Happy mid-summer everyone! The weather in Maine is finally cooperating, we have had rain almost every weekend since May – but it seems the sun and warm temps are here to stay - hopefully til Fall!
I wanted to relay some info about how to stay prepared – my own life lessons and that of my kids are the best way to convey this message. I am a procrastinator and that does not always serve me well. I tend to be in panic mode when things pop up that need attention in a certain time frame. I wish I could live by that phrase: “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today” but try as I may, I am usually flying by the seat of my pants wishing I had been proactive instead of reactive!
So... here are some of my tips and advice (take it or leave it til tomorrow LOL) on the things that really should be dealt with sooner than later – given by this Mom/Sister/Daughter/Friend that learned it the hard way. Some of these hit and fit perfectly into this summer season as people plan travel adventures and start thinking about heading back to campus. Here we go!
1. PASSPORT: Don’t put off getting a passport or renewing your passport! This is a biggie because doing all the things you need to do to get your passport; such as getting your photo done; gathering your info (original birth certificate); scheduling an appointment with a passport facility, paying the fee, shipping it out and waiting for it to get mailed to you can take upward of 6 weeks. In my case, the kids and I didn’t have anything planned outside of the U.S. UNTIL we did and then we were in full on panic mode to get the passports back in time for our trip. ADVICE: Get it updated and done before anything is planned so that you are ready to go when you need it.
2. REAL ID: Now that the Real ID is a thing and traveling is making this a requirement, I suggest you get your license updated as soon as you can. Especially if you have not gotten your passport done yet. I know, waiting in line at the DMV is equivalent to having your eyes poked out but trust me, once you do this you will feel so much better about getting another item knocked off your list. Gather all the info required, double check the list online that lets you know what you need to bring and head over to the Dept of Motor Vehicles during a non-busy time (if there is one) and get it done.
3. FAFSA: This one is for parents and students, check on the deadlines for FAFSA and slate out some time to fill out the forms online. This one has snuck up on me and it is not fun to rush while navigating the FAFSA site. Logins alone require the student and the parents so everyone should be accessible for login codes, etc. FAFSA will give you access to federal student aid, so this is important when figuring out tuition.
4. DORM SHOPPING: It can be really fun and exciting to shop for your dorm as you prepare to head to college so make sure you keep it that way by planning ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute when every “dorm” necessity at Target is picked through and gone. Make a list of the things you will need and coordinate with your roommate so that you don’t dupe items. Don’t forget the non-fun items like mattress toppers, bed extenders, towels, extra-long twin sheets, extension cords, fans – you get the idea. Try to get these items over the course of the summer so that the cost is spread out. Dorm shopping should be a non-anxiety raising event.
5. THANK YOU LETTERS: You had your grad party, you hugged all the relatives and friends, you got all the gifts and money and now its 2 weeks later and the lingering thought of sending thank you cards is still in your mind, but you haven’t done anything yet. Here is my advice and it worked well for us, when my son had his graduation party, we took a group picture and turned it into a thank you card. He picked his favorite picture and then he wrote a thank you note, from this we created a thank you card that was meaningful (note from him) and one that could be kept (the picture). It helped eliminate handwriting 40 notes and everyone loved the card. Try it!
I hope these tips helped, lately I am all about easy and less stress and by doing these 5 things it has helped me and my kids feel more in control of our time and our “to do” lists.
Enjoy these last few months of summer! Grab our Travel Package and vitamin to take on your next adventure.
Peace & Health-
Stace @ VIMS