Get ready for summer by freshening up your entertaining spaces and preparing for good times with others
With the start of summer (and the end of school) this month, June is the perfect time to prep your house and yard for a season of relaxation and fun. And if you’ve fallen behind in your house chores, don’t worry — you can use this month to catch up, too.
Give your kitchen a summer refresh. Pull out the tools you use more in summer (hello, ice cream maker!) and put them in easier-to-reach places. Clear the counters to make room for fresh farm-stand produce, and declutter the cupboards and pantry.
Catch up on home maintenance. No one is perfect! If you’ve fallen behind on some home maintenance tasks, use the longer days and pleasant weather to your advantage and tackle a few projects you might have missed (like cleaning out your garage). Scan past months’ to-do lists for ideas.
Use your shed for more than junk. Once your garage or garden shed is cleaned out, put it to work as a potting shed, an art studio or a workshop. It’s more likely to stay clutter free if you’re using the space.
Ready the guestroom. Expecting overnight guests this summer? Prepare before they arrive, and you can avoid last-minute stress. Check that you have fresh sheets and towels, a bedside lamp, extra pillows and blankets, and a place to set their luggage.
Prep for summer fetes. Having some party staples (and ready-to-go gifts) on hand makes a month of graduations, celebrations and birthdays easier to handle. If you’re planning to host any parties this month, stock up on beverages, fuel for your grill and frozen party snacks now.
Clean out kids’ rooms and store memorabilia. Sort through kids’ art and school projects that come home at the end of the year and pick out a few special pieces to keep. Clean out bedrooms and playrooms, donating toys they have grown out of and putting summer favorites in an easy-to-grab spot.
Keep a handle on collections. Love hitting flea markets, yard sales and antiques fairs in summer? Whether you collect vintage kitchen tools or antique quilts, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Keep your collection all in one place, and be mindful of what will fit in your home comfortably before adding more pieces. If you don’t really need more (but love the thrill of the hunt), consider selling a few of your least favorite pieces to make room for new acquisitions.
Assess games and gear. Pull out the lawn games, beach toys and board games so they’re ready for enjoying during summer downtime. But be sure to peek inside those boxes. If the Monopoly money has gone missing, or you’re short on chips in the poker set, replenish or replace them. And if you never use that croquet set, give it away or sell it at your next yard sale.
Have dinner outdoors. Longer light in the evenings and pleasant weather make for perfect conditions for dining alfresco. Even a simple weeknight dinner feels special when enjoyed outside! If you want to make your outdoor dining area feel extra special, string up cafe lights overhead and line the center of the table with candles.
Source: Houzz.com
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