Oh, and I can't drink caffeine, so anything coffee- or tea-related can wait a few days.

Shower curtain and rings are pretty useless without a bar of soap, shampoo, a towel or two...

You'll want to at least get a few groceries so you have something to drink and eat.

All of your toiletries - take what you would bring if you were going on vacation for a few days.

Are blinds/curtains included? If not, sheets and tape for the windows.

entertainment? When I moved around more I would've "quarters for the newspaper boxes" to that list, and I had a 4" b&w teevee that went in the "move this first/open this first" box because empty apartments are very boring. Adjust as necessary for this era of e-readers and smartphones,

Cleaning supplies: you may have these stored, but it will not be the first box you find and open. And, you'll want to do basics like toilets and cabinets.

Don't forget a bucket and flashlight. Plus a night light or two can be handy in an unfamiliar place.

Lots and lots of plastic balls (or packing material, in a pinch). Before you move your furniture in is absolutely the best time to turn your apartment into a ball pit.

Breakfast. You can get lunch and dinner out somewhere, but you'll want something for breakfast before you head out.

Maybe a supply of paper plates, plastic cups and plastic utensils. That way you can eat a snack or a quick meal and not have to deal with dishes when you have so much else to sort through.

Also, make up your bed right away - that way you can fall into it when you're done with everything else.

A radio, CD player or ipod dock, because having music going makes unpacking and settling in a lot more fun.

And finally, a bottle of wine and a corkscrew, to toast yourself and your new place at the end of the day.

Wishing you much happiness in your new abode!

Oooh, ball pit. AWESOME. I walked by the farmers' market yesterday and they had a kids' area with not only bounce houses but also GIANT HAMSTER BALLS OF BUBBLEWRAP. I so wanted to go play.

Blinds are on the windows, so that's set. I have toiletries, so that's set. Bottle(s) of wine and corkscrew are set -- I found out yesterday I'm basically right across the street from one of my favorite wineries.

I just set up an appointment to get tv and internet set up for the day I'm moving in, so entertainment should be set. Plus I have a kindle if the internet thing gets rescheduled or whatever.

Bed and bedding is going to be all brand new and also delivered on move-in day, and I am so looking forward to making up my brand-new bed I can't even tell you.

Basic cleaning supplies and basic food are definitely not set. That's probably a good today project. A towel is also a good call -- thanks!

And I keep forgetting to check if the place has any overhead lighting, so I need to remember to check that this weekend and prioritize lamps accordingly.

Cat stuff, both ends.

Cat stuff is taken care of, though I should probably pick up some more litter.

when my husband and I were quasi-homeless / couch surfing with friends for a month during a major house renovation last year, we discovered that one of those nice little bento box / nesting tupperware sets (one for each person) makes a super portable and fantastic "picnic/dinnerware" set for just this sort of situation. REI sells nice camping sets that include utensils, even! And we now use them daily for packing lunches to work, so there's that.

(This thread is like an awesomely interactive checklist. Thank you!)

the camping analogy is really sorta apt; when we moved back into the house after the reno, we wound up using our coleman camp stove and the patio grill more than I care to admit until we finally located and unpacked all our kitchen gear...

oh yeah: light bulbs, tho it looks like you've got that covered. Maybe a stepstool or small stepladder if you have one handy?

Plates should be fairly easily accessible (I don't have that much stuff), and I just bought new silverware, so I think I'm ok on stuff to eat on. (And I do have some plastic cups in the car, so there's that.) But I do need a dish rack for drying dishes, so I should probably pick up one of those pretty quickly. As well as mixing bowls.

I have four uber-sturdy wooden chairs (from an old school library) that will work if I need to get any height, I think. Plus I'm tall.

dish towel
saran wrap
scissors
tupperware so when you have leftover food, you have tools to keep it in the fridge.
granola bars in case you get hungry while unpacking
keep your tools out and handy (not packed in a box)

I always find beer helps a lot in any move.

keep your tools out and handy (not packed in a box)

Tools are on my "To Buy" list, as I don't currently own any. Suggestions for putting together a basic toolbox (what, where, brands, etc.) welcome.

Don't be tempted to cheap out on tools. Get some nice quality stuff bit not contractor grade. Go to Lowe's and get the store brand or better.
Cordless screwdriver / drill plus bits.
Tape measure 25 ft
Hammer
Picture hangers
Level 24"

Here are the tools I use the most (as a not particularly handy person)
Screwdrivers: flat wide, flat narrow, philips head, stupid ikea hex thing
Smallish hammer (I am usually just hammering in picture nails so don't really need a biggie)
Level for hanging pics
Small finishing nails/picture nails
Those picture hanging bent brass things that distribute the weight a little off the nail
Screws (1/4 inch)
Drill (I like my corded drill better than fiance's cordless. Corded is more powerful IME) The shorter the drill the better, so you can get in little places under the table and in a corner. Tall is ok, but you don't want it to be too deep, does that make sense?
Sharpie
Pencil
Ruler
Tape Measure
Blue painters tape
String

I once thought I wanted a big fancy toolbox. My dad bought me a basic Craftsman home toolkit instead. It comes in its own little case. I've now had it 20 years and while I've added to it, it meets 95% of my tool needs. It has a claw hammer, a bit driver (screwdiver with a dozen interchangeable bits), Allen wrenches, adjustable wrench, ratchet wrench, tape measure, heavy-duty scissors, level, rug knife, pliers (one fine point and one heavy duty, with a wire stripper/cutter), and maybe some other stuff I'm forgetting.

I highly recommend just getting one of these that looks similarly comprehensive; you'll spend less than you would buying piece by piece and not be in danger of buying weird tools you don't use much.

To this you do really need to add a cordless drill - you can't hang pictures or build furniture without a drill.

I also get a lot of use out of an awl. I dunno, I like putting holes in stuff. Nothing else does that as well as an awl.

Eventually you might want some kind of saw; for that, see the question I asked here a while ago. I still havent' bought one though.

Other things you might want in the "first day" box:

*A sharp knife (not just a cutlery knife, one you can cut real food with)
*Your toiletries - toothbrush, toothpaste, Qtips (I hate Qtipless mornings), saline solution, glasses/contacts if you need them, whatever things you put on your face, etc.
*Your phone/device chargers
*Pet food/water/litter etc if you have pets (I don't think you do, but in case anyone else uses this thread...)
*Something to write on and something to write with...you will be making lists galore as you realize things you need
*Extension cord(s) (for when you realize the one outlet in the room is far away from where you want to put your lamp the first few nights..or for when you want to play the radio as you move around the house working)
*Scissors
*A couple of trash bags

Know who made a list? Martha did! We thought of everything she did, except a flashlight. Seems like a good idea.

Also, if you're a tenant, before you move stuff in, walk around and take condition pictures of your place. Get pics of any holes in walls, marks on floors, broken stuff, etc. These are invaluable when it's time to move out, in figuring out what you need to fix or pay for and what was already there when you moved in.

Actually mightshould did think of a flashlight. So, we kicked Martha's butt.

Take that, Martha! :-)

I do have a kitty, but her stuff is always last packed, first unpacked, so she's all set.

I'm doing a walk-through with the property manager tomorrow evening to document any issues, but I will photograph anything I see later if we miss it tomorrow.

I did a Target run this afternoon and picked up most of this stuff (and hand soap, because it was on sale). I'm feeling a bit more comfortable about how I'm triaging the rest -- extension cords (good call, Martha and Miko!), mixing bowls, flatware organizer, and probably some lamps need to happen quickly but not immediately; almost everything else can wait, no matter how much I feel the desire to buy more housewares because they're so pretty.

This move seems weirder than past moves because of the couch-surfing-for-a-year aspect of it combined with household-split-due-to-divorce stuff. I have all my "vacation" items, like toiletries and everyday clothes, and all the cat's stuff readily accessible, but I've been without the rest of my stuff for so long that I'm not really sure what I have and what I don't. I know there are going to be holes, but I'm not sure where just yet.

This is more of a tip, but if you can manage to set your bed up all nice and fresh and comfy (including the frame, if possible), do it. Everything else can wait, and when you get in bed and then wake up the next day you'll feel so much better about having a HOME.

I totally agree with the "set up the bed first" philosophy - Madamina, you are so right about that. Moving day(s) sucks so hard, it's wonderful to know that at the very least, no matter what chaos reigns around you, you can crash into your wonderful cozy bed at the end of it - because you set it up first, before you got bogged down in all the small stuff. That is a pro tip for sure.

(I've moved twice in the last 2 years - this is why it's all so fresh in my mind!)