Oh, the summer months are upon us and how exciting it is for us parents and especially for our kiddos. For some reason, Summer = “Oldies but Goodies” movies pop into my mind every year. We treat ourselves every year on the first day of summer. We sit down with a healthy snack (candy and a Coke/Dr. Pepper LOL), kick our feet up with a comfy jumpsuit, and watch a movie that screams summer. Our favorites include Shag, Grease and From the kids running out of Rydell High in Grease to the famous song “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper in Dazed and Confused, We can’t help but get chills and they’re multiplyin’ with excitement.
Summer has two different meanings in my vocabulary. To a kid, it means endless play time, fun vacations, and friends. To some of us adults, SUMMER = NO ROUTINE. During the school year, we are like a machine. We know what to do every night, what to do in the morning, and what is expected when we get home from school. It is just second nature to us. We wish we could say the same about summer, but nope and we are ok with that. We are ready for the break just like our kiddos, Since summer throws so many different adventures at us, we might not be able to stay in a routine but we can stay organized.
Five Easy Tips on staying organized throughout the fun summer months ahead.
Weekly Clothes Organizer
With baseball and summer camps, we are continuously having to put on a new outfit. One of our biggest struggles especially during the summer is finding our uniforms or clothes- even when it's right in front of them. Are we right ladies? We bought this weekly clothes organizer from Amazon and absolutely love it. Now when we finish washing our sons' uniform, we will fold it and put it into his game day pocket. No more “Mom, where are my pants?”, “Mom, where are my socks?”!! (Happy-Clap)
Road Trip Organizer for Car
We bought this car organizer from Amazon, and we keep it in the backseat of our car during the summer months filled with the “Man, I wish I had some…” items that seem to always get left at home. We try to not use the items unless needed, but in our family it seems to be used more times than not. :) Our car organizer includes- a $20 bill for emergency cash, sunscreen, bug repellent, trashbag, extra pair of googles, sunglasses and car games for road trips.
Empty Tote/Bag in Car
We are continuously traveling in the summer. If we are not traveling on a vacation, we are traveling to a baseball game. Our cars seems to be the catch-all because we are in it so much. When our car has gloves on the seat, shoes kicked off, and toys on the floorboard, we get a little overwhelmed. We have decided instead of making three or four trips to the car, it will now only be one using the oversized bag we bought from Amazon. It folds up nicely and does not take up much room.
Chore Chart
We know a chore chart is nothing new, but to Brooke's little family it will be. Brooke's kiddos are finally old enough to have some responsibilities around the house (Brooke jumping for joy as she types). Their chore chart will be on the simpler side, but the message behind the chart will be the same no matter the age.
Menu Planning
“Mom, I’m hungry- what’s for dinner?” is already popping into my mind when I think of summer. Our summer dinners are usually simple and easy because we are constantly going. Not only will this make grocery shopping easier and cheaper, it will keep you from having to throw something together at the last minute.
In the words of Luanne (Page Hannah in Shag) “We can have a good time, but we cannot be wild” is the perfect quote to end this blog. Our families are counting down the days until summer, and we are sure you and your family are as well. Please let us know if you have any more tips that you use during the summer months that we should try.
If you are interested in purchasing any of of these items, you can go to our LiketoKnow.it page @theoldrivernest. We have all the links there.
If you have any tips for staying organized during the summer, please share in the comments. We would love to read your ideas!
Happy Tuesday Friend,
Amber & Brooke :)