After a long summer of sun, swimming, and laid-back meals, getting back on a regular schedule can be tough. From whipping together breakfast, prepping or packing lunches, prepping snacks, and figuring out what to get on the table for dinner, it's a lot to plan. These back-to-school tips can help make your family's transition from summer to school year a whole lot easier.

I know it’s traditional to give teachers an end-of-year teacher gift, but after the unprecedented challenges of last year, I’m thinking a welcome-back-to-school gift would be a great way to wish teachers a successful 2021-2022 school year! If the last two years have taught us anything, it is that teachers are truly heroes. I think a back-to-school gift for teachers is a very thoughtful way to start off the year.

In my family, cooking and eating are practically a love language, so when I think about my favorite dishes from my youth and who made them, and as I indulge in those same treats now, they make me recall fun and happy times, and that makes the feelings of nostalgia bubble up. Cooking and following family tradition makes us nostalgic, especially over holidays, family gatherings, and other traditional events. 

When it comes to baking in the summer, most of us might not want to heat up the house by using the oven. However, with delicious summer fruits at their peak, thoughts of lovely gallets, pies, turnovers, and shortcakes can’t be far behind! Making fruit the centerpiece of summer desserts seems to just go with the season, and while fresh fruit is often wonderful in its natural state, combining and cooking it with flaky, buttery pastry can actually elevate and enrich the delectable flavors, which for me makes adding a little heat to the house totally worth it!

Dishes and drinks with bright and colorful fruits make me feel like I’m on vacation somewhere, soaking up the sun on a warm beach, even if I’m just sitting in my house in Ohio. Fruits can be used to balance out fiery recipes or add beautiful color and tangy flavor to desserts. Preparation techniques are limitless, but my favorite way to prepare fruit is on the grill!