to a new school. Regularly check-in on how they’re feeling, and let them know you’re always available to talk about things, including school.

2. Be Honest

When you want to cheer your child up, it can be easy to push positive school advice and encourage them to think of things as a big adventure. While this is great, it can make them feel that their emotions are being ignored or aren’t justified. 

Acknowledging that the first day at a new school or even the first few weeks can be hard is essential. It’s great if your child fits right in, but they need to know that it’s okay to find things challenging. This will enable better communication with your child.

3. Look for Activities They Will Enjoy

If you are looking for positive and proactive school tips, start by looking for things that your child will enjoy at school. Finding clubs and activities that your child might be interested in can help them find their niche within a school.

Don’t worry if they aren’t ready to start joining things straight away or reject some of your suggestions. They may be finding their feet, or they might want to strike out independently. If they continue to show little interest in joining in at school, you can use it to start a more extended conversation about how they’re feeling.

4. Include Them

Feeling included in their educational decisions is important to kids. It can make it feel like they have control over a move and that their input matters. Talk to them about schools, take them on open days, and bring them to meetings with staff. This will all make them feel like they’re part of the conversation.

5. Familiarize Yourself With In-School Support

A lot of schools offer excellent support from school counselors. Making contact with these support systems means that the home and school environments can work together. So checking in with the counselor is one of our top first-day of school tips.

If you feel that the school doesn’t provide a thorough support system, speak to some of your fellow parents about this. It may be that they feel the same and would love to help put something in place.

Make Being the New Kid at School Easier

Being the new kid at school is never easy, but you can help your child transition more smoothly by keeping these tips in mind. For more help making your child’s school move as simple as possible, check out more top tips here.

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How to Pack Fragile Items: Your Guide

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As you’re getting ready to move, you might feel like your home is drowning in cardboard boxes. You’ll probably need around 20 boxes of various sizes for each room in your home. Each home will vary in size, and as a result, you may need even more than that. 

And you can’t just throw whatever you want into each box, especially if you’re packing fragile items. Here’s a guide to show you how to pack fragile items in the safest way possible. 

Keep reading for helpful tips and tricks. 

What You’ll Need 

Before you start packing anything, you need to make sure you have the right packing supplies. If you don’t use the right supplies to pack your fragile items, they might end up cracking or chipping during transport to your new home. 

Here’s a quick list of what you should have on hand:

• Packing paper or bubble wrap 
• Painters tape (if applicable) 
• Packing peanuts 
• Packing tape 
• Scissors 
• Marker 

If you don’t already have these things in your house, you should be able to find them at your local post office or moving store. You can also get in touch with your moving company and ask if they can provide any of these supplies as well. 

How to Pack Fragile Items 

Take your time packing fragile items. You want to ensure every item has enough protection to keep it safe during your trip. 

1. Wrap Each Item Individually 

 Start by wrapping each fragile item individually in packing paper or bubble wrap.

(If your items are awkwardly shaped or sharp, you should avoid bubble wrap. Otherwise, the bubbles might pop during the journey, which won’t leave your items with any protection.) 

If you have a stack of plates, make sure each one is separated by a layer of packing paper or bubble wrap. Fill any empty space in things like cups or vases. This will ensure they don’t collapse in on themselves. 

For large glass items like mirrors or picture frames, you should use your painter’s tape to create a large X over the surface. This will give it more security. 

2. Prepare the Box 

Before you start loading your fragile items into the box, add extra layers of bubble wrap or crumpled packing paper to the bottom. It’s also a good idea to layer the sides in this supplemental material and give your items additional padding. 

Once you finish fitting your items in the box, cover it in a final layer of packing material — bubble wrap and crumpled paper. 

3. Fill in the Extra Space 

If there’s any extra space in your box, you should fill it with more packing, such as crinkled up paper, packing peanuts, or bubble wrap. This will prevent your fragile items from moving around or bumping against each other.  

4. Label the Box  

The last step is to close and label the box to let the movers know there are fragile items inside. 

Use your packing tape and scissors to make sure the box is completely sealed. Be sure to label the box “fragile” in big, bold letters on every side of the box. 

Getting Ready for Your Move

Since moving is such a complicated process, you may need some help packing and transporting all your boxes. We can give you that help. 

Don’t wait to give us a call today to learn more about our moving services.

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