Ah, summer. It’s hot, the kids are out of school and murmurings of “I’m bored” are around the corner. If you haven’t already gotten up your swimming pool in tip-top shape to carry you through the next three months, it’s time to get going.

These easy fixes can make swimming pools and the surrounding area look new again:

Get a New Pool Liner

The first step in replacing the liner for your pool is to determine its dimensions, including the wall height, length and width. You’ll also need to know the shape of the pool where the bottom meets the wall. This typically occurs about four inches up the wall and three inches in from the wall, according to AboveGroundPoolBuilder.com. Inspect the pool to ensure it doesn’t have any major problems at this point.

Determine the type of liner your pool requires, which will generally be a beaded liner or an overlap liner. Most pools today use beaded liners, which are available in a variety of types such as EZ-Bead, J-Hook, Uni-Bead and V-Bead liners. A beaded liner extends over the top of the pool wall by a quarter- to a half-inch, whereas an overlap liner lies on the outside of the pool wall.

Renew the Concrete

You can renew the concrete surrounding above-ground swimming pools over the weekend by staining it on Saturday and sealing it on Sunday. A gallon of stain will cover at least 200 square feet, as will a gallon of sealant, according to FamilyHandyman.com. Separate areas that will have different colors by cutting the concrete to a depth of one-quarter inch with a circular saw and a masonry blade.

Wait for a calm, cloudy day to apply the stain. Wind can cause the stain to drift and direct sunlight can cause the stain to evaporate instead of soaking into the concrete. Tape a plastic sheet around the siding of your house to protect it from the concrete stain. Fill one sprayer with each color of stain and apply the stain according to the directions.

Allow the stain to dry for at least 24 hours. Apply a second coat if you wish to make the stain more vibrant. You will typically need to reapply stain to bare spots that you missed the first time, especially along the edges. Perform these touch-ups by spraying a cloth and dabbing the cloth onto the bare spot.

Improving Pool Color

Green pool water typically indicates that your pool water doesn’t contain enough chlorine. This generally requires you to add a large amount of chlorine to your pool at one time, which is commonly known as “shocking” your pool. Your pool will turn cloudy if you add chlorine when your pool water has a pH of 7.2 or higher, experts caution, so you’ll need to lower your pool pH by adding a gallon of hydrochloric acid (commonly marketed as muriatic acid). Circulate the pool water for four hours and retest the pool pH. Repeat this procedure as needed to reduce your pool pH below 7.2.

Turn the pool’s filter pump on and apply the chlorine evenly over the pool’s surface. Add five pounds of granular chlorine in the form of calcium hypochloride or 10 gallons of liquid chlorine to your pool. Add algaecide as directed after the water has been circulating for a few hours.

Finally, remember that pool chemicals are highly toxic. Always make sure your kids have zero access to them and any other dangerous household items.

Laura Cooper

Laura is a home improvement and organization consultant who lives in the New England area.

It’s been a long and exhausting year. You’ve taken the children to and from soccer, dance, basketball and all other activities. You have managed to keep the house clean while working part-time. And you make sure your husband is fed every night while the kids get their homework done … all while staying up to date on your Pinterest projects.

Treat you and your family this year by taking a fun vacation to the Caribbean. Known for its beautiful weather and picturesque beaches, this vacation will be one to remember. Celebrity Cruises offers an amazing cruise to the Caribbean — a 6-day Western Caribbean cruise. If you’ve used up all your “rainy day funds” and don’t have any extra money to take a cruise, there are other options. Bring the cruise to you. All you need is inspiration from a real cruise (and Pinterest) to recreate the cruise of your dreams.

Cruise Ideas: The cruise departs from Miami, Florida. Pack your bags and get to Florida a little early to jumpstart your vacation at Disney World, perhaps? Your first full day aboard the ship is a day at sea, which gives you ample time to get to know the ships features.

Home Ideas: Spend the day at a nearby amusement park. It won’t cost as much as a cruise but it will be equally as fun for the kids. And since you live there locally, you can most likely get a great discount.

Youth Programs

Cruise Ideas: The award-winning cruise line keeps you and your children in mind for the best onboard experience possible. Youth programs are geared toward five age groups that start around 9 am daily. The Fun Factory for ages 3-11 features exciting games, treasure hunts, themed parties, movies and karaoke. The teens have a special place as well — they have the latest gaming consoles and tablets as well as social activities and teen-only dances.

Home Ideas: Buy a game your children want to play. According to Icanteachmychild.com, kids 18 months and up can play board games. Find the right game for them.

• Eighteen months and up: Roll and Play
• Three and up: Zingo, Hi Ho Cherry-O
• Four and up: The Ladybug Game, UNO, Candyland and Sorry!
• Five and up: Bug Trails, Guess Who, War or make make Treasure Rocks

Play the game as a family for a little family bonding/game night.

Spa & Fitness

Cruise Ideas: Pamper yourself with a relaxing massage or acupuncture, and finish the afternoon with a manicure and pedicure. Utilize the fitness center so you don’t gain too much weight after eating the award-winning cuisine aboard the ship.

Home Ideas: For a fun spa day, make your own facial! First, pamper yourself in your hot tub, pool or bathtub … anything will do. After you’re warm, relaxed and calm, use a four-step process to get the best facial from home you’ve ever experienced.

1. Cleanse: 1 tablespoon almonds, 1/2 tablespoon oats, 1/4 teaspoon honey and 1/4 teaspoon soy milk is all you need. Combine oats in food processor. Add almonds and pulse until finely ground. Mix in honey and soy milk and place a generous amount on face. Rinse cleanser off your face with warm water and pat dry.
2. Tone: Toner closes your pores and rids them of the last traces of dirt and oil. Simmer 1 cup of green, black, red or white bag of tea and simmer to half of the original volume. Leave overnight in refrigerator with a slice of cucumber.
3. Mask: Create a creamy avocado mask to clean your pores, eliminate dead skin cells and balance your pH levels. Add 1/2 teaspoon avocado, 1/2 teaspoon honey, 1/2 teaspoon yogurt, 1/8 teaspoon Brewers Yeast and 1/2 teaspoon cranberry or apple juice to a food processor and pulse until creamy. Place on face and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse with a warm hand towel.
4. Moisturize: Add equal parts Jojoba oil, olive oil, sesame oil, avocado oil and safflower oil and rub into your face.

World-Class Cuisine

Cruise Ideas: The food is a globally influenced blend of classic and contemporary food and the menus are created by John Suley, a James-Beard featured chef, one of the highest and prestigious awards in the chef world. There are many different kinds of dining experiences to choose from so even the pickiest of eaters can find something.

Home Ideas:  For a five-star meal with a two-star budget, Real Simple has a mouthwatering pan-roasted chicken and green bean recipe. Stick with a classic, yet easy-to-make dish and serve on your best dishes. Have your family dress up for an elegant evening.

Author Info: Stephanie Griffith

After working on as a travel agent, Stephanie decided it was high time she switched gears and became a travel writer. She visits faraway lands by plane, train and car, but loves to go on cruises the most.

In the bustle of life, the job, family responsibilities, hobbies, and other pursuits, it can be easy to forget about social responsibilities like charitable giving. Whether you believe in doing so for religious or for humanitarian reasons, most would agree that it’s important not to lose sight of that goal. There are many easy ways to give on a daily basis without the need to bring yourself extra stress.

Some people believe that you must be rich and famous, or retired in order to make a reasonable charitable contribution to any organization. However, this is not the case. The two chief characteristics required for anyone to participate in giving are simple, and anyone can possess them: you must be willing and able.

It can be easy to work a small amount into a savings plan, which will help you to create a fund for your giving. For most organizations, every small amount helps. For example, for only $30 a month, a small school child in Kenya could be fed, given school supplies, and clothed. Even small amounts of money when added all together can be used to do something wonderful together. Setting aside small amounts of money each month can help you not to lose track of your giving, even with a busy schedule.

Sometimes you just don’t have enough money left over to give financially to charities. Everyone can recognize the difficulty of balancing a budget, particularly if you don’t make a particularly large salary, and the added family responsibilities you may face can make charitable giving seem nearly impossible. However, there are also alternatives to monetary giving.

Giving of your time, while it may seem inconsequential can be far more valuable for some organizations. The need for volunteers to serve a variety of purposes within organizations is perhaps higher than ever. Many non-profit organizations cannot afford to pay members to carry out various tasks, which may be vital to the day-to-day activities or the real business of the organization. In addition, many local charities may need help with coordination and volunteering of local events, and welcome the chance for others to meet their giving obligations through service.

Service is perhaps one of the most underestimated functions of a charity or non-profit organization. Most people are more interested in the seemingly glamorous positions out front, in the spotlight. However, the much less flashy opportunities that present themselves are a great way for people to step up and feel as though they’re able to give something real and tangible without reaching into their wallets.

If you have no extra money to give, consider volunteering your time. In some ways your willingness to give your time and energy may show volumes more about your character than money.

Byline: Tracy Johnston loves to help people with finances, which is why she writes on behalf of a site that answers the question: does mortgage refinancing make sense?