Heading back to reality

While there is still plenty of summer fun to be had (check out our Summer Bucket list if you're running out of ideas), it's not a bad idea to start preparing for the school year. Here are a couple quick ideas for you and your kids to slowly get back in the structure of the school year.

1. Start transitioning back into normal routines. While I like staying up late and lounging in my pjs all morning as much as the next person, this won't last much longer. It's a good idea to start getting your kids (and yourself) to bed slightly earlier during August so everyone is getting used to the "new" routine. Getting up, dressed and ready for the day even if you're heading to the pool or hanging at home will make it that much easier when you have to head out the door early come September.

2. Enjoy the rest of summer...but don't cram too much in! It's easy to go in full panic mode that summer is almost gone and plan every fun event you haven't gotten to. But that may lead to grouchiness, which certainly won't make those activities very fun. Pick your top 2-3 activities and spread them out over the next month. And don't forget, running around the backyard or just getting snowballs is what real summer memories are made of.

3. Prep ahead of time. Think about what you are going to need to prep, plan, and purchase before the school year. Get your workspace/home office or command center in order and ready to receive those thousands of papers that come home from school. And look ahead to the coming months and think about how to want to schedule fall activities to avoid feeling too overwhelmed and stressed once things get busy.

Happy August. Enjoy the heat and don't worry TOO much about what's to come :)