Happy happy Tuesday, friends!
For today’s TRAVEL TUESDAY, we are going to travel from Nantucket to McKinney 🙂 .
I don’t know about you, but after being gone for some time, there are certain things I have to do upon re-entry.
I have a few extra photos on my phone from Nantucket, so I’m going to sprinkle those in as I share too.
Spoiler alert: a lot of what we do upon re-entry is complain about the weather…
In this post, I’m talking specifically about our re-entry from summer on Nantucket to McKinney, but if you’re curious about how we re-enter from a vacation, check out MY 9 KEYS FOR RETURNING FROM A TRIP.
Okay, should you be curious about the random things we did last week upon returning, here you go…
GO THROUGH THE MAIL
We have “handled the mail” several different ways over the last four summers on Nantucket, and this season, we held it.
I arrived home, recycled 96% of it and kept eight magazines.
HAIR, HAIR, HAIR
Priorities, people! I came home and made a beeline to my hair stylist. She added color to my hair when I popped down to Texas in late June, but goodness, it was time for a touchup!
Hair was clearly a priority last week because…
KID CUTS
…Ashby, Mades, and Smith all had hair appointments for “back to school” cuts too!
And re-entry also meant that…
DOGS GROOMED
…the dogs were groomed as well. Bahahahaha! See? A lot of hair cutting happened! Poppy and Yankee had been groomed in Missouri when they were with Andrew’s parents and Frenchie and Charlie had been groomed on Nantucket, but all four of them went to visit our beloved McKinney groomer for their “back to school” cuts too 😉 .
CLEAN OUT CLOSETS
I love to see cleaned out closets. I don’t care if it’s a linen closet, a pantry, or the primary…messy closets give me a weird anxiety. Because we ended our summer on Nantucket moving out of our house, we brought back a bit more than normal. All six Shulls spent a big part of the week cleaning out closets. I don’t want to go into this new school year adding more “stuff” to closets that are messy. We threw away trash (why do my kids have actual trash in their closets?!), passed down things to younger siblings, and…
DONATE, DONATE
…made one big run to a local donation drop off center this week of the items we gathered to donate.
Re-entry didn’t just involve cleaning out closets, I also had the kids…
TOSS OLD SCHOOL STUFF
…go through their backpacks from last year, keep what they could use again, and then throw out allllllllllllllllll of the trash accumulated in their backpacks and recyle old schoolwork they no longer need.
I LIGHT UP A NEW CANDLE
I’m not even joking when I tell you that when I arrived home on Monday morning, before I even took off my shoes and put down my tote, I turned on the Sonos system (French Cafe Radio!) and lit a new candle in the kitchen. I think better with both of these things. 😉
WASH SHEETS
I washed a lot of sheets last week. Fresh sheets are a must for a smooth re-entry.
MEAL PLAN
I was meal planning before my plane touched down at DFW. I am never more organized and excited to make a meal plan than these weeks leading up to the first day of school and/or that first month. I am a meal planning CHAMP this time of year.
SURVEY THE YARD
Andrew and I have been dealing with the yard upon return. My veggie garden needed a lot of pruning, my fern needed a bit of TLC, some of the annuals needed to be tossed, there were a few dry patches in the grass that needed extra attention…things like that.
I HEAD TO THE NAIL SALON
I’ve mentioned this before, but I love to get my nails “dipped” at the salon, and on Nantucket, they just don’t do it like they do it in Texas. I went in to get my nails dipped, and it made me oh so happy.
I UPDATE MY PLANNER
I love to use both the Cozi family planning app and a physical academic planner (because the beginning of the school year will always feel like the beginning of the year to me), so last week, I added all of the school calendar dates into both. I also added #allthefall things (practices, pep rallies, etc) into both as well.
CLEAN OUT FRIDGE
Sometimes I think I’m a fairly high functioning adult with her life together….and other times, I find a bottle of soy sauce in my fridge that expired in April 2024.
VISIT THE ORTHODONTIST
My biggest fear this summer wasn’t sharks in the ocean…it was Ashby Shull eating the wrong thing and breaking a bracket on her braces. Ha! Thank goodness, we made it the entire summer without any orthodontist issues. Whew! We went in last week for a regular checkup and all things looked good.
WALMART DELIVERY
If you’ve ever landed at DFW then you know that it takes longer to taxi to the gate there than most any other airport. When the plane wheels touch down, you still have another twenty minutes before you’re at the gate. All of that to say…between landing and the gate on Monday morning, I added all my favorite Walmart items to cart, checked out, and timed it so that my delivery showed up within an hour of us being home. Bam.
STOCK UP ON SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Re-entry at the end of summer means it’s time to stock up on school supplies! I bought all the composition notebooks, mechanical pencils, rulers, dividers, binders, map pencils, notebook paper and more.
REPLACE THE PURA
I just love my Puras. I have four here in McKinney and last week, I went around and inserted fresh vials into all of them.
OFFICE TIDY
I went through my office and cleaned, purged, tossed and refreshed for the fall.
CARPOOL LIFE
It takes a carpool village to get all of my kiddos where they need to be each day. I got it all lined up for a (hopefully!) smooth transition.
And those are some of the random things we did as we re-entered McKinney after our summer 🙂 .
If you’re away from home for any length of time, what are some of the random things you do to “get your life together” upon return? I would love to know!
Three out of the four Shull kiddos start back to school TOMORROW which means that tonight…IS A SCHOOL NIGHT!
What? What?
Yup.
Sigh.
If your kiddos do too…
…check out MY BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES today before you leave.
Alrighty, I’ll see you back here tomorrow. xx
Susan Jeffries says
We don’t leave home for extended periods but I do love a good end of season house cleaning. I do a big cleaning twice a year – remove all items from every cabinet and closet, purge, clean, and reorganize. It’s my favorite way to relax lol. We don’t have littles going back to school anymore, but we will be moving our daughter back to NYC soon so looking forward to helping her find a new place to decorate!
Elspeth Mizner says
I love a good reset after a vacation or time away! Thanks for sharing yours!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Emily says
Nothing makes me feel like I have my life together more than meal planning and setting up grocery delivery on my way home from a trip.
Karen in VA says
The picture of you and Mades (in the white sweater) is fabulous. And definitely worth framing! You both look great! Love your hair in that picture! Can’t believe it’s August. Where does the time go??? Hope the kids have a great first day!!
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank you, thank YOU for your sweet comment. xx
Dawn says
Oh my goodness! That sweet picture of you and Madeley! How does she look like a teenager! Love seeing your precious family!
Mix and Match Mama says
Those babies do not keep!
Laci Murray says
you have been a busy lady re-entering!
Paula Hobbs says
Curious, what is your current favorite Pura scent? I’m kind of over the volcano for a while. Great tips for refreshing! I hope you guys have an awesome school year! Our last of 4 kiddos starts his sophomore year tomorrow! Bittersweet having only one little bird left in the nest. Savoring every minute before he flies the nest too! xoxo 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
I will start swapping to fall/holiday scents in the fall, but right now, it’s all the “salt” ones. They have so many salty varieties, and I love them all. They smell so fresh and summery without being too overpowering.
Kierstyn Hellinger says
Would also love a breakdown of all of your favorite Pura scents through the year if you don’t already have a Pura post!
Bren says
Yes! I would love this too! I just put salt scents in one of mine, but was just perusing the Pura site wondering which to try next.
Jenn Wilcox says
I’ve been home all summer and now I have my list of things that I need to do for re-entry into real life, lol. Thank you!
Gail Morgan says
I wash and change the sheets before I leave so when I come home fresh sheets are already in the bed…
Lee Ann Vicary says
My granddaughter starts back tomorrow and since my house is connected to their house through a multitude of garages I have been in or taken ALL the first day of school pictures. She is starting 4th grade this year and her one request was that I try to be all the way ready for pictures. I am always in my work clothes (not PJs) and my makeup done (one year I hadn’t done my mascara yet and she remembers) but I have never managed to have my hair all the way done. So I have a goal this year. Hope your back to school starts great. My daughter is a teacher and is actually at the same school as my granddaughter so that part will be good for both of them
Mix and Match Mama says
I love this goal, Lee Ann! I also love that you get to live so close to your sweet grandbaby!
Faith says
Well you have certainly motivated me to clean out today. I no longer have school age kids but our district starts tomorrow. I work as a tutor at an elementary school and still have 2 weeks 🙌
Are you going to start decorating for Fall? I’m mentally ready but it’s still so hot! I’m trying to wait until September.
Mix and Match Mama says
I am mentally ready, but I will wait until September 1st. I cannot wait to have pumpkins out!
kristen says
We got home from a short trip Sunday night and my weekend bag was still on my arm when I lit my candle!! It smelled weird in the house and I needed my candle! My husband said, “seriously, this is your first priority?” Apparently, yes!
Welcome home and happy school year to your crew!
Mix and Match Mama says
YES!! I feel so seen, Kristen!
Dana P says
I just got back from a trip to the US and wanted to share the first thing I did, too- plug a Pura into our transformer and light a new favorite candle! I bought a double pack of mini Puras during the anniversary sale and gave one to my daughter at college. She loves it! And I’m loving mine. The new candle I got is Capri Blue in Blue Jean-I’m kind of obsessed with it if you haven’t smelled it. 🙂 It’s true that the little things in life can make such a big difference!
Rebecca Lingerfelt-Brown says
Ok I have to know how your WM app works because every time I am out of my house (including the garage) my app says “Sorry you don’t have internet” and I do! 🤪🤦🏻♀️. And the last time we landed at DFW I swore we were in Austin it took so long to taxi to the gate! Have a great day and I hope the kids have the best year yet!💜
Mix and Match Mama says
Everything is bigger in Texas including our tarmacs 😉 . My Walmart+ app works anywhere and everywhere. It must be your internet?? Or when was the last time you updated your app? Maybe it’s that?
Rebecca Day says
Love to hear more about that groomer, if you wouldn’t mind sharing. I’m in Lucas, but for years, we would take our dogs to a groomer in Howe…and she shut down at the start of the summer 😢😢. My daughter took on the grooming task, but finally acknowledged this past weekend it’s something she’d like to give up 😂😂
Mix and Match Mama says
I’m happy to give you her phone number! Email me! mixandmatchmama@yahoo.com
Beth Valenta says
I love good reset! I start school tomorrow without kids there yet, but as their school counselor. I am setting up a new office, so my reset it getting fun back to school items for my kids K-5. My food prep is essential for simple dinners, fun lunch ideas. New lunch box and new containers, fun waters for my school fridge, and to go healthy snacks. I am so ready to move to fall, but am waiting for those pumpkins. I did start today with pumpkin clove candle…smells amazing.
Mix and Match Mama says
Beth, I hope you have THE BEST year! I know your students are so so blessed by you.
Kimberly Gray says
Wow your re-entry list gave me goals. I don’t have littles anymore but I feel like my re-entry could apply to any given Monday. Ha ! I did just clean out the coat/board game closet that was a leaning tower of what in the world is that … a Yahtzee game that somehow had no dice left ???? Who are these people I live with ??
Thanks for sharing all the beautiful pics of your summer/ family. Every time they made me smile and Nantucket is on my must do list !
Wishing you and the fam the very best season ahead !
Mix and Match Mama says
Who are these people we live with is right?! Hahaha! Thank YOU for being here with me! xx
Cris says
Sounds like you’re squared away! 😉
Jennifer says
This made me feel so much better because I went to put my son’s new school supplies in his backpack and realized we still hadn’t taken anything out from the end of school:)
Mix and Match Mama says
Who wants to deal with that at the end of the school year? Not me! 😉
Heather S says
OK, so it had to be a pumpkin candle you lit first? Right?!
Mix and Match Mama says
Apple Strudel 😉
Darcy says
I so enjoyed seeing all your pictures around Nantucket. I love that picture with the clouds above your family room couch (is that from a local artist?) and is that a shop on Nantucket or someone’s actual house with the beautiful hydrangeas and lamp post by the walkway that has a ‘5’ for the address and says “Barn Stages” or something similar to that above the door? I really like the look of that place, but overall, love the look of all things Nantucket!!!
Mix and Match Mama says
It is a piece by a local artist on Nantucket. I love it too. And yes, that is a home on the island. It’s so pretty!
Sheaffer says
Grocery delivery and fresh sheets make me feel like I can conquer the world.
Karen says
You mentioned moving out of your Nantucket home. Does this mean a permanent move out of that home, or just an end of summer move out? I might have missed your news.
Mix and Match Mama says
A permanent move! We sold our house and bought another one. I shared it here: https://mixandmatchmama.com/2026/08/a-look-back-on-the-summer-2026-edition/
Jan says
Are you moving into a house on Nantucket? Did I miss that post?
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! We sold our home and bought another one. I shared it here: https://mixandmatchmama.com/2026/08/a-look-back-on-the-summer-2026-edition/
Alyssa says
I laughed out loud at your biggest fear not being sharks but breaking a bracket on braces! SO true! I had a random idea for a future Travel Tuesday: flying as an unaccompanied minor. Have your kids done this? Could be a fun topic to go through the steps and process as I know it’s changed a bit since I did it back in the day!
Mix and Match Mama says
I lost sleep over this. She never breaks brackets, but WHAT IF SHE DID? That would have been a big mess to untangle on Nantucket. And I could absolutely share about flying unaccompanied! Kensington is the only Shull kid to have done it, but she’s done it a handful of times without any issues. Spoiler alert: she’s one month away from not being a minor any more! Agh!
Lisa D says
I love a fresh Fall re-set even though my kids are all adults with their own children now! I buy desk supplies and new Fall candles, and I clean out my kitchen pantry and fridge. (I also do a Spring kitchen clean out) I love when
cooler weather arrives, we are still waiting though for the temps to be under 100 degrees! I used to work in the elementary school and I love Back-To-School days. 🍂🍁
Cat says
We travel often, 1x a month usually, with trips of 4-11 days. We head straight back to 9-5s the next day even after a long-haul return.
#1 is while traveling, we pre-sort our dirty laundry by load type (like, soft cottons that go in the dryer, vs. cottons that hang dry, vs. athletic/swim, vs. delicates) and keep it organized by our ever-emptying packing cubes — reentry laundry is a no-brainer.
#2 is I keep a designated ‘travel drawer’ with our passports, toiletry bags, electronics, adapters, etc. ready to go – reusable 3oz bottles refilled, noise-cancelling headphones recharged, etc. so everything is ready to grab, so over the course of the week following our return, all of that gets prepared for the next trip and stored neatly!
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh I love this, Cat!!
Bren says
Changes of season always bring out my need to purge/clean things out. I started with our master closet and soon realized how much better and peaceful I feel each time I walk in our bedroom now. I now realize what a part that plays in my sleep! Oh the joys of aging.😊
Lindi says
Do you have an assistant or someone who can help you do the running, returns, UPS type stops, errands, etc? Besides your teen drivers, I mean. Because frankly a lot of this looks like too much for just one person.
Mix and Match Mama says
Well, I didn’t do any of those errands last week, but those teen drivers certainly help me with that stuff all the time! Other than taking Smith to his hair appointment, I did all of it myself. (Smith, thankfully, can drive himself to his own hair appointment). Before I had teen drivers, I would pay other teens I know to help with errands which was always win/win for everyone.
Joanna says
Summer goes so fast…how did school arrive this quickly??