That said, it's lovely having Karina here to help. She arrived a few days ago, for an almost-three-week visit, and it's so much easier motivating to unpack when you have someone to pleasantly chat with. Last night, I unpacked the library while Kevin worked on his study; Karina put things away for me, carried boxes downstairs, and generally eased the entire process. I recommend unpacking-with-friends.
This week, several of my friends (and my sisters) are coming into town to help celebrate my 40th birthday. It's a good motivator to finish off some of the unpacking. Goals for the next few days: clear the mantel in the library (and that room will be DONE), finish unpacking the main pantry (and that FLOOR will be DONE), clear the mudroom of trash and recycling, straighten the playroom at least enough that there's room for three air mattresses there. If we can get those things done, I'll be very happy. The house won't be finished, but it will be noticeably further along.
At this point, I'm thinking finished-finished will probably be Sept. 1 at the earliest. We're still waiting on the painters to paint, and then the landscapers to redo the backyard. Those are the last two big things. Then there's some minor painting/staining in the mudroom, touch-ups everywhere, and a lot of built-ins to install: eat-in space, master closet, mudroom, library (in that order). A few toilet paper holders and the like to install as well. Furniture is going to take much longer (budget, mostly), but still, I can see the end of the project now. Soon, I hope, the contractors will all go away, and we can just spend some time living in our house, and not be consumed with endless projects. That's the goal, right?