The day after Labor Day will be here before you know it. It’s the most chaotic day in the calendar before the rest of the holidays appear, but you can control the chaos if you think and plan ahead.
Back to School fashions are already in the stores and online. If you or your kids are consistently clueless about what will be in style when school starts, try limiting your initial purchases to some basics. That way you always have simple back-ups and money left to buy what they really need to wear to be cool this school year.
There is nothing more frustrating than to find that the car that sat in your driveway while you were away for two weeks in downtown sunny vacation resort won’t start on the day after Labor Day when you need it. The number of available service facilities will not suddenly increase to accommodate all of the stranded motorists who will suddenly need help, so to avoid a lengthy wait for whomever you will use for roadside assistance, go over a checklist with your sleepy car now. Is the battery three years old or older? When was your last scheduled maintenance? How old are the tires? Did somebody help themselves to your catalytic converter while you were away? Good things to know now before something goes wrong. And if you find yourself cat converter-less, I feel for you. The world really needs one that’s not worth stealing.
Buy and freeze your cookout foods now, and thaw them in time for your event. Save the rolls and bread for the late week before Labor Day, not the weekend of, when you may find them sold out. Ketchup doesn’t need refrigeration. Neither do most mustards if kept in cool conditions to prevent deterioration. Believe it or not, butter can be kept in a closed container in your kitchen so it’s always soft for spreading.
The first week back from summer can be stressful, but don’t keep your stress relief items within the reach of the wrong people. Secure your prescription medications (including gummies and other “greenery” from the dispensary), and keep alcohol away from children. If you enjoy firing ranges or hunting, take care with your gear and make sure what you fire and what is fired are separate (as in chambers are empty and the box to refill is elsewhere).
As an older woman, I have learned that September can be anything from cold and dry to hot and wet, so I break out a transitional wardrobe the last week of August, which includes a cardigan, longer sleeved shirts and comfortable non-sandal shoes.
For those going back to work, before getting back into your routine, try one or two of your grocer’s prepared meals for one or two as backups in your fridge. They tend to cost upwards of ten dollars a person, but they can be popped into the microwave for 2-3 minutes and save you from the drudgery of preparing from scratch when your first days back have you physically spent. And it beats resigning yourself to peanut butter sandwiches.
Hope these tips and tools will be helpful as we prepare to bid farewell to the summer of 2025.
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