What Should Be in My “First Night” Box?

You may be asking “what IS a first night box?” And that’s not a bad question at all. Your first night box should be a box containing all your necessities for your first night in your new home. It should be the first thing you unpack in the new house. So how do you determine what should be in this box? Well, what do you need?

Toiletries

Hand Soap. This is always good to have, for obvious reasons.

Toothbrush and Toothpaste. So, you can brush your teeth, of course.

Shampoo, Conditioner, and Body Wash. For a shower or a bath.

Shaving Kit. You may want to shave—get your razor, shaving cream/gel, whatever you need for a nice shave!

Toilet Paper. Need we say more?

Ibuprofen/Acetaminophen. Over-the-counter pain killers are the oft-forgot one in this list. Many people underestimate the need for them until—BOOM! Out of nowhere, a wild headache! These may be useful to have in your first night box.

Contacts/Glasses Cleaner. Just in case your contacts or glasses need cleaning, because you don’t want to wear dusty or dirty pairs of these, right?

Towels. You’ll get use out of having a couple hand-towels and large towels with which to dry off after a shower, washing your hands, or whatever other quick wash-ups you need.

Clothing

Well, you don’t want to be without some clothing, that could be a bit awkward. So, pack some clothes that will be easy access for you to wear for the first night and following day. Take note that you will want appropriate clothing, not just a couple items by random choice.

Consider different shirts, pants/shorts, socks, shoes, underwear, maybe a hat and sunglasses—assemble outfits for every necessary occasion during and directly following that first day. Make it easy for yourself.

Also consider having backup clothing available in case of emergency, like if you get a shirt dirty, or if a bird swoops down out of the blue and steals your hat, you know, just regular, everyday contingency!

Bedding

Blanket(s). Obviously, these might offer some god quality comfort when getting to bed.

Pillows. Most people also like to sleep with their heads resting on a pillow—if you’re not one of those people, perhaps disregard this one, or otherwise just have a few for posterity!

Bedsheets. These are also a good idea—they keep your bed cozy and protected.

Electronics

A Clock. Maybe it’s an alarm clock, maybe it’s a wall clock, maybe it’s a 1980’s Casio watch that goes *beepbeepbeep…beepbeepbeep* continuously until you can find it and turn it off. Whatever it is, a clock could be very useful for that first night and the following morning.

Cellphone(s). These days, practically everyone is glued to them, so we doubt you’ll forget it, but just in case, we figured we’d mention it!

Chargers. Sometimes people forget their chargers for whatever electronics they must have with them. Don’t be one of those people, because you may need your device and its battery will be drained at the worst time.

Food/Drink

Protein. Foods rich in protein will keep you energized and will keep you from getting distracted by hunger throughout your first night and the following day.

Water. Remember what SpongeBob looked like in Sandy’s Tree-Dome without any H₂O? Don’t let yourself get dehydrated—water is very important. Get a couple bottles, get a couple gallons, whatever you feel is necessary. Get extra, because water doesn’t ever go bad and it’s always good for you!

Ready-to-Eat Foods. Bags of chips, pre-prepared sandwiches, pretzels, Pop-Tarts, whatever else you can think of to enjoy and stave-off hunger. These will keep you pretty well-rounded throughout the day.

Gatorade/Juice. You don’t have to deal with water. Water gets understandably bland and boring sometimes—it’s cool, we’re not Bobby Boucher, we won’t ostracize you for having a little Gatorade or OJ, or whatever juices you enjoy. Plus, they can be very good for you, giving you the electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, and energy, you need.

Disposable Plates/Cups/Cutlery/Napkins. Yeah, these could be pretty useful, right? What else would you eat with or drink out of or clean up with?

First Aid Kit (American Red Cross Family First Aid Kit Recommended)

For Emergency, you’ll want to keep one handy. Make sure you’ve got everything:

Painkillers

Band-Aids/Bandages

Prescription Meds

Antiseptic Cleaner

CPR kit

Sterile gloves

Everything else that you’ll need in a first aid kit.

That should about do it for your first night box. Remember, this box should contain everything you need for your first day or first few days after moving to Cincinnati, if you like to plan ahead like that. Think of it as having an overnight bag or a weekend bag for some sort of vacation—or like when you were a little kid, sleeping over your friend’s house, staying up late, watching scary movies, telling tall-tales, and having a marshmallow war, you had to have everything (including the Marshmallow Slingshot!) With all this info, your move to Cincinnati should go smooth like butter!

PACKING HELP IN CINCINNATI

Now, if you could use a little professional help in figuring out what’s essential and useful for a First Night box, or if you need help packing in-general, give the experts at All My Sons Moving & Storage of Cincinnati a call at 513-657-4077.