For those of us with kids in school, summer vacation is quickly approaching. My kids get out in less than a month and I’m so excited to have them home!

Summer is supposed to be a time of relaxing, family bonding, and having fun! It can quickly turn into a time of running from one activity to another if we aren’t intentional and purposeful.

As my kids are growing up (weren’t they just babies last week?) I’m very aware that if I don’t savor these sweet years, it won’t be long until they are gone and won’t be home to enjoy the summers with.

Here are 4 ways I’m simplifying now to savor summer with my family:

1. Put away all winter clothing.

Hats, gloves, boots, and sweaters are getting put into the totes until we need them again next fall. This clears out a lot of room in our porch and closets, (not that they won’t get full again with baseball uniforms, ball gloves, sunscreen, and swimming gear) so we can find the items we need! By having less mess, I will have more time to spend on other important things!

2. Start freezer cooking to prepare for busy summer evenings!

With 4 kids playing t-ball, baseball, and softball we end up at ball games 4 nights a week during June. This can cause budget issues with eating out so many nights a week as well as a menu filled with junk food. By doing some prep work now, I can have an easy menu plan for those busy nights. Some quick ideas include having hamburger patties already prepared to put on the grill, making two lasagnas instead of one, so I can put one in the freezer for later, and making and freezing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids to enjoy as a snack on the way to a ball game.

3. Declutter toys.

This is a great time of year to go through the toy box and find the toys that have been abandoned since Christmas, broken, or outgrown. If you can get the stuff out that the kids no longer play with, it will be easier to find toys that they want to play with. My goal is to toss the broken stuff and donate the rest for other kids to enjoy!

4. Simplify activities.

Is everyone in your home tired of running from one activity to another? We have found that by cutting back on many activities during the summer can help eliminate a lot of stress. You can always add them back in the fall!

This summer I want our family to be able to visit friends, spend time at the lake, lounge around while reading a book, go swimming, play baseball, catch fireflies, fish, ride bikes, fly kites, and enjoy their 4-H animals. If the summer if packed with other activities that we can do during the school year, we won’t have time to do these special summer things and before we know it, school will be starting again!

What do you want to do this summer? Do you need to simplify life now so you will be able to savor life with your family?