We are excited to welcome new franchisees, John and Julie Woolslayer of Tulsa, Oklahoma to the Great Day Moving team! Set to open their doors the beginning of May, the Woolslayers and their team of movers will serve the Tulsa metro area as well as the entire state of Oklahoma.

The couple completed franchise training at Crownbound University in Kansas City, Kansas in early March. The Woolslayers were instructed on various aspects of running a successful moving business. The program is a combination of both classroom and on-the-job training. Their training covered operational guidelines such as truck operations, managing employees, and instruction on the automated systems and processes.

They also learned about the insurance policies required to legally and safely operate a moving company. John and Julie were educated on how to conduct local marketing in their territory and how to respectfully handle all customer relations and interact with the support center. During the on-the-job portion, they gained knowledge on moving and lifting techniques, truck packing and loading, and the use of proper tools and equipment to protect the customer’s belongings while being handled and during transit.

The training is an accumulation of everything the founders learned in growing their own, local moving company, Marathon Moving & Delivery… and much, much more. Mostly, the important stuff that they wished someone would have told them when they got started.

Look for our Great Day Moving trucks around the Tulsa area in the coming days! And if you need help with the heavy lifting, call 918-877-1971!

Great Day Moving Kansas City has the honor of supporting the Johnson County Christmas Bureau (JCCB) in this year’s Festival of Trees at the Holiday Boutique, November 19-22 at the Overland Park Convention Center. This year, and for the previous 3 years, Great Day Moving has been the Official Mover to deliver trees to the auction winners after the Holiday Boutique.

The Festival of Trees is a captivating display of uniquely decorated holiday trees, wreaths and table arrangements available through silent auction. Proceeds from the Festival of Trees help provide warmth and sustenance to around 14,000 low-income residents of Johnson County. The JCCB is seeking groups or individuals interested in decorating and donating trees and wreaths that can be auctioned at the Festival of Trees. If you are interested in learning more or donating, please contact them at festival@jccb.org or visit their website HERE.

Donation barrels will be placed throughout the Holiday Boutique where shoppers can drop canned food and gently used coats for distribution to our area neighbors in need this holiday season.

The JCCB also has their annual Holiday Shop (December 3-12 at Metcalf South Shopping Mall) where pre-qualified clients will select groceries, personal care and household supplies, children’s clothing, hats, gloves, scarves, coats, toys, gifts and books for the holiday season.

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Tickets to the Holiday Boutique may be purchased through the JCCB website, which is www.JCCB.org. Use the link on the right side of the homepage labeled HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE TICKET PURCHASE LINK. To buy tickets online, tell your friends to use the code “JCCB” in the promo code box and receive a $3 discount per ticket, with $1 going directly to JCCB.

Great Day Moving Tulsa participated in an awesome event last weekend with Rustic Cuff, a local business that specializes in creating custom handcrafted leather and metal cuffs.

The store offered free Rustic Cuffs to any customer that donated Disney themed coloring books, crayons, and markers to give to patients at The Children’s Hospital at St. Francis. The Great Day Moving team was honored to transport these thousands of donations of coloring books, crayons and markers to the hospital. As you can see from the pictures, the event was a huge success!!

Rustic Cuff is headquartered in Tulsa but their products can be found in boutiques across the country. If you get a chance, read more about the founder Jill Donovan’s story here. It’s a great story! “What Might Feel Like the End Is Often Just the Beginning”!

Thanks Rustic Cuff for the opportunity to partner with you!

The chilly weather has finally found us in the Midwest. But at least we made it to December before it really showed up! Hey, we haven’t even seen the white stuff yet! Why not warm yourself and your family tonight with this delicious and healthy homemade chicken soup. We love it and we think you will too. It is the perfect cold weather chicken soup and healthy to boot! It is filled with fiber, protein and lots of delicious flavor.

Perfect Cold Weather Chicken Soup

Servings: 8

Here’s what you need…

• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium organic yellow onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, grated
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp chili powder, ½ tsp all-purpose seasoning OR 1 Tbsp curry powder (if you can handle it)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 3 cups diced roasted chicken
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 organic apple, chopped
• dash of salt and pepper
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• zest from 1 lemon
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

***OPTIONAL: For thicker soup, add 8 oz cooked pasta before serving. Cook separately in broth.

1. In a large pot, over medium heat, melt the coconut oil and add the onion, carrots and celery. After 5 minutes add the garlic and curry powder/spices.
2. After a couple minutes add the chicken broth, chicken, bay leaf, apple, pepper, thyme, and lemon zest. Stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.
3. Stir in the coconut milk, and some salt and pepper if desired, remove the bay leaf and serve.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 166 calories, 5g fat, 175mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 19g protein

***Adapted from www.trainingwithjennifer.com

There are few situations in life that cause more stress than a move.

Between never-ending lists and suffocating deadlines, even the most organized Type-A planner will consider yanking out their hair from time to time.

One obvious stress-buster is hiring great movers, but even if you have a professional packing crew, an army of friends, and a magic wand, there’s still a world of tasks to complete before moving day.

Enter: The App Store.

Not only are there some pretty advanced apps to keep you organized and on top of your move, but most of them are F-R-E-E.  Let’s save that petty cash for the housewarming party, shall we?

Without further ado, below are my top, must-have, NO COST apps to help you keep your calm (and your hair) during your upcoming move. Both are on Apple and Android devices.

1. Best Overall: Moving Guru.

This baby has it all!  Including automatically synching their moving to-do items to your calendar, links to helpful, how-to videos on YouTube, and your own personal moving glossary, Moving Guru is by far the most sophisticated, yet user-friendly free app available.

2. Best Cool Feature:  MoveAdvisor.

MoveAdvisor is simple, appealing, calculates the distance of your move, and connects you with local movers.  The most unique aspect of this app, however, is its “Home Inventory” feature: an interactive, drag-and-drop section that takes you through each room in your house, each item in each room and keeps a running total of weight and cubic feet.  How do you like them app-les?

3. Best Sensible App: My Move. 

While this app is not as “shiny”, its functionality trumps the lot.  Much of what makes moving stressful is that it’s not something we do often; having a thorough timeline can be crucial for keeping on top of all of those, well…moving parts.  My Move has a comprehensive, interactive checklist that begins 6-8 weeks prior to the move and makes sure those little details don’t get left behind!

4. Best “There-Really-is-an-App-for-That” App: MagicPlan

Maybe I’m easily wow-ed, but this app kind of blew my mind.  It allows you to take photos of your new living space and create 3-D, scaled floor plans right on your phone that can be used for decorating and furniture placement – in advance!  How’s that for thinking outside the moving box?

Best Go-To Apps: Craigslist for selling, Pandora for those painful packing playlists, and Yelp’s Eat24 (the better to bribe your friends with pick-up trucks).

While I haven’t found the complete one-stop shop app for every moving need (yet!), using these gems in tandem will guarantee you a few less “Calgon” moments at the very least.

At best?  A truly smooth move.

App-y moving!

We are excited to announce that the founders of Great Day Moving, Roger and Dana Ward, have been named the Kansas Small Business Persons of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Each year, the SBA opens nominations for various small business awards that culminate with festivities celebrating small business as the “backbone of our Nation’s economy” during National Small Business Week in May. Entrepreneur award winners are selected on their staying power, growth in number of employees, increase in sales, financial condition, innovation, response to adversity, and community service. Each of the country’s 50 states, District of Columbia, and U.S. territories select one Small Business Person of the Year based on the following criteria:

• Staying power of the company.
• Evidence of success as measured by sales and profits.
• Increased employment opportunities created by the nominee‘s business.
• Development and/or utilization of innovative or creative business methods.
• Response to adversity – showing methods and defined actions to resolve any crises.
• Contributions to the community through money, time or resources as well as membership in councils, boards, and clubs providing support to the community.

Roger and Dana are privileged to accept this great honor and do not take it lightly; not only is it an honor, but a motivator to keep improving the customer’s experience and to continue growing the franchise to improve upon the status quo of the moving industry. Among the awards they have received over the years, Roger was also the recipient of another SBA award, Region VII Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for being “an entrepreneur under 30 years of age who has most increased sales and staff since the inception of his business” in 2011.

The couple strives to stay true to the company motto: “to be the most professional, courteous, and knowledgeable service providers in the local moving industry…and to introduce society to accountability before, during, and after moving day.”

Home ownership is a key part of the American Dream. Unfortunately, not every part of being a home owner is all it’s cracked up to be.  Prime Residential Management (PRM) would like to introduce a unique service model that provides home-owners peace of mind by offering a maintenance-free lifestyle.  PRM delivers a concierge-like service that gives homeowners a single source solution to take care of any need that might arise with their home. Sound too good to be true? Well, it’s not anymore!

“We want to change the way people look at home ownership by providing them with a service that essentially allows them to be hands-off with their home and property,” said David Cotter, the Founder and President of PRM.  “Let PRM maintain your home so you can focus on the important things in life, like your family, friends, and hobbies,” he continues.

Prime Residential Management is Kansas City’s premier total home management company, focusing on an all-inclusive residential experience that includes preventative maintenance, vacation coverage, inspections and complimentary minor home repairs.  PRM will manage your most valued asset – your home – from inside to out and everything in between.  If a problem ever arises with your home, make one call, and PRM will provide the solution.  Rest assured your home will always be taken care of and your best interests always kept in mind.

“The fact is, homes need to be maintained properly over time and the typical home owner may not have the time, resources or know-how,” Cotter said.  “That’s where PRM excels!”  Let PRM address the common household issues that can add up to hours and hours of work, making your life less stressful, and owning a home significantly easier.

Relax, we’ll take it from here!

For more information, please contact David Cotter at 913-735-5230 or email at davidc@prmadvantage.com.

*David Cotter, Founder and President of PRM wrote this guest blog to share more about his company and services. He is an entrepreneur in the Kansas City metro area. Their mission is to guide clients, save time, and tackle any-and-all challenges, while maximizing their homes efficiency and performance. Our process helps create safe, comfortable, and reliable environments for homeowners and their families. His total home management company truly takes the headache out of home ownership while giving you peace of mind that everything is maintained as it should be. Check out his short introductory video as well!

Well, there it is.  Looming on the horizon:  your upcoming move.  Not only is it taunting you with never-ending checklists, but it seems that around every corner you hear it: cha -CHING!

Moving isn’t always the most pocket-friendly undertaking.  Most of us just resign to “This is going to cost me an arm & a leg” and bite the proverbial bullet.  But while moving can be an expense, does it have to be so daunting?

We say no. 

Aside from hiring an amazing, capable moving company (hint, hint), there are other things you can do to bring you some extra money and offset the cost of your move.  One of the biggest aspects of moving is the unavoidable clearing out of “stuff”. Half of the headache isn’t so much “Do I need this?”, it’s “What the heck do I do with it now?”

If you’re like most, you get those heavy duty trash bags and start the diligent dump of everything that isn’t bolted to the floor.  Now, we’re all for you not being featured on the next season of Hoarders, but while you mass purge, may we suggest a separate pile for the following?

1. Tablets/Computers – Some of you techies out there are probably familiar with Gazelle, but if you’re not, allow us to introduce you. Gazelle will take your used/damaged tablets, computers and other electronic products and pay you cash.  There’s a little shipping involved, but it’s worth it — and legit!
2. Cell phones – Techie or not, you likely have a stash of old dinosaur phones somewhere in your home. If you haven’t heard of it already, you have to give ecoATM a try! They provide local kiosks in your neighborhood that will scan your phone and give you an offer in cash — on the spot. You can decline any offer — or take the money and run.
3. Clothing/Accessories – thredUP is “an online thrift shop that buys and sells high-quality secondhand clothes.” They take gently used items, resell them online, and send you a portion of the proceeds. Reduce, reuse, and reap some cash. How “green” can you get?
4. CDs/DVDs/Games – ‘Member that Vanilla Ice CD you’ve been cherishing since 1997? “Alright, stop. Collaborate and listen.”  But in this case, seriously.    And check out decluttr.com whose motto is, “Make room, make money.”  In other words, get paid to purge. Word 2 Decluttr.
5. Garage sale & Donation – When all else fails (or if you’re just in a huge hurry), go the garage sale / donation route. Just put it all out there – literally – and take what you can get. The rest, you schlep to your favorite charity and write it all off come tax time.

Your move should make CENTS.

Happy Moving!

Picture this: you’ve finally moved.  Things went smoothly because you hired great movers (obviously!).  You’re in your new place, maybe even in a new town, or state.   Now you can breathe a sigh relief, right?

In some cases yes, but for many, this is typically when culture shock creeps in and it can be pretty unnerving.  Culture shock can be a real hindrance and often emotionally draining, particularly if you moved alone.

Here are a few tips to help mitigate the growing pains and keep you from feeling like an alien in your own home.

1. Expect it. Half the issue with culture shock is that many people don’t see it coming.  Whether you’ve been preoccupied with the move or only focusing on the positives of your new adventure, the discomfort of change will likely set in sooner or later.  Just knowing that in advance will help you to recognize those feelings when they do come up.
2. Ease into it. Moving is a big deal.  While it’s certainly exciting, it’s also a lot of “in-with-the-new”, so try not to make too many big shifts at once.  Chances are you’re moving due to other changes in your life in the first place, so try to keep some small things the same.  Don’t chuck your ratty bathrobe.  Replace your broken-in pillows and favorite bedspread later.  Having some things that are familiar might be of comfort when you spend those first few weeks adjusting to new surroundings.
3. Explore it. You’d be shocked how frustrating it can be when you don’t know where the closest grocery store is, the best place to go running, who to call when your car is on the fritz, and most importantly, the names of all the best food joints.  Try to research as much of that as possible before your move.  If you know anyone in the area, have them give you their favorite recommendations and schedule a tour within the first week of your arrival.  If you’re flying solo, use the internet, make a list, then set that GPS and start exploring.  While it can feel very disorienting that everything you’ve been familiar with is suddenly different or absent, try to see this part as an adventure.  You got this, Magellan.
4. Expand Your Network. The best thing you can do is to start building your network as soon as you arrive if not before.  Don’t be afraid to tell people you’re new and ask questions.  Use MeetUp.com and Facebook groups to find people with common interests, attend professional networking events, or, dare we suggest…talk to your neighbors?!  You’d be surprised how many people want to help.  The more you connect, the shorter any feelings of alienation will be.

Wishing you more culture, less shock, and one flawless move.

The Great Day Moving Team

“We like to move it, move it.  We like to – MOVE IT!”

The results are in.  After polling recent relocators, we compiled THE perfect moving playlist – guaranteed to keep you groovin’ while you’re movin’.  We know, we know:  packing’s a big ol’ bore of a chore and there’s no doubt that moving can be daunting, so might as well keep your spirits up and your body moving to some great tunes while you plan, pack, or unpack.

1. Already Gone – The Eagles
2. Anthony’s Song (Movin’ Out) – Billy Joel
3. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
4. Breakaway – Kelly Clarkson
5. Bust a Move – Young MC
6. Bye, Bye, Bye – N’Sync
7. Changes – David Bowie
8. Cleaning Out My Closet – Eminem (be sure to get the clean version if you have little hands helping you pack!)
9. Dare You to Move – Switchfoot
10. Don’t You Forget About Me – simple minds
11. Every Day is a Winding Road – Sheryl Crow
12. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover – Paul Simon
13. Goodbye to You – Scandal
14. Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) – Green Day
15. Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac
16. Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
17. Hit the Road Jack – Ray Charles
18. Home – Phillip Phillips
19. Home Sweet Home – Motley Crue
20. Homeward Bound – Simon & Garfunkel
21. I Feel the Earth Move – Carly Simon
22. Irreplaceable – Beyonce
23. Leavin’ Las Vegas – Sheryl Crow
24. Lesson in Leavin’ – Jo Dee Messina
25. Little Goodbyes – SheDaisy
26. Leavin’ on a Jet Plane – John Denver
27. Move it on Over – Hank Williams
28. Movin’ on Up (The Jefferson’s Song) – Ja Net DuBois
29. New Kid in Town – The Eagles
30. Our House – Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
31. Pack Up – Eliza Doolittle
32. Send me on my Way – Rusted Root
33. Take Me Home, Country Road – John Denver
34. (Welcome to) My House – Flo Rida
35. Wide Open Spaces – Dixie Chicks

This list includes some of our favorites, but what about yours?  Are there some must-haves we left out? Comment, Share, Pin or Tweet us your faves!4

And remember, moving day or any day, make it a GREAT DAY!

Proper planning is the only solution to making your home appear immaculate to potential buyers in the real estate market. You don’t want to even think about selling until you have the answers to these questions first.

What Am I Going To Do With All This Junk?

Don’t be offended. Most of America is in that boat with you! Everyone buys products that they think they need, but seldom use them. Some of the items are used regularly while others are tossed in storage areas of the house. This builds up clutter in practically every room of the home. You have a mess on your hands over an extended period of time.

The best method to remove all the clutter is to imagine that you’re downsizing into a smaller home. It has to go if you’re moving into less square footage of living space. The best way to remove clutter is one room at a time. Box it up to give to charity or make some moving expense cash with a garage sale.

After the clutter is removed, rooms will seem to become larger with spacious closets. Dining and living rooms become larger. That extra space gives you more freedom to move around while cleaning. Hope you had plenty of boxes left, you’re going to need them to pack up all the pictures and wall decorations.

You better hurry for more boxes. This is a marathon, not the 100-yard dash. You will need them to pack away seasonal clothes, toys and practically everything else that you can do without until you settle into the new house.

The things you pack away can be packed away in a storage facility or portable storage container. You could have family members that will let you store it in their garage. The main thing is to get everything out of your house and off the property.

Oh My Goodness, What To Do With Interior Walls That Need Work!

Over long periods of time, damage can happen to painted walls. It can be accidental dents and scratches. It could be the old wall paint has faded where UV rays enter the rooms through windows. You can see it like a storm arriving in the summer. Unless you planned to sell the house needing work, you better figure out what to do with those walls.

Some homeowners are very handy at most DIY (do it yourself) projects at home. Painting a few rooms is easy for them. Hire a painting service to do the work if you feel that a little sheetrock repair and painting is too much. You can find people who will do the work for you at reasonable prices.

Do I Clean It Myself Or Hire A Cleaning Service?

You can manage most of the cleaning yourself after removing the clutter and having the painting out of the way. If your house has carpet, cleaning it can be one of the chores that you might want to hire a cleaning service for.  Shampooing carpet is a time consuming job that takes patience. In reality, most household carpet cleaning machines don’t have the power to remove dirt like the professional models.

The rest is easy. Clean the house as you normally do first. Go back through the home to clean ceiling fans, hanging light fixtures, windows, bathrooms and kitchen areas. Wood flooring should be clear of dust and polished with a light buffing. You want the entire home to be sparkling clean for all visitors that come to view the property. If you are crunched for time and don’t want to deal with the headache, you can hire a cleaning service to tackle this chore for you. Some might give you a discount as they are not dealing with dusting furniture, dishes, laundry etc. Then again, you may need the windows and door thresholds cleaned which may not be in the normal scope.

How Will I Keep It Clean For Potential Buyers To Come Visit?

Explain to everyone in the family that the house needs to stay clean, neat and tidy for visitors interested in buying the home. They can help keep their things picked up and bedrooms clean.

At this point, keeping the home clean until you sell is relatively easy. You have removed the excess clutter. The house has been thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom. The rooms are painted and the carpet smells fresh and clean. A general weekly cleaning is all that you need to worry with now. Your home should be easier to maintain since the hard work has already been accomplished.

This guest post was created by Maids by Trade, offering the best cleaning service Tucson has to offer, as well as maid service in Marana and other surrounding communities.

Although you may be frazzled and stressed preparing for your upcoming move, it is important to hold it together for the sake of your toddlers, the little people. They feed off of your energy. If you act stressed around them and treat the moving process like a burden, they will be stressed and anxious too! Instead, show them how excited you are about moving to your new home.

Here are 5 tips as you prepare for moving with toddlers:

1. Keep their favorite item(s) in a safe place – whether it is a toy, blankie, stuffed animal, or baby doll. Whatever you do, make sure it stays with them and doesn’t get packed away in a box. During this time more than ever, they need security.

2. Pack an “Open First” box for them and keep it in your vehicle; don’t let the movers load it onto the moving truck. Include in the box a pair of pajamas, change of clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste, snacks, their pillow and blanket, and a variety of toys to keep them occupied once you arrive at the new place. Include some books and maybe an activity book like one of these or these.

3. Give them a job to do. Let them contribute to prepping and packing for the big move. Give them an empty box and ask them to put all their favorite toys in it; another box for all their books; another box for all their stuffed animals. This gives them ownership in the whole process and helps you too (although you may have to reorganize boxes when they aren’t looking). But it also teaches them organization skills.

4. Allow them to play and enjoy the moving process; treat it all as a new adventure. Set up empty boxes on the floor for toddlers to play in, crawl through, and explore. Talk to them about the “big adventure” that is about to happen and how much fun it will be to unpack in their new room.

5. Discuss the changes that are going to happen. Tell them about the big moving truck that will arrive in the driveway! Explain that their ‘stuff’ is not disappearing; they will see it again at the new home and in their new room and play area. Describe what the movers are going to do with all the furniture and boxes in your house and how their bed will be put back together in the new house, just the way it is now.

Change is tough; especially on little people. Toddlers need reassurance during your move to feel safe and secure. Refer back to these tips for moving with toddlers as you embark on your next big adventure (a.k.a. your move).

Moving yourself can be a challenge, whether it is the first time or the twentieth. Picking up everything you own and putting it somewhere else is stressful. It is almost considered a rite of passage, but it is generally dreaded by most. However, with a bit of planning and some specific moving items, it can be a lot easier. Here are 5 items that can make a big difference in your moving experience.

1. Moving Blankets

Moving blankets, sometimes called furniture pads, are one of the most overlooked moving items for new movers. They can be attached to TVs, wood furniture, stoves, refrigerators, and other large appliances. There is nothing worse than ruining a nice kitchen table with a giant scratch down the middle because someone thought a bow-flex would sit well on top of it.

2. Actual Packing Tape

It is not uncommon to be a part of a move where packing boxes was an afterthought and there was no tape, or maybe even worse, the only tape available is from the dollar store that never comes off the roll in one piece. Actual packing tape with a tape dispenser will take a lot of moving frustration away, and save you time. After just a few minutes with the tape dispenser anyone can look like a pro.

3. Stretch Wrap

Stretch Wrap is not something many people use to move, but it can be a real help in areas where tape is just not enough, or could ruin the surface. It is great for keeping dresser drawers in place, keeping couch cushions on, holding moving blankets on, or even for miscellaneous items like all the silverware someone forgot to box up earlier. There are different sizes with handles and dispensers that make using stretch wrap second nature.

4. Furniture Dolly

A furniture dolly, also called a carpeted dolly, can make the difference between a sore back the next day or feeling good enough to head to the gym. They are basic in function, just center the weight of the item over the wheels and go, but it means not having to support the weight of those heavy items for longer than necessary. This might become your best moving tool.

5. Ratchet Straps

Sometimes packing items together tightly in the truck can only get you so far. Ratchet Straps will hold things in place when you have run out of stuff to put in the moving truck, or you want to make sure your items stay in place. This can be very useful if you are utilizing a pickup truck. Better to be safe than sorry when it comes to keeping your items off the side of the road.

Hopefully these 5 items will improve your moving experience and make it less stressful. Depending on who shows up to help you move, it might even be fun! If nothing else you will thank yourself for the preplanning to make the process smoother.

***This is a guest post from our friends at MovingBlankets.com.

Our team takes the utmost care in assisting our clients with professionalism. Below is a recent customer review from a woman whose mother was moving into a new home in Tulsa with various circumstances that could have been cause for a disastrous transition. Thankfully, she called Great Day Moving and we helped get her into the new place and have also assisted with subsequent moves!

I moved my mother from a large residential home to assisted living last year.  The move would be a difficult one even in the best of circumstances.  It would predictably – or so I thought – be a bleak and demanding proposition. 

Never having worked with John and Great Day Moving I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I versed John on the complexities of the move and my trepidation.  John never wavered, on the contrary, given the extremely difficult set of circumstances surrounding this move John and his crew rose to the occasion going above and beyond what one would expect from the best of professionals. 

John and the guys were at all times professional and polite, taking the utmost care in packing my mother’s fragile items, marking boxes for easy identification, from loading the truck – ensuring nothing was broken, scratched, or damaged in any way – to setting up mom’s new home.  The entire crew worked tirelessly and efficiently all day under arduous conditions.  I could not have been more grateful.  They were kind and respectful to my mom, making her feel very comfortable. 

Our initial move went so well that I have since used John and Great Day for 3 additional moves.  All were accomplished with the utmost professionalism and courtesy I have come to expect from John and his crew at Great Day. 

I encourage anyone anticipating a move to contact John.  Costs were very reasonable.  The Crew came well provisioned and happy to accommodate any unexpected occurrences that could and did come up.  

I have since come to depend on John and Great Day.  I highly recommend them!!!!!

Leigh L.

Tulsa, OK

March 2017

Great Day Moving is proud to be a sponsor of the Johnson County Christmas Bureau’s Annual Festival of Trees auction held at the Holiday Boutique shopping event in the Overland Park Convention Center. Great Day Moving supports the Festival of Trees event as the Official Mover by delivering trees and wreaths to the auction winners at the conclusion of the event at no cost. This is typically the Tuesday and Wednesday following the event and this year it ends on November 12^th.

This year, GDM owners Roger and Dana Ward were able to attend JCCB’s Holiday of Hope Gala in September where there were numerous silent auction items to bid on to support JCCB’s mission. The mission of Johnson County Christmas Bureau is to provide warmth and support during the holiday season to low-income as well as increasing awareness and understanding of poverty in the Johnson, Kansas area.

Currently JCCB is in need of a location for their annual Holiday Shop for their pre-qualified clients to come and shop for much needed items such as food, clothing, household toiletries, and even holiday gifts for their family. All clients are below 150% of the poverty level and reside in the county.

If you know anyone who owns or is the agent for buildings between 30,000 and 40,000 square feet with roughly 200 parking spaces, then please have them contact JCCB. The space will only be needed until mid-December to accommodate the Holiday Shop. A loading dock is preferred but is not required.

The other need is for volunteers to assist in preparation for and during the Holiday Shop. You can find more details here if you, your team, or your family is able to volunteer several hours of your time.

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Buying a home is likely the most expensive purchase you’ll make in your lifetime, making it a high-stakes decision.

Across the country, the median cost of homes on the market is $254,000. And buyers in Tulsa, OK can expect to pay a median price of about $174,000. Though $80,000 cheaper than the national median, that sum may still be out of budget for many buyers.

If Tulsa is your ideal location but out of your budget, consider shopping in markets nearby that offer home inventory with a lesser price tag. Here are four cities to consider if you’re looking to buy a home and still afford the cost of a professional mover.

Glenpool
Just 15 miles south of Tulsa is Glenpool — a low-crime community far safer than the city but only a short commute from downtown. Glenpool listings recently dropped below the cost of Tulsa houses, with a median listing price of $172,000 — just $2,000 shy of Tulsa. However, 23.4 percent of Glenpool’s active listings underwent price cuts, indicating a buyers market.

If Tulsa seems like a good fit for you, Glenpool should be, too, based on proximity. The median age in Glenpool is 32, with an 18 percent single population. The city includes Black Gold Park with walking trails, soccer fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, a horseshoe pit and a skate park. Glenpool is also not far from the Arkansas River, White Hawk Golf Club or Oklahoma Aquarium.

Sapulpa

Roughly 15 miles southwest of Tulsa, and less than 10 miles from Glenpool, is the city of Sapulpa. The median price of homes on the market in Sapulpa is $110,000 — a $64,000 savings from Tulsa. The market conditions favor buyers here, too, with 17.9 percent of the current listings experiencing price cuts.

Sapulpa is another low-crime community, with a median age of 41 and a steep single population of about 30 percent. The town offers a variety of attractions, including Sapulpa Historical Museum, Kelly Lane Park with a playground and fishing hole or Oklahoma Aquarium, about equidistant from Glenpool. A bit farther north is Chandler Park with trails, baseball fields and a public pool.

Muskogee

Along the Arkansas River, about 50 miles southeast of Tulsa, is the city of Muskogee. Here, the median listing price is $80,100 — less than half the cost of homes in Tulsa, offering the steepest savings of all the recommended markets. Although Muskogee is a bit farther from the big city than the previous locations, crime is far less common here than in Tulsa. Approximately 18.6 percent of the for-sale listings in Muskogee underwent price cuts.

In Muskogee, 38 percent of the population is single, and the median age is 37. The city offers something entertaining for just about everyone. Residents enjoy Honor Heights Park, a 122-acre arboretum and botanical garden, along with River Country Water Park, Creek Nation Casino Muscogee, Cobblestone Golf Club or Eagle Crest Golf Course. You’ll also find Muskogee War Memorial Park, home of the USS Batfish, a World War II submarine.

Eufaula

Farthest from Tulsa, about 83 miles southeast, is the waterfront city of Eufaula. The community boasts 600 miles of shoreline property along Lake Eufaula — the largest lake in Oklahoma that’s excellent for boating, fishing or swimming. The median asking price for available homes in Eufaula is $152,000 — about a $22,000 reduction from Tulsa. Only 9.7 percent of the current listings here experienced price cuts.

The median age in this low-crime area is 48, with 34 percent of the population currently single. Beyond the attractive amenity of Lake Eufaula, the city offers Posey Park, Creek Nation Casino Eufaula and Eufaula Cove Amphitheatre, a 15,000-person outdoor venue.

Whatever community features attract you to Tulsa, you may find an equally appealing neighborhood nearby that’ll pad your wallet more than big-city living.

Guest post by Joe Sturgeon

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Buying a home is a major decision; you’re committing to settling down for an extended period and allocating significant savings toward a single investment. So it’s important to find the right home in a community that suits you, without going over budget.

One potential place of interest is Kansas City, MO. It’s a cultural hub of jazz music, delicious barbecue and numerous museums. The median price of homes listed for sale in Kansas City is $184,250. If the price is wrong but the community’s right, consider looking for a home in these surrounding cities with lower price tags.

Gladstone

Roughly 9 miles north of Kansas City is the suburb community of Gladstone. Homes listed for sale in Gladstone are about $27,000 less expensive than in the nearby city, with a median listing price of $156,750. Plus, buyers benefit from the 17.6 percent of listings that underwent recent price cuts. You can shop from the 139 homes currently listed.

The median age of Gladstone residents is 38, and 36 percent of the population is single. Gladstone is far safer than Kansas City and includes many parks for families. Linden Square is a prominent outdoor venue with a skate rink, Hamilton Heights Park offers walking trails and a fishing pond, and Happy Rock Park includes walking trails, picnic areas, batting cages and lighted baseball fields.

Belton

Approximately 22 miles south of Kansas City is the peaceful town of Belton, with almost no reported crime. Homes listed for sale have a median price of $164,900, the steepest cost of all five recommended markets, but still $19,000 cheaper than Kansas City. With 109 Belton listings to choose from, buyers can target the 13.2 percent of them that recently dropped in price.

Like Kansas City, the median age of Belton residents is 35, yet only 21 percent of them are single. Outdoor attractions in Belton include Markey Park, with several baseball fields and a playground, and Memorial Park, which is home to Memorial Park Outdoor Water Park and Memorial Station community center. Cleveland Lake is a 51-acre park with walking trails, a disc-golf course and a lake for boating. Residents can ride a 1920s-era train at the Belton, Grandview and Kansas City Railroad demonstration museum or spend the day golfing at Eagles’ Landing Golf Course.

Saint Joseph

Quite a bit farther from Kansas City, about 64 miles northwest, is the historic town of Saint Joseph. Saint Joseph was once considered an important site for commerce and trade, and it now touts several historic districts with stunning architecture. Saint Joseph real estate boasts a median price of $89,900 — less than half the price of Kansas City homes. The market offers 750 current listings with a whopping 20.1 percent of them experiencing price cuts — the largest percentage across all five cities listed here.

In Saint Joseph, residents are a bit younger, with a median age of 32. But Saint Joseph has the highest percentage of singles — 42 percent, just like Kansas City. There are few recorded incidents of crime here, making it much safer than living in Kansas City.

Saint Joseph is home to several museums, including Patee House Museum, Pony Express Museum, Glore Psychiatric Museum, Jesse James Home Museum and Remington Nature Center. The St. Joseph Parkway offers 26 miles of trails throughout the city, from Krug Park to Hyde Park.

Clinton

The safest city recommended here is Clinton, located about 76 miles southeast of Kansas City. The median cost of for-sale homes in Clinton is $86,750 — the least expensive location on this list. Here, you’ll find 213 homes listed for sale. With a median age of 43, residents here are the oldest of the markets detailed, with 36 percent of the population single.

Clinton is home to Missouri’s largest historic downtown square and the Henry County Museum and Cultural Arts Center. The Katy Trail, which is the country’s longest developed rail-trail, begins in Clinton, and at 225 miles long, it’s perfect for long walks or bike rides. Another attraction is Artesian Park, offering tennis courts, horseshoe pits, softball fields, a basketball court, a disc-golf course, a swimming pool, playgrounds and a walking trail.

Marshall 

The market farthest from Kansas City is Marshall, about 88 miles east of downtown. Buyers can expect to pay $109,900 for listings in Marshall — a $74,000 reduction from Kansas City. Throughout Marshall, buyers can choose from 144 active listings.

The median age in Marshall is 39, and 35 percent of residents are single. Crime data is unavailable in Marshall, but the city is known for the Nicholas-Beazley Aviation Museum and Indian Foothills Park, which includes an aquatic center, a 36-hole disc-golf course, a skate park, basketball and sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, baseball fields and a play structure. You can also enjoy golfing at Marshall Indian Foothills Golf or Stone Hedge Golf Club.

If you’re drawn to the Kansas City atmosphere but unable to budget the cost of city living, one of these nearby locations may be the answer.

Guest post by Joe Sturgeon

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We are excited to welcome new franchisees, John and Julie Woolslayer of Tulsa, Oklahoma to the Great Day Moving team! Set to open their doors the beginning of May, the Woolslayers and their team of movers will serve the Tulsa metro area as well as the entire state of Oklahoma.

The couple completed franchise training at Crownbound University in Kansas City, Kansas in early March. The Woolslayers were instructed on various aspects of running a successful moving business. The program is a combination of both classroom and on-the-job training. Their training covered operational guidelines such as truck operations, managing employees, and instruction on the automated systems and processes.

They also learned about the insurance policies required to legally and safely operate a moving company. John and Julie were educated on how to conduct local marketing in their territory and how to respectfully handle all customer relations and interact with the support center. During the on-the-job portion, they gained knowledge on moving and lifting techniques, truck packing and loading, and the use of proper tools and equipment to protect the customer’s belongings while being handled and during transit.

The training is an accumulation of everything the founders learned in growing their own, local moving company, Marathon Moving & Delivery… and much, much more. Mostly, the important stuff that they wished someone would have told them when they got started.

Look for our Great Day Moving trucks around the Tulsa area in the coming days! And if you need help with the heavy lifting, call 918-877-1971!

Just in time for Mother’s Day this year is a guest post from Lisa at Move Mama Move! Happy Mother’s Day!

When moving day arrives, you will have many tasks to complete. Your mom brain may be in full force. Pack a Moving Day Survival Kit a week before moving day, so you will have everything you need when moving day comes. Most items will be packed up the day before you leave your old home and you probably won’t have much unpacked in your new home for the first week. Therefore, it is essential to have a survival kit to get you through the couple days before and after the move.

The items listed below will help your move go more smoothly and help save you money.  I can’t tell you how many last minute trips my husband and I have made to the nearest store to pick up last minute items.  Since we were buying these items at the last minute and the most convenient location, the costs were more than we would typically spend.

Save yourself time and money by putting the items listed below in a box labeled “OPEN FIRST BOX.”  That way, you will know this is the box that will have the basics to keep you as comfortable as possible during the move.  You will know to open this box as soon as your belongings arrive at your new home. I always tell the movers to load this box last, so that it is the first box to come off the truck at our new house.

Sometimes, I have even taken this box in my own car so I will have access to it at all times.  When we flew across the country I packed a suitcase with all of these items. It was not a Moving Survival Kit Box, but a Moving Survival Kit Suitcase

Get all your moving needs at Move Mama Move, where you will find all sorts of tips related to your move.  You even have access to FREE moving binder documents. Check out HERE!

About the Author:  Hello! Lisa is a wife, new mama to “Chulengo,” physical therapist, lover of life, and blogger for MoveMamaMove.com.  She is a self-proclaimed recovering “Type-A” who is attempting to live each chapter of life to its fullest and learn to go with the flow.  Her family just completed a cross-country move, and when she’s not busy juggling her newly expanded family, she can be found traveling, trying new recipes, popping open bottles of wine, reading, and attempting to maintain an organized life.

Packing your home before a move is never easy. It’s frustrating, time-consuming, and often expensive. With more than 10% of Americans moving each year, millions of people are looking for ways to streamline the packing process. If you’re dreading the day you start packing, we have some eco-friendly moving tips designed to spare you some headaches. Try these hacks to make packing up your place a little bit easier while recycling goods in your home.

Dealing With Clothing

It’s important to take extra care during a move, particularly when it comes to your possessions. Your clothing is delicate and it’s crucial that you protect articles from damage. You can easily do this by hanging clothes and sliding them into a garbage bag. You can store more than one item in a bag, and when you arrive at your new home, it’s easy to slide the bag off and access your clothing. This is a great way to recycle old, clean garbage bags. You can even find biodegradable options to use for your move and in the home.

Packing up Cosmetics

Moving can easily damage expensive cosmetics such as eyeshadow and compact powders. In order to protect your makeup, you can place an old, dry cotton ball inside the container. This precautionary measure will prevent both the mirror and the powder from getting crushed and breaking. The cotton acts as a cushion without scratching or damaging the delicate makeup underneath.

Boxing Up Electronics

No one likes to untangle a box full of cords after a move. Instead of throwing cords in a box and dealing with the aftermath later, you can spend a little bit of time carefully wrapping each cord and then stuff it inside an old toilet paper roll to protect it. This will prevent wires from getting tangled together and make them easier to unpack later. It’s also a space-saver. Perhaps best of all, you can label each roll so that you know which cord belongs to which appliance.

Protecting Flatware

When it comes to packing the kitchen, most people opt to use bubble wrap. While bubble wrap is good at protecting breakable items, it’s also expensive and nonbiodegradable. A cheaper, more eco-friendly option is to wrap plates and bowls in your t-shirts. You won’t have to spend any money, and you’ll be packing your shirts at the same time as you tackle the kitchen.

Moving to a new place is challenging, particularly when it comes to packing. These eco-friendly hacks recycle goods around your home to help make packing a little bit less stressful. Your boxes will also be more organized, making unpacking a breeze.