10 Things I do to get myself and our family ready for the summer!

It’s time to start making sure we have everything together for the summer and vacations!

As the end of the school year approaches I like to do a few things to get our family organized.

1 | I create a summer schedule that fits on one page that includes the dates for the 10 weeks my kids have off. This way you can take a look at what you have going on in a quick glance.

2 | First, I like to schedule in when we take our family vacation and/or have people visiting from out of town. This way you know not to schedule camps, to-do’s, or activities for those dates.

3 | The way I like to organize our summer schedule is having one week consist of a camp or a vacay and the following week or two be free of plans. This way I don’t over book and exhaust my boys and it allows life to take a slower pace during the summer. It also allows the kids and myself to be spontaneous with plans while having a relaxing tone for the summer.

4 | I look at all of our wardrobes and summer-time necessities and make a list of anything I need to order. Think: sunblock, flip flops, hats, bathing suits, sunglasses, shorts, t-shirts, cooler pajamas, a nice short-sleeved shirt for dressing up, etc.

5 | Pack a beach/pool bag with: sunblock for kids & adults, googles, snacks, towels, hats, wipes, extra set of clothes for kids, etc.

6 | Pack a seperate large beach bag with sand toys, shovels, frisbee, football, etc. I love this SCOUT extra large tote bag for beach toys.

7 | I like to have these two bags packed and ready to go throughout the summertime. It makes going to the beach or the pool less stressful knowing you already have the basics together.

8 | Make a summer bucket list. On the weeks you don’t have vacations or camps you can refer to this list that you and your kids made together and plan for some intentional fun outings.

9 | If you have a pool or a backyard you and your family like to hang out in, then look into getting it summer-ready. Clean off outside furniture, purchase new rafts or pool toys, spruce up your entertaining area with some new flowers. It’s also good to get sunblocks to keep outside, and add a new decorative item for your furniture.

10 | Purchase and/or download on audible some fun summer-time reads to enjoy while you watch your kids in the pool or lounge around.

Just writing this post gives me all the good feels about summer beginning in 4 weeks when my boys are finished with school. A little prep work and planning goes a long way in feeling ready for every activity that the summer brings.

In the comment section below, I would love to hear any must have’s you get before summertime!

XO