Do you ever come home from vacation--only to feel more overwhelmed than when you left?

My husband and I grew up in Minnesota. But when we moved across the country, returning to visit our families meant big travel plans. We have since returned to our home state, but during those eight years away, we learned one enduring principle: The details and maintenance of daily life don’t go away just because you do.

Fortunately, we learned a few organizing tricks that made the transition returning home easier. And now that we’ve added children to the equation, these habits have become even more important.

Before you go...

• Save one vacation day to recover at home, and keep your schedule free from any commitments that day.
• Sometime within the week or two before you leave, cook a healthy, double-sized dinner. Eat half for dinner that night, and freeze the other half. Chili or other soups usually work well. When you return from vacation, you’ll have an easy meal ready to go.
• Two days before your departure date, wash, dry and put away all of the laundry. This way, everything you might need to pack will be clean, folded and easy to find. (Hint: Check your destination’s weather forecast at weather.com to help you pack appropriately.)
• Clean the house. At the very least, wipe down the kitchen and bathrooms, and maybe make a quick pass with the vacuum cleaner--so you can return to a clean home. You’ll have plenty else to do when you return. (My dream is to have a housecleaner come over while I’m gone.)
• Pack an extra, empty duffle bag for laundry. This will keep dirty clothes separate from clean ones, making laundry easier when you return. Plus it will free up space for any extra items you bring home.

After you return, use the extra vacation day you scheduled to ease back into your regular routine...

• Let your answering machine or voice mail answer the phone. Turn the ringer off if it’s too tempting! Check voice mail and e-mail only after you get your home back in order, or you’ll get distracted and frustrated.
• Fully unpack, do the laundry (again), and process the mail.
• Rest. Return to your exercise routine, take a walk, or work in the garden. Sleep late, take a nap, or finish the book you started reading while on vacation.

The purpose of taking a vacation is to have fun, relax and refresh. Trying to do too much when you return can undermine what you’ve gained by getting away. Take time to plan before you leave, and slow down when you return. Not only will you will make the transition from vacation to “regular life” a lot easier, but the benefits of your vacation will last much, much longer.

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