It may seem like summer is too far away to worry about, but it’s never too early to plan. Does your summer include camps and enrichment programs for the kids? What about a family vacation?
Spend a little time thinking about the ways to spend those coveted summer days. Here’s a day-by-day planner:
1. Monday: If you’re a dreamer, then this will be your favorite part of the week. Sit down and think about what you really want to do this summer. Dreaming of trying something you’ve never done before? Want the kids to learn to swim? Thinking about taking that trip to a national park? Jot down your many ideas in a notebook or on your computer.
2. Tuesday: Move on from dreaming. Tuesday is all about reality. Take a long, hard look at your budget and figure out what works for you. Once you’ve set a budget, you’ll have a better idea of how to focus your ideas.
3. Wednesday: Now dig in and do some research. Get all of the information about locations, travel costs or camp application deadlines. If you’re researching online, don’t waste paper printing things out. Clip relevant web pages and save it in a “summer” folder using Evernote (www.Evernote.com), an incredible free program.
4. Thursday: As any mother of school-age children knows, all of the camps and summer activities come with their own lists of deadlines. Make a list of all of the dates: when the application is due, when payment needs to be sent and when medical forms are required. Then transfer the list to your calendar.
5. Friday: Today is the day to talk it over with family members. Make sure your son really does want to go to baseball camp or your spouse is really OK with a camping trip instead of a beach vacation. After the family chat, book it. When summer rolls around, you’ll all be able to enjoy it that much more because you’re ready for it.
The writers are co-founders of Buttoned Up, a company dedicated to helping stressed women get organized. Send ideas and questions to yourlife@getbuttonedup.com.
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