Sure, everyone knows how to prepare for winter, but cleaning gutters and furnaces is so boring. It's way more fun to get your house ready for summertime with these hot tips!

• Sharpen those blender blades! Margarita season will be here soon, so give your blender the once-over to make sure it's primed for maximum ice crushing capacity.

• Fill up the sandbox. Then slip off your shoes, close your eyes and take a minute to pretend you're at the beach.

• Stage car packing drills with the family to prepare for a quick vacation getaway.

• Cut the grass extra short so your kids' toys don't get lost in the weeds. No more MIA action figures!

• Check your pool toys for leaks -- especially the cooler.

• Air out your tent and have the kids stage a practice camping trip in the backyard. It will get them out of the house so you can have some peace and quiet.

• Stock up the garage freezer with massive quantities of hot dogs for those impromptu cookouts. You don't want to be the weenie that ran out of hot dogs, do you?

• Invest in blackout shades for the den, so you're prepared for those afternoons when it's too darn hot and you just want to stay in and watch a movie.

• Change your smoke alarm battery and test your fire extinguishers. Safety comes first, lighter fluid fun comes second.

• Hang up the hammock and give it a test nap.

• Fill up the tiki torches and dust off your coconut bra. It's never too early to luau!