February is the month of love and appreciation for the special people in our lives. Our customers are always special to us, but some moves and customers stand out in our hearts. 

One of the joys of the business of Moving Lives is the people we meet along the way.

Ridgewood Moving has proudly been in business for 57 years, completing over 45,000 moves. No two days are ever the same. Fortunately, We have a strong repeat business and have moved many generations within the same families.

This past fall, a family stood out in all our minds at Ridgewood Moving. Twenty-plus years ago, we moved the Pearsons into a home in Ho-Ho-Kus, where they raised their three children. This year, we moved them to their new home in Pennsylvania as they began a new chapter in their lives. This was an emotional move for the family, packed with many memories, loss, and loosening of ties to their long-time community.

I had the pleasure of being the Moving Consultant on this relocation project, working directly with my friend Margaret, the head of the household. Together, we created a move plan to ensure a smooth transition. Margaret and her family did everything they were supposed to do perfectly to prepare for the move!

Mighty Margaret was the Move Manager/Mom/Wife Extraordinaire throughout the process. She not only orchestrated this move, handling most of the packing and selling of furniture…, but she also did this while attending all her son’s out-of-state college football games each weekend. Margaret has such a positive spirit and treated the team like family. They got to enjoy a picnic on her beautiful property, play with her pup, and take a moment to enjoy the scenery.  She went out of her way to make her move special for us!

“I would like to give a huge shout-out to Cindy Myer and Ridgewood Moving Services!

Many moons ago they moved us into our home and this week they moved us out. They made this emotional move smooth and easy. Cindy and the ladies in the office were helpful with every detail leading up to moving day and the guys who came to move us were so accommodating, efficient and pleasant. Thank you!!” – Margaret

Margaret….thank you for the shout-out. You have touched all of our hearts at RIDGEWOOD Moving and Beyond. You are beyond inspiring in so many ways. If I could bottle up your light, I would. This was a move that will stay with my team. You were so prepared, ready, packed, and part of the team. As in football, it’s not just about the quarterback. Thank you for being awesome and treating the guys like family (actually, they all want an invite back). We wish you the very best of everything ❤️❤️❤️

Welcome home 🏡

The holiday season is a busy time for all, even moving companies. Here are suggestions to help make your winter move a smooth one.

If you are like me, you love to decorate for the holidays but dread having to take down all the decorations and put everything away. Imagine fitting in a move between all the holiday activities! Below are some suggestions to keep in mind if you are indeed moving during the holiday season. And, believe it or not, the holidays can be a very busy time for movers! Therefore, we recommend you schedule your move far in advance if you are moving between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.

Timing is Everything

When planning your move, take into consideration timing and holiday traffic. A local move is typically charged by the hour, with final charges based on actual time and materials. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve are among the busiest travel days of the year, so try to avoid the day before Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the Saturday before Christmas if possible. Instead, schedule your move during the week and avoid weekends throughout the holidays.

For long-distance moves, the same holds true about scheduling. Remember that many road drivers want to get home for the holidays, so your delivery spread dates may take longer during this period.

Preparing Early

By being prepared and packing your non-essential items weeks or months in advance of your move, you will cut down on the stress leading up to your actual move date. Stay ahead of schedule by boxing, labeling, and placing all packed boxes in a staging area such as a garage or unused room. You will find that you still have time for shopping and even get some holiday cards out (and share your new address).

If you are moving right before Christmas, clearly label your “holiday” boxes. Load them last and point them out to the movers so you can add holiday magic to your new home right away. You can even add a festive bow to your moving box! Just be organized so that you can find everything once it arrives in your new home!

Keep it Simple

This may be the year that you don’t decorate your entire home like A Christmas Story or shop for lots of gifts to give. Less is better while

trying to pack and plan a move during this time. Scaling back on gifts and decorations will not take away from the holiday cheer and traditions. Consider giving the gift of “experience” after the move, scheduling time with friends and family. Better yet, give yourself the gift of a full-service move experience, from all the packing to unpacking. Happy Holidays to you!

Pass the holiday hosting torch

If you are typically the holiday host, this is the year to delegate and gather somewhere else. Give yourself a break by celebrating at someone else’s home … or start a new tradition by treating yourself to a nice dinner out with family and friends.

Can’t plan the weather

We all know the weather is entirely out of our control. The only time Ridgewood Moving shuts down due to weather is if we are under a state of emergency or if there is a safety risk to our customers and employees. Keep in mind that in the event of snow and ice, you will need to shovel and salt your property for the move crew, possibly on both ends of your move. Therefore, set aside shovels and rock salt if there is a possibility of inclement weather.

Donations – ‘tis the Season

Moving is a great time to purge and donate unwanted items. During the holidays, many charities are looking for gently used toys, clothing, small furnishings, and more. As you’re packing,  set aside items you no longer want and may be perfect for someone else.

Wishing everyone a happy holiday season.

When I think of November, I think about Thanksgiving which is the perfect time to write about some of our local charities/not-for-profits and the many opportunities to give back. Creating a culture of giving is good for the soul, good for business, and the right thing to do. It’s part of the DNA at Ridgewood Moving and I am happy to share some of our favorites:

Move for Hunger

Move for Hunger is an organization that collects unwanted, non-perishable food from those who are relocating.  It’s a natural fit since so much food is tossed in the trash during a move, we ask… why not donate?!  That’s why we joined forces with the Center for Food Action in New Jersey with the Move for Hunger Program. This program is bringing a tremendous amount of relief to those most desperate for our help. And anyone can donate – you don’t have to be moving!

Center for Hope and Safety

Center for Hope and Safety, a not-for-profit agency located in Bergen County, assists victims and survivors of domestic violence and their children. Items for mothers and children are appreciated, and gift cards are great. Check out the website for up-to-date needs. You may choose to support through volunteering or donations.

Women’s Rights Information Center

Women’s Rights Information Center is a not-for-profit organization, located in Englewood. WRIC provides knowledge and opportunities to support the economic aspirations, self-sufficiency, and emotional well-being of individuals so they may live with hope, security, and dignity. Donations are welcome for their career closet for both women and men. Please be mindful of seasonally appropriate and laundered clothing.

Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic

Boys & Girls Club of Paterson and Passaic services inner-city families with after-school assistance, summer camp, meals, and other quality programs and support services. Nearly 1,100 kids per day are cared for in both the Paterson and Passaic locations. During November and December, we will be collecting gifts for their Holiday Initiative. We adopt families and purchase gifts, clothing, toys, and gift cards, and involve many of our friends/colleagues in the area to participate with us. If you would like to participate with your own donations, you may drop them off at Ridgewood Moving through December 15th, 2022.  We will deliver to Paterson.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity, Bergen County’s mission is to provide decent, affordable homes for hardworking Bergen County families. Habitat builds and rehabilitates houses with the help of the homeowner families. We work with Habitat through their Re-Store, located in Westwood, with furniture donations from our moving families.  There are so many ways to get involved in this organization even if you want to just shop the store!

United Breast Cancer Foundation

United Breast Cancer Foundation offers an array of programs and services in order to help and support families and individuals dealing with breast cancer. We include UBCF in our resource list as a top suggestion for donating women’s and men’s clothing, household items, and other miscellaneous items. They are very responsive and will pick up from your home.

Making it Home

Making it Home, a program of NJ Housing Authority provides home furnishings to formerly homeless, disabled, and low-income individuals and families in need. This organization welcomes furniture items and will pick-up from a home or business. For more information contact [email protected].

Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, Inc.

Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, Inc., an animal shelter located in Oakland, NJ, is devoted to rescuing abandoned, abused and unwanted animals and finding them loving homes. I advise my clients to donate comforters, blankets, and towels to them. Food and other supplies are always welcome.

Spring Lake Toys Foundation

Spring Lake Toys Foundation, founded in 2016, grants financial assistance to pay for the medical and related expenses of children with serious illnesses and special needs.  For more on this heartwarming nonprofit organization, please visit their website, be a hero and help a child!

I truly believe that it is important to get involved in your community, help when needed and engage your staff to be involved – it’s a win, win for all…. Pay it Forward as you Move it Forward!

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is an issue that, as a former board member of Center for Hope and Safety, is deeply personal to me.

Progress has been made since Domestic Violence Awareness Month was launched in 1987 to support domestic violence victims and survivors, hold abusers accountable, and to pass legislation to further those goals. But there is still work to be done.

Why I support Center for Hope & Safety

Center for Hope & Safety https://www.hopeandsafetynj.org/ is a NJ-based non-profit support service, helping adults and children who have been impacted by domestic violence build a safer, healthier life. It does so by offering assistance, resources, and professional services. These services include emergency and transitional housing, counseling, legal advocacy, job readiness training, financial literacy training, art therapy, and much more.

Join Ridgewood Moving Services to support Domestic Violence Awareness Month

At Ridgewood Moving Services, we believe in a culture of giving. It’s true to my heart, and true to the core values that we bring. That’s one reason why our team will be participating in the Walk Together Against Domestic Violence 3K event on Saturday, October 29 at 10:00 a.m. in Van Saun County Park in Paramus. This event is organized by Center for Hope and Safety. You can find details, register to join us, or donate to the cause at https://www.hopeandsafetynj.org/walk-together-against-domestic-violence/.

 In addition, Ridgewood Moving Services is collecting gift cards to area supermarkets, department stores, clothing stores, Amazon, plus gas cards, generic VISA gift cards, and cards (which can be purchased and sent online) for Uber and Lyft. We will donate these to individuals and families who are rebuilding their lives after leaving a domestic violence situation—often with only the clothes they are wearing when they escape. You may bring physical gift cards to the walk or mail them to our office at 575 Corporate Drive, #405, Mahwah, NJ 07430.

Facts about Domestic Violence

Domestic violence occurs in every state, among a broad swath of the population. Becoming more aware of the signs of domestic violence, and where to find help, are key to helping curb this terrible crime.

It is defined as willful intimidation, physical or sexual assault, or other abusive behavior (such as verbal or emotional abuse) committed by one intimate partner against another. The abuse may also come from adult children against parents, sometimes lumped together with elder abuse. It generally shows up as a systematic pattern (although even one isolated incident is not acceptable), and the frequency or level of violence varies widely. Although many people associate it with violence against women, it is not gender specific. And sadly, children are also the silent victims of this crime.

In New Jersey where our moving company is based, 35.8% of women and 27.4% of men experience intimate partner physical violence, rape, or stalking in their lifetimes. (Source: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence)

Signs of domestic violence

If you or someone you know has been experiencing these situations, you or they are at high risk for domestic violence (either currently occurring or developing). I know this is difficult, but again, raising awareness is one way to stop this abuse.

• Physical abuse. Grabbing, pinching, hitting, shoving, or throwing objects; choking, slapping or punching the partner or children; forcing unwanted sex.
• Control & humiliation. This may be public or private criticism and yelling; restricting access to a phone, TV, or internet; telling the partner what to wear or how to act; taking money or refusing to give money.
• Instilling fear. Verbal and physical threats, which may include threatening to call the authorities/report the partner, threats to commit suicide, or threats to the children or family pets in addition to the intimate partner; constantly checking on the partner’s whereabouts and activities; blaming the partner for anything and everything that is a problem.
• Isolation. The abuser may forbid his/her partner to see or speak to friends and family, keep the children away, or lock the partner out of the home.

If you suspect someone is a victim, or if you are suffering from domestic violence, please reach out for information and help by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233). If you are in Bergen County, you can also reach out to Center for Hope & Safety at 201-944-9600.

I was called in to orchestrate a move for the Taylors by Mr. Taylor’s executive assistant, Dawne, who scheduled an appointment for me to meet with Mrs. Taylor. We discussed their plans to build their dream home in Saddle River, NJ. The new home wouldn’t be ready for several months, which gave us ample time to prepare for this move out of their current home that they lived in for close to 30 years.

Mrs. Taylor (Aleta) and I walked throughout their current home, room by room and created an itemized inventory list. We discussed who was packing what, items that they plan to sell or donate, and which furniture/items would stay at the home. This was a great initial visit and provided a foundation for me to create a move plan.

Once I meet with the customer, listen to their needs, and assess the amount of packing, special handling items such as chandeliers, pool tables, and VIP items, I can begin creating the plan. I also take pictures throughout the home, and sometimes video, to share with my team. At Ridgewood Moving, we work as a team and with a large scope project like this one, I bring the team together to brainstorm a smooth move plan.

My second visit included the Taylor team of husband Rich, Aleta, and Dawne. We sat around the dining table to discuss expectations. Rich, a successful business owner of a multi-million-dollar company, admittingly knew nothing about moving and was placing their move in the hands of the experts. This is music to my ears. We then walked the house reviewing the inventory again with the Taylor team. As the moving consultant/resource, I was compiling the list of outside parties needed for this project such as our estate sale contact, Third Party to handle the pool table, chandeliers, etc., the move manager to be on location throughout the move, and a junk removal company to do a clean sweep of unwanted items.

My recommendation to the Taylors was to bring in a move manager/professional organizer to work with us to prep for the move. Lisa Harris, founder/owner of Organize With Lisa was called in. Lisa and I had met in my office prior to this visit to discuss the overall project. On the third visit with the Taylors, the Ridgewood Moving team, (Operations Director Dennise, myself and two of my moving professionals) conducted a final walk-through. During this walk-through, we tagged and labeled rooms and some furniture items. We then visited the new home construction and layout for overall placement of contents and furniture.

The Organize With Lisa team worked with Aleta room by room to help her decide what to keep, trash or donate. This process prepared the Ridgewood Moving team to pack only the items that were wanted. Charitable organizations were called to pick up the donations and our colleague, Jean Marie Herron (director of business development for Junkluggers) was called in to assess the “trash,” which Junkluggers then removed.

The move plan comprised several days to pack and several days to move furniture and contents over. Working with Lisa and her team, we created a plan to have boxes moved and ready for her team to unpack and put away contents in the new home. This worked seamlessly and by the time the furniture arrived, the empty boxes were ready for us to retrieve and remove from the premises.

The Taylors and Ridgewood Moving Services team worked very well together. We communicated throughout the move and pivoted when needed. The key to a successful move is everyone working together as a team, (which includes the customer). In this case, the “Taylor-made” move was picture perfect.

More from Lisa

Working with Cindy and her team and the Taylors was a wonderful collaboration!

My part in this amazing project was to help prepare the Taylors’ home for their move. My “OWL” (Organize with Lisa) team and I decluttered their old house of unwanted items, which were either donated or discarded, and assisted the moving team during the actual move. In their now home, we unpacked and set up functional, practical systems in every room. Constant communication with Cindy and the Taylors made this project a huge success. From the initial planning meetings, to calls & texts, to trips to The Container Store and even pulling in a professional art hanger, it was truly a fantastic experience! Congratulations to Ridgewood Moving on your amazing team, and congratulations to the Taylors on your stunning home!

Have you heard the phrase “COVID pet?” Those are the animals—mostly dogs—that many families brought into their homes during the pandemic.

It’s been interesting visiting homes for move estimates and to hear about owners’ COVID pets; I totally get it. I lost my Yorkie during the pandemic and considered adding another furry friend during that period myself, but decided the timing was not right for me. However, that was not the case for many people in NJ and NY, and we’ve been working on helping put pets on the move locally and regionally.

Furry friends and stress

I was talking recently with one of my customers, Nancy, who is moving again. She had her pup in a crate during my visit. I told her I am perfectly fine with dogs, but her answer was that he is a COVID dog and lacks social skills. Although very friendly, Nancy said, he gets anxious, jumps, and is very loud. I get that, too. Many of these animals only socialized with their families during the past two years, with little exchange with others (both two-legged and four-legged).

The anxiety, jumping, and barking—that’s how dogs often behave when they know something is going on—like when a move is happening. They get stressed, just as people do. They show other signs when they’re distressed as well, including:

• withdrawn behavior
• tucked tail
• lethargy
• excessive licking or drooling
• biting
• shaking

Moving stress and pets

Moving represents a major change for everyone in the family, including our beloved pets. It helps to prepare the entire family to minimize the stress that moving can create by making the right preparations. Pets can sense something is going on as their familiar settings are being disrupted with boxes and miscellaneous items throughout the house. My dog used to know something was up when she saw a suitcase. In addition, dogs are thinking, “who are all these strangers coming into my house?”

Keeping pets calm during the process

Animals are very dependent on routine and become anxious and insecure when their routine is interrupted. It’s best to maintain a semblance of normalcy during the move process by feeding and walking them at their usual times. However, you can start to make small incremental changes by changing the location of their food, bed, or litter box before the move. Their territory surrounds these areas and slight movements get them used to change (just make sure their favorite toys are around for comfort).

If you are moving your dog to a home close by, take a walk in the new neighborhood. if you are traveling to your new home a distance by car, take your bud with you on some short drives.

Moving day tactics

We recommend that during the move, you designate a room for your pet with all their familiar toys, water bowl, food, etc. Many cat owners use a bathroom for this purpose. This keeps everyone safe and calm. After all, you do not want animals walking around during the chaos; there’s too much going on with doors open, strange people and noises; this adds undue stress to your pet and creates safety concerns for both the pets and the movers. If possible, ask a friend or family member to watch your pet on moving day.

Getting them accustomed to their new home

Whew! The move is over and you are now in your new home!! Here are some suggestions for making your pets feel at home:

• Unpack your cat’s or dog’s belongings first. Since they are territorial, setting out their familiar items provides them with a comfort zone and will speed up the adjustment process.
• It is wise to pet-proof your new home, inside and out.
• You may want to keep your pets inside the home as much as possible during the first week as they adapt to their new surroundings. This is especially true for inside/outside cats who have been known to travel back to their previous home. They will soon figure out that this is their new permanent home and get settled in.
• Of course, lots of patience, love, and treats help!