Ask yourself:

What do you do every time you leave the house?  Run around like a crazy person, hoping you remembered to do everything….

What do you wish you had done, an hour into your trip?  Unplug the iron, set the DVR, water the grass, check the faucets….

What are some tasks that would make your getting-out-the-door go more smoothly? (insert your list here!)

What would make your coming-home more pleasant?  and Wouldn’t a standardized list of this stuff make the whole process a lot easier?

Of course it would!

One of my most often used and beloved organizing tools is a simple hand-written index card with a dozen or so task items written on it.  It is a standardized list of what I need to do to get the house ready for us to leave.  I laminated it early on, so that I could cross off the tasks as I accomplished them with a dry-erase marker and re-use the card.  And I have. Over and over again!

Whenever it is time to close up the house for a while and leave, for either a quick over-night trip or a 2 week vacation, the list remains the same. The tasks take an hour (uninterrupted) to complete, and then I can leave the house with a clear conscience.    The biggest motivators for creating the “Going Away” checklist were:

1. Clarity of thought, just in case I am leaving in a rush or for an emergency;
2. Safety, above all;
3. Energy and resource economy; and
4. Avoiding pests like ants, gnats or mice.

Here is the List: “Going Away”:

Kitchen:

• Clear the fridge, toss left overs, Freeze what can be frozen
• Refrigerate what can be refrigerated (fruit bowl or bread on the counter)
• Wipe down surfaces
• Lock stove door, make sure burners are off
• Turn off the coffee maker timer
• Wrap up the dishes, start the dishwasher and run the garbage disposal to clear it

Pets and Plants:

• Dog: Plan or Pack up her stuff (when we had a dog)
• Fish: Vacation Feeder pellet, or a plan for someone to watch them
• Gerbil: Check water and food levels, or have a plan for someone to watch them
• Plants: Water all, including the garden

House

• Bedrooms: make beds, laundry to hamper
• Close and lock all windows, pull shades in bedrooms and family room
• Vacuum all
• Turn up / down thermostat
• Turn off / unplug computers
• Take out the trash
• Final walk through for safety and water check, making sure things are turned off or unplugged

So, my challenge to you this week is to Make Your Own “Going Away” check list.

• Sit down with a pen and paper, and note all the tasks you tend to do to get ready to go.
• Be an objective observer the next time you are getting ready to travel, and figure out if anything needs to be added to your Going Away Checklist, or subtracted, if it is not really important.
• Most of the tasks on my list can be shared or delegated to my kids, too, and help is always welcome!
• The order of my tasks is important, too, leading from one to another in a logical fashion, the path I walk through my house.

So, spend a little time now to make your next departure go smoothly and your next homecoming more pleasant.  What does your list look like?  Please share!  And safe travels!