Bulldozers and Bow Ties

What We're Doing

Beans…beans…

…You can only imagine how the ending would go in a house full of boys 😉  I have had this “bucket of beans” for at least 4 years (I’m building their immunities too…don’t judge).  It was easy to make, easy to store, relatively cheap, and has provided countless hours of entertainment.  My almost 7 year-old will still play with it…and the little boys obviously love it (however, if you have a little one who still puts things in his mouth, please don’t let him choke!).  I don’t LOVE cleaning up the beans that inevitably spill out, but I put the bucket on beach towels so that I can pour most back in when they’re done, and in the end, the cleanup time is well worth the amount of playing time that I get out of it!

I love sensory play and used to do a MUCH better job of mixing it up when I only had one kiddo – can’t imagine why 😉  I have used this as a go-to activity when I need to mix up our daily routine, when it’s raining outside, or I just need a little chunk of time when they can occupy themselves (like to make dinner).  I bought an easy-to-store plastic tub & lid at Target – mine is bigger than a shoe box, but smaller than a sweater storage container – and filled it with dried beans.  You can easily find different types of beans at Target (one-stop shopping makes this even easier) and right now would be a great time to find some beach toys to add to the bucket.  We like shovels, spoons, measuring cups, plastic cups, and little objects from around the house that we use to bury in the beans.  I just store the toys in the bucket so that it’s easy to pack up and get back out when we need it.  Maybe this could occupy some spare time for your littles this summer too!

Chalk Wall

I needed one hot minute to make dinner (and by “make” I mean microwave a freezer meal) so I threw a box of chalk to the boys and let them color on our chalk wall. It’s easy Contact paper adhesive that you could put down the side of your fridge, on the back of a door, on a kids table, etc and it distracts the kiddos for a while. Plus, it’s good for the littles to write on a vertical surface.  And, am I the only Mom who feels like her boys are never dressed?!  I have to MAKE them put on underwear half of the time – and these are our favorites – I’ll share a post soon, but they’re Hanna Anderrson and are the softest!

What’s In Your Pool Bag?

I had a couple friends ask me about the “wet bags” I was using at the pool over Memorial Day weekend and they’ve been a staple in my pool bag for the last few years.  So, I’m sharing some of the things that currently fill my giant-size pool bag with easy links below.  Am I the only one who feels like I’m lugging enough stuff to survive for days with three screaming children trailing behind me when they go to the pool?  Sweating.  And grumpy.  Anyone?  Regardless, these are some of my favorite pool bag stuffers – with a couple newbies that I’m trying out this summer.

1. Pool Bag / 2. Sunglasses / 3. Goggles / 4. Wipes / 5. Sunscreen / 6. Powder Sunscreen / 7. Pouch / 8. Towel / 9. Puddle Jumper Cover / 10. Sunhat / 11. Wet Bag / 12. Rambler

1)  I have used a Scout Bag most summers and I love them. So if you want a tried and true, head to the Scout website and pick out your favorite – I like the Deano style or the 4 Boys Bag (the name makes me chuckle given my all-boy house, but it’s massive so be sure you check the size before you buy).  This year, I’m *patiently* awaiting the arrival of a new waterproof bag from Logan and Lenora that looks SO cute.  I got the extra-large tote in Painterly which is back ordered, but all of the others look so so cute too – I had a really hard time deciding against Spots – SO fun!!

2)  I love my Diff sunglasses. I got the Charlie style this year (and last!) but there are SO many cute ones to choose from.  They’re a good price point when I want a little more than my usual Target glasses, but I also know that I’m going to the pool with 3 boys and don’t want to pay an arm and a leg for something that might get crushed.  They sell them at Nordstrom if you want to try on in-store or you can usually find a coupon for 20% off their website if you up for their emails.

3) These “raptor” goggles are so cute! I’ve been jealous of all of the fun goggle options I’ve seen for girls lately so I love that these give a little whimsy for the boys too!  They’re selling on Amazon here, or Cecil & Lou here (where you can choose from three different colorways).

4) These Johnson & Johnson Hand and Face wipes are a STAPLE in my pool bag, diaper bag, car, etc. None of my kids have been sensitive to them, they smell really good, and they don’t leave any sticky residue like I feel like baby wipes can have.  I use them on my kids’ hands and faces all the time – and you know that popsicle at the pool will melt All. Over. The. Place.  Seriously, I barely leave home without a pack of these suckers.

5) Sunscreen staple!! I’ve posted a lot about my love for Supergoop sunscreen. It’s relatively thin, goes on easily, doesn’t smell awful, and none of my kids seem to be sensitive to it – so Supergoop for the win!

6) I use this Brush On Block sunscreen for myself and the kids. It’s a mineral block sunscreen and I use it as a setting powder after I’ve applied my face sunscreen and I like the use it to set the kids’ face sunscreen too if they’re about to jump right in the water (it helps the base sunscreen from running in their eyes). I also like to use it as a touch-up on their faces, necks, etc. when we’re at the park.  I know I sound like a sunscreen fanatic but I’m terrified of letting my kids get a sunburn and we’re all pale, so protective mama sunscreen bear comes out.

7) I keep my sunscreen, bug spray, gum, loose change (for the popsicle stand), etc. in a clear zippered bag so I can easily swap it from our sports bags to our pool bag to my diaper bag. I have a pouch that isn’t available anymore but this one looks cute and fun for the summer– and one of my friends loves these from Container Store.

8) I love the Pottery Barn Kids Beach Wraps. For some reason my boys love hooded towels and I find it actually makes life a lot easier with littles because they are (at least mine) too uncoordinated to keep towels on very well – especially if they’re carrying anything else – so hanging the hood on their head helps.  The PBK towels are on sale this week for $17 so go stock up now!!

9) There are puddle jumper covers now! And they can be monogrammed!  This was a frivolous purchase that my husband totally rolled his eyes at but I love it so much for my last sweet little baby.  Sayonara lime green puddle jumper; hello adorable monogrammed seersucker! I’m loving the boat monogram that’s in the picture above – it’s what I ordered for my little guy.

10) I always have a floppy hat in my bag for myself – I love the foldable sun hats that can be crushed beneath all of the other junk in my bag and still survive the summer.  I’ve had this hat for a couple years and it’s outlived the bottom of the bag and the wet pool.  But I’m always searching for cute ones – the hat in the picture above can be found here and there’s a cute Anthropologie option here.

11) Ok, finally to the wet bag that started this whole post! I love these Itzy Ritzy wet bags.  I always pack my boys’ dry outfits in these bags so that their clothes stay dry in the chaos of pool life and then I stuff their wet swimsuits back into the bags to cart everything home.  At this point, I have one for each of my kiddos so that their clothes can stay separated and are easy to pass out when it’s time to get dressed.

12) I’m not one of those people who carts a drink around with them everywhere – I just don’t have enough free hands at this point in my life. But for the pool, I love to have my Yeti Rambler to keep my drink cold when I’m dying of heat (can you tell how much I like the warm Texas weather?). And if you already have an older Yeti, there are new lids (that you can buy separately here) that have retractable closures that makes it spill-proof — and keeps out the splashes from the pool!  Some days I feel like lid this is a full-on necessity when I happen to have an adult beverage in my Yeti – ha.  My favorite drink for such an occasion is currently Frose (frozen Rose) whose recipe can be found here!  You’re welcome in advance 😉

Let me know what’s in your summer bag and what you have found here that’s new to you!

XOXO,

Anne

EzyRoller Scooter

This EzyRoller Scooter is a hit at our house (an oldie but goodie – ignore the faded red to pink and the yellow pollen that’s accumulated in the picture)!  It’s a real Monday over here today (thank you nail in my tire and 4-year-old fits). So, we’re taking advantage of the warm day and wearing out some energy in the yard.  My boys – and all of our neighbor kiddos – love this scooter contraption.  It’s easy to do and something different! It sits low to the ground and the kiddos push their feet back and forth to make it go.  This is a great birthday present – or just fun to add to your ever-growing pile of ride-on toys.

Morning errand Peek-a-Boo!

Best part of running morning errands…peekaboo with the baby.  This cute little whale Jon Jon is an older one that I found on zulily (love this site! If you haven’t looked through it before, sign up to see what you can find – they have great deals!) and the sandals can be found here easily on Amazon.

Headed to the Zoo

Headed to the zoo this morning with our industrial sized sunscreen 😂 I lather my babes in this stuff anytime we’re headed outside. I swear their nightmares include me pulling out the sunscreen 😬🤷🏻‍♀️ But, I have one son with super sensitive skin and broke out in some crazy rash from a lot of sunscreens I tried, but this one was a winner!  No breakouts and it’s pretty thin for easy application with wriggling, protesting children! It’s as good as it gets 😉