8 ways to use empty cardboard boxes after your move (that kids will love!)

After you are moved into your new home and unpacked, you will to find yourself with an abundance of cardboard boxes! Before you break them down and leave them out for recycling, here are some fun ways to keep the kids happy when you continue to unpack (and a few for you too).

1. Mini house competition

Channel the inner creativity, set out two boxes with some materials such as markers, clip ons, and rubber bands – the most creative designer wins! For more decorating tips, check out our blog on building a box fort!


2. Design your own treasure chest

Decorate the outside and let the kids put their own personal treasures inside.

3. Halloween costumes

Everybody knows most creative wins the best costume competition. Robots and gumball machines, oh my!

4. Puppet Stage

Decorate boxes to use as a back drop, add a blanket or curtains, and put on a show!

5. Puzzle making

Paint a nice picture on the box then cut the pieces up for the kids to put together

6. Attic organizational system

Once everything is put away use the boxes, labeled, as an alternative storage system in the attic, basement, garage, or closets. If you start the organization right away it will avoid problems down the line when you can’t find the Christmas table cloth.


7. Homemade Stationary

Cut up cardboard boxes to make your own post cards. Use ink stamps to decorate and write a message. No envelope needed!


8. A Natural Embellishment

Dress up a cardboard box with a design of your choice, line it with a plastic bag, poke several draining holes, and you have a new home for a small plant!

Still have leftover boxes? Check out our blog on recycling or repurposing boxes.

Conserving Energy in Your New Home This Summer

Summer months see a rise in electric and cooling costs. Olympia Moving has some tips on how to set up your new home to keep costs down after your big move.


Moving is a process. You’re uprooting your life from one place to another and unpacking takes up time. Something that may be pushed to the back of your mind is your new energy bill. We have some tips on how you can save money this summer while you enjoy your new home!

Unplug things you aren’t using. Are you keeping your laptop or phone chargers plugged in when you’re not home? What about your toaster or coffee maker? All of these are contributors to your electric bill. Unplug electronics when you are done using them, and use a power strip to be able to efficiently unplug whatever is not in use. Unplugging your computer alone could save you around $75 per year.

Placement is key. Lights and televisions radiate a certain amount of heat, which can affect the reading on your thermostat or air conditioner. Your air conditioner will run longer and take longer for your home to heat up to your desired temperature. Place these heat-emitting electronics away from thermostats and anything gauging a temperature reading to evenly distribute heat and cooling.

 

Switch out your light bulbs. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLS) use less energy than incandescent bulbs and are made to last up to twelve times longer than regular bulbs. The upfront cost will pay itself off quickly when you take into consideration the length of time between replacement.
You should also ask yourself about the temperature you need to feel comfortable in your home. Running your air conditioner at a higher temperature saves up to 18% on electricity costs over the summer. Higher settings require less power to run and having a ceiling or floor fan to circulate air will help keep your home cool. Just remember to turn both off when you leave to save money; fans cool people more than they cool rooms.

 

Consider adding solar panels. If you just moved into your dream home for the long haul, consider going the extra step to save on your energy bills and help the planet.  Get a consultation for adding solar panels to your home. Solar Power Authority and this guide from Forbes are good resources for getting started.

 

Still looking for your new home? Request a moving estimate from Olympia Moving & Storage online or give us a call at 800-222-4744

Olympia Donates Logistics to Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games for the Fifth Year

Olympia’s volunteerism at Special Olympics Summer games has become cemented in Olympia culture as an annual tradition. This June marked the fifth year of Olympia’s partnership with the organization, with Summer Games as the hallmark event for Olympia’s work with athletes with intellectual disabilities.

The event requires the donation of over 350 man-hours from our crew to transport equipment, move athletes in and out of their weekend accommodations, manage luggage, and break down the event. The Olympia team always looks forward to this opportunity to meet the athletes and play a small role in making their biggest competition of the year a success.

Our team assists in the whole week leading up to the games, picking up the equipment, food, and supplies for the competition.

The excitement then truly begins the day of the Game’s opening ceremonies, when the athletes arrive at the event.  They are greeted by the Olympia Movers, who valet their luggage to their dorms.

Between competitions, Olympia’s “Are You Stronger Than An Olympia Mover?” hi-striker game has becoming a big hit with the athletes and their families – an impressive number have proved their strength by hitting the bell!

Loading the move-out luggage on to the truck

The weekend concludes with event break-down (including extremely heavy gymnastics equipment!) athlete-move out, luggage sorting, and delivering the luggage to families as they depart for home. We love asking athletes to show us their well-earned medals from the weekend!

We’re looking forward to participating in Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games next year and for many years to come!

To learn more about our year-round partnership with Special Olympics, visit http://www.olympiamoving.com/specialolympics

Infographic to help you plan a painless Boston move

DOWNLOAD this Boston move planning infographic!

DOWNLOAD Washington DC version

DOWNLOAD Philadelphia version

While May marks the transition to summer, for many Boston-area families, May also means it is time to start planning a move. May is National Moving Month, or the beginning of moving season. About 35 million Americans will move this year, about 11% of the population, and nearly a third of the those moves will occur during the summer. This is especially true in New England, where relocation is heavily influenced by weather and school schedules.

Local Boston moving companies, such as Olympia Moving & Storage, see a tremendous increase in moving requests beginning in May. Moving season in Boston runs from May through September, with the most moves occurring the last week in August, when the students return, and the last week of June, just after school finishes. Boston families planning a move to avoid those weeks if possible, to avoid increased hassle and higher costs.

Olympia Moving & Storage uses National Moving Month as an opportunity to educate local consumers about the relocation process. In honor of National Moving Month, Olympia Moving created a handy infographic to help Greater-Boston families plan their move. Olympia designed the infographic to help consumers find a mover they can trust, as well as take the mystery out of the planning process.

With the right moving company, good communication, and proper planning, the move will go smoothly and your family will be enjoying their new home in no time.

Olympia Moving & Storage Earns 2016 Angie’s List Super Service Award

Olympia Moving & Storage is proud to announce that their Boston branch has earned the Angie’s List Super Service Award! This is Olympia’s company’s first time earning this award. Angie’s List Super Service Award represents peak service in the home service industry, and is only rewarded to companies who:

  • Are in the top 5% of their service category as reviewed by Angie’s List customers. This makes Olympia Moving & Storage one of the best moving services in Greater Boston!
  • Earned a “A” rating in overall and recent grade
  • Are in good standing with Angie’s List and pass a background check

“Olympia’s staff and crew work relentlessly to turn moving, usually a stressful event, into a seamless and positive experience,” says Michael Gilmartin, Founder and President of Olympia Moving & Storage. “We are so thankful to our wonderful customers for recognizing our efforts on Angie’s List.”

Olympia Moving & Storage is so proud to have earned this award from one of the top consumer review sites! It is especially meaningful to be recognized based on the feedback of the wonderful families we worked with in 2016.

If you need Super Service for your next move, give Olympia Moving & Storage a call at 800-222-4744 or request an estimate online.

Allston Christmas 2016 and Why We Love It

Another year, brings another September 1st and another one of our favorite holidays… Allston Christmas. Allston Christmas is the time when hundreds of thousands of college students move into and out of apartments in the area, leaving their belongings strewn about streets in student-rich sections of the city.

According to Urban Dictionary, Allston ‘Christmas’ refers to the bounty of “new” stuff that one can easily acquire free of cost simply by walking down to the sidewalk and running off with it back into your own apartment. Much of the items that are left on the sidewalk are free to take because people can’t fit them into their new apartment or don’t have enough space in the truck to move them. However, many of the items are simply left on the sidewalk temporarily and are rummaged (read: ‘stolen’) by the neighbors in the chaos that is the city of Boston on September 1st.

With over 70% of leases ending on September 1st, it’s no surprise to find the city alive with moving trucks and to find discarded belongings on every corner. What is surprising is the types of things you’ll find.

This year in honor of Allston Christmas, we at Olympia decided to pair with Flutter to give one lucky winner the gift of a free move. And,while Bridget didn’t have to deal with the stress of heavy lifting during her move, these people weren’t so lucky.

Whether you love it or hate it, here are some of our favorite accounts of Allston Christmas 2016:

allston santa

You know it’s Christmas when Santa shows up!

allston santa police

but an Allston Christmas wouldn’t be the same without an appearance from the BPD… bad Santa.

 

When you know you shouldn’t even bother trying to drive through Allston…

allston christmas traffic

traffic allston christmas

 

but you still appreciate the holiday’s roots!

allston christmas carol

allston christmas shoppingallston christmas campus

allston christmas moving

Allston Christmas is a deep rooted tradition that you won’t soon escape, even if you aren’t living in the area anymore.

missing allston christmas first allston christmas

Because despite all the frustration…

allston christmas drinkingallston christmas disssemblyallston christmas ikea

at the end of the day you (hopefully) have a new, furnished apartment, with some street finds and maybe a bedbug or ten…

allston bean bag allston bed bugs

allston christmas porch amy winehouse allston

and minimal damage,

allston christmas snow

or insights into the reality of how your neighbors live…

allston christmas csi

 

But most of all, it wouldn’t be Allston Christmas without the fun.

allston christmas elves allston christmas pups

Until next year, Boston!

merry allston christmas

If you’re planning a move and you’d like to save yourself some stress, give us a call at 800-222-4744.

 

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Find Affordable Used Furniture with Dibind

DibindDibind is a new online platform where people can list and buy pre-owned furniture in great condition, with the goal of pairing Boston-area college students and young professionals to save money and reduce waste.

What really differentiates Dibind from similar sites is that they provide the option to pick up and deliver your purchases! Think of it like Craig’s List, but with a much better interface, curated options, and no hassle of arranging a truck to bring your purchase to your home!

The greater Boston area is known for its multitude of colleges and young and vibrant community. Moving is the perfect time to declutter or upgrade our belongings. As millennials frequently move as their leases turn over, they often leave their old furniture on the curb to give away or send to the dump. Alternatively, Dibind is the perfect tool to use when moving in or out of an apartment. With Dibind you can easily post your furniture for sale to clear out your place while making some cash in the process.

zero-gravity interior. 3d creative concept

Another major plus to using Dibind is if the item you enlist isn’t bought with in the time period of your choice, you can choose to have it picked up by Dibind and donated for free – so there’s no risk to trying to make some cash before sending unwanted furniture to the trash!

Moving companies like Olympia Moving & Storage love the Dibind concept. We get calls daily from people who are looking to move furniture they bought or sold online, and our service minimums don’t allow us to service those clients affordably. Instead, Olympia Moving is thrilled to recommend Dibind to our clients buying and selling furniture instead!

Ready to use Dibind to declutter for your move or buy furniture for your new home? Get started at https://www.dibind.com/

Need a mover to move everything else to your new home? Request a free moving estimate online from Olympia Moving & Storage or call 800.222.4744 to get started.

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Boston Moving Company Partners with Flutter to Give Away Free Allston Christmas Move

The notorious Boston moving date, September 1st, is just around the corner. Nicknamed “Allston Christmas,” September 1st is the date when 79% of Boston’s leases begin. This move date is infamous in Boston, the roads are jammed with moving and rental trucks and the streets are flooded with abandoned belongings. In an effort to make this miserable moving day a bit brighter for one Boston resident, Olympia Moving & Storage is teaming up with Flutter, an online fund-raising platform. A $8 donation to Special Olympics Massachusetts via Flutter gives Bostonians the chance to win the Allston Christmas gift of a free move on September 1st.

Enter to win a free move on Allston Christmas!

Click here to enter to win the free move on Allston Christmas September 1st!
Click here to enter to win the free move on September 1st!

“Having run the @BostonTweet Twitter account for 8 years I know how popular and dreaded September 1st is in the city,” says Flutter founder Tom O’Keefe. “I thought partnering with Olympia Moving to make moving easier for someone would be very timely and help raise a lot of money for the Special Olympics Massachusetts.”

Flutter was created by Tom O’Keefe last year as a way to get more people involved with charitable donations, regardless of their income. The idea was to create the opposite of an auction and give everyone the chance to win a prize for donating to charity regardless of their financial wealth. So far they have raised almost $70,000 for Boston-area charities.

“We’re very excited to be partnering with Flutter for this Free Move for Allston Christmas contest,” says Michael Gilmartin, President of Olympia Moving & Storage. “Flutter has raised thousands of dollars for local charities, and it’s an innovative way to raise funds for another partner of Olympia’s, Special Olympics Massachusetts.”

Special Olympics Massachusetts was the natural choice to benefit from this campaign, as Olympia Moving & Storage has been a corporate sponsor of the organization since 2013. Olympia Moving & Storage provides free logistics services for Special Olympics’ competitions and fundraisers, and contributed over $50,000 in monetary and in-kind donations to Special Olympics athletes last year.

Boston residents can enter to win the free move via Flutter’s website, at https://www.experienceflutter.com/experiences/merry-allston-christmas.

In case you don’t win, you should reach out to Olympia Moving & Storage for a free Boston moving estimate online or by calling 800-222-4744.

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How a Mover Can Make Your Boston Home Renovation Easier (and 4 Other Tips!)

financing-home-renovation-ftr1

Home renovations can be stressful and expensive. Keep these tips in mind to ease the difficulties that
come with giving your home a make-over.

35ffbCNChoose an Off-Season Project

The summer season is the busiest time for home projects, which can lead to  increased costs. When choosing what to update this summer, consider taking on a winter-oriented like, adding insulation or installing energy efficient windows. Usually you can find a deal the necessary supplies and services needed for the renovation in the off-season, and you are more likely to schedule vendors for your project to your preferences.

Hire a Mover to Assist with Storage

CrewWhat are you going to do with all your furniture and belongings when you’re demoing your living room wall? Instead of attempting to protect your furniture with plastic sheets and painters tape, consider moving your furniture into storage for the duration of your renovation. This helps you avoid drywall dust, sawdust and insulation that likes to take root in your furniture and leaves the space necessary to get the renovation job done right. The most cost effective way to store your furniture is full-service storage with a local moving company. Hire the movers to pick up your storage or load up your own truck to drop off our belongings to storage.

Keep Chaos In Check

Have a designated area for cooking (if you’re remodeling your kitchen) and cleaning. Whether this means grilling outdoors or re-purposing your guest bathroom, you’ll be happy when these messes are confined to certain areas instead of spreading around the house.

Balance the Budget

suppliesBalance the expenses of your supplies and new fixtures for your house. If you can’t resist splurging on marble counter tops, find other areas where you can save, like on the light fixtures or window covers.

Buy Early

When buying fixtures and supplies, do it early! Before you meet with your electrician or contractor, it is best to have the placement of your outlets and appliances already planned. It’s also helpful to order these items far in advance, ensuring on-time delivery and the widest selection.

In the midst of your renovation, remember, it will all be worth it at the end when you are enjoying your like-new home!

If you need a Boston, Washington DC, or Philadelphia mover to assist with the moving and storage for your upcoming home renovation, call Olympia Moving & Storage at 800-222-4744 or request an estimate online. Whether you just need furniture moved to the basement, into storage, or relocation to a temporary resident, we are ready to help make your home renovation easier!

A Successful Weekend Working with Special Olympics MA Summer Games

This past weekend Olympia Moving’s crew donated their assistance to over 1800 Special Olympics athletes by moving them into their dorms. Over the past four years, volunteering for Special Olympics Summer Games has become a highlighted and anticipated event by our whole team. 

In addition, it was the first year Olympia Moving sponsored the “Are You Strong Than An Olympia Mover?” high-striker challenge in Olympic Town. With a continuous crowd of people watching one another test their strengths, this game was a big hit among the athletes, coaches and their fans!

In addition, Olympia Moving provided equipment transportation and event breakdown services as part of our role as the Official Logistics Sponsor.

Read our press release about Olympia Moving’s sponsorship of Special Olympics Massachusetts Summer Games.

To learn more about Olympia’s sponsorship of Special Olympics, visit olympiamoving.com/specialolympics