Finally, it feels like summer in Minnesota. Ah! I was so happy to swap out my winterwear for summer duds. Goodbye sweaters and warm leggings, hello maxi dresses and tank tops. Yahoo! I’ve been busy helping my clients switch out their seasonal clothing as well. Have you done this yet? If not, it’s that time. Here are a few tips to help you transition seamlessly into summer. Grab a glass of cold iced tea, and let’s go!
Swap out seasonal clothing: If you don’t have room in your closet and drawers for both cold-weather and warm-weather clothing, you should be storing off-season clothing in a bin under the bed, boxed up in the basement, or stashed away neatly in an out-of-the-way closet or storage space. This is a good time to start a donation pile for anything that you didn’t wear this past winter. If it’s broken, ripped, permanently stained, doesn’t fit, itches, isn’t in style, or isn’t your style, it’s time to donate it, consign it, or toss it in the trash. As you pack up your sweaters, pants, and long-sleeved tops, make sure they are clean and neatly folded before placing them in storage. Drop a dryer sheet or lavender or cedar sachets in each box so everything stays fresh.
Get winter gear packed: Don’t forget to sort through any winter hats, mittens, scarves, jackets, snow pants, and boots. Any that don’t fit your family members or won’t fit next year should be donated now. Or, if you plan to consign them, launder them and stash in a box labeled “fall consignment,” ready to pop in your car in October. For the keepers, make sure they are clean, and then sort by family member or type of item, and place them into storage. (Now is the time to toss any mittens or gloves that are missing their mates. If you haven’t found them by now, you never will.)
Get ready for summer fun: Summer is time to keep it casual. Sometimes less planning is the most fun. But if you do a little prep now, it’s easier to be spontaneous. Pack up a large tote with outdoor summer fun necessities, such as sun screen, bug repellant, hats, non-perishable snacks, small blanket or towels, books and magazines, a frisbee or other small outdoor toys, and anything else that will allow you to grab and go when a fun summer activity pops up. Hang it by the door you use most often, so you can toss it in the car when a neat opportunity arises.
Have ideas at the ready: The dreaded cry of “Mom, we’re bored!” is generally heard about two weeks into summer vacation. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent or your kids hang with a babysitter or nanny, you will need a list of summer fun activities. Have your kids help you compile a list of everything they want to do or see this summer. This is brainstorming, so don’t discount anything. What restaurants do you want to try? (Last summer, my boys and I visited a handful of local donut shops, and we look forward to continuing that tradition this year!) Add all local parks, pools, museums, sporting events, libraries, historical sites, bookstores, bowling allies, and beaches to your list. If there is a craft or recipe they’d like to try, add that. (Making ice cream is fun. So are s’mores.) Or, consider having each kid plan one meal each week, from selecting the recipes, to shopping, to meal prep and clean up.
Spread organized acts of kindness: Summer is a great time to do nice things for other people. An easy place to start is by practicing simple acts of kindness. These selfless little gestures take little time and little or no money to do, but can create a big impact in the lives of those who benefit from them. To help kids make random acts of kindness a little more commonplace, Time to Organize has developed a set of 30 “Organized Acts of Kindness” cards. (OAK for short.) Random acts are fun, but sometimes these things need to be planned out just a bit. So we take the “random” and make it “organized.” These cards are available, free of charge, by clicking here.