4 Tricks to Keep Your Cool and Have a Laid-Back Summer

Well hello there my friendly readers! Since the kids are out of school,  I'm sure you're wondering how to achieve a more laid back summer and how the heck you're going to stay occupied until school starts back up and specifically, avoiding being "Mommy'd" until you think you'll explode. Especially if you're already at your wits end and there's still summering to be had. Well, I have my top four tricks to keep your cool for a laid back summer! 

Tricks to Keep Your Cool and Had a Laid- Back Summer

Laid- Back Summer Without Electronics or Education

First,  I want to start by saying I wanted to avoid the continual use of electronics over the summer.  There are so many electronics (ipads xbox, playstations,  phones, etc.) and games that they can switch to and from often in an attempt to prevent boredom but never actually succeeding. 

While you may want to structure summer and add to their education,  I am personally against this. We stress our kids enough throughout the school year to be perfect have perfect grades and take extracurricular activities to the point that children are getting migraines, ulcers, etc..  

Many of us are successful, having full time careers in our chosen fields and many having attended college. Now think back to your summers. Were they structured? Probably not. You were more than likely instructed to go have fun, get outside, etc. My goal was for them to have unstructured, unstressed but creative fun! 

Laid- Back Summer With Creative Play & Keeping Cool

I wanted them to actually be bored enough to play with real toys that allow them to get creative as well as to get the heck outside and enjoy the outdoors and the sun!

We are lucky enough to be in a home that has an inground pool.  I do rent, but because we live in South Florida, I thought it would be an important addition to our lives and worth any additional cost that it might incur.

We were lucky though and found a deal that I snapped up. It even included pool maintenance! But,  I also know people who have gotten above ground pools, kiddie pools or even water slides for their yards for the same purpose. 

Oh, and I have to tell you about something great I picked up! We spend a fortune on swimsuits! Well, I was sick and tired of the butts getting balled up from sitting on the edge of the pool and the pool step. I stumbled upon this cute Blue Whale Kneeler pad that we use to sit on. 

No more balled up swimsuits on the rear!

Also great because I can use it to kneel on when I wash the girls' hair.

My pool will end up helping me to save money. You see this summer, we're already suffering with temps hovering in the 90's and feels like 99, etc.. So, instead of adjusting the thermostat, I've been saying "pool time", which of course, cools us off! They'd spend all day in the pool if you'd let them! 

We even had a pool party for Lil Bits birthday. Complete with a pinata 🦄 that certainly looked like they were taking their aggressions out on 😂.

Laid-Back Summer of Cooking

I want to give you a bonus tip for the summer we've been using. Of course we all need to eat, right? Well,  I hate taking us all in the heat to the store which makes them cranky, and in turn me cranky. Then they have the gimmies, which can add a lot to your final total. To avoid this,I order groceries to be delivered. I use both Walmart and Publix (Instacart).

Yes, there is a fee. HOWEVER, it's important to note that I've saved exponentially over the beginning of this summer with both my sanity and wallet. Both are of equal importance to me. It's also easier to stick to a menu plan. Create a menu, go select those items from the online cart and you're avoiding seeing all the extras when you go up and down aisles in the actual store. 

We've also been grilling to avoid further heating up of the house. Yes, you'll see me standing over a hot grill but when you take frequent dips in the pool, you actually stay pretty cool! 

You know how sometimes the intention is to grill outside but the weather just won't hold out? Especially this summer! Boy, have we had a LOT of rain here! Well, I have the Power Smokeless grill for such an occasion!

You wouldn't believe how many times I had burgers or something else all ready to grill when unexpected weather unleashed upon us. 

This grill saved the day! 

If I don't cook sides on the grill, I might serve steamed veggies cooked from the veggie steamer. No fuss, no mess! You can also grill extra meat and steamed or grilled veggies and use your steamer to make rice for an easy stir fry. 

I also do a lot of variations on lunch meat sandwiches for lunch. I can make our own 'lunchables' and I've even pulled out my sandwich maker, reacquainted myself and gotten creative! Did you know you can make desserts with it? 

How Mom Keeps Her Cool

So I get hot really easy and feel like I usually look like a drowned rat. I want to be cool but look good too. No matter where I am. 

I've found the remedy for keeping cool! The answer is in Tasc perfomance clothing.  

Seriously life changing for me. I have the skirt, dress, t shirt and sport bra and love it all but could live in the dress and sport bra!

I plan on buying more of the dresses! 

As for swimming, I do not enjoy purchasing suits. Having said that, Tempt Me was an easy choice for me. 

I didn't have to go in a store and try them on. I dread that!

I simply ordered based on their sizing chart and they shipped right to my door! Ahhh-maze-ing!

The fit was amazing as well!

More Laid- Back Summer Fun

I was also looking for what might enhance the summer fun and elicit squeals of joy from both young and old,  I found some pretty spectacular items that we've been using and loving this summer,  and for us, be able to use year round. 

Like many of us,  we like music when we're in the pool. I found an amazing speaker that is waterproof, thereby being safe for summer pool fun. If you follow me on Instagram and watch my stories, I am often posting pool fun and you'll see this speaker in the fray 😁. This speaker is often splashed by cannon balls, water guns, you name it and we've had zero trouble.

We like a lot of pool toys and the like and usually get everything at the Dollar Store, even pool rings.  But this summer I wanted to step it up and got them their own top of the line pool rings. I surprised Bubba with a 🦕 dinosaur 🦖, Sav with a unicorn 🦄and Lil Bit with a flamingo (my spirit animal 😍).

To record our summer fun,  I got a waterproof camera. This thing is amazing! It can be attached to a helmet, is waterproof, shock proof,  and will take selfies or video! Waterproof was the important feature since much of our time is spent around the pool. 

Just for me,  I get a treat that soothes my summer 😂. My favorite wine this summer is Tussock Jumper. It, of course, comes in a full sized bottle but also comes in these mini plastic bottles that can be taken just about anywhere! They say good things come in small packages and it's certainly true with these little beauties! 

I hope you find my tips for summer helpful. I've certainly found them to make or summer a lot easier and keeping our cool (in several ways 😂).

These are tricks I've used all summer to benefit not only or sanity but my wallet as well. And let's face it, the more I save in some areas, we'll get to do some fun things with that savings like outings for ice cream, etc.. 

Be sure to leave a comment if you found this helpful or may have a tip you think the readers would like.