holiday – TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®

November 22, 2021December 13, 2021 Movers Who Blog Organizing, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

Internal moving services can help you prepare for the holiday season

It’s seemingly impossible to believe, but somehow, the holiday season has quickly approached in the review mirror for 2021.

For many of us, that can mean family gatherings, office parties, getting together with friends, and much more. With that comes planning around the home, getting out holiday decorations, pulling out extra furniture from storage, rearranging your living rooms so more people can sit, and everything else that goes into getting ready for the holiday season.

If you’re wondering how you’re going to tackle all of this, keep in mind that our teams at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK are able to help! While we are known for traditional home moving service, we also offer a variety of specialty moving services, one being our in-home moving option. This helps take the stress out of lifting your heavy Christmas tree around the house, rearranging furniture, or moving boxes of decorations down. We’ll do the heavy lifting so you don’t have to!

Our in-home moving services are great for the following:

Staging a home
Completing home renovations
Staging a big party or event
Moving a recently purchased large item or appliance such as a piano, gun safe, exercise equipment, etc.
Moving yard equipment, furniture, or décor out of shed storage

Staging and rearranging

For those undergoing home renovations or staging a home to sell, our in-home moving service is a great option. We can help move furniture where it needs to go, get it up and down stairs, or out to the garage and out of the way.

This is a great option for business, too. Our professional moving teams can move office equipment, desks, and more. We’re conscious of time and understand that your business needs to keep moving, so we work with you to schedule hours that fit best for your business to ensure little to no interruptions.

Heavy items

Sometimes, you have a particularly large item like a piano, gun safe, large piece of furniture, or treadmill you just can’t move on your own. Don’t worry! Our moving teams are trained on how to properly move large specialty items, saving you the stress of having to do it yourself.

Like any TWO MEN AND A TRUCK service option, you’ll receive professionally trained movers who will show up trained, uniformed, and ready to get the job done right.

And, as concerns over COVID-19 remain, our moving teams are taking extra sanitation and safety precautions to ensure that both our customers and moving teams stay safe throughout the moving process. If you have any questions about the safety precautions being taken, please discuss this with your franchise prior to moving day.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.

December 10, 2018 Movers Who Blog DIY Projects, Holiday Fun, Home Decor, Home Sweet Home, Moving with kids, News, Organizing, Our People, Tips and Tricks, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, Uncategorized

Make your holidays even more festive with easy, DIY craft ideas

The holiday season is officially here and that means decorating your home and preparing for the festivities! Here at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, we love celebrating the holidays, and we’ve come up with several fun, easy-to-make crafts using supplies you probably already have around the house. Grab the kiddos and start crafting!

Be sure to check out past TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Holiday DIY crafts here and here

String Wrapped Ornaments

This homemade tree ornament can also be paired with a name tag to dress up wrapped gifts.

What supplies you’ll need:

Cardboard
Yarn or ribbon
Scissors
Hot glue gun

Step 1 – Using cardboard, cut out stars in a variety of sizes.

Step 2 – Secure the end of your yard on the back of the star using a hot glue gun.

Step 3 – Wrap the yarn or ribbon around your star in all directions until you’re happy with its look. Secure the end with hot glue.

Step 4 – Cut a 3-inch string of ribbon and loop it through a piece that is already around the star. Tie it at the top and hang from your Christmas tree.

Beaded Candy Canes

Possibly the easiest holiday DIY there is! If you’re feeling really creative, you can also shape your pipe cleaners into Christmas trees or stars and hang them as ornaments.

What supplies you’ll need:

Pipe cleaners
Beads

Step 1 – Bend the pipe cleaner to the shape of a candy cane, folding a small part at the end upward so beads don’t slide off.

Step 2 – Slide the beads on and fold up the other end to secure them in place.

Paper Chain Snowman

Remember making paper chains back in elementary school? Same classic craft with a fun update for Christmas decorations!

What supplies you’ll need:

White paper
Black and orange crayons
Tape

Step 1 – Cut strips of white printer paper at the same width.

Step 2 – Fold a strip of paper in a circle shape securing the back with tape. Loop another strip of paper through that, securing the back. Continue doing so until you’re happy with the length of your snowman chain.

Step 3 – Draw eyes, a mouth and a hat for your snowman. Use the orange marker to give him the traditional carrot nose.

Bonus: You can follow this same easy process to make other characters like reindeer or Santa!

Merry Christmas from all of us at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®. We hope you enjoyed our DIY tutorials. If you are in need of boxes for your next DIY, stop by your local TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchise and choose from our wide variety of box sizes. Tag us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram if we inspired you to make a craft so we can see your final product!

November 26, 2018December 10, 2018 Movers Who Blog Hiring Professional Movers, Holiday Fun, Home Sweet Home, Moving, Organizing, Our People, Packing, Preparing to Move, Tips and Tricks, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, Uncategorized

Get ready for the holiday season with these expert holiday moving and packing tips!

Thanksgiving has come and gone, December is just around the corner, and that means the holiday season is in full-effect!

From decorations needed to be unpacked and put up, to bringing in additional furniture and rearranging it just right to accommodate guests, there’s a lot that needs to be taken care of to ensure you’re fully prepared for the holidays.

Here at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, we’re known for our moving services, and over the years we’ve put together the latest and greatest for tips and tricks to help you with all holiday moving, packing, and storage tasks. The key to it all is being prepared, so following along with our extensive tips will help you get ready to decorate and store it all once the holidays are over!

Be sure extra boxes are available.

One of the most important things during the holidays is storage space, and having extra boxes at your disposal will give you a security blanket when trying to move things around. From decorations to dishes, silverware, ornaments, wrapping paper, and so on – these can all be stored away safely with the right moving boxes.

Bring in additional furniture.

It’s no secret that holiday parties can get pretty crowded, which is why the importance of having enough furniture to handle every guest is important. Make sure to pull those extra chairs out of your attic, garage, or storage space, and be sure to call our professional moving teams if you need help transporting them around the house!

Rearrange furniture effectively to fit the needs of guests in your home.

Holiday decorations take up a good amount of space, and that can create some clutter when trying to create space for furniture. Be sure to rearrange everything accordingly so there’s comfortable room for decorations and your normal furniture for guests!

Need gifts delivered? We’ve got you covered.

Some gifts are hard to move from the store to your home, and businesses don’t always deliver. No worries! TWO MEN AND A TRUCK offers pickup and delivery services to handle this issue, and we can pick up and deliver large or heavy gifts and bring them right to your home.

Effective packing can save you hassle now and later.

When the holidays have concluded, it’s time to pack away all of the holiday decorations, and effective and efficient packing will not only help you when putting stuff away this holiday season – it will take a ton of stress of next year when you need to do this all over again.

For more professional packing tips from TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, visit here!

December 25, 2017January 15, 2018 Movers Who Blog Holiday Fun, Home Sweet Home, Our People, Uncategorized

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® wishes a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

At TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, we would like to take a moment and wish all of our customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We can’t begin to explain our appreciation of your outstanding loyalty and we’re eager to see what 2018 will bring.

2017 was another outstanding year for the “Movers Who Care®”, as we were able to continue our incredible run with 96 months of consecutive growth and a customer referral rating of 96% system-wide.

In addition to continuing our top-notch local and business moving services, we were able to take major strides in the world of long-distance relocation with the introduction of our new Value Flex® option, and also bring a new level of service with packing, storage, and delivery options. We strive to provide the absolute best moving services for our customers, and are always looking for new ways to stay on the cutting-edge of innovation within the moving industry.

If you’ve completed a move with us over the past year, we sincerely hope you had a positive and stress-free experience, that’s what we aim for, after all! If you have a move planned for the horizon, we hope we can be your number one choice. Visit our website to learn more about how we can help move you forward!

October 17, 2016October 17, 2016 Movers Who Blog DIY Projects, Holiday Fun, Home Decor, Tips and Tricks

Candy, costumes, and creative decorations … oh my!

Trick or treat walk with my dog

Written by Katie Peterson

It’s that time of year again! Fall is upon us, and the kids are already on premature sugar rushes; it’s time for Halloween! Your kids are mentally prepared, but are you? We’ve compiled the most useful and creative things to know so you’re ready for anything this Halloween season.

Candy

Candy always seems to be a stressor on Halloween. What if you leave a bowl out and the neighborhood kids take too much? What if you run out? What if your kids eat way too much while they’re out trick-or-treating? A really great way to save yourself from worrying about candy on Halloween is to be as prepared as you can.

Buy more candy than you think you’ll need and keep the receipts! You can return whatever you don’t end up using later.

If you can’t be home to pass out candy, placing a bowl out with one of these cute reminders should help encourage the trick-or-treaters to help you ration your candy for a while:

Roses are red. Violets are blue. We’re out trick-or-treating just like you! Please take one treat!
Take a treat! But leave the rest for other boys and ghouls!
Trick-or-treat, smell my feet, please take just one sweet to eat!
Although we’re not home to give you a scare, here’s a bowl of tricks and treats, take one … if you dare!

After Halloween is over, take full advantage of the candy on sale at the stores and begin stocking up for next year (assuming the candy isn’t the type to go stale). You’ll thank yourself when the prices rise again right before the holiday.

Costumes

Costumes can cause unwanted stress without the proper preparation. With these tips in mind, your kids will be safe, and you will be stress-free.

Depending on where you live, encourage costumes for your kids that will look good while still keeping warm. For instance, a genie outfit with high heels might not work out so well on a cold night of walking. And if you can help it, you don’t want your cute costumes (and the kids inside them) to be covered up with big coats while out for the night. A good solution for making your costume warmer is to layer turtle necks and leggings of the same color underneath.

For Halloween safety, fasten reflective tape to candy bags and add it as an accent to your child’s costume. No need to go overboard with this one, but as long as your child can be seen by cars in the dark, the tape will be worth it. Another good thing to keep in mind, utilize all sidewalks or walkways to avoid walking close to traffic. Be sure to keep an eye on your little ones and have them by your side to avoid any accidents.

To avoid last-minute stress before going out, be sure your kids try on their costumes a few weeks before Halloween to double check there aren’t any last minute adjustments or accessories needed. Make sure everything fits and isn’t broken beforehand so you have extra time to rebound if you find a problem.

Creative decorations

One of the best parts of Halloween is the decorating, but it can also be one of the most stressful and expensive. You’ve got to round up all the boxes from the attic, untangle the lights (and end up buying more when you find all the bulbs broken), and there never seems to be enough money in the budget for all the ready-made decorations at the store. Whether you are the house on your block to “Deck the Halloween Halls” or not, we’ve gathered some of our favorite DIY decorations that might scare the kids, but certainly not your wallet or gumption to decorate.

: Photo courtesy of http://www.woohome.com

Use the light from inside your house to create window decorations:

Grab big pieces of black construction paper, colored crepe paper, and scissors, and you’ve got all you need for this creative and easy decoration hack. The light from the room behind the paper is all the illumination you need to make a big statement on your street.

Reuse milk cartons to make a lit pathway for trick-or-treaters:

: Photo courtesy of http://www.eighteen25.com

All you’ll need for this one are milk cartons, a craft knife, sharpie marker, and lights. Draw the ghost eyes and mouth on the empty milk carton, and cut a small round hole in the back for the lights to go in. After that, you’re all set to line them up and plug the lights in! (Just make sure the plug side ends up somewhere near an outlet or extension cord).

: Photo courtesy of http://www.coolmompicks.com

Make your door a monster with whatever crafts you have lying around:

The best part about this DIY is, whether you have time to go all out with spider webs and sparkles or you just slap on streamers and eyeballs, the door monster will still come to life!

Create hanging ghosts:

: Photo courtesy of http://www.simplydesigning.porch.com

All you need for this project are a few Styrofoam orbs from the craft store, cheese cloth, eye-hooks, string for hanging, and black craft paint for the ghost’s eyes. Just drape the cheesecloth over the orbs after you’ve painted on the eyes and start shredding the ends. A few of the ghosts grouped and hanging on your porch or from trees makes for some cute (and cheap) Halloween decorations.

Utilizing these creative DIY’s and tips this Halloween will save you money and stress so you can focus on what really matters… enjoying the holiday, however you’ll be celebrating! Have fun this year, and remember, this is a day when too much candy is the goal, as long as the majority is saved and shared rather than eaten!

What are your favorite Halloween tips and DIY’s? We’d like to hear them! Like us on Facebook for more helpful tips and updates. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward!

December 14, 2015May 19, 2016 Movers Who Blog Downsizing, Holiday Fun, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

Let TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® take the stress out of holiday preparation

Written by Jessy Howe

DSC_0523_edited

It’s time to venture to the attic and bring out holiday decorations, make room for the Christmas tree, and deck the halls in preparation for the entire family gathering to celebrate the holidays. You want everything to be perfect, after all, you’ve been hosting for the past 30 years! Though you won’t admit it, it is becoming more difficult to climb the stairs, move the couch to make room for your beloved grandchildren to play, and let’s not forget packing it all back up once January arrives.

We follow THE GRANDMA RULE®, one of our key core values, which is to treat everyone the way you would want your grandma to be treated. And as the “Movers Who Care®”, we help a number of retirees with their holiday preparation each year, making the season easier than ever!

“Many people think of using our services when moving to a new home, but in reality, we can provide other services such as rearranging furniture or moving items up from a basement to make the holiday season much less stressful,” said TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Move Execution Specialist Jeremy King.

We’ve compiled the top holiday services we can provide to you and your loved ones during the most wonderful time of year!

Bringing decorations out of storage

Multiple trips to the attic or basement can be downright difficult, so let us bring out the Christmas decorations for you! If you have downsized and these items are in a storage unit, we can also transport them from the unit to your home.

Rearranging furniture

If you’re like most and need to rearrange your home in order to make space for the Christmas tree and other seasonal items, we are happy to move your furniture so you don’t have to. Whether the couch is moving two feet to the left or two flights up, we will accommodate your needs.

Picking up presents

Holiday shopping deals are a wonderful thing. However, getting the heavier gifts home and through the front door is another story. Our movers frequently pick up large purchases, such as safes and appliances, and deliver them right to you, taking the hassle out of gift giving.

Bringing in extra furniture

As many friends and family arrive for Christmas, make sure everyone has a comfortable place to enjoy the day! We will bring in any extra tables and chairs from your basement, garage, or storage unit that you may need.

Provide boxes

Whether you need extra storage for your holiday decorations or are transporting holiday gifts, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® has a variety of boxes tailored to your needs!

We realize moving needs are unique for every customer, so we’re ready to customize a plan to provide the best moving experience. Our uniformed movers and drivers are committed to exceeding expectations and ensuring your move is completed with care and efficiency.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services, subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.

November 16, 2015November 16, 2015 Movers Who Blog Holiday Fun

Eight tips to prepare your home for the holidays

Written by Jessy Howe

Planning the holidays can cause two emotions: absolute joy or complete stress! Whether you are hosting dinner or opening your home to out-of-town guests, don’t let this joyous season get the best of you. We’ve gathered our top eight tips on preparing your home (and saving your sanity!) for the holidays!

Get into the holiday spirit
Fill your home with a little holiday cheer by hanging a festive wreath on the door, lighting seasonal candles, and putting up the tree. Decorating doesn’t have to be an expensive task, there are plenty of quick and easy DIY projects to create one-of-a-kind décor. Take a peek on Pinterest for a little holiday inspiration!

Make your guests feel welcome
If you are hosting guests in your home this holiday season, remember to tidy the areas where they will be staying, pull out extra towels and linens, and freshen up the guest room with magazines, a plant, tissues, or even a little chocolate candy on their pillow. These simple amenities will be sure to make guests feel like they have a comfortable place to stay.

Avoid accidents
Clear all walkways and porch areas so they are free of snow and ice to ensure there are no slips. If you have exceptionally wintry weather, it’s best to have salt on hand. Be sure to also check that all outdoor lighting is functioning properly.

Stock the bathroom with essentials
Set a little basket of essentials in the bathroom with toiletries your holiday visitors may need. Include perfume, lotion, a lint roller, travel sized shampoo and conditioner… You get the idea!

Clean the house
This is usually a chore that ranks low on the list of priorities with all the other work to be done this season. Where will you find the time? Dedicate at least an hour to focus on your main cleaning duties! Vacuum, dust, clean the bathrooms, whatever you need to do —this is your hour to accomplish it. If finding an hour is hard, try setting aside 15 minutes each work day to focus on tidying just one room. This way it isn’t overwhelming but each room gets a spruce. Bonus: If you have little ones, include them by assigning simple tasks they can help with!

Keep your home safe
If you will be going out of town for the holidays, make sure your home is protected to avoid any break-ins. Set an automatic light timer in multiple rooms to make your home seem lived in, double check your entryway and window locks, and be cautious of what you post online. Try to stay away from the “I’m going on vacation” post to social media, and post your vacation pictures once you have returned home. If you have a trusted neighbor, it is a good idea to have them keep an eye on your home during your travels. Take time to deliver a homemade pie or Christmas cookies when dropping off your spare key, we guarantee they will appreciate it!

Utilize boxes
Whether you’re trying to organize the garage or store away those holiday decorations, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® has a variety of boxes tailored to your needs. Pick up a wardrobe box to fill with old coats and donate to your local shelter or grab a small box to easily transport the desserts you’ve baked to family Christmas. Whatever it is, we’ve got you covered!

Break out the tunes
Finally, turn on those beloved holiday songs! After all, nothing says, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” better than the song itself!

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.

September 28, 2015November 12, 2015 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

When planning a move over the holidays – The right approach is crucial

When planning a move over the holidays, the right approach is crucial

For all the joy the holidays bring, it can also be an increasingly hectic and stressful period for many families. This is especially true for those moving homes over the holiday season, which is hectic enough on its own without adding in tasks like shopping for gifts or preparing elaborate holiday meals.

While this may not be an ideal situation, these useful moving tips can help you deal with holiday moves to the best of your ability by establishing a workable battle plan. Planning is key in this respect, as well as being prepared for any unforeseen obstacles or hindrances that may pop up on the way to your new home.

Contact a moving company ASAP

Moving typically requires hiring a professional company to ensure your items remain intact during the trip from your old home to your new one. However, finding a reliable mover can be a bit more difficult during the holidays, as most of the staff will be unavailable at this time of year. In addition, rates may be a bit higher to accommodate moving staff, and this can be challenging for families on tighter budgets.

For these reasons, contacting a potential moving company as soon as possible is imperative to making reliable arrangements. Be sure to tell the company of your exact schedule, while also requesting an in-depth quote before coming to any agreements. This will prevent you from being surprised by any previously undisclosed or hidden fees that can factor in to projects of this nature.

Inform others about your move

Once you have a date established, consider just how you will announce your move to friends and family. While you can use social media to keep others updated to your progress, sending out announcements is a nice touch during the holiday season. You can incorporate moving announcements into traditional Christmas cards to offer an ever-lasting keep sake of your transition.

In addition to informing loved ones of your new address, don’t forget to notify any companies you receive correspondence from via the mail. This can be accomplished by filling out a change of address form at your local post office, in addition to informing companies directly. This is essential over the Christmas season to ensure all mail is received in a timely manner, whether that entails important bills or gifts from out-of-town relatives.

Begin packing and organizing early

No matter the time of year, waiting until the last minute to begin packing for a move can often have disastrous results. It’s best to begin the process at least a few weeks prior to your moving date to ensure all items are packed successfully. Start by organizing your belongings in a common area to determine which items can be discarded. In many cases you can donate gently used unwanted items, which is particularly relevant during the holiday season.

You can also put some of your belongings into storage until after the holidays have passed. This will allow you to partake in holiday festivities without worrying about unpacking right away, while also making certain that your items remain safe and secure. This option can also be useful if you don’t have the ample time required to extensively organize your items before a move.

Consider scaling back celebrations/decorations

Decorating your home is a fine holiday tradition, but this can require much time and energy that may simply not be available when arranging a move. In this case, you may want to consider scaling back decorating until you reach your new abode. This doesn’t mean you should neglect putting up any decorations at all, just that you can save more substantial items (i.e. the tree) until you are settled into your new home.

The same can be said for holiday celebrations. Consider postponing grand holiday dinners until after your move to decrease some of the pressure you are facing. You can also seek alternate plans, like having dinner at a loved one’s home or dining out, to help create a more convenient celebratory situation.

Don’t forget to keep the holiday spirit alive

The holidays should be a time for remembering what matters most in life, from being grateful for all that you have to cherishing time spent with your loved ones. When faced with the seemingly endless responsibilities related to moving, in addition to the many common tasks associated with Christmas, it can be easy to forget about the most important part of the season.

To this end, one should be mindful of creating new holiday memories even during this stressful period. Enlist your family to take numerous pictures of both your old home as well as new in order to preserve the spirit of the season. Also, take time for each other when you can, whether that entails cooking up a batch of cookies with the kids or taking in a Christmas-themed movie with your significant other. No matter what, try to keep in mind what the season really means, which can be beneficial for keeping your wits about you during times of increased stress.

Bryan Passanisi is an online marketer living in the Redwood City, California area. He graduated from The University of San Francisco with his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. He is a Simpsons and Family Guy trivia geek and loves corgi puppies. Bryan Passanisi is a contributor to various websites and blogs including Shutterfly.

December 27, 2012December 27, 2012 Movers Who Blog Uncategorized

Creative Tips for Storing Holiday Decorations

Written by Nick Howison and Brad Hillard

The holidays are in full swing, but they end as quickly as they come. The bittersweet combination of decorating, time with in-laws and shopping is an emotional roller coaster; especially when the season comes to a halt. If it seems like a good idea to simply throw all of your holiday decorations in a box in the attic, this post is for you. The results of a hasty holiday tear-down can be disastrous and make decorating for the next year even more complicated. Take the edge off by using the following tips to efficiently pack and store your holiday decorations:

Rally the Troops: In my house, everyone is determined to “deck the halls”, but when it comes to taking it down, nobody wants to help. Every year I earn their help by taking them out to a dinner and a movie-of-choice after the decorations are down.
Label your Boxes: Writing “fragile ornaments” and “singing-Santa clause” on their respective boxes helps organize the entire decorating process from start to finish. It’s helpful when assigning tasks to family members. It allows me to ask, “Can you bring down the hand-carved reindeer set from the attic? It’s in box labeled ‘Xmas Living Room’.”
Choose Wisely: TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® has a variety of boxes tailored to your packing needs. Some unique ones include a dish pack box with an insert for your Christmas tree ornaments. These boxes are big and hold a variety of items so you can use them year-round. Click here to see a few options available to you.
Recycle: Did your gift come with bubble wrap or protective foam? Reuse these perfectly good packing materials in the place of the old, mostly-popped, bubble wrap in your decoration boxes.
Christmas Creativity: Pack smaller ornaments and decorations into an empty egg carton (leftover from the plethora of consumed eggnog). This provides a protective shell for the ornaments and the cartons can be stacked inside a larger box.
Light bulb!: Wrap your lights around pieces of cardboard. This is a great way to keep the lights from tangling which in turn protects them from annual damage. Once they are wrapped, place the cardboard pieces in a labeled box for next year.

No matter which method you choose to pack up your holiday decorations, the blog team at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® strives to move you forward no matter the task and we are always available to help with any packing challenge. Share your holiday packing tips with us in the comments!

We hope you enjoy the time spent with your families and wish you a happy holiday season!

Photo courtesy of http://www.woohome.com