Some parents dread summer. I adore it. What a treat to sleep in, to drive less, to read stacks of books, to go on long walks in the early morning and before sunset, to strap on our helmets and go biking, and to plan adventures of all sorts!
Whether you're traveling near or far this summer (or even staying at home sweet home), I'm happy to present some of our family's favorite clothing, footwear, accessories, and hobby gear for the warm summer months! These are products that we are loving and using extensively this summer - and we have a hunch that your family will love them too!
Look professional while still staying cool with Alex Marie's lightweight, go-with-everything summer blouses. The Beau Stripe Print Tie Neck Point Collar Sleeveless Blouse is an elegant sand color with barely noticeable striping for a perfectly preppy look.
If you're planning to up your fitness game for the summer months, Brooks Running has the best breathable, lightweight shorts and shirts for warm weather! Pair your new outfit with supportive, comfortable shoes and you'll be ready to meet your athletic goals.
Pictured: Trace 2, Chaser 5" 2-in-1 Short, and Sprint Free Short Sleeve 2.0 .
Two of my go-to places to shop for kids are Carter's and OshKosh. These sister companies have been making children's clothing since 1865 and they continue to innovate while staying true to their original purpose. We love that new styles are introduced every season - kid friendly pieces in classic designs that both parents and kids will agree on.
Pictured: Beach Patrol Short Sleeve Rashguard, Tie-Front Jersey Tee, Striped Jersey Skort, Lace Hem Denim Shorts, Stretch Chino Shorts, Smocked 2-In-1 Active Shorts, Kid Iconic High-Rise Midi Denim Shorts: Neon Twill Remix, Sunflower Jersey Tee, Kid Iconic Demin Midi Shorts: High-Rise Remix, Crinkle Jersey Top, and Floral Lenzing™ Ecovero™ Skirt.
Get outdoors with Columbia Sportswear! This brand is especially great if you love spending the summer on or near the water. Most of Columbia's pieces are lightweight and durable with optimal built-in sun protection - ideal for long hours on a boat, with a fishing pole, or hiking up a mountain.
Pictured: Girls' PFG Super Tamiami™ Pull-On Shorts with PFG Tidal Tee™ Panga Palms Diamond Long Sleeve Shirt and Boys' Bahama Short.
The Hanna Andersson brand is known for soft, comfortable materials and hand-me-down quality in vibrant and cheerful colors. Every piece is easy-to-wear and thoughtfully designed so that kids can play without having to think about how their clothes look, fit, or feel.
Pictured: Boxy Drop Shoulder Graphic Tee, Active MadeToBreathe Skort, and Print Ruffle Swimsuit.
If you prefer a laidback, beachy, west coast vibe for your clothes, you will go crazy at H&M. The styles are mostly casual; super easy to wear for every day adventures at home or on-the-go. If you head to your nearest mall, you can find pieces for babies, kids, teens, men, and women - most with a price tag between $10 and $25. H&M is an especially great brand for tweens and teens because they offer items that are exactly on-trend without breaking the bank.
Pictured: Fine-knit sweater, Jersey Skirt, Smocked Blouse, Suit, Doublebreasted Jacket, Short-sleeved Cotton Shirt, Cotton Chino Shorts and Superstretch Flare Fit Jeans.
For athletic clothing for the whole family, Columbia Sportswear shines! You'll find tops, bottoms, outerwear, and shoes - designed with camping, hiking, climbing, running, and biking in mind.
P.S. The Kid's Dragonfly Sandal (pictured above) is pretty much the perfect shoe for the summer - breathable, flexible, drainable, and comfortable!
Pictured: Big Kid's Dragonfly Sandal and Women's Speed Solo Mid Waterproof.
A medium-sized leather backpack in a bright cobalt blue is exactly right for summer - and Royce's edition is crafted with premium leather that is designed to last.
Pictured: Compact Travel Backpack.
We recently discovered Smartwool and can't get enough of the feel of authentic merino wool. Buttery soft to the touch, this innovative fabric offers benefits galore. For example, each fiber (grown by Merino sheep) naturally helps regulate body temperature, transports sweat away as a vapor, and has been proven to cancels out odors. We featured several items in our recent Father's Day Gift Guide, but Smartwool offers great options for the whole family.
Pictured: Women's Active Ultralite Short Sleeve, Women's Intraknit™ Active Lined Short, and Men's Short Sleeve Button Down.
We've loved every item we've ever tried from Snapper Rock. To put it simply, Snapper Rock has both design and fit down to a "T." If you're into matching as a family, mother/daughter, father/son, or sibling set, you will LOVE Snapper Rock because they offer coordinating colors and outfits for your whole crew.
Pictured: Olive Blue Sleeve Long Sleeve Rash Top, Surf Safari Volley Board Shorts, Navy Trim Fedora with Babiator's Black Ops Black Navigator (ages 6+).
A good pair of goggles goes a long way in terms of swimming enjoyment - and our kids have been splashing, diving, somersaulting, and racing all season with goggles by TYR! TYR offers goggles of every kind for both kids and adults at a variety of price points.
Pictured: Blackops 140 EV Racing Mirrored Junior Goggles and Vesi' Youth Tie Dye Goggles.
I've been using doTERRA products for over fifteen years! In fact, I have a distinct memory of taking peppermint beadlets during my pregnancies because I had such terrible morning sickness. I trust doTERRA because they source essential oils from all over the world and are committed to "producing the purest, highest quality essential oils."
Not sure what to get if you are a beginner? doTERRA's Ready Kit is perfect for the summer months!
Pictured: Deep Blue Rub (also available as a stick!), Jasmine Touch, Peppermint Oil, Myrrh, Hair Care Refillable Mini Travel Kit (ideal for summer trips!), and Logo Wooden Box (an amazing storage solution for organizing all of your oils!).
I converted to using a silk pillowcase several years ago and I have to admit that I now can't stand using regular pillowcases! Silk pillowcases are comfortable and cool (in temperature) and I always look forward to sinking into my pillowcase each night.
MYK Silk also makes gorgeous Silk Chemises and Camisoles!
As you know, I am an avid reader - typically reading between 50 and 100 books in any given year. If I counted picture books, I'd clock over 1000 books.
One category of books in which I am consistently disappointed is early readers for kindergarteners and 1st graders. They tend to be poorly written with terrible illustrations. Imagine my delight when I discovered the adorable and thoughtfully crafted readers by The Good & The Beautiful. They really are BEAUTIFUL - featuring quaint, colorful, and eye-catching pictures (with a lovely vintage style) to accompany the perfectly developmentally appropriate text. 5 stars!
If you're looking for curriculum for any age (toddler all the way up through high school), The Good and The Beautiful has so many wonderful options - for school or supplementary purposes.
Pictured: My First Nature Reader, My First Africa Reader, My Second Nature Reader, My Third Nature Reader, and Reading Booster A Books.
Looking for a simple, proven way to prevent the summer slide and engage your child's mind? Our family has used IXL for several summers and are very impressed by the highly responsive and personalized learning it provides. You can pick a package that focuses on math, language arts, both, and/or a variety of other subjects. IXL even has test prep options (for the PSAT, SAT, ACT, etc) and skill plans for specific textbooks.
The Weber 36" Stand Alone Griddle makes summer cooking a breeze. Preparing burgers, pancakes, paninis, omelets, and vegetables is simple...and clean-up is easier and more straight-forward than a traditional grill! You'll be surprised at how flavorful griddle-prepared menu items are. Best of all, you don't have to turn on your oven and heat up your kitchen. Griddles are the latest trend in outdoor cooking, but we are certain it is here to stay! We use our griddle at least once every week to quickly make delicious family-friendly meals. Griddles are also perfect for large families and entertaining because you have a large surface to work with, which is ideal for cooking for a crowd.
If you're looking for a way to get/stay fit while having a great time, consider tennis or pickleball. My husband and I are taking beginning tennis clinics twice per week this summer and it's been a blast! Plus, my 16-year-old daughter and I are playing on a Ladies Pickleball League. Both sports are super fun - although pickleball is faster paced and easy to learn.
One benefit of picking up a racquet sport is that your financial investment is relatively minimal. Buy a nice tennis racquet or pickleball paddle and you're all set for a summer of play! HEAD is a trusted brand in this category and you can't shop wrong on their website as they are true experts in product development for both tennis and pickleball.
Pictured: Gravity SH, Gravity Lite, Boom MP, Gravity Pro, Tour Backpack, and Revolt 4.0.
What products are you loving this summer?