10 Essentials for Summer w/ Two under 2

Summer is one of the best times of year. For kids, it is their favorite. Since Mr. Man and I have been living in England for the last four years, we have completely forgot what is needed for summertime. I have been doing some research to make sure I have everything we need for our little ones. This post is specifically what I find to be necessities for our family. Hopefully this list will spark any considerations of what you may need for your family and/or introduce you to some new products!

Summer is hot, especially in Italy. Mr. Man and I traveled to Italy about 2.5 years ago before we had kids. It was hot, very hot. We got lots of sun and gained a tan immediately. Here we are all these months later living in Italy. Who would have thought?! And this time with kids. Here is our list of must-haves. This is mostly focused around the kids, but I do plan to do another list for myself (or adults).

Top ten must have items for our summer:

1. My item is bug repellent stickers. We have tried sprays, but most of them have too many chemicals and tend to wash off in water play. A has very sensitive skin and always had, so I tend to stay as close as I can to all natural products. These stickers have been great! We started using them this Spring, and they work amazingly. You can find them on Amazon and many other all natural websites.

2. The next must have item on my list is sunscreen. We have been using the Badger brand, and particularly the one pictured.

3. This item is an item that I have been using a lot! This is the JJ Cole picnic blanket. This was a gift was given to us as a welcome to the world gift for Baby E. I bring it outside in the yard, place the bug stickers around on it, and lay Baby E to roll around and play. I will put a sun shade over her if the sun is very bright. She seems to love it, and it gives me somewhere to set her so I can play with A. And the best thing about this is the easy fold up and carry! 

4. All kids need swim diapers, and all girls need bathing suits. I put these together because the suits I buy have the diapers built in for the infants (Baby E). For toddlers, I have to buy the diapers separately from the suits. I really enjoy the Imse Visme side snap swim diapers. They are cute, yet functional. When we are around the house, I don't always make A wear a swim suit over it. In public, of course she does. For Baby E, I use the iPlay suits with the built in diapers.  

5. To go with the swim suits, you will need towels when getting out of the water! A is 2 years old, and E is 4 months. Both use hooded towels. I absolutely love them because it keeps them super warm and helps drive their hair as well. 

6. Protection for their eyes is definitely a must have. A sometimes fights wearing sunglasses, but if they have a strap on the back and Mr. Man and I are also wearing, then she will also. I make sure they have protection on the lenses and are suitable to get wet. 

7. My next must have is appropriate shoes. I  have two listed because I think both are very crucial to have during this time. Swim shoes are a given for beaches and public pools - at this age anyway. I prefer ones that have grips on the bottoms. The other type of shoes is something similar to crocs - jelly shoes that are breathable but can get dirty and worn down without  hesitation. I bought A these caterpillar shoes this year. I actually bought two pairs because last year she went through her one pair fairly quickly. She wears these outside to play. They stay on her fit and I make sure they are a good fit so they aren't too big. I make her wear the strap around the back so she doesn't lose her shoe while running and playing. She wears these fishing and so forth. They can get dirty and smelly because they are so easy to wash off and clean. Absolutely love having them on hand at all times. 

8. We love to go to the beach. We also love to picnic, even in the yard. This leads me to my next necessity for summer - reusable sandwich and snack bags. I love that I can pack things in these and easily clean them out. I like to buy ones that have loops on the ends, so I can attach them to the stroller without having to worry about the kids dropping them if we are on the go. I use these for our picnic lunches as well as our daily "on-the-go" snacks. 

9. The next one is in relation to both swimming and fishing. We love the outdoors, we love the water, and we definitely love to be on a boat. With that said, A needs a life jacket. Last summer we bought her a life jacket that went around her neck and she absolutely hated it. This year we are going to give the Puddle Jumpers a try. 

10. Lastly, always stay hydrated. A nice water bottle is always nice to have. These are the two types we use.

What are some of your summer must haves?

I hope this post has helped you prepare for summer.