Whether you are 18 and off to college, or 26 and just moving out of your parents house for the first time, everybody moves out at some point in their lives. S and I moved out on New Year's Eve :) We found a snazzy little apartment between our works, and the price was decent.
(Last year on NYE, a bunch of our friends got together and went to the bar and booked some hotel rooms. I was visiting people between the two rooms, but ended up sleeping in S's room. In a king size bed we fit in this order: S, his friend K, K's girlfriend (who is also my friend) A, and then me. At the time I didn't want a boyfriend, hence why we slept at opposite ends of the bed. ANYWAYS back to the point of this story..... I still find it amusing that we brought in 2012 sleeping in the same bed (technically!!) and we brought in 2013 sleeping in the same bed for real! Hah! So much can change in a year.)
Back to the apartment. Since we've moved in, here are some of the things we've learned:
1. If the oven rack is at it's lowest point, MOVE IT UP. If you don't, you will end up burning the cheesy garlic bread until it is darker than black.
2. Microfiber hand towels feel very soft, but they leave little fuzzies when you dry your dishes. Buy real drying towels.
3. Don't use just anything to bake cookies on. Use a baking sheet. And don't put two non- baking sheets next to each other in the oven- they will hang out and your oven door won't close all the way. And to sum it up, don't bake things in the oven with the door partially cracked. Your food WILL burn and the smoke will set of your detectors. Fail all around. (So much for my homemade Superbowl sugar cookies!)
4. Plan meals a week at a time, and stick to your grocery list! We do this and I still think it's crazy how expensive food can be. Also be aware that when you buy bulk things, it may seem pricey, but stuff like ketchup will last awhile and it isn't something you will buy every week.
5. Don't jump on your bed, you WILL break it. (Really all I did was fall jump backwards and land on my bum, but it was forceful enough to crack the metal frame holding up the bed! My baaaaad.)
6. Save some money and use homemade laundry soap. It smells nice, it's cheap, fun to make, and lasts a long time!
7. DON'T buy a mop from the dollar store. Spend the extra money and buy a mop that isn't the cheapest sponge out there on a stick. (But the broom I got at the dollar store has held up so far.)
