Returning Home from Your Vacation: 3 Tips for a Stress Free Homecoming

Your vacation is planned and your bags are packed but there is one more thing you need to prepare before you go on vacation. You need to prepare your house for your return home. We just returned home from a week-long trip and I found that doing a few simple things helped reduce my stress about returning home from vacation. These three homecoming tips will make your return from vacation stress free.

Happy Vacation Homecoming Tip #1: Grocery Shopping

If you are like me then you have probably spent the last week cleaning out your refrigerator so that no food will spoil while you are on vacation. On the day before you are to leave for vacation make a run to the grocery store. Yes, I know it sounds crazy but this step will save you time and frustration when you return home.

If you go to the grocery store before you leave for vacation then you won't have to do it the day that you get home. While there, I suggest you buy and staples that you need for the first two days after you return. You can get milk, bread, and juice with dates that won't expire until after you return home from vacation. Put all three items in the fridge, it will help the bread last longer.

Throw a package of lunchmeat into your freezer. When you get home from vacation just put it back down in the refrigerator for sandwiches.

Happy Vacation Homecoming Tip #2: Housecleaning

I despise coming home from vacation to a messy house. Unfortunately, I have a tendency to throw all of my suitcases in the kitchen in order to sort through clean clothes, dirty clothes, souveneirs, and personal items. The kitchen has more room than my bedroom and there is no reason to drag an entire suitcase of dirty clothes upstairs just to lug it back downstairs to be washed.

Since I do all my sorting in the kitchen, I make sure the kitchen is clean before I leave for vacation. I run the dishwasher (you can leave it full of clean dishes if you'd like) so that I have no dirty dishes in the sink when I return home. Also, clean off the kitchen counters and table. This will give you plenty of room to empty out your luggage.

Happy Vacation Homecoming Tip #3: Laundry

You will have plenty of laundry to do when you get home from vacation. If you get all or most of your laundry done before you leave then all you will have to wash is what is in your suitcases. This will hopefully save you time and reduce your stress following your return home.

One word of warning, whatever you do, don't leave any clothes in the washer while you are gone. If you do, you'll just be throwing them away when you get home.

The last thing that anyone wants to do as soon as they get home from vacation is run back out to the store or come home to a messy house. I know that you are focused on leaving for your vacation but doing a few extra things will make coming home from vacation relaxing and enjoyable.