It’s Time to Summerize

After a cool and wet spring, warm weather is set to blanket most regions of the country this week. But you’ll want to keep that hot air outside by #summerizing your home, if you haven’t already. Summerizing is just like winterizing, says doityourself, except that some of the appliances are different. Clean the air conditioning units and replace filters. Fix any missing or faulty caulk and weatherstripping. Put a towel underneath doors to prevent cool air form escaping. And finally, make sure that ceiling fans are rotating counterclockwise to direct cooler air downward.

Use the Longest Days to Declutter and Donate

Use the longest days of the year to volunteer for a cause that’s close to your heart, GoodNet suggests. “Volunteering brings with it a deep appreciation of all that you have in life, and helping those in need is a firm reminder of what really matters,” the blog says. One easy way to help veterans in need is to use a few of those extra daylight hours to weed out your unused clothing, small appliances and other household junk and make a donation to ClothingDonations.org. We’ll pick up your donation and resell your castoff goods to fund valuable veterans’ programs.

Make the Most of the Rest of Your Summer

Symbolically, at least, July 4th marks the middle of summer. If your local schools let out before Memorial Day, that’s pretty accurate — you’ve already spent about six weeks of the season, and there are probably about six more to go before school starts again.

Even if your schedule is no longer dictated by a school calendar, you may feel like the clock is ticking on your summer fun. The warm weather is likely to stick around until September and October even in the Northern climes, but the pressure is on.

The answer? Get organized and make the most of what’s left of your summer!

Grab a calendar — a paper one, if possible. Is there a trip you’ve been meaning to take? Book your airline tickets or get the oil changed ahead of that road trip. Are there friends you’ve been meaning to invite over for a cookout? Text them or send an electronic invite, and pencil them in.

On a tight budget? And Then We Saved offers 23 ways to make the most of your summer, including finding a swimming hole, going camping or volunteering. Tackling your to-do list and joining a team are other suggestions, alongside just kicking back in a hammock.

If you want to improve your home while it’s nice enough to keep the windows open, consider taking a summer day to do a good decluttering. There’s no time like the present to sell, donate or trash the extra stuff that’s been spilling out of your closets since last summer.

Lifehack suggests a range of thrifty summer activities such as being a tourist in your own hometown and going for a nature walk. And while you’re at it, the site says, take lots of pictures so you can create fond memories of summer 2018.

It isn’t your imagination: The clock is ticking — just as it always is. But summer has that added connotation of “fun in the sun” and “vacation” that makes you want to pack all of the fun activities you can into a few short months.

Make a list of the summery things you want to do, and start checking them off, one by one. Don’t waste another minute if you want to make the second half of your summer even more magical than the first!

A New Home For Your Old Things!

Finding garage sale items a home. If there are still items that weren’t sold at your garage sale this year, don’t bring them back into your home. Again, donate them to us if they’re in good shape. Your donations will help fund our veterans programs. Any gently used clothes, accessories, or books are greatly appreciated!