Summer’s pace can feel like a runaway horse—meals on the go, sandy rugs, damp towels draped over every chair. Before the next whirlwind of fairs, camps, and road trips begins, it’s time to bring our homes—and ourselves—back to center. A good old-fashioned reset.

Welcoming one of our busiest seasons

This isn’t a Pinterest-perfect makeover. It’s a working farmhouse refresh rooted in intention, restocking what matters, and letting go of what doesn’t. Now that we have passed the bulk of growing and planting season, here are 10 simple but powerful ways to reset your home and rhythms for a smoother, saner summer ahead.

These tips don’t just allow us to get through this busy time of year, they allow us to enjoy and savor them too, which is my hope for you – being able to take a deep breath and savor these long summer days, making the most out of them before they fly by.

And before you think to yourself, I’m only one person, I can’t accomplish this by myself- keep in mind this parently motto: “If a kid can, a kid should”. Get your kids to pick one or two of these tasks, assign them the manager of those tasks and watch them rise to the occasion. If everyone pitches in, the house and car will be ready in no-time! When we get all done, I’ll tell the kids, “Doesn’t it feel so good to come home to a clean and calm house/ ride in a tidy car?”

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10 Ways We Reset during Mid-Summer

1. Wash the Bedding, Rugs & Towels

There’s something about fresh linens that instantly shifts a home’s energy. Start with sheets, quilts, (this is The Bedding that’s been cozy, beautiful and durable for our farming family for us for 4 years now) and bath rugs. If you’re up for it, hang them out on the line for that sun-dried scent that says “home.”

Pro tip: Add a few drops of essential oil (like lavender or lemon) to your dryer balls for a crisp summer feel. Here’s my homemade Laundry Soap Recipe.

Click here for more bedroom inspiration

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2. Deep Clean and Restock the Fridge

Pull everything out, wipe it down, and refill it with intentional, healthy grab-and-go items. Think fruit and veggie tray- I love these easy-to-fit in cooler/ fridge containers. These also work great to put out on the table for those snacky- hangry times, when your preparing supper. We also love fruit-packed yogurt jars, boiled eggs, and cold glass bottles of lemon water. I’ll also drop of pinch of sea salt in our bottled water for extra hydration during hot days.

Pro tip: Keep a “fair week” bin in the fridge stocked with snacks that travel well like cheese sticks (these are our favorites right now), cut veggies, and hummus.

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3. Ditch the Water Bottle Clutter

Gather every water bottle in the house. Match lids. Ditch the leakers. Restock your go-to travel bottles and place them by the door or in a “ready to go” basket.

Pro tip: Fill up and freeze those half-filled plastic bottles that somehow snuck in overnight and toss them in the cooler in the morning to keep everything chill.

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4. Clean Out the Car and Restock the Essentials

Empty it out—yes, even the crusty granola bar wrappers and 17 hair ties. Vacuum the seats, wipe down the cup holders, then restock with the good stuff:

• Wet wipes
• Sunscreen make our Favorite DIY Sunscreen HERE
• Bug spray
• Mini first aid kit
• Snacks
• Foldable picnic blanket
• A small trash bag or 6

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5. Create a “Drop Zone” at the Door

Designate a space by your main entrance to catch all the boots, flip flops, ball caps, fair wristbands, and towels. A few hooks and baskets go a long way to make daily comings and goings less chaotic.

Speaking of towels- I don’t know about your kids, but it only took one day last summer when they used every last towel from the closet after swimming. I was doing laundry daily. This year the rule it- 1 towel per kid per week for drying-off purposes. Hang it up and let it dry between swims. If they lose track of their towel for the week, oops!

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P.S my Homemade Soft Scrub works wonders on any household surface!

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6. Go Through All the Summer Clothes (Again)

The kids have grown three inches since May. Go through the shorts, tanks, suits, caps and sandals. Pass down or donate what doesn’t fit, and make a short list of what’s missing. You can also challenge your kids to make some extra money for themselves: see how much they can get for their clothes from the local resale shop!

Pro tip: Keep a thrift store bag, bin or basket in the laundry room—when something no longer fits, toss it in right away.

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7. Make a Snack Station for Game + Camp Days

Use a basket or drawer to stock healthy, quick snacks. Granola bars, dried fruit, trail mix, fruit leather, jerky. Label it “TAKE ME” so the kids know it’s fair game when heading out the door. Extra points if you use reusable snack bags like these here 🙂

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8. Restock the Ice Packs and Cooling Towels

Pull out your cooler supplies. Wash the cooling towels, check for leaks in the ice packs, and prep your cooler bag for the upcoming flurry of hot days and travel. I like to go through all our coolers and wash them out really good with my All-Purpose Cleaner, then line every cooler with a piece of newspaper to help eliminate moisture and mold.

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9. Reset the Bathrooms

Refill soap, tallow jar, clean the shower/ tub and toilet, organize the drawers, toss the almost-gone tubes. Add a vase of fresh clippings from the yard or a candle to each bathroom to make it feel calm and fresh. Our eight-year-old always takes this task and I’m happy to give her the title of”bathroom maintenance manager”!

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10. Re-center the Heart of the Home

Put a new tablecloth on the kitchen table or, in our case, just clear off the piles of laundry. I’ll make up a batch of my master dough during busy weeks like this and bake a couple of loaves of bread and some cinnamon rolls and turn my bubbly sourdough starter back into a dry/stiff starter for safe keeping in the refrigerator. Play music- this can change the mood instantly. Light a candle in the evening and go to bed early a few nights in a row. This season may be full, but we can still choose small rituals that whisper: this is our space, and it is good.

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This isn’t about doing everything perfectly—it’s about preparing our homes to serve us, not the other way around. Before the next busy day begins, may this farmhouse reset give you a little more margin, a little more peace, and a whole lot more joy in the in-between

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More ways to “Keep Things Simple”:

• The Art of Clothesline Culture
• How to Make Natural Teeth Whitening Paste
• 6 Essential Oil Recipes