Summer Planning

Summer is right around the corner. And with that means kids will be home and need things to do. This takes a little planning, so a few weeks before I always start writing down a list of fun activities that the kids can either do on their own or together as a family. (Mine are still young so most of them we do together.) 

It is amazing at how fast a summer flies by and having ideas of things 

to do can help make it more memorable and less "boring" 

(as my five year old has now learned to say. :)

Here you can see a "Summer Days" list that I made and put into a frame to hang for everyone to see. I wrote in the activities and included some little boxes. Once it was put behind the glass, I simply used a dry erase marker to mark them off. 

You can see this one was from a couple of years ago. I usually change the way I display it a bit each year. Did we complete every activity? No. But we did do a lot. And we had a lot of fun doing them. 

Download your own copy here.

If you'd care to make your own, I am including a blank copy for you to download. (It actually prints on to two sheets of paper or cardstock. You may have to cut it a bit to fit them together. ) That way you can make your own list that works for your kids and family.

As I mentioned earlier, I like to change mine up each year. 

So stay tuned for this year's "Summer Bucket List" 

(coming later this week)!

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Garage Sale Prep {The Night Before/Day of the Sale}

If you've been following along, you may be wondering where I've been the last few days. Or you may have guessed from my last post that I have been preparing for a garage sale that we are having...actually...today. Sorry I've kept you hanging, I've been having a hard time "getting it all done" lately. Honestly, I'll be happy when this sale is over. 

But before it is, I thought I'd share what I've learned to do on the night before (as well as the day of) a big sale.

1. If you saw my last post (garage sale prep a week before) you read that I like to put an ad in Craigslist earlier in the week--to get folks excited. I then refresh my ad and post it again the day before. Hard core garage sale goers like to make a plan before heading out to their garage sale destinations. I want to be a part of their plan.

2.  Now that we've collected/made our signs, it's time to set them up. It is better to have a few too many than not enough. Make sure your sale is well marked. I also like to write the time frame of my sale on my signs to give buyers a heads up.

3. Have cash on hand. I always like to make sure I have some cash (mainly ones and quarters). You don't want to miss a sale because you don't have change. A cash box comes in handy but certainly isn't necessary. 

4. Keep extra bags (grocery/shopping bags) on hand to help buyers if they are buying multiple items. 

5. Play some music. Lighten the mood a little with some tunes. Nothing too crazy or loud. Just enough to get rid of any uncomfortable silence and add a little fun. :) 

6. Last but not least, as I mentioned in the first post of this series, keep the kids occupied. I found this super fun cardboard lemonade stand that you color yourself at Michaels. Thought this would be a fun way for the kids to get involved a little and still have some fun. (Don't you worry. My husband is also taking the day off so he will be there to help. )

Okay, that's it! Wish me luck!

If you're thinking about having your own garage sale be sure and read my other posts in this series.

Planning a garage sale (3-4 weeks before)

Garage Sale Prep (A Few Days to a Week Before)

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