The arrival of August brings the last part of summer with warm days, flowers in full bloom as well as delicious fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Many people go on vacation before the beginning of school and the busy fall season. While savoring those last moments of summer, here are a few tasks to do now to help fall run more smoothly for you and your family.

Clean carpets and floors: Vacuum and mop floors and professionally clean carpets to remove grass, dirt and sand tracked in over the summer.

Prepare for easy meals: Clear countertops and remove expired and stale food from the refrigerator, freezer and pantry to create space for school lunches and snacks.

Organize closets before fall shopping:  Get rid of unused items and make a list of what you need before shopping, which can help save money and prevent closet clutter.

Store summer gear: Clean buckets, shovels, folding chairs and other summer gear, so they’ll be ready for next year. Throw away broken items and take advantage of end-of-season sales to replace anything that was damaged.

Create a command center: Set up an area for school papers, bills, chore lists and a family calendar. Conquer clutter by having an inbox for each family member and a filing system.

Whatever your August plans entail, take some time to relax and enjoy these last summer days.  Also, don’t forget to preserve your summer memories by sorting, organizing and storing photos using cloud-based storage.