There’s nothing more exhilarating than leaving for a trip. Adventure, fun, and relaxation await! For me, it’s a much needed break from cooking, cleaning, and the everyday routines of life. Even a simple vacation to my parents’ house in Walla Walla can make me feel like a new woman! But, nothing kills that feeling of rejuvenation more than coming home to stinky chaos. Here are 6 things to do before trip to make returning home sweeter:

Clean out the fridge:

Is there anything worse than coming back home to a refrigerator full of questionable items? Before you head out of town, take sometime to toss what you won’t use, offer anything still good and perishable to a neighbor, and freeze things you can use later. Give everything a wipe down.

Put in an advanced grocery order:

It’s so nice to order groceries ahead so they are waiting for you when you return! If you have time, put in a grocery order in advance, and schedule it for the day or day after you return. It’ll save you from eating out one more night, and help you get back into your routine easier. Read more about ordering groceries online in this post: 5 Ways to Reduce Food Spending.

Quick clean the house:

Coming home from vacation feels so much better when you come home to a clean home that smells good. Task your husband to take your kids to the park to run off energy, gas up the car and get coffee. Thanks, hon! While they’re gone, take an hour and give your house a quick clean.

Here’s my quick clean check-list:

-Clean out the sink and run the garbage disposal

-Empty the coffee filter and carafe

-Take out the trash, recycle and compost

-Wipe down counters

-Turn on the dishwasher if needed

-Make the bed

-Sweep or vacuum

-Clean the sink and toilet

Adjust the thermostat:

There’s no need to leave the heat or air-conditioning turned up while you’re away. I recommend setting the heat around 65, and the air conditioning around 75 while you’re gone. If you have a remote system through your phone, you can make sure it’s up to temp when you return!

Tell your neighbors you’ll be gone:

It’s always a good practice to tell your neighbors you’ll be away. It will alert them to unexpected packages and suspicious behavior. We had a break-in when we first moved into our house, and since we’ve connected with our neighbors and started telling them when we’d be away, we haven’t had a reoccurrence.

Put the mail on hold:

Nothing signals that someone is away like a full box of mail. Did you know that it’s free and easy to put your mail on hold with USPS? They will bundle it up and deliver it all at once on the day you return. You’ll be happy you took two minutes to put it on hold. Note: you do have to create a quick account, but it’s easy.

Happy Thanksgiving travels!

Lauren