You may hear a bustling sound coming from the charming area of Harmar where the beloved Busy Bee Restaurant has been renovated and reopened under new ownership.  New owner, Larry Sloter, along with his family full of “helper bees;” Wife – Kristin Sloter and; sons – Gabe and Reid Sloter, all take part in supporting Larry in his new business venture.  Larry has always been interested in the restaurant business, but it wasn’t until one fateful morning when he decided to dine at the Busy Bee that changed the course of his interests.

“It’s been a desire of mine since I was in college to come back to the restaurant industry,” Larry said. “I had grown dissatisfied with my previous job and stopped in for breakfast one morning to find that it was for sale and realized that The Bee was what I needed to be doing.”

Larry did just that, purchasing the restaurant from Donna English in January 2016.  Since then, he meticulously cultivated a revamped menu for The Busy Bee – including sourcing almost his entire menu of food from local farmers.  “For me, I love scratch cooking – and knowing where your food comes from is part of that. The Mid-Ohio Valley is entirely too rich in agriculture to not take advantage of that,” Larry said.

While the menu obviously changes with the seasons, he currently uses Hickory Hill Processing for all of the pork products and brisket. Witten Farms Inc. supplies the Black Angus ground beef used in burgers and other recipes. He sources produce throughout the year from Witten’s, Lanes Farm Market, Stacy’s Strawberry Farm and Worthington Produce.  When available, he also sources honey from The Bee Barn in Fleming – while Donald and Madge Rauch, also in Fleming, provide them with 110 dozen eggs each week.

For a delicious cup of coffee to go with all those eggs, Larry is working with Ashton Newland and his brothers over at Broasters Coffee. Ashton is 11 and has started his own roasting operation. He utilizes an importer in California to bring in coffee beans from Brazil, and roasts them in two pound batches. “It’s a very smooth, lighter roast that is extremely good and is quickly becoming a fan favorite,” Larry said. He is also in negotiations with other local vendors of both raw products and some finished goods to be added to the menu this year as well.

Currently, The Busy Bee has several items that are considered favorites and specialties. On the lunch menu, the Rueben is made with fresh brisket which sits in a house-made pickling brine for at least ten days before being slow roasted, refrigerated overnight, then sliced and steamed to order – topped with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and a proprietary Thousand Island Dressing. “It is a true labor of love,” Larry said. The meatloaf is also made from scratch, 65% beef, 35% sausage – loaded with flavor and then wrapped in bacon before baking. Once it’s been baked and cooled it’s sliced into thick pieces, cooked on the griddle and finally topped with a sweet bbq glaze, Swiss cheese and more bacon. The Wimpy Burger is also a customer favorite with a half-pound of local black-angus beef, then topped the way the customer likes.

“For breakfast you simply can’t go wrong,” Larry said. “Our pancakes are 8-9 inches in diameter and fill the plate and all of our omelets are made with three large farm fresh brown eggs and come loaded with ingredients.”

Larry’s oldest son Gabe, who is 13, also helps by making giant cinnamon rolls on the weekends. He also makes many of their pies and other desserts and will even do a few other special items and prep work as needed. “He’s great to have in the kitchen and he is an amazing baker when he’s able to fit it in among school and sports, Larry said.

Since the Busy Bee has a long history in the area, first opening in 1944, the restaurant definitely has its “regulars” – that is – the devoted customers that regularly visit The Bee for the food and great company. “We have 20 customers or so that dine with us every morning, another 25 or 30 that are in five times a week and easily another 50 or so that are in once a week, said Larry.  “Many have been coming for decades and each have been amazing to work with as I’ve changed the restaurant back to a true scratch kitchen.”

If starting a made-from-scratch restaurant wasn’t enough on his plate, Larry recently decided to add a food truck to the mix as well!  He says the food truck was born out of requests from people that wanted items from their menu, but couldn’t make it in because of the current breakfast/lunch hours.  He says it will also give him an opportunity to attend some of the sporting events that his family already attends with their boys.  “This will allow us to spend more time together as a family,” said Larry. While the food truck is still a work in progress, you can find the schedule and menu on their Facebook page.

When asked what his favorite part of owning the Busy Bee was, he said, “Working with our amazing customers and staff, plus, I love food – and being able to make others fall in love with that food has been a great time. I have some of the best employees that you can find that share my same passion for what we are doing here.”

He also hopes to see continued growth with the food truck and mobile concession trailer. Busy Bee fans who don’t have time to make it to the restaurant can still eat the from-scratch-goodness on the go from the food truck. Following the lead of other successful businesses, The Busy Bee’s food truck is becoming quite popular. Fans can find it parked at The Farmers’ Market on Tuesdays in Marietta. Parkersburg fans can find it at Bicentennial Park for breakfast. Likewise, local and statewide events, fairs and festivals are all on the radar.

In the future, Larry hopes to work towards being 100% local and 100% scratch.  Yes, that may be hard to do since some produce doesn’t grow here, but Larry says he will continue to work as much as he can to get as close as possible.

Hours of Operation:

Monday through Saturday, 6:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Sunday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Or follow along on Facebook!

The post The Buzz Around The Busy Bee appeared first on Clutch MOV.

Smooth rhythms and the polished voice of Jessica Baldwin filled the air.  As part of the new Stage Door Cabaret Series at the theatre, the Jess Baldwin Quintet played their harmonious beats to an enthusiastic crowd in the intimate setting on stage the Peoples Bank Theatre.

For the Cabaret Series, not only are the artists on stage, but so is the audience.  This gives each and every crowd member a close and personal view of the show while enjoying the amazing sound that the stage space provides.

“The performance by the Jess Baldwin Quintet was as excellent a show as could be seen anywhere in the world, and it was right here in Marietta. We are so fortunate to have a musician of her talents,” said Drew Tanner, Marketing Director of the Peoples Bank Theatre. “We’re also lucky to have such an outstanding crew, led by our Theatre Manager Chuck Swaney and Technical Director Brad Smith, who are able to transform the stage into a nightclub with an atmosphere like no other. It’s always fun at the end of the evening to lift the stage curtain, revealing the theatre itself to those who may have forgotten for a moment just where they were.”

The setting itself was stunning with the excellent stage lighting and fragrant flowers and décor on the round tables covered in linens. You can cozy up to a significant other or take it all in with a group of friends while enjoying delicious hors d’oeuvres and a glass of wine.  When the music starts, you can’t help but believe you’ve traversed to a favorite restaurant in a modern day big city or a beloved nightclub from the early 20^th century.

The Jess Baldwin Quintet also made it easy to feel like you were traveling through time as they performed songs that spanned the ages (and the genres) – everything from Esperanza Spalding’s “What a Friend” to Hoagy Carmichael’s “Two Sleepy People” and the tune made famous in the Wizard of Oz, “Over the Rainbow” (with Jessica’s added touch in composition that gives it an energetic jazzy feel).

“The guys I work with are simply fantastic,” said Jessica Baldwin, “Such great musicians. All very accomplished – and a blast to be around, too. I love getting to hang out with them on stage just as much as I love playing music with them.”

There was even some John Mayer, Bjork and Bach. Yes, Johann Sebastian Bach. If this last one peaks your interest, as, just like most others, you typically hear the name Bach and think of a classical composition, think again and look up the song “Kaffee” or “Coffee Cantata.”   It’s a fun story that tells about a young girl and her addiction to coffee on her way to being married.

“Local musicians have plenty of places around here to create a pleasant ambience for a meal or to energize dancers at a bar,” said Baldwin, “but we haven’t really had any venues that let us do some of the other things music can do: enlighten, comfort, empower, transport, transform. Some of those things can only be done when both the venue and the audience hold and protect an intimate, sacred space, and that’s exactly what they did for the cabaret performance. It was so satisfying to make music in that way with, and in, my own community.”

Overall, if you’re looking for an enjoyable evening in a lovely setting, check out The Stage Door Cabarets at Peoples Bank Theatre.  The shows will continue at the theatre on regular intervals with different artists at each cabaret.

Baldwin also stated,  “I am so thankful that the folks in charge at Peoples Bank Theatre are just as passionate about using the stage to feature local talent as they are about bringing nationally-known talent closer to home. It’s no small task to put those Stage Door evenings together. They take more setup than some of the national acts. Brad Smith, Chuck Swaney, Geoff Coward, Hunt Brawley, Drew Tanner, and the rest of the team really work hard to make them special events for our community.”

For a list of upcoming shows and to purchase tickets, visit PeoplesBankTheatre.com.

The post A Night at the Cabaret appeared first on Clutch MOV.

If you’re looking for the perfect gift of wine this holiday season, be sure to visit the Marietta Wine Cellars on Second Street in Marietta this year.  Not only do they have a fine selection of seasonal wines such as Sugar Plum and Yuletide, but you can also pick up a bottle or two of their signature wines like River Red or Sternwheel White.

During the Christmas season, and throughout the year, customers may order a variety of gift baskets that can be made with select wines and include personal items or any wine accessories, gifts or food items from the MWC gift shop.  One of the most popular gift baskets, called “The Marietta Basket,” includes other wonderful products proudly made in Marietta such as Rossi Pasta and Putnam Chocolates paired with Marietta Wine Cellar wine.

Marietta Wine Cellars (MWC) is a local Marietta family-owned business with two generations of family members creating wonderful wines each year.  MWC first opened their doors at Putnam Commons in 2000 when Allen Phillips decided to turn his home winemaking hobby into a business venture. In 2001, Marietta Wine Cellars started selling their first four wine flavors.

After a few years at Putnam Commons and some successful sale years, MWC decided to expand by moving into a larger space on Front Street in Marietta. Even after surviving through multiple major floods, Marietta Wine Cellars was able to continue to thrive even more, and decided yet another move was best for their future.

In February of 2010, MWC moved once again.  This time the move was to the corner of Front and Butler Streets, where the space was bigger for expanding upon future ideas, more street visibility and parking for customers. “We were very much looking forward to this new space,” said Kari Rings, current corporate officer and daughter of Allen Phillips.    “However, that dream was cut short when just over a month later, the store was burglarized and burnt to the ground.  Losing everything we had worked so hard for in those 10 years was devastating.”  But after much discussion, the family decided that they just couldn’t let the setback beat them and decided to once again bring Marietta wine back to the community.

In June 2010, the winery and gift shop reopened at their current location at 211 Second Street, providing an expanded parking lot, restaurant/lounge, deli, gift shop and kitchen.

After many wonderful years in business, and going through many ups and downs, in 2014 Marietta Wine Cellars suffered the worst loss of all, the death of the owner, Allen Phillips, who passed away after suffering from ALS.

“We are all very much like family.  We see each other as much as our family, and when treated like family, we all care about what happens here, and want the best for all.”

But now, reaching their fifteen-year anniversary, Marietta Wine Cellars is now owned and operated by Allen’s wife, Mary Jane Phillips with the help of her and Allen’s daughters, Dee Stewart, and Kari Rings.  They also have the support of other family members and very close friends employed at MWC.  “We are all very much like family.  We see each other as much as our family, and when treated like family, we all care about what happens here, and want the best for all,” said Kari Rings.

Now, Marietta Wine Cellars offers even more to customers, including special occasion gifts, wine accessories, food items, a cheese and meat deli, wine and beer making supplies, ice cream, a lounge for events, food and bar and of course, the wine that started it all! They also host their weekly “Wine Down Time” every Friday evening with appetizers, dessert and live music.

The Marietta Wine Cellars currently stocks over 30 signature wines as well as seven limited edition and seasonal wines. Also, coming in 2016, MWC plans to expand their line with at least three new wines to add to their signature collection.  In hopes to give back to the community and organizations close to their hearts, they plan to release wines that will offer proceeds to selected organizations.

For more information on the Marietta Wine Cellars, check out their Facebook page for new releases, lunch specials and monthly events – or visit their website.

The post Marietta Wine Cellars appeared first on Clutch MOV.

As a young professional in the Marietta and Parkersburg communities, you have many choices of civic organizations in which to become involved. These worthy organizations hold a plethora of possibilities for each new member. Not only will you be serving the good of your community and those around you, but it gives you a sense of perspective you may not have considered before.

A “community service” organization does just that; it provides service to your local community. By joining, you can be a part of giving back in many unique ways to those around you. If you already have a hobby or passion about something, look around at the local service options and you might be surprised to find ways in which to help these organizations succeed by simply doing something you already love to do.

Do you love animals? Look into helping the Humane Society. They are in constant need of dog walkers and someone to hang out with the shelter cats. Do you enjoy crocheting? A service club would love to have you as a member where your skills might be invaluable to supplying a retirement home or hospital unit with warm scarves or hats. Do you like to build things with your own two hands? Many clubs have projects that involve building things from picnic shelters to benches. Or maybe you like to support the military troops? You could volunteer to head up the collection of items to send boxes or cards to them overseas. Whatever your passion, there’s probably a service organization that would fit your interests.

For example, if you like working with children, the Kiwanis Club’s international motto is “Serving the Children of the World.” The Marietta Kiwanis Club is a unique community service group, because no matter your age or ability, there is a Kiwanis family sponsored group for you!

You can be a “K-Family” member as young as grade school in either Kiwanis’ Bringing Up Grades (BUG) Program or Terrific Kids. Currently, the Marietta Kiwanis Club sponsors a BUG program at Philips Elementary and a Terrific Kids at Harmar Elementary in Marietta.

Next, as a middle school student, you can become a Kiwanis Builder. Marietta Kiwanis sponsors a Builders Club at Marietta Middle School where students can get their first true taste of what community service is really all about.

As a high school student at Marietta H.S., Frontier H.S. or Waterford H.S., you can become a Kiwanis Key Club member and continue with service in your community through the Kiwanis family.

Once you graduate high school, the Kiwanis Circle K Clubs at both Marietta College and Washington State Community College welcome you. And finally, as a young adult member of society, you can join the Kiwanis family as an actual Kiwanian.

How does all of this equate with being a young professional? Local clubs are finding that more and more young professionals want to give back to their communities in ways that truly make a difference. The Marietta Kiwanis Club has recently shifted their membership to include a younger demographic whereas just 10 years ago, the majority of the club was over 50.

When asked about this paradigm shift, President of the Marietta Club, Chad Gardner (Age 26) said, “The club is attracting younger members by doing more hands on service. The club has also made it easier for younger folks to join by having an evening meeting each month and a variety of service projects that appeal to a wider range of ages. We also created a softball team a few years ago and play every summer in the Marietta City coed league.”

When asked about why he joined Kiwanis, Gardner said, “I joined because I had a great experience in the Kiwanis family. While in 7^th grade, I joined Builders Club then continued on to Key Club in high school and Circle K in college! Each organization is unique in their own ways, but service brings us all together.”

Being together as part of a welcoming group is also a good feeling. It helps restore mind and body when you know you’ve done something good for someone else. As a young professional, you can also provide a good role model to others by joining an organization. Additionally, while you are serving the greater good in your local community, service organizations are also great networking opportunities. Many members come from all walks of life including schools, hospitals, local businesses, nonprofits and more, plus you may just make a new life-long friend.

Whether you’ve never been in a civic organization and are looking for one to join or you’ve been a life-long member, your membership in our community is appreciated. As a young professional, you’re in your prime to serve the community while making life-long connections.

The post You Can Make A Difference appeared first on Clutch MOV.

In a small town in rural Washington County, a gifted artist was born.  His website describes his music as “raw, gutsy, open and honest by blending soul-searching lyrics with a truly memorable voice.” One of his recent songs put him on the iTunes Indie Top Ten List.  So who is this talented local artist? 

While there wasn’t always a lot to do in New Matamoras, Ohio, Anthony Mossburg made the best of his time there by cruising around in the country, playing football (Anthony was an all-star quarterback) and going to the pool in the summers. He says, “I spent a lot of time outside when I was a kid. Playing out in the woods and playing sports are two of my favorite memories growing up.”

While he was growing up in this small town, Anthony started playing the guitar at nine years old and started singing at 19.  He recalls that the first album that he really took interest in was Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors” and without noticing it, that music became an integral part of his life – and while music had always been a part of his life – he didn’t realize that it would become his passion at age 22.

Anthony, now an award winning acoustic guitarist and singer, currently lives in Columbus, Oh. – but between graduating from Frontier High School and today, he went on a journey to four different colleges in four years.  At first, he was focused on his football career. As a freshman, he attended Robert Morris University on a full scholarship to play football. He didn’t feel this was right for him so transferred back to Washington State Community College before switching again to Marietta College where he returned to football, playing two years for the Pios.  He transferred one final time, this time to Ohio Valley University, but had to stop playing football due to injuries.  It was at OVU where he decided to launch his music career.

After college, Anthony moved frequently and worked multiple side jobs to get a feel for what it took to follow a career in music – including living in Tennessee for a few months. At one point Anthony states that he was “just feeling that if I never go for it then I’ll never know what could have happened.”

He’s now thankful he made that leap of faith in his music career since he’s been making a living playing live shows full time for about three and a half years now. “Doing live shows is definitely one of my favorite parts of this entire process. I have played shows for thousands of people as well as for groups of ten or less people.” He continues,  “I’ve played shows that remind me why I continue to pursue music and I have played shows that make me question why I ever started this process, but regardless of how good or bad a show may be, nothing beats connecting with people through songs that you have written.”

Some of the acts he’s opened for are global acts such as Skillet, Red, Shawn McDonald, Matthew West, Francesca Battistelli, Jamie Grace, Royal Tailor, Trip Lee, Tedashi, KJ-52, Rush of Fools, Britt Nicole, Kristene DiMarco of Jesus Culture, We Are Leo and Sanctus Real.

Anthony’s groundbreaking song, “Whiskey and Wine,” launched him into new spotlights. Upon release, the song quickly made its way into the top 50 indie songs on iTunes, and landed Anthony as a “Featured Artist” on ReverbNation. The follow up “You Don’t Owe Me Anything” earned a spot on “TAXI’s Favorites” list on the popular website.

Sometimes the musician lifestyle can be a tough transition though, because Anthony doesn’t really have “time off” since he is constantly working towards his goals in his music career. He says it’s hard to meet up with friends and family because their free time schedules are opposite of his night and weekend shows, so he does celebrate the times when he actually does get to hang out with his friends and family in between shows and writing music.

The Voice experience was incredible. I got to spend time with some amazingly talented people, some even better people than they were singers.

In 2015, he got the venture of a lifetime for an aspiring musician, a chance on the hit show “The Voice.”  Anthony was contacted by the show after they had seen a live video of him singing his song, “Whiskey and Wine.” They invited him to come out for the blind auditions.  While he didn’t make it on the actual show, he got pretty far in the auditions process, only two spots from making it on national television.

Even without making it on the show, Anthony gained invaluable experience and forged new friendships while in California.  “The Voice experience was incredible. I got to spend time with some amazingly talented people, some even better people than they were singers. I learned a ton while I was in L.A. and really gained a lot from the experience even though I didn’t get to sing for the judges,” Anthony said. He said that even if he had known from the start that he wouldn’t make it on in front of the judges, he wouldn’t trade a thing.

Some of Anthony’s greatest shows have been here, locally. His favorite show he played so far was his release concert at the Smoot Theatre in 2014. The concert had a large turnout in one of his favorite venues and it was his birthday to boot. Another show he really enjoyed was at Ohio University in 2014 where he opened for the band Sanctus Real. “The venue was amazing, and it was awesome to be able to play and then just relax and listen to some music.”

Some of Anthony’s notable events and awards to date are:

• “Anthony Mossburg” broke top 10 indie albums on iTunes
• Country Album of the Year by Ohio Music Awards
• “Whiskey and Wine” Singer/Songwriter Song of the Year by Ohio Music Awards
• Winner 2015 Columbus Songwriters Year End Showcase
• A 2012 Atlantafest Talent search winner
• “Whiskey and Wine” broke top 50 indie songs on iTunes
• “Break My Heart” Winner 2011 Indie Ignite Song Competition in Nashville, TN
• Top Performer at Tom Jackson’s Road Show Bootcamp Nashville, TN
• Top 5 Finalist GMA Immerse Artist

While Anthony doesn’t have any specific future plans, his top priority is advancing his music career.  “No matter what I’m doing, I am always working or trying to take steps forward with music.”  Anthony continues to work on writing music and working on improving his stage presence to be the best that it can be.

I want to be able to look back over everything I’ve done in my music career and be proud of it and know that I really gave everything I had to it.

“I want to record a better album each time I record. I think the goal is to constantly take steps forward. I want to be able to look back over everything I’ve done in my music career and be proud of it and know that I really gave everything I had to it. The day that I stop taking steps forward or I’m not in it like I am now, I should probably find something else to do with my time. In 5-10 years I hope to be writing the best songs of my life, and playing as much as I can, and hopefully have at least a couple more albums out as well.”

For more information on Anthony Mossburg, his music and his upcoming show dates, visit AnthonyMossburg.com.

The post Local Musician Returns Home appeared first on Clutch MOV.

In a joint effort across the river, Home Depot of Vienna has donated a few benches to the Humane Society of the Mid-Ohio Valley in Marietta. This holiday gift surprise was greatly appreciated by the regular volunteers at the shelter who walk the dogs on a daily basis. Many times after being run through the yard with their 4th or 5th dog, a quick rest on a nearby bench is much welcomed. These benches will also be a quiet spot for potential adopters to spend time with the dogs they are considering adopting.

Home Depot takes on many community projects through their “Team Depot” program, but this is the first endeavor with the HSOV. Kathy Parsons and Phil Noland of Home Depot and Linda Thomas Perry of the HSOV were instrumental in making this happen for the shelter – and what started as a simple bench project, may turn into more very welcome assistance in the spring. Home Depot has also graciously agreed to complete some volunteer shelter work in the upcoming months.

If you would like to help the Humane Society this holiday season, please consider donating your time as a volunteer, your home as a loving foster parent or any of these items that the shelter regularly needs:

Humane Society of the Mid-Ohio Valley Wish List

• Moist and Meaty Dog Food
• Wet Dog Food
• Kitten and Puppy Food
• Liquid Detergent
• Bleach
• Dry Cat Food
• Cat Litter
• Walmart Gift Cards
• Gift Certificates to Local Veterinarian’s

For more information, you may call the HSOV at (740) 373-5959, stop by the facility at 90 Mt. Tom Rd., Marietta, OH, or visit them online at their regularly updated Facebook page.

The post The Handy Helper appeared first on Clutch MOV.

For anyone that has seen Night of the Living Dead, the “cult classic” film, you know there are plenty of zombies; but did you know that when the Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre in Marietta, OH produced the stage adaptation of it, not only were there zombies on stage, but there was also an audience full of them too?

The MOVP theatre ran Night of the Living Dead during the month of October, much to the delight of zombie fans everywhere in the Mid-Ohio Valley.  Unique to a typical stage production, the MOVP Night of the Living Dead production was done entirely in black and white.  That meant that the sets, props and even the actors were painted white, gray or black.  Was the show worth all this trouble? Definitely!

The show ended up being one of the highest grossing performances in recent years with just under 800 paid attendees, along with volunteer and comp tickets pushing the show over the 800 mark, then making it one of the top three shows produced at the MOVP in the last seven years.

Director, Kevin Paskawych commented, “I hope that all of our new volunteers that came out for Night of the Living Dead will continue to come out for other shows in the future, and that our audience members keep coming back, as we have a very exciting season lined up for them.”

The final performance, a special late night showing, was held at the conclusion of the Harmar Zombie Walk.  This year’s walk had about 3-400 zombies in attendance with around 100 of those zombies parading across the bridge from Harmar to the MOVP Theatre on Putnam Street where their costume judging ceremony was held before they entered the theatre to watch the show.

Chuck Swaney, Event Producer of the Harmar Zombie Walk event, noted that along with the cross promotion of the MOVP Night of the Living Dead a few other changes this year helped to make the event a success including the addition of the Lil Zombie event during the day, the partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Marietta and the Marietta YMCA (both of whom stepped up and managed the event) and the enthusiasm of the newest guest emcee, Laura Bayes, from WMOA. “She did a spectacular job of keeping the excitement going all evening long,” said Swaney.

While the Harmar Zombie Walk and the Night of the Living Dead were both a hit this year, if zombies aren’t your thing, then check out the list of upcoming shows this season at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players Theatre.  If you go to a show or two, you’ll be glad you did!

2014-2015 Season

MOVP Youth Theatre: A Christmas Carol – December 12, 13, 14, 2014

The Odd Couple – January 16, 17, 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, 2015

Love Letters – March 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 2015

Les Miserables – April 24, 25, May 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 2015

Steel Magnolias – June 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 2015

The post Night of the Living Dead appeared first on Clutch MOV.

The mountains of boxes surrounding me as I stood looking at all of my worldly possessions in disarray was overwhelming and I thought about putting off packing once again in exchange for some funny cat videos online.  Then I realized that the papers were signed and I was moving whether I wanted to or not!  While my husband and I’s housing situation was a little different than average (our current house sold before we had anywhere else to go) we still faced all the normal questions and trials of moving, albeit in a more hurried fashion.  Regardless of whether you are moving for the first time or the seventh, I’ve compiled some suggestions for the soon-to-be-mover.

First, begin with sorting through everything in your current house or apartment and see which things your willing to part with before you have to lug it all to your new home.  Sort these items into piles of the various locations they will end up.  For example, you might want to sell some larger ticket items online or in a printed publication; You also may want to pass down special heirlooms to other family members. Or, maybe it’s just time to get rid of some things and make a large donation to your local Goodwill store.  Whatever the case may be, de-cluttering before you move means you have that many less items to move on moving day.

Once you’ve rid yourselves of all unneeded items, start packing your nonessential items such as vases, photo albums and books or off-season clothing.  Bonus points if you already know where they will be residing in your new home and you can label the boxes as such!

If you have somewhere in your old house to stack all your packed items instead of having them all over the place in every room, it may help your sanity when trying to still maintain a residence in your current home.  You can also stack those items by room for where they go in at the new house so that when you and your family or friends pick them up on moving day, everyone will be able to see what room they should be carried to once there.

To gain additional boxes, check with grocery stores in the late morning hours to see if they have any extra boxes before they cut them down to recycle.  Many times they are glad to help someone out and it makes less work for them.  I have to say that I did this and the cartload of boxes I was given was a tremendous help. And – even though I only had one small car with me, every one of those boxes fit before I was done!  I know the other patrons of the store in the parking lot that day had a good laugh watching me try to fit them all in there like a Tetris game.  Your tip for this part, take the largest vehicle you have to pick up boxes.

On moving day, remember, if it’s family and friends helping out, they are not expert movers so be lenient and provide plenty of free snacks and drinks!  If your best friend carries your XBOX into the kitchen with the toaster, let it slide and quietly rearrange and move things after they’ve gone for the day.  Also, assembly lines cut down on time and energy spent in moving boxes from vehicles to the house if you have enough people on hand.

Before you know it, everything will be at your new home and you’ll start the process of unpacking. Make it fun by trying out your possessions in different rooms and places from your previous house. You never know when you might come up with a great idea you hadn’t thought of before.  Remember that everything doesn’t have to be unpacked in one day.  Find your essential items and then make a goal for yourself to unpack a certain amount of boxes per day after that.

Happy moving!

The post Making the Most of Moving appeared first on Clutch MOV.

If your job resembles the movie Office Space, then you may be one of millions who work in an office environment, with or without the red stapler. And if you work in an office, you know how quickly a schedule can be derailed. Email, meetings, phone calls, co-workers and even your own actions can hinder your productivity if not managed correctly.

If the workday ends with you feeling even more behind than you did that morning, it might be time to do some honest assessment of the distractions that knock your schedule off track.  Increasing your efficiency not only makes your boss and department look good, it can also help you on a personal level.  Accomplishing tasks on time will reduce your stress and help you finish the day on a positive note.

Below are some common office distractions and some tips to reduce their negative impact on your schedule:

Distraction #1:  Email – Emails are a vital communication tool for many workers; don’t let them suck precious time from your schedule.  Compose the email in a thorough but concise manner, with the subject line clearly stating the topic of the message.  Use your email wisely—ask the right questions or provide all the necessary information the first time.  If you are thorough and to the point with the first email, you won’t waste time with back and forth messages.  Think twice before forwarding the cute kitten video or the poem about friendships being flowers—why swamp your coworkers’ inboxes with more distractions?

Distraction #2:  Meetings – While meetings are meant to efficiently address important issues with multiple people at once, they can drain your time and energy if not conducted for optimum effect.  Go into a meeting prepped with a plan of action and notes or questions that are relevant to the topic.  Send out an agenda beforehand so that everyone attending can stay on track.  If the conversation starts to drift from the agenda to comparing plans for the weekend, you may have to be the person to steer everyone back on course.

Distraction #3:  Phone Calls – If you find yourself on the phone for long periods when you should be working on other tasks, maybe it’s time to start screening your calls.  If your office doesn’t have a central employee to screen and direct calls, why not let your phone handle the job?  You can save numbers from solicitors, sales reps and other unwanted callers into your directory; the next time they call when you’re busy on a project, there’s no need to stop and answer.  The employees and clients you work with cannot be ignored but you don’t want to waste time re-hashing the same items again and again. Give them your time and courtesy, but learn how to end the call tactfully when there is nothing new to add.  Sometimes it’s helpful to set a limit at the beginning of the call, for instance “I only have a few minutes, but I wanted to touch base…”

Distraction #4:  Coworkers – Of course the office is a lot more pleasant when people get along, some of the strongest friendships begin at work. But if the camaraderie and socializing are eating at your productivity you may find yourself working late to compensate.  If your coworkers are dropping by your desk to chat too often you may need a signal to let them know when you are busy.  Something as simple as closing your office door for a set period each day will indicate that this is your “do not disturb” time when you need to focus without interruptions.

Distraction #5: Yourself – Yes, sometimes we are our own worst problems!  If procrastination is your middle name, try a few tricks to keep yourself motivated and on task.  A photo of your loved ones (one of the reasons you want to excel at your job), a dream vacation spot (why you want that promotion) may help keep you focused.  If your daily to-do list seems overwhelming, break it into sections with both large and small tasks.  If you only complete small projects, the large ones will still loom overhead and add to your stress.  Finishing a large project along with several small ones will add to your feeling of accomplishment and make your list more manageable.  Keep lists—your daily tasks, weekly goals, monthly deadlines, etc.  Not only will checklists help you organize and prioritize, you will also enjoy the great feeling of accomplishment when you see all those tasks checked off!

If your workday suffers from distractions and derailed schedules, you may recognize some of the above topics as your own obstacles.  Try rating your distractions from worst to least, and put some of these suggestions into action.  Reducing your interruptions and increasing your focus will result in improved productivity—a bonus for your company, your clients, and your overall job satisfaction.

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