Now is the time to… (getting ready for summer)

(For the 2017 update of this post, click here: Get ready for Summer 2017)

I can’t believe it, but we are almost at summertime. The school year has gone by so fast! There are several things you can do to get ready (if you haven’t already).

Make sure you have everything your kids need for camp:

• Swimsuits – 3 per child is good so you don’t have to wash and dry suits every night
• Enough towels – 2 per child is good
• Sunscreen
• Nametag on backpack
• Sun or baseball hat
• Clothing labels – if going away to camp
• Sharpie permanent markers – for marking everything with your child’s name
• Wet bags – We use the wet bags from our diaper days to hold the kids’ wet swimsuits and towels after swimming, so their backpacks don’t get soaked.
• A soft lunchbag that fits easily in a backpack.
• Water bottles – For summer I prefer to buy the dollar store kind (2 per child) because my son tends to lose his often!
• Large Ziploc bags to store extra clothes in your child’s backpack. The bag helps protect them from any loose wet items in his or her backpack. It can also double as a wet bag for wet suits after swimming. However, I prefer the diaper wet bags because they are bigger and can store the towel as well.

Make sure your lawn mower is in good working order and you have plenty of gas (if it is gas-powered).

Also stock up on yard waste bags and stickers if your town requires them for pick-up of yard waste. (This is mainly an issue in the Fall when there are lots of leaves to dispose of.)

Check that your air conditioner is working well and that you have a fresh filter.

You may want to consider signing up for a yearly service contract from your local heating/air conditioning repair company. See my post “Service plans and warranties.”

Join a summer reading club (for your kids or yourself).

See my posts “Summer Reading Programs 2012: Promote reading and earn prizes” and “More Summer Reading programs 2012.”

Buy your end-of-the-year teacher gifts. Ideas include:

• Notepads
• Journals
• Post-it pads or a pop-up post-it dispenser – Post-it has many cute designs.
• Personalized notecards
• Other cute office supplies
• Picture frames or a small scrapbook or album
• Food (such as dried fruits or nuts, chocolates, unique juices or waters).
• Crafts are always a big hit, especially if your child made them! Family Fun magazine always has great ideas for teacher gifts kids can make.

For more ideas on inexpensive teacher gifts, see Kosher on a Budget’s posts:

• “Vistaprint Freebies (Teachers Gifts) – 6 FREEBIES for Just $9 Shipped”
• “140 Address Labels for Just $3.50 Shipped (Thru 4/4/12)”
• “Vistaprint | 5 FREEBIES for Spring (Notebooks, Rubber Stamps + More).”

NOTE: These deals are not available right now, but they give you ideas for gifts you can make inexpensively on Vistaprint and other similar sites. Subscribe to the websites’ email lists and check Kosher on a Budget for deals coming up.

Check your grill to make sure it is working well and buy any supplies you need.

• Do you have an extra gas tank or a fresh bag or charcoal?
• Do you have an extra bottle of lighter fluid or a chimney to use for lighting the grill (if using a charcoal grill)?
• Do you need any new tools?

Enjoy your summer preparations!

If you have any other things you do to get ready for summer, share them below!