Five things to do before you leave for vacation.

I am in the process of packing up my family for a week at the beach. While I am really excited I know there is a lot that needs to be done before I go. I have learned that a little extra work prior to the vacation really making coming back home so much easier. 

So I will share what I do with you. Here goes!

5 Things to do before you leave for vacation:

Clean, Clean Clean!

My design style for my home is ‘/in’ or ‘tornado aftermath’. What I am trying to say is my house is cleanest when company is coming over. There is nothing worse (in my mind) than coming home from vacation to dirty dishes and floors that need to be vacuumed. Your home doesn’t have to be spotless, mine sure isn’t but coming back from a vacation produces a whole other mess so think of this cleaning as preparation for the mess you will bring home.

Get your bed together!

This is a bit of a continuation of #1 but, I like to put fresh sheets on my bed the night before we leave for our vacation. The morning that you leave should consist of just straightening out the covers and making the bed look nice. This bed making is often the only time that year that it gets made! Hey don’t judge, we are all friends here! My thinking behind this is that one of the best things about returning from vacation is sleeping in your own bed, and there is nothing better than sleeping on clean sheets. So it is a double whammy of goodness!

Clean out your Fridge.

In a perfect would this would get done weekly, right? Let’s face it, sometimes it doesn’t happen. You will be glad that you tossed the bowl of leftovers that have become unidentifiable! Bonus, your fridge won’t be stinky when you get home and there will be plenty of room for new groceries.

Cook!

The last thing that you want to hear from me is to cook but hear me out! Being on vacation is fantastic, what isn’t fantastic is returning home and realizing that you have nothing to feed your family. I make a batch of baked spaghetti or lasagna before we leave and freeze it. When we get home it is so nice to have a home-cooked meal that is ready to pop in the oven. At the very least hide a $20 in your house so that you have money to grab a pizza when you get back. Often I also, buy some cans of cinnamon rolls to have for breakfast the day after we return as well.

Hire someone!

This tip would be to preserve my husband’s sanity, I do what I can since I drive him crazy! Call the local lawn service (if you don’t already use one) or ask the neighbor boy to come over and cut the grass the day before you will be returning home.  It will be a nice surprise for the person who cuts the grass in your family.

What do you do to prepare your home for a vacation?