For me, Summer is all about long days, a flexible schedule, and fun!  I like to have structure in my daily schedule and Summer brings a big change for sure!  But an organized Summer is definitely always a goal for me!

If I don’t plan for the change now and start to get organized, my Summer will be a hot mess.  But you can act now in some really easy ways to prevent some of the common pitfalls so your Summer will be legendary (can you tell I’m deep into watching the entire How I Met Your Mother series on Netflix?)!  I’m talking about stuff you can do TODAY that will get you to the place you want to be this Summer.  Let’s dive right on in:

Do this Now for an Organized Summer

1.  Switch over your wardrobe.

Find what fits and what you’ll wear for the Summer season.  Start to stow away heavier clothing to make room for the more appropriate clothing for the warmer weather.  Make a list of items you’ll need and start shopping!

2.  Take 15 minutes and weed through your medicine/lotion/potion stash and get rid of expired items.

Also ditch items that have changed in appearance (color, thickness) or smell.  Those are all signs the product should have a dumpster date.  Make sure you have sunscreen on hand!

3.  Think ahead to any trips you have planned for the Summer.

Start to make packing lists and add to the list as you think of items.  When trip time comes, you’ll have a mostly complete list and will be less likely to forget something.

4.  No trips planned yet?

Spend a few minutes and think about what you’d like to do this Summer.  Then start planning so you can make it happen!  I think Tim Allen’s voice has finally convinced me to visit Michigan this Summer.  Anyone else love those Pure Michigan ads?  I know I can’t be alone on this!

5.  Get meal planning now!

Find 10-20 easy to make Summer friendly meals.  Make sure several are no cook or are meals that can be prepped in advance.  Having this flexibility will make your Summer easy breezy!  I’m working on my list right now.  I’ll share it when it’s done so I can provide some new ideas for you!

6.  Stow away any Winter gear including footwear, snow brushes in cars, and the like.

Get these items out of your way now so that you won’t be tripping over them trying to get summer items.  Um, I found a winter hat lurking out and about in my laundry/mud room and I spied an ice scraper in my car door pocket just yesterday.  On an 80 degree day.

7.  Got kids?

Take some time now to figure out what your days and weeks will look like.  Register now for day camps, swimming lessons, and other activities.  Sketch out days and activities so that there is some structure.  This will be especially good for school aged children who are used to the structure of a school day.  I’m not talking about scheduling every minute of the day, but setting a loose schedule to prevent boredom on the part of your kids and annoyance on your part!  For my kids, Lego and hockey camps have been scheduled and paid for, but I have to find an art camp yet…

8.  Clean out your car!

With a de-winterized car, you’ll have a fresh space ready for Summer adventures.  Once you have your car cleaned out, stash some snacks in the back/trunk.  I find these come in handy for spur of the moment detours to Summer friendly places.  At least once a Summer, we’ll impulsively decide to go see the waterfalls in Chagrin Falls when we’re already out and about and the snacks can help tie the kids over until the next mealtime.

9.  Clean out your garage.

Clear away the dirt and grime of Winter for a fresh start for the new season.  My husband did this about a month ago.  I had meant to take pictures for a how to, but that’ll have to wait since he beat me to the punch.  Our garage gets a little out of control during the Winter, so it is a real sight come Spring!  It’ll be a good picture story next year.

So there you have it!  9 Super easy things you can act on right now to set you on your way to an organized Summer.  Want even more Summer organization tips?  Read this post!