Vacation Preparations Include Home Arrival Tips

Smart Travelers Plan Ahead to Avoid the Blues at the End of a Trip

Jul 19, 2009 Mary King

Seasoned vacationers plan wisely before departing home. Completing few home chores ahead of time will ensure a pleasant stress-free homecoming after the trip.

Vacation time means getting away from it all – forgetting about job routines and home chores. It's a time to leave the stress and schedule book behind. When making vacation plans though, don't forget the homecoming. Fewer things are more depressing than returning home after a long trip only to find housekeeping chores waiting.

Vacation Planning Tips for a Pleasant Return Home

It doesn't take much to ruin a good time. Coming home to a messy house or trying frantically to remember what appointments need to be met those first days after returning home takes the fun out of the trip. Before leaving on vacation, take care of a few housekeeping tasks. Reduce post-vacation blues by cutting down on the stress that goes with getting back into the old routine.

Clean out the refrigerator before departing. Dispose of milk, leftovers, and anything that's not going to survive the duration time of the trip.
Prepare indoor plants and those plants growing outside, or have someone care for them. Coming home to dead plants is depressing.
Allow pets to stay in the kennel or care giver's location for one more day until things are settled again at home.
Straighten the house, vacuum, and remove all trash and garbage.
Wash any dirty laundry before leaving. Soiled clothes smell and wet clothes will mildew if not properly dried.
Mow the lawn before leaving so the grass won't be so hard to cut upon returning. If one is planning to be gone longer than two weeks, then it might be a good idea to hire a teen to cut the grass, or perhaps a family member could cut it.
Store an easy-to-prepare dinner in the freezer for the day one returns.
Change bed sheets the day before leaving and put clean towels in the bathroom.
Unplug any appliances not in use and electronic equipment. Appliances still use a small amount of power even when turned off and so do electronics. Why waste the money? Also, unplugging power-supplied equipment means no chance of dangerous lightning damage or power surges.
Turn off any automatic air fresheners so the contents won't be wasted.
Leave a self-reminder note. All You magazine (June 27, 2008) tip strip article, "Prep for a Vacation" (no author given), advises, "... place a notepad on the kitchen table that lists the important tasks you need to do when you get home."
Add fun to the homecoming. From the same All You article, "Plan something fun. Set a lunch date with friends or plan a movie night for the day after you return. It will help you get over those end-of-the-summer blues."

The fun of going on vacation does not have to end when one returns home. Arriving home to a clean orderly house is just one way to keep the entire vacation stress-free. Add a little fun during the few days following a vacation to ward off the end-of-vacation blues. Planning a trip that includes tips for a pleasant welcome home is the smart way to travel and a sure way to keep the rejuvenated feeling going strong for days to come.

The copyright of the article Vacation Preparations Include Home Arrival Tips in Home Management is owned by Mary King. Permission to republish Vacation Preparations Include Home Arrival Tips in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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