Must Have Summer Items for Moms
I’m (gratefully) a mama to three little boys now, and yeah, you could say my hands are pretty full! My little men are always on the go, and anything that makes the routine a little easier is always welcome around here. I’ve put together some of the coolest mom gadgets and tips that can help as we all head into the summer months! If you’re a mom of a tiny human under ten years old…read on!
-Brush-on sunscreen: I don’t know about you, but wrestling a toddler to put sunscreen on them is…un-fun. I discovered they make brush-on sunscreen now, and it’s so much simpler! It’s also zinc-free and much easier to just brush on their faces. I still have to use regular sunscreen on their legs or backs, but the face is much simpler with the brush.
-Mini beach towels that fold up into your purse: Okay, I admit I saw these on an Instagram influencer site, but they’re pretty genius. Perfect for those spontaneous trips to the splash pad. They come in tons of colors and sizes, and they fold up as small as a portable charger. I also recommend that you create a “swim tote” to keep in the car with mini towels, a few extra suits and swim diapers, and water bottles. It is so nice to not have to run all the way back home and to be able to hit the pool without much notice! Try a plastic type bag like this one to keep it from getting mildew or mold (I have no earthly idea why the BOGGS ones are $175, but this one is $35)
-Keep two baskets in their closets: My boys are growing like weeds, and this handy tip was another Facebook gem: Keep two baskets in their closets, one for clothes that they’ve outgrown and that you need to donate or sell, and one for clothes that need mending/dry cleaning, etc. Alternately, if you’d rather use the second bin for clothes that are too big (the next size up), that works well, too. When the giveaway/donate bin is full, I can take them all at once to Goodwill or to gift to a friend who needs a smaller size.
Paint with water: I saw this on The Busy Toddler, and loved it. Give your kids a few buckets of cold water on a hot day and tons of paintbrushes! They can “paint” designs on the sidewalk and watch them disappear. It also goes well with the other activity where you freeze tiny toys into ice cubes and they get to watch them melt and “free” the toy from the ice. These are easy, inexpensive, and useful activities when the weather begins to heat up.
Pack a beach shelter: For under $40, you can have a pop up shelter for the lake, soccer games, and more. If you have a little baby like I do, that heat can be not only exhausting, but downright dangerous for the tiny ones. Having access to shade is so nice, and it folds up back into the trunk. Please use caution when sitting inside, because the edges can get hot, so I usually pair it with a picnic blanket to keep it cooler and to add some padding to the ground. At the lake, it also helps to weight it down with rocks or heavier items to prevent it from lifting off with the breeze!
Happy summer!