Summer Bucket List: M is for Making Memories

As you’re planning your summer and adding items to your summer bucket list, do you ever step back and remember your own childhood summers? If not, take a minute today and do so. You might be surprised at what you recall and how it helps shape your plans for the summer ahead.

 

I took a little trip down memory lane this morning. Want to come along?  Okay. Here's what I remember about my childhood summers. I remember…

…going to Baskin Robbins, my mom’s favorite ice cream place. She always got two scoops of Jamoca® Almond Fudge on a sugar cone. I often got pink bubble gum, a pink ice cream with real bubble gum in it—two treats in one. How fun is that?

 

…playing softball and after the game riding my bike with friends to 7-11 for gumballs and pop. I especially remember the year my sister and her friend coached our team. It was so fun hanging out with my big sister. I was never very good at softball…but that really wasn’t the point. It was all just for fun…and for that bike ride to 7-11 afterwards.

 

…vacations in the family station wagon with our pop-up camper pulled behind. As the youngest, I always had to sit in the middle between my two older siblings. I was always squished, elbowed, and told to move over (even though there was nowhere to go.) We spent hours in that car seeing 35 of the 50 states, staring out the window and doing nothing but daydreaming about life…Would I marry the boy down the street? Would I have a dead tree in my back yard and use it to hang out the laundry to dry? Who eats all that corn?

…playing cards with my family in the camper and playing Monopoly and Scrunch on the avocado green kitchen table. We did this for hours and hours at a time! 

 

…going to drive-in movies with my sister and her friends. Don’t you miss drive-ins?

 

…hanging out in the empty lots on either side of our house with my friends…digging to China…making “soup” out of weeds…daydreaming…and doing absolutely nothing but hanging out with friends, talking and making memories. 

 

…swimming at my friend Kathy’s pool. I had one friend with a pool and it was always so exciting when she would call and invite me to come over and swim. What a treat!

 

…eating fresh raspberries from the garden and enjoying my mom’s strawberry freezer jam. (Yum!) I also remember really tough green beans, beets and bitter lettuce! (Yuck!) 

 

But I think the thing I remember (and miss) most about my childhood summers is going to my grandparent’s lake house. We would swim and float on rafts. We’d lie in the sun for hours (and often I’d end up with a sun burn.) My sister Amy and I would paddle around the lake in inflatable boats. And at night time Grandpa would take us out for pontoon boat rides around the lake. Afterwards we’d sit on Grandma’s couch and look through her many, many photo albums. I loved lazy summer days at Grandma’s house…doing nothing but building memories to last a lifetime. 

 

me at my grandma's lake in 1971

 

As I reflect on my own childhood memories, I realize that the big planned events, like the yearly trips to somewhere in the big green station wagon, definitely make my list of memories. But what I remember—and miss—the very most is time spent with my family and friends doing whatever. It’s funny how the simple, everyday things like bike rides, raspberries and card games—that’s what sticks forty years later. It isn’t so much the activity that holds the memory for me, it's the people. Spending time with people I love, doing whatever, that's what summer is really all about. Both then...and now.

 

So no matter what is on your bucket list this summer, and regardless of if you do just 1 thing on that list or 100—you and your loved ones will be making memories, simply by spending time with together. So let’s go out and make some summer memories, shall we? 

 

Have a great weekend my friends. And if you feel inspired to do so, I’d love to take a walk down memory lane with you. What do you remember and miss about your childhood summers? Thanks for sharing!

Summer Bucket List: S is for Spot it!

Today’s summer bucket list add-on is the game Spot it! from Blue Orange Games. They offered me two complimentary games, and being the game lover that I am, I simply had to say yes. I’m always up for a fun game, and if it is cleverly packaged, all the better. Spot it! comes in a cute, round, metal tin which makes it handy for taking with you on vacation or to play while waiting for a summer concert or fireworks to begin.

 

 

Packaging aside, this game is really fun. Here’s how it works. There is always one and only one matching symbol between any two cards. Spot it and you win. That’s all there is to it. And even though it may sound too simple to be fun, it really is a lot of fun. Sometimes you sit there staring at the card for minutes, thinking “This is the set they got wrong. There’s no match.” But there always is. And there's only just one match. Plus it’s a quick game, which means you can sneak it in during a few minutes of down time. My whole family enjoys this game, and we took it with us on our trip to Michigan—they loved it up there, too. I gave my second game set to Jennifer and her family thinks its great fun, too. So if your looking for a fun new game to ad to your bucket list this summer—S is for Spot it!

 

By the way, if you have younger kids, no worries, just in time for summer, Blue Orange Games introduced Spot it! Jr. Animals. Spot it! Jr. Animals features 31 brightly colored cards with six different animal images on each card. With only one matching animal between any two cards, this delightful visual perception game is really fun for all kids. Children are natural learners and will love spotting the animals and matching them in this fast-paced game designed for children 4 and up, and for 2 to 6 players. 

 

Both Spot it! and Spot it! Jr. Animals can be bought online through Amazon.com, www.blueorangegames.com, or in stores across the country that carry Blue Orange products. 

 

How about you? Do you love to play games in the summer? What's your favorite game? Thanks for sharing. 

Summer is No Time for Guilt

As Jennifer posted earlier, today is the first official day of summer in our little town! Yesterday was a terrific last day of school at the Garvey household. Kailea had a little school’s-out get together with friends, and Collin and his friends celebrated the end of the school year with an early dinner at Steak and Shake. So…we’re off to a good start and already have a couple of bucket list items we can check off! Fun. 

 

 

Today, I wanted to answer a couple more reader questions. Today's theme is guilt. Jennifer mentioned in her blog post today that she felt slightly guilty when she wasn’t as excited about summer as the other moms. Fellow working mom, Jen Pugh, shared a similar sentiment in her question below: 

I have the typical working mom's dilemma: love summer schedules and the ease in the routine but feel guilt about being at the office while they will be home. They will be home with Grandma while I work. I want them to have a fun and productive summer but don't want to overwhelm my mother-in-law with my agenda of what I think that should look like while I am at work. Would love to hear other thoughts / recommendations.

 

I really connected with Jen’s question, because as a full time working mom myself, I can totally relate to the guilt that comes from being away from my kids during the summer months. With my kids, we are away from each other mentally and emotionally during the work day, even though physically we’re in very close proximity. The way I have made peace with this over the years, including when my kids were babies and in daycare, was by knowing that when I am true to myself and do what my heart and soul call me to do, it is the absolute best choice for everyone. My heart and soul have always called me to have a career and so that’s what I have done. Are there trade-offs? Absolutely. But there are trade-offs in any decision we make. 

 

Regardless of how you get to the decision about working outside of the home or not, whether it is out of choice or out of necessity, once the decision is made—give yourself permission to let go of the guilt. You and your children will have different benefits and challenges than someone who made a different choice, but your kids will have great childhood experiences and a wonderful summer—either way.

 

What I try to do during the summer is make the most of my time with my kids when I’m not working. One way that I do this is to get them to help out with basic household tasks such as cleaning the house, doing the dishes, cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, and putting away the laundry. I remind them that the more they do to help me with stuff that needs to get done, the more time I will have to do fun stuff with them. This way, when I’m not working at simplify 101, I have more time to spend with the kids doing those fun bucket list items.

 

While we’re on the topic of guilt, I wanted to give some thoughts to Teresa who is feeling guilty that her house isn’t unpacked after moving two years ago. Here is her question:

 

We have two active girls (9 & 11). I started working this year after 11 yrs staying at home. We can hardly wait for weekends and holidays (to me it is time to get things done that didn't get done during the week). My children are convinced that I do not understand the meaning of the words "holiday" or "vacation" because we are always cleaning or sorting...BORING! They do each have a weekly chore schedule and are a big help. I would love to just have a fun summer with my kids for a change but the guilt of trying to finish unpacking after 2 yrs bothers me. It seems we don't have enough time to finish unpacking (and the realization of how much we stored in our garage in our last home...eek! We don't have a garage or the built in cupboards that we used to have.) I'm stuck in a cycle of unpacking, sorting, not knowing where to put things and NO FUN! =( There is no balance in our family right now.

 

This is another really great question! I’m so glad you asked it Teresa. It sounds as if your stuff right now is stealing your peace of mind and your ability to truly enjoy time off from work. Here’s a really important thing to keep in mind about the stuff that you can’t find a home for:  If it has been in boxes for two years this means you haven’t been using it for two years. How much of it do you really need? And, if you were to let it go, what would you gain in the process? Only you know for sure what you would gain, but I would venture to guess that time, peace of mind, and the ability to really enjoy time with your family, would be at the top of the list. So often when we let things go we think about what we’re giving up, but what if you shift that focus to what you will gain in return?

 

Here’s something for all of us to consider:  Summer is no time for guilt. Let’s make a pact to let it go this summer. Whether you feel guilty because you’re working while your kids are at home, or you feel guilty about unpacked boxes, or other unfinished projects—guilt isn’t productive. It just makes you feel worse. 

 

Instead of feeling guilty about something you can't change, focus on what you can change. And then go change it. In the case of the unpacked boxes, what if you divide your time off of work between unpacking (and letting go of stuff you don’t need) and enjoying fun time with your kids? Decide to go through a certain number of boxes per week or spend a certain number of minutes on weeknights and weekends chipping away at those boxes. If you tackle this project in small bits of time, and give yourself permission to have fun while there are still boxes to be unpacked, your entire family will enjoy the summer more—and you can spend it guilt-free. You’ll know you’re carving out time for a project that is getting under your skin, but more important, you’ll be spending time with the people who matter most to you.

 

Alright friends, I'd love to hear from you. Is there something you're feeling guilty about as you head into the summer? Are you ready to let it go?

 

Happy Friday!

Welcome to Summer!

It’s a bright, crisp morning outside. I hear neighbors heading to work and birds singing warnings about the neighbor’s cats. But inside my home, it’s still and incredibly peaceful. I’m not packing lunches or reminding anyone of the time or encouraging “less talking, more eating” at the breakfast table. In fact, the children are sleeping in — a well-deserved rest to celebrate this first day of their summer vacation from school.

 

This year, I feel like I have a vision for how I want summer to be, and a loosely structured plan on how to make it happen. My vision for the summer is for our family to relax and have fun! So I kicked off our summer by surprising the girls after school yesterday with this Pinterest-inspired bit of fun.

 

Can I get honest with you here? Since they began school, I have never been a big fan of summer break. In fact, I met it with more of sense of overwhelm and maybe even a little dread. I have friends who would comment that they couldn’t wait to have more time with the kids and less demands on the schedule, and I would feel quietly guilty that I didn’t share that sentiment. Oh, of course, I love my children infinitely. Yes, I love to be with them. But, I still had a job to do, plus housework and errands. Summer meant trying to keep up with it all while now having them with me 24x7; trying to keep them occupied and structured enough and also find time for all this family fun we are supposed to be having. Overwhelmed is an understatement.

 

This summer, I am super happy to tell you, I feel differently. I. Am. Excited! Why? I think it’s a number of reasons. For one, my girls are getting so much more self-sufficient. Two, it was a tougher school year in a lot of ways, and we are all relieved to be through it. Three, this is my first summer working at simplify 101, and that has meant planning for weeks in advance on how to structure my work time. Four, I’ve been absorbing all the good stuff that Aby has been doling out in the Get Organized for Summer blog series. I think all of this has come together and put me in a very good place for the summer ahead of us.

 

I don’t have things worked out 100%, and I don’t expect perfection from our summer. But I feel ready for it, and I am going to embrace it.

 

How about you? Do you loathe summer or love it? 

 

Happy Friday!

Add a Little Happy to Your Workspace

This time of year, the sunny weather outside can make it harder to stay inside and get your work done. (Are you noticing this, too?) When the weather starts to tug you away from your desk, it’s more important than ever to have a “happy” workspace – a place where you enjoy spending time! Here are three simple ideas to infuse your space with a little bit of happy—to make it a brighter, more pleasant place to be. 

 

Declutter. One of the simplest, fastest and least expensive ways to freshen up any space (and boost your feelings about it) is to clear out some clutter. Let go of tools and supplies you no longer love and are unlikely to use. Create some breathing room in your file cabinets by clearing out paperwork from completed projects and tasks. Reevaluate the items on your desk, and eliminate anything that isn’t either a daily essential or inspiring to your eye. Getting rid of even 15 minutes worth of clutter will breathe new energy into your space and make you feel happier when you’re there. 

 

Use creative storage solutions. Freshen up your work space with some creative storage solutions. Stock up on brightly colored flower pots or metal buckets and use them to corral basic office supplies such as pens, pencils and scissors. Use a ceramic egg crate or votive holders for small office essentials such as paper clips, rubber bands and extra staples. Repurpose favorite ceramic bowls for Post-it notes, small notepads and index cards. 

 

Freshen up your office supplies.  A simple way to make your space brighter and feel more fun is with some cheerful office supplies. For example, stock up on some new Post-it notes, such as the eco-friendly Farmers Market Collection, which will add a fresh burst of color to your space. Or, next time you need a new three-ring binder or need to restock on file folders, opt for colors you love that make you (and your whole space) a notch happier.

 

When your workspace is a place you like to be, it makes it easier and more enjoyable to get your work done—which means, you just might get outside faster. 

 

How do you make your workspace a place you'd like to be—even when the weather is luring you outside? Thanks for sharing your ideas!

Organize a Ransom Box + Freebie Friday

I kept coming across the idea of a toy jail/toy ransom box for items the kids don’t put away and thinking, “I should totally do that.” It’s such a great idea! I just could never seem to find the time to do it. But last weekend was sort of a perfect storm. I had just reread Aby’s tip to create a toy jail and also saw a couple pins on Pinterest for toy ransom boxes. Plus, it was the kind of weekend where the kids were just making messes and walking away, leaving a trail of chaos in their wake. Tell me it isn’t just my kids who do this, OK?

 

“That’s it,” I silently declared. I marched downstairs, found a storage tub, and got to work. The things they’d already been asked to pick up and were still lying about? Into the ransom box they went. And now? They belong to me!

 

To get an item back, the girls have to draw a slip from the envelope. Each slip should take them 10 minutes or less to accomplish, but I made sure to point out that 10 minutes is way longer than it would take to simply put their things away when asked. I included jobs that always need doing around the house (clean the front door windows), funny things (sing a song about why you will never leave your things out again), and surprising things (get out of jail free).

 

Now, don’t tell my girls, but I actually feel a little excited for them to leave stuff out now. Just picture me drumming my fingertips together and laughing maniacally, because that’s basically how it makes me feel. But that’s way better than feeling so frustrated over their clutter, right? And then when they earn their things back, we are all happy.

 

Anyway, that is just one of the great ideas that Aby shares in her Organizing with Your Kids online workshop. Could you use more ideas and help like this? Well, lucky readers, you can use this coupon code TEAMUP2 to save 15% off on this workshop now through May 3 (may not be combined with other coupon codes / offers). Also, one extra lucky reader will be selected at random for a free spot in this workshop! Here’s how to enter this giveaway (up to three chances to win):

1. Leave a comment below saying what you’d ask your child to do to get their belongings back.
2. Tweet about this giveaway, then come back and leave another comment letting us know you did.
3. Pin an image from this post on Pinterest, then leave another comment letting me know you did.

The giveaway ends on Monday, April 30, 2012, and the winner will be notified by email. Good luck!

Happy organizing!

**Comments are now closed! Thanks so much for entering. :)**

Get Organized for the Summer: Create a Vision + Plan + Free Printables

 

This is the third post in our series on getting organized for the summer. To read the first two posts go here and here.

Create a Vision

My last post in our Get Organized for the Summer Series about “when are you at your best” left some of you a bit quiet. Have you given it some thought…just on your own? Does it feel a bit uncomfortable to ponder what you want? This can definitely be out of the norm for women—thinking of ourselves and allowing ourselves to put our needs first. But, it really is okay to want what’s best for yourself. In turn, you are better for everyone else. So I’d really like to encourage you to give it some thought—even if you do so privately. This insight will be really helpful as you move onto the next steps in planning for the summer.  

 

So what’s next you ask? Well, once you’ve given thought to when you are at your best, the next step in getting organized for the summer is to think about your vision. What do you want your summer to be like? Do you want a pre-planned, activity-packed summer with something fun and different to do each day? Or do you want to slow down and be spontaneous? Or is it important to you to be ultra-productive, and get some big projects checked off your to-do list? 

 

I’ve posed these questions as an either/or proposition. In other words, I asked “do you want this” or “do you want that?” This implies that you can’t have it all—that you can’t be spontaneous and slow down, and be ultra-productive and get big projects done. Certainly that would be tough to pull off in a single day, but it is possible to pull it off over the course of the summer. 

 

The key is to get clear about what you want for the summer, and then establish priorities. What is most important? That’s where your vision comes in. If you had a magic wand and could create the summer of your dreams—what would it be like? How would you spend your time? What would be on your to-do list? What would you strike from your to-do list either permanently or until fall? Think about what you loved about past summers and what hasn’t worked well in summer’s past. Then, get your kids and spouse in on this, too. You might be surprised at their answers about how an ideal summer looks.

 

Once you’ve given some thought to these questions, write a short sentence to describe your vision for the summer. The ideal statement will allow you to focus on what is most important to you this summer. It will act as your compass throughout the season. For example, if it’s important to slow down and have a spontaneous summer, your vision will serve to remind you not to over-schedule. Your summer vision can be as simple as a few words, or as elaborate as a few sentences. Simply try to encapsulate what it is that you (and your family members) want out of this time of year. 

 

Here are some ideas:
 

• This summer I will slow down and create space for spontaneous fun. My project list can wait until fall.

• Relax.

• More fun. More done. (Hey that one sounds like a tag line I know. Notice that the fun comes first.)

• When I am at my best, I have a better version of me to share with those I love.

• Play.

• EnJOY the delights of summer.

 

Are your creative juices flowing for your own summer vision? Don’t stress out over creating the perfect statement, simply come up with something that feels right and captures what you want the summer to be. Use lots of words if you need to, or just a couple if that gets the job done. 

 

Create a Plan

Step 1:  Record scheduled events + activities on your calendar.

Once you have your summer vision in mind, it’s time to create a plan. I like to start my summer planning by pulling out a fresh calendar and filling in what I know for sure. I start by recording the last day of school and the first day of school next year. Then, I take a look at camp schedules and start penciling things in.

For your plan, start by printing out a copy of our summer planning calendar via the links below and put them in your command central binder.

  

summer-planning-calendar-may

summer-planning-calendar-june

summer-planning-calendar-july

summer-planning-calendar-august

 

Then, fill in activities and events that you know for sure and things that must happen at a specific date or time. Do you have any vacations scheduled? Classes? Camps? Weekend getaways? Day trips? How about weddings or showers—do you have any of those coming up this summer? Graduations? Reunions? Other planned events like Barbeques? Fourth of July fireworks? Pencil those things onto your calendar...and then meet me back here next week for the final steps in our planning process. 

 

Next week as we continue on with the series, we’ll talk about adding in the unscheduled items to your plan—both fun stuff and to-do list stuff. I’ll also begin answering your summer organizing questions from the initial post. Woohoo!

 

Have a great weekend!

Get Organized for Summer: When are you at your best?

A big thank you to everyone who posted questions about getting organized for the summer! It was fun to read your questions and hear about your summer challenges. I’ll be answering some of the specific questions soon, but wanted to start the blog series with some general posts about getting organized for summer. These initial posts will be applicable to anyone with a summer schedule change or conflicting priorities during the summer. Which is a lot of us, I think! 

 

From reading your questions, and from my own personal experience working at home during the summer, one of the biggest challenges about summer is conflicting priorities. On the one hand, we want summer to be a carefree, spontaneous, open-schedule time of year similar to the summers of our childhood. But on the other hand, we have stuff to get done! Shouldn’t we put all that summer free-time to good use? Then you add in fun stuff you want to do like vacations, camps, and other things to keep the kids entertained, and suddenly it’s hard to know which end is up! 

 

So before we get too far into planning for the summer, the first step is to become clear about your own priorities. What do you want out of the summer? That’s what we’re going to be talking about first. Today, I’d like to ask you this question:

 

Now you may be wondering what this has to do with getting organized for summer. And I think, quite a bit. See, if you’re a mom of kids who will be home for the summer, or if you’re in charge of keeping things running smoothly at your home and you want the summer to run smoothly, it’s really important that you are running smoothly. You set the tone for your whole family, so it’s a great idea to understand what makes you tick and to know when you are at your best.

 

Have you ever thought about that before—when are you at your best? I have. In fact, I’ve been thinking about it quite a lot lately. Some things have changed in my schedule over the past few months, and in the process, some of the things that help me feel my best and be at my best, have fallen by the wayside. And this can easily happen in the summer, too, without some forethought and planning.

 

So now is a great time for me to reconnect with what makes me tick. And I’d like to invite you to join me in the process. Simply start by answering the question:  When are you at your best? Then, jot down anything and everything that comes to mind. Here’s my list, in no particular order:

 

I am at my best when…

• I am well rested.

• I have something fun to look forward to.

• I am working on an important or inspiring project or goal.

• I am healthy.

• I exercise at least three times per week.

• I feel fit and feel good about my body. (This one is especially important for me in the summer, by the way.)

• I feel good about what I’m wearing.  

• I spend time outside.

• I have some quiet time and alone time each and every day. 

• I have space to think and let my mind wander.

• My house is organized, clean and clutter-free.

• I feel in control of my to-do list.

• My to-do list has fun stuff on it! 

• My family is healthy and happy.

• I have time to spend with the people I love.

• I am spending my time with fun, positive and supportive people. 

 

How about you? When are you at your best? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Or if you’d like to brainstorm this privately, simply capture your thoughts on a piece of paper. We’ll be using these thoughts soon for the next step in our summer planning process. So make sure to really give this some thought. And thanks so much for sharing your thoughts in the comments. I love hearing from you. 

Organizing with Kids: Handling Hand-Me-Downs

“Do your kids get hand-me-downs from friends or family? If so, sort and purge right away. Keep only those items your child will use or wear.” ~Aby Garvey

That’s a snippet of advice that Aby offers in her Organizing with Your Kids online workshop. It sounds so simple, I know, but it’s one of those things that rocked my organizing world! I honestly had never even considered this. Purging clothes that might possibly be worn at some point in time by some member of my family? Preposterous!

 

 

Since my children were born, I have wrestled with large bags of hand-me-downs, storage tubs, and overstuffed closets and drawers. We are so fortunate to have such an overabundance of clothing, I know, particularly since most of it comes to us second-hand. But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve received an article of clothing for the girls, immediately disliked it or knew that neither daughter could/would wear it. Would I purge it? No. I would stuff it in with the other things…just in case.

 

Recently, I discovered why I do this. I was talking with my mom about her frustrations with a small clothes closet. She commented that she ought to just get rid of the majority of her clothes because she doesn’t wear them.

 

Then she said, “No, I’m kidding. Of course I wouldn’t do that.”

 

I said, “No? Why not?”

 

She thought for a moment before realizing she doesn’t actually know why. It simply feels wrong to her to get rid of perfectly good clothes. Maybe you’ve been there, too. I know I have. 

 

This simple conversation was such a light bulb moment for me! My holding on to hand-me-downs (and other things for that matter) is how I was raised! It makes so much sense when I think about it, too. My parents were born at the tail end of the Great Depression, and that experience shaped them. They would regularly wear clothing and shoes that didn’t fit, much less feel comfortable or reflect their personal style. They had large families, and clothing items were passed along, mended and repurposed until they literally became rags.

 

But my family is very fortunate, because those are not the circumstances we are living with.  Aby’s advice from the workshop, along with the understanding of why I’ve held on to clothes that we won’t wear, has had a terrific impact.

 

First, I have become more realistic about what will or will not be worn by the children, my husband, or even me!

 

Second, I have freed myself from the feeling that it’s wrong to get rid of good clothes. Instead, I’ve realized quite the opposite. Just because we won’t or can’t wear something doesn’t mean someone else won’t. I have always sought out other children to hand down to, participated in clothing swaps, and donated to charitable organizations.  But now, clothes that are really just clutter in our home move on to find a new happy home sooner rather than later.

 

Third, it’s great to create breathing room in the closets and drawers. I love the discovery that I didn’t actually need more storage in the kids’ rooms. I just needed less clothing clutter!

 

How about you? Do you have kids’ clothing clutter or clothing clutter of your own? Have you held onto things in the past, simply because it felt wrong to let them go? How do you feel about reconsidering this belief? We’d love to hear from you.

 

Happy Organizing,

P.S. Now is a great time to purge clothes as you get ready for summer. Speaking of which, if you have questions about getting organized for your summer, there’s still time to post your question to Aby for this blog series!

Getting Organized for Summer

Summer is coming! We’ve definitely been talking about it here at work as this will be my first summer working at simplify 101. Between Aby and Jay’s two kids and my two kids, there are a lot of summer activities, plans and vacation schedules to figure out. But when my daughters’ friend happily told me there are 23 days of school left before summer vacation, I hyperventilated. OK, no, not really. But I definitely got that super-panicked feeling because I have a whole lot to figure out and not a lot of time left to do it in!

 

What I’d really like to do is sit Aby down and just ask her all my questions. After all, she’s done this dance of balancing her business and spending summer with the kids at home for years, so I know she’s got some wisdom to share!

 

What are you wondering about in terms of getting organized for the summer? If you could use some help figuring out how to structure your summer, now’s your chance to ask Aby. Whether it’s about organizing your summer schedule, making travel plans, identifying your summer priorities, keeping the kiddos occupied, or more, just post your questions in the comments below. Aby will try to answer as many as possible in upcoming blog posts! 

 

Happy Organizing!