We have had some of the most incredible neighbors and friends make us feel right at home when we moved into a new neighborhood. If you would like to do the same for another "new" family, here are some things we especially loved.
Help unloading our truck. Seriously, those men were heaven sent.
Neighbors coming by just to say hello and introduce themselves (usually with goodies in hand:).
A gift bag as we moved in full of: laundry detergent, toilet paper, milk, cereal and bread. This saved us from taking a late night trip to the grocery store.
A thoughtful breakfast and dinner from someone as we were unpacking. Such a kind and gracious help during a crazy time.
A family of boys who stopped by to ask my boys if they wanted to come hang out for a little bit. Such a sweet way to make my kids feel at home in a new and scary place.
Friends from our neighborhood who stopped by our house on the first day of school to see if we wanted to walk with them. I think I cried.
A thoughtful email from a gal at church who gave us the names of all the boys close by who were our boys ages and included email addresses and phone numbers. We were able to get a few play dates together before the beginning of school, which made the first day so much easier.
A friend who brought by a list of her city favorites including addresses and phone numbers for grocery stores, Costco, Sam's Club, restaurants, doctors, dentists, car mechanics, and fun outdoor places. Such a thoughtful gift.
Another list with phone numbers and web addresses of the internet, phone, cable, gas, and electricity provider in our area so we could get things moving as quickly as possible.
A new friend who invited me to a birthday lunch that was taking place. So sweet to include me!
6 delicious cupcakes from a new neighbor I had just met when she found out it was my birthday. Made my day.
A bag of hot pretzels from a local bakery from a family in our neighborhood. Not only was the gesture incredibly kind, but it turned us on to a new, yummy local spot.
A neighbor who offered to lend us tools and yard equipment while we were unpacking and finding ours.
A handy neighbor who came by to see if there was anything he could help fix. Lucky us!
Seeing our garbage cans already lined up for the garbage truck before garbage day. Our neighbors didn't want us to miss it.
A dinner invitation that included other families from our neighborhood so that our family would have the chance to get to know more people from our new area.
A sweet text from a friend that let me know that she was glad I had moved into her neighborhood.
The offer of a free BBQ grill when a family close by was getting rid of theirs. They thought we might not have one yet because of the recent move. We used it over and over again!
A quick note from a friend letting us know about an upcoming event in our new town. It was great to attend and feel a part of the community.
Invitations to celebrate holidays with our neighbors. It made being far away from family a little easier.
Information about book clubs, running clubs, babysitting swaps and playgroups that were handed out right away. Joining these completely changed my experience in a new spot.
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