First of all, with only 10 days to go, I would start packing! It probably took me a good 3 weeks to pack all of our stuff (but I also was extremely organized because we knew there were projects to be done before we unpacked and I wanted to be able to find stuff, so far it's working really well! Also I did a lot of sorting and getting rid of stuff, that takes time).
If you are still looking for boxes, check bulletin boards at the grocery store or local newspapers. We have both given away and gotten boxes this way.
I would go to a packing store and buy some unprinted newsprint. It's not all that expensive as far as packing materials go but you don't have to worry about the mess that the ink creates. I know lots of people use bubble wrap and peanuts and stuff like that but IMO (and have moved 5 times in the last 7 years), the unprinted newsprint along with carefully packing so that things nest really does the job. I have never had anything break on me using this method, and would be especially likely to use it in a short distance move.
I also bought full sheet labels from office max and used THOSE to label my boxes. I did this mostly because boxes were handmedowns and had been used 3 or 4 times before I got them so marker on the side was confusing, but the labels worked REALLY well. I printed them out to look like this:
----------------------------
| MASTER BEDROOM
| contents:
|
|
----------------------------
And then just used a sharpie to write a detailed list of contents. They are REALLY easy to read and really easy to find since they stand out against the boxes and if you use any non-standard moving boxes (we used a bunch of pampers boxes, with a colorful design all over it) it really makes them much more pleasant. I printed 2 per 8.5x11 sheet of label and cut them in hal. You could also put your name on them if you prefer. It ALSO allows your labels to be much neater because you can write them flat on a desk like you are used to rather than on the side of the box which REALLY gets tiring for your arm.
Get a tape gun. It's about $10 but makes putting together and sealing boxes SO much easier.
Use a dishpack box as a stand for packing your boxes. The dishpacks are VERY heavy duty (double layer) and can take a lot of weight. They are also at a very good height to save your back.
Alternately, if you are packing very heavy boxes, pack your first box, seal it, put the next empty box on top of it, pack it, seal it and repeat. The less you have to move around those heavy boxes the better, so pack them in place!
Another good packing tip is to use towels and blankets to pad bulkier and oddly shaped items rather than wasting all of that paper. We used blankets and towels to pad out things like lamps.
Since you are moving such a short distance, rather than using expensive wardrobe boxes just take your stuff out of the closet hangers and all, lay it down in your back seat/trunk, and rehang it in the new place. It will save a lot of money to do it that way (or time if you were planning on taking everything down and boxing it like we did!)
When you are unpacking, the paper is a PITA to get rid of too, whether you use newspapers or unprinted newsprint. Take an extra couple of seconds to smooth out and flatten the paper into piles rather than wadding them up. You'll be surprised how much room the wadded up paper will take vs. piling it neatly. Use a large box to store all of the paper.
I think that's most of my packing tips for now!