*Image via.
I just placed some large orders from Target and Amazon, preparing our home for the summer ahead, and it’s made me deeply excited for the coming weeks. I am particularly looking forward to the slower mornings. Camps don’t start until 9, and we have some weeks with no camp at all, and it is delightful to ease into the morning versus go from 0-60 in the usual school-morning shuttle. (It still feels like a race most mornings! There is just so much to do between 6:45 a.m. — when we wake up — and 7:45 a.m. — when the children walk out the door, even with careful enhancements and things-done-the-night-before and all that jazz.) My daughter did basketball and then soccer Saturday mornings this past winter/spring, and we always have Mass to get ready for on Sundays, and so I have been keenly aware of taking “give” where I can get it, as I don’t think we’ll have many days with absolutely nothing at all on the daily calendar. I anticipate, in fact, that this will get even more cramped/hairy as my children get older and participate in more extracurriculars. I recently overheard some baseball moms comparing notes on their schedules — so many practices and games! — and I thought to myself, “Enjoy the relative slow pace of today while you can.”
Anyhow, sharing some of the summer fun finds I’ve picked up below — you might also find my post on getting ready for al fresco dining season helpful in the patio department. And if you’re in the market for patio furniture, Serena and Lily is offering 20% off sitewide, and these teak loungers are so chic.
01. EMILY HENRY’S HAPPY PLACE* // 02. DIVE TORPEDOES // 03. STRIPED TOWELS // 04. WELLY BANDAIDS // 05. MINNIDIP INFLATABLE POOL // 06. LOEWE-INSPIRED SHADES // 07. ICE PACKS // 08. WATER WIGGLERS // 09. SHARK DIVE BUDDIES // 10. SOCCER GOAL // 11. SUMMER PUZZLE // 12. CAT AND JACK WATERPROOF SANDALS // 13. TAKEYA WATER BOTTLE // 14. STRAWBERRY POUCH // 15. MINI GLIDERS // 16. HAIR CLIPS // 17. RAINBOW SPRINKLER // 18. BITSY’S FIG BARS // 19. RED CLAY SPICY PEACH HONEY (BOUGHT MULTIPLES TO GIVE AS GIFTS!)
*I will be sharing a full lineup of fun summer beach reads soon, most of which are drawn from your excellent and useful suggestions in response to this post.
I also wanted to mention that we keep most of our outdoor/summer toys (balls, gliders, pool toys, frisbees, etc) in this rolling mesh bin I bought at The Container Store, and we keep it in our garage year-round. I love that it’s on wheels, as the kids can wheel it out to the driveway to dig into it, and it keeps everything contained without getting musty/gross/mildewy thanks to the mesh design.
And — if you are headed to the beach, I did a lot of research and these semi-hideous beach chairs are the best you will find. I polled Magpies, I read tons of reviews — it all comes back to Tommy Bahama. They are really lightweight and you can carry on your back, which is critical when your arms are full of children needing to be carried across the hot sand, pool toys, coolers, etc. They are also thoughtfully designed, with a pouch for things like phone, watch, etc, and a drink holder. Really glad I let function take the precedence in my shopping because these really work.
I’m hoping to buy a bunch of family board games at some point soon, too. Need to do a bit more research on age appropriateness, but Mouse Trap, Sorry, and Uno are on my mind. I know my daughter could handle those but I don’t want to omit my son so need to read up a bit! Any recs?
Taking note of these family game recommendations! My 5 year old is so competitive and *hates* losing (still working on losing gracefully, but it’s been a challenge) so it’s helpful to know about other games that might work better in this phase.
I wanted to throw this out as a PSA on swimsuit colors — of course, nothing replaces actual swim lessons, but as someone who has always chosen pastel swimsuit colors for my daughter, this article has made me change my mind on that color choice! https://www.today.com/parents/color-test-kids-swimsuits-show-best-colors-are-neon-t219805
SO scary – thanks for sharing that.
xx
Tommy Bahamas are on sale at Costco right now!!
Thank you so much for the tip!!
I loved Emily Henry’s latest book! That and her previous, Book Lovers, were just perfect to me.
At the top of my reading list!!!
xx
Can’t wait for your summer reading picks! I am with you that sometimes you read a books and you wanted it light, but not as vapid and smuty as it is suddenly turning out to be! I do like Emily Henry, I’m waiting on the hold list for it right now!
Yay! We’ll be reading together then!
xx
Ooh, family games are right up my alley. I have two kids ages 8 and 6.5. Some games we’ve enjoyed together in the past: Sleeping Queens, Five Crowns Junior (can be hard to find), all the variations of Uno (regular/classic, flip, etc.). My oldest got Sorry for his most recent birthday and it’s quickly become a family favorite. I’m not sure if it would be too frustrating for Micro. Even at 6.5, my daughter does not like being sent back to the home section!
I saw Hoot Owl Hoot was mentioned – that has also been a family favorite!
Ooo these are great! Thank you so much!
xx
Another vote to skip Sorry at this age. My 5.5 year olds get very VERY mad at each other when they play this game, as it mostly involves trying to advance your own markers at the expense of other players. We plan to “lose” our Sorry game until everyone can handle that kind of competition without tears.
We love card games recently, including Uno, Old Maid, Go Fish, and Spoons. They even like a deck of cards to play solitaire! Lots of fun and easy to throw in your purse.
Love these ideas and thanks for the caution on Sorry! Sounds like we’ll wait awhile for that one.
xx
Hi Jen,
Semi related to summer prep, do you have any low chairs suggestions for the lawn at Wolf Trap? I always feel rude when we lug our captains chairs and set them up potentially blocking someone view. Thank you!
I totally get this question! (I love Wolf Trap!). We usually just sit on a picnic blanket BUT I have seen folks using these LL Bean ones, which reviews say are more comfortable than they look:
https://bit.ly/45jjGES
Another option that looks a bit more supportive — these ones from the brand Helinox:
https://fave.co/3OB97Hu
Have fun!!
xx
Thank you so much Jen-that is exactly what I wanted but wasn’t sure what to search for.
Of course!! xx
All of your summer picks are so cute! As for games, we play a ton. I don’t know how old your kiddos are but these are some games we have and love: Outfoxed (it’s a collaborative game and as long as one person playing can read, the little ones don’t need to be able to) Hoot Owl Hoot (also collaborative, no reading necessary). Uno is great for all ages. Mine also loved Tumbling Monkeys which is an easier version of Kerplunk.
feistylifemedia.com
Oo thank you so much, Holly!