It’s seven days until the calendar marks the first day of summer (though summer in Nashville started in about April), and to celebrate we created a list of seven tips on how to keep your summer organized. Especially with kids!
1. Vacation prep, part 1: create a list of things you always need to do before going on vacation (set up a lights timer for when the house is empty, back up your computer and phone in case of a technology emergency, move valuables to the safe, etc.) to help with last-minute stress. Part 2: create a list of items you always need to pack (medication, phone chargers, etc.), to make packing for each trip easier in the future.
2. Think about things that you should always have in your car during the summer, and take the time to go ahead and stock them. Toys for the park, extra water bottles, sunscreen, towels for the insanely humid days when you decide to run through a sprinkler but don’t want to ruin the seats of your car…you get the idea.
3. Clean out the garage of old gardening items or outdoor toys that didn’t get used last year. You could approach your closet the same way. You don’t need old, unused items cluttering your space, especially clothes that you didn’t wear over the winter.
4. Empty out those backpacks and clear out school work, so that it’s not cluttering the house all summer. School’s out, celebrate! Purge whatever you don’t need, and set aside unused school supplies either for summer crafts or to use as supplies next year.
5. Go through kids’ artwork from the past year and narrow down what to keep and what to purge. Doing this every year not only helps keep you from getting overwhelmed, but also makes it easier to keep the art separated by year. Online services such as Plum Print will make photo books for artwork, in case you want to remember your kids’ creations but don’t want to physically store them.
6. Create a ‘boredom bin’ for the kids. Fill it with crafts, activity books, games they can play on their own, books, or anything else that might help them fill the time. If all else fails, have a ready-made list of chores that they can help out with around the house. You may get some of the help you’d like, especially if there’s a reward incentive!
7. If you have a teen who just graduated high school, shop early on for college dorm supplies so that you have more options. Designate an area in the house for a ‘college pile’ that you can add items to throughout the summer. Starting college is stressful enough without having to scramble at the last minute, and Target during college move-in week can look a little post-apocalyptic.
Happy summer days!
-Heidi