It's summer travel time! For many families the summer is the time for adventures and trips. Are you planning road trips to see relatives, summer camps for the kids, girls' trips with friends, or family beach adventures?

The idea of leaving day-to-day life behind for some fun-in-the-sun is alluring, but it can also be a huge source of stress. Do you know where all your travel gear is? Have you lost your passport? Do you get sick every time you get home from vacation and have to take more time off work? Are your suitcases still full of stuff from your last trip?

Don't worry! With a little advanced planning and some strategic steps, your vacation will be as stress-free as possible.

1. Plan to have a buffer day when you return home. Don't schedule work and activities for at least 1 full day. This may mean you take an extra day off work or return a day early. You might not want a vacation that's 1 day shorter than it could be, but your sanity is worth it.

2. Start getting things in shape as soon as you know you will be traveling. Start a packing list of things you want/need to take and add to it as you think of more things. (Pro tip: Keep the list and put it in your suitcase when you return. You'll be a step ahead next time!)

3. If your suitcase is lost or still full from the last time you traveled, find it and empty it right away.

4. As soon as possible, pack anything you won't need before the trip. This gives you a chance to solve any problems, such as a lost passport or a bathing suit that doesn't fit. Use your packing list and check things off as you gather them.

5. Consider each item carefully. Don't pack items you are unlikely to use. If it's more likely than not that you won't need something, leave it behind. You CAN wear the same outfit twice; no one will notice. For most trips there will be stores nearby in case you misjudged your needs.

6. Eliminate extra packaging. Don't add dividers, bags, or boxes to your suitcase. If you think about it for a moment you'll realize that despite the manufacturer's claims, adding things to your suitcase for organization does not don't actually save space (more does not equal less). The sole exception is for anything that might leak; those items should be in leakproof bags.

7. Once you arrive at your destination, unpack your suitcase and settle in. Not living out of a suitcase will make getting started for your daily adventures a lot easier.

8. When you arrive home, spend your buffer day unpacking and storing away the suitcase, doing laundry, and catching up on chores like opening mail, mowing the lawn, and cleaning the house. Many people get sick as soon as they arrive back from vacation due to the stress and exhaustion of traveling, but taking a day to ease in will reduce your stress and protect your immune system.

9. Put anything you only use when you travel back into the suitcase. Put the suitcase in an appropriate storage location so you'll know where to find it for your next trip.

Travel and summer adventures should be fun for the whole family. Don't let lack of preparedness and disorganization ruin your plans. Get organized before your trip, pack with intention, and ease back into your normal life. Bookend your trip with organization and planning and you won't have to dread the preparation for travel and return to real life.