…and get organized for fall. This is the topic of my July newsletter (which I’ll be sending out later today!) It’s hard to believe it, but where I live, there are just four weeks left until it’s back to school! In my article this month I talk about ideas to make the most out of summer, and get started now for fall.

We’ve been having loads of fun this summer…catching fireflies, going for walks in the evening, riding our bikes, growing a garden, and just enjoying all that is good about summer. But I still have a few things I want to be sure to do before summer officially fades away:

  • Go to a local farmer’s market. We have a great farmer’s market in my town…now that baseball season is over and my Saturday’s are freer, this is going to the top of the list.
  • Get up early and enjoy the cool(er) summer mornings going for a walk or a run. I love getting up at the crack of dawn and heading outdoors. It’s getting to be the time of the summer when morning (or evening) are the few bearable hours heat-wise.
  • Make S’mores. Yum. Even though we don’t have a camping trip planned…maybe S’mores over the grill. That sounds fun. 🙂
  • Go to the water-park. It’s become a summer tradition…and it’s still on the to-do list! I’ve got that one scheduled for next week. Keep your finger’s crossed for good weather.

OK…so now that we’ve got the fun captured, let’s get organized for fall. Here are just a few of the ideas I shared in the newsletter, along with more info on making them happen:

  • Create a homework station. Keep a stash of extra school and craft supplies at home so your child will have everything he needs at the ready come homework time. With all the back-to-school sales, now is a great time to stock up. This past blog post shares ideas for setting up a craft / homework cabinet.
  • Set-up a lunch station. Carve out a spot in the kitchen for lunch-making supplies. This past blog post shows you how.
  • Update your home management binder. Clear out old info and create space for the new school paperwork headed your way.
  • Set up a school paperwork binder. If there’s one thing I don’t miss about school, it’s all those papers that come home in the backpack! (Are you with me on that one?) Get ready for the onslaught of paper by setting up a school artwork binder—a centralized place to corral together the keepsakes your kids bring home from school. You can find more info on that project here.

How about you? What are your plans for squeezing the best out of what’s left of summer? Do you still have things on your summer fun to-do list? How about plans for getting ready for fall? Please share…I love hearing your thoughts and ideas!