5 Summer Essentials for Weekend Adventures

We are certainly enjoying our summer and trying to spend lots of time in the great outdoors! We've taken advantage of far away adventures and those closer to home. We jump at the chance to share a little time at our local camping sites and state parks with my sister's family in their Airsteam. So, while I tell you a little about our adventures, I'd also like to mention a few of our essentials for day trips. When you are taking along two little ones and meeting more there, you need to be prepared and we try our best! 

Essential #1 for us is Sunscreen. I pack every kind of application possible from lotion to sticks to spray. It's hot in Mississippi and even if you aren't in the water, you are sweating. So, we apply before we put out clothes on to leave the house and reapply as often as we can! To be able to reapply more often on the kids, I like to mix it up. Use lotion the first time, then a spray the next and a stick for their face. 

Father's Day weekend, I took the boys and headed out to Yogi on the Lake for a little splash pad, swimming and kayaking. The boys had a blast. It was kind of crazy with so much water around every way you look, so I was happy to have some loving extra hands. 

Essential #2: Swim vests for the kids. We have loved these vests for the kids in the pool as well as in shallow water around lakes and the ocean. It isn't a CG approved life vest (so it isn't made for boating) but adds support for early swimmers and it makes it easier for swimmers who tire easily. Ezra is able to tread water in his with us close by. 

While we were at Yogi the boys got to try kayaking for the first time! Jonah even got to use the kiddie boat and go out "by himself". He did so awesome. My nephew been is a little pro and designated himself a river guide, helping us all on and off the beach in our boats. The water was only waist deep at the deepest and mostly only about as high as our knees.

Essential #3: Water Shoes. Because of the mix of concrete, rocky sand and shallow lake we need shoes that can get wet and dry out quickly.

This weekend, we got to visit at Roosevelt State Park in hopes of a little Fourth of July fun! We made it through a couple of dry hours but made our way inside the rv for most of the evening due to heavy rain. It was fun though, the kids got to play in a different environment and the time they spent outdoors was well worth it.

Essential #4 Bug Spray. We try to keep a natural insect replant with us all the time when we are going to be outdoors. Muggy Mississippi is perfect for mosquitos and being close to water just attracts them more! 

As you can see, we had plenty of entertainment and I even got to play a few hands of cards with my mom and sister! That never happens! Sometimes it's good to be stuck inside together!

Sometimes though, you need to be extra prepared. Which brings us to essential number five. 

Essential #5 Extra Bath Tissue! We partnered with Scott Rapid Dissolving Bath Tissue because we you add extra people you need extra toilet paper! We are Amazon Prime members so we enjoy the convenience of Amazon Subscribe and Save. You can save 15% when you get 5 or more items. 

Scott Rapid Dissolving Bath Tissues breaks up four times faster than the average bath tissue and has soft, absorbent sheets that are gentle on skin. It is sewer and septic-safe 1-ply bath tissue and has 264 sheets per roll. You can also SAVE $2.50 by subscribing. 

Now that we have our top 5 essentials covered, we can go back to our long days of fun! Tell me about your summer days of fun. Have you gotten to see some fireworks yet?