Well, it’s officially Summer y’all, and if your family is anything like ours, your weeknights and weekends are spent enjoying the pool and the beach whenever possible. These are my go-to picks for doing Summer right, sharing with the RCS fam so that you can keep it easy, keep it functional and spend more time enjoying and less time fussing.
From Top Left:
1. Otter Wings Long Sleeve Floaties Shirt: If you have young kids as we do, these are a game-changer. My boys always struggled with puddle jumpers and refuse life jackets (unless we are on a boat lol), but both boys love Otter Wings and I do too. The sun shirt is UPF and the clips make on/off easy for parents while also stopping kids from slipping them off themselves.
2. Freya Straw Hat: I am a Freya lover, their hats are beautiful and functional. Shopbop has several included in their current sale, use code TREAT!
3. Hunza G One Piece: This is the only one-piece I love. I added this one to my rotation earlier this summer and it’s basically all I am wearing this year.
4. Sunny Sarong: Sunny!! Rock it at the pool over suit above or as a skirt with a simple black or white tank.
5. Boys Trunks: Caden Lane was recommended by a reader this Spring- boys like how they fit (the drawstring is functional) and I love the price.
6. Goodr Sunnies:I am rough on sunnies. My kids steal them, I drop them and they just take a general beating. Goodr saves the day! I buy 4 at a time (2 black, 1 tortoise, 1 crazy), but for $25-$35 a pop, I don’t have to feel guilty when it’s time to let a pair go.
7. Best Overall OG Fave: Revision’s Intellishade yall! I prefer the untinted for pool/beach days, but use the tinted otherwise, and have for years. No scent, no sticky weird residue, easy to reapply and it takes makeup on top easily when I need it to!
8. All the Kids are Obsessed: And thank goodness because nobody has time to pick the pieces of 50 water balloons out of the grass at a time.
9. Aura Black Linen: If you’ve seen me at all since the weather broke 80 in Atlanta, you know how much I love linen and even more, a linen set because it’s sooo chic et facile.
10. Neon Sun Shirts: Henry graduated from his Otter Wings earlier this Summer, and I’m keeping him in nothing but neon sun shirts so that I can spot him easily across the pool, even when he’s swimming.
11. La Roche Posay Sunscreen: Apart from using Intellishade on my face, I use LRP everywhere else. We use Anthelios products, and my kids really do prefer the Anthelios Melt in Milk because it is easy to apply and doesn’t leave them greasy or sticky.
12. Mark & Graham Poolside Clear Pouch(s): After trying, loving but ultimately destroying a dozen of these bags from Amazon and Etsy last Summer, I splurged on the M&G this year, and they HOLD UP.
13. Goggles: We are not goggle experts at the RCS house, but we have certainly bought/tested/found/stolen plenty as our boys have gotten older. These check every box: they are cool, the bigger kids have them too, they don’t leak and they don’t fog up. And, they come in a 2-pack FTW.
14. Original XL Bogg Bag: A few girlfriends gifted me with one Summer 2020 and I thought do they know me at all? I don’t want this big, expensive, uber-trendy bag! I WAS WRONG. Good gracious, this bag has seen some things! We keep ours stocked and ready to go, and just hose it out when the sand and/or crushed goldfish and exploded applesauces warrant. Easy peasy!
15. Insulated Tote (to sneak in snacks): This fits into the Bogg, and is perfect for slinging uncrustables and other snacks (and beverages) when we hit the neighborhood pool and have to provide our own f&b.
16. Native Robbies: Long live the mom that invented these adorable, indestructible shoes. Our kiddos rock Natives most days, regardless of what we have going on in the Summer. These can go from camp straight to the pool, or from a morning at the playground straight to the beach. Our boys pick a new color whenever it’s time to size up. Papaya is popular at the RCS house currently.
17. Kiddo APLs: For the days when Natives won’t cut it, break out the APLs. These hold up better than all of the Nike, New Balance, Veja and Small Birds we’ve worn out and they are WASHABLE. Praise!
What did I miss? What’s in your pool bag?
Just finished our first week at the beach with two kids and we grossly over-packed. Heading back for round 2 next month and this time we will have trunk room to spare. You quickly learn what you need to pack and what you can buy/ rent at the beach (and leave at the beach). Pool floats, noodles, kickboards- leave them at home and purchase them at the beach and leave at the house for the next family to use. Cribs, pack-n-plays, strollers, beach chairs all can be rented in most beach towns/resorts.
From a guy’s perspective, give me a soft cooler backpack and a zipper-top tote and I can sherpa everything the fam needs from parking lot to beach.
The water balls are legit.