Home Alone

Did I mention that we were on vacation last week, reliving our honeymoon in the Dominican Republic?

Don’t worry, I won’t go on and on about how warm, beautiful and relaxing it was.  After all, vacations require a whole lot of planning and organizing and you know how I like to write about those topics.

While we were busy planning our escape from everyday home/work life, I realized how much preparation was needed for our little abode to stay home alone for a week.

And so, I’ve compiled this handy-dandy list of things that I recommend doing around the house before you leave for vacation:

• Clean out the fridge. That’s right, time to eat up those leftovers.  Check dates on milk and other items.  Will it expire before you get back?  Try to use it up or get rid of it now!
• Empty the trash. We did this at 4 a.m. right before we left for the airport.  That meant we got every last bit of trash out the door, ensuring a non-smelly return.
• Do the laundry. Don’t be like us and return home to find two full hampers, never mind those two suitcases full of vacation clothes.  Just think how nice it will be to see your clean, folded work wardrobe when you get back.
• Hide a key. Make sure you have a spare key hidden somewhere outside your house, or with a friend/neighbor.  After all, you might need someone to get in while you are gone!
• Pay the bills. Schedule your electronic bill pays or send out those checks before you leave.  Unfortunately the real world keeps on moving when your time stands still on the beach.
• Enlist your friends/neighbors/service providers. If you don’t have a house sitter, make sure someone will plow your driveway, retrieve your mail, water your garden or plants–whatever might need to be done.  Make sure a trustworthy friend or neighbor can cruise by the house once or twice to make sure all looks well.
• Set your thermostat. If you have a programmable thermostat, make sure you adjust the schedule so that the heat doesn’t turn on at normal times.  Keep the temperature low, but not so low that your pipes will freeze.  (If it summer and you actually live in a place that requires AC, then reverse my advice accordingly!)
• Pack your list of contacts. If you’ll be away for a substantial period of time, or out of the country, make sure you bring along a list of important contacts.  That way you can call your doctor, dog sitter or plumber, depending on your emergency.
• Set your DVR. Okay, this isn’t for real…unless you have the kind of relationship with your DVR that we do.  Then you can rest easy on your vacation knowing that you aren’t missing an episode of 24 or Brothers & Sisters.

Thanks to a lot of preparation, we were able to truly relax on our vacation knowing that everything was taken care of.  Well, except for all of that laundry, but who loses sleep over a few dirty socks?  Okay, maybe it was more than a few dirty socks…

But you’re not judging, right??

So, there is our list.  Did I miss any important items?  Do you have a routine before you leave for vacation?  Please share your tips!