Countdown to Summer Vacation

Once that last bell rings, we all want to forget the school year ever existed and plop our butts on the beach, right? Here are some quick tips to get you ready for summer fun.

Classroom cleanup:

Teachers, do you wish it were like the old days, when child labor laws weren't so tough? I remember the last week of school was devoted to wiping down desks, washing blackboards and packing away bulletin board and games. But then again, I went to Catholic school, so who knows.

When you're sorting and organizing this year, make "future use" your most important criteria. If your supplies are tired, retire them. If they will do the trick come fall, pack them away with simple labels and keep them with other materials from the same zone in your room. Don't forget to take an inventory of what's packed (also useful throughout the course of the year to keep track of quantities used and what you need to reorder).

Organize the trunk:

Get your fun supplies in order. Put folding beach chairs and a collapsible umbrellla on the bottom of your trunk, and top with your favorite beach blanket and clean towels. Make a kit (a simple mesh drawstring laundry bag will work) that contains sand toys, floaties, kites, frisbees, sunblock, bug spray, roasting sticks for s'mores, and sparklers and glowsticks for evenings on the sand. (Don't forget a small first-aid kit, just in case.) Then all you have to do is throw on your flip-flops and go.

Welcome your guests:

Everyone has company over the summer. Make yours feel more comfortable with a small basket in your guest room. It's really easy to put together ahead of time and kicks off their stay with a nice touch. Fill a basket with bottles of sunblock, bugspray, lotion, plus a toothbrush, soap, and even a disposable camera. Just don't be annoyed if they ask to stay a little longer.

Clean out your freezer:

Be prepared for some great grilling with your garden-fresh produce and a trip to the butchery -- but first ditch all the unidentifiables in your freezer. (You know, toss the fish sticks from Lent and the burned and sticky popsicles.) Then stock up on great cuts of meat, bag them for protection and label them. When your garden starts to overflow, freeze what you can't use right away. Don't forget to date each bag so you know what's what and when it got there. It will cut your grocery bill, the time you spend in the store, and nothing will go to waste.

And here are my best tips of all: Take advantage of all the time you have with the family and friends you love. Go barefoot as often as possible. Eat too much. Wear sunblock and don't ruin your skin -- you don't want to look like a handbag when you're old.