The last days of school are creeping up on me. I think I’ve got a good plan for summer, and I’m looking forward to most of it.

But the adjustment can be a little hard for moms. We want our kids to mellow out from the stresses of the daily grind of school, but let’s face it; they’re hanging around home more!

It can get on our nerves, and we get a lot less done. Arm yourselves with a plan! Have you looked into camps your community has to offer?

Do you have a great sitter who can occasionally take them to the pool without you? Do you have some time carved out for yourself each day to exercise or replenish? We support you in making one.

I hope there will be ample opportunity for fun with your kids this summer. For those of you who have a really hard time ‘just being’ with your kids, make sure you check out the book Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry, by Katrina Kenison.

The title implies it is a religious book, but it is really just a sweet phrase her son mumbled to her one day when he was on her lap while she was knitting mittens. This beautiful book encourages peaceful, simple moments with your kids — like chasing fireflies, watching the clouds, and having a day without any plans. It is a great reminder to stop the noise of life and tune into the soul of our families.

Chic mom and daughter having summer funCheck out the following blogs and websites I’ve come across to enrich your lives this summer:

www.kidsoffthecouch.com. This site literally gets your kids off of the couch! They offer reviews of films, books, music and other digital media and combine the theme of what they review with an accompanying adventure. Reviews and things to do for all ages of kids are offered, and they are creating a section specifically for adolescents.

If you or your kids have goals you want to reach this summer, or if you want them to be motivated to get them to do their chores, check out www.goalforit.com. This site offers charts to help kids complete chores, organize their time, make good choices, behave appropriately or whatever other goals they (or you) may have. Points are earned and racked up so that customized rewards can be selected after a designated amount of points are accrued. Everything on the site is free of charge.

The last site I’ll recommend is www.trekaroo.com. It is a fairly new site and provides advice and input from readers on traveling with kids. They cover ideas on how to make traveling easier as well as specific places people have been and the ease (or lack of) of their traveling experience.

Trekaroo says it covers traveling with kids from newborn through the teen years, but most of the information is catered to younger children. Honest reviews of several destinations are posted and users of the site are encouraged to write reviews of where they went.

Brace yourselves, chic moms. Summer is rolling in with a vengeance! Have a great one!