Organizing Checklist for June

School will be over for the summer; the children or grandchildren will be around and now is the time to prepare for the summer months ahead.


An avalanche of school papers may be arriving for you to handle this month. My best advice is to let the child decide which to keep. Keepsake boxes or binders can be used for these. My daughter has those special papers for the year inexpensively spiral bound by a local printing company.

This is the beginning of hurricane season. If you live in an area affected by hurricaines, high winds or rising waters, you should review the list of necessary emergency items and secure those now.

Outdoor furniture can become havens for insects. Check over each piece every time you use them.

Consider using a leaf blower to clean debris from patios, decks, porches and outdoor furniture. It is fast and effective.

Keep outdoor umbrellas closed when not in use. It will extend their usefulness and prevent damage during high winds or thunderstorms. I have personal experience with this one.

Evaluate your outdoor art and keep it to a minimum. Too much is clutter. Colorful flowers are the best accent to the outdoors.

If you are gardening throughout the summer, consider replacing gardening chemicals with safer and more environmentally friendly choices.

If you will be travelling with kids while school is out this summer, create a permanent travel kit with activities for them. If it is only used for travel, the items will appear to be almost new to them.

For your travelling convenience, create a permanent supply box or bag with items you always need. Some of these may be duplicates of items you use everyday at home.

A permanent travel checklist that you keep on your computer or in a convenient notebook is a great strategy to prevent forgetting items you always need. I keep one just for quilt retreats, my favorite travel experience!