Thursday, May 21, 2026

Tom and I bought a used boat 12 years ago and we have thoroughly enjoyed it. We got to take our 2026 Maiden Voyage on Sunday and here is how it went…

Tom: We need towels.

Amy: Don’t forget all the boat accessories in the garage.

Tom: I forgot this, this, this, this, this, and this.

Amy:

So, we do forget all about what summer staples we need over the long dark winter, don’t we? It takes a bit to get our footing in the new season.

Here is my advice. I don’t have young kids so those of you with young kids have even more to gather! And you might need to tailor your list to the pool, the lake, or the baseball field.

Step One: Shop your house. See what bug spray you still have, what sunscreens you still have, find and wash your towels, pull out your swimsuits and coverups, etc. I don’t believe that you have to buy new sunscreen before the old is used up – unless your sunscreen is from 1995. I bought a ton of sunscreen last summer and then I just wasn’t outside as much as in previous summers. It was a weird summer. It was either storming or miserably hot every weekend.

Step Two: Make your list and shop! Have fun with it and enjoy the season. Maybe start out slowly and don’t buy everything at once but gradually add a couple of things to your online order each week.

Here are the must haves in my opinion:

Bug spray – the mosquitoes freaking love me. I am also trying the original Jergens this season to see if that keeps them away. I have heard it does!

No matter how hard you try to avoid it, flies will come in the house. I stand behind my Zevo! It really works. It’s a device you plug into the wall and then you replace the filter thingy. I have bought mine on Amazon and at Target.

Fans – I bought a little fan for my patio and it really helps!

Spray bottle for water – this is a trick my SIL taught me for the boat. Spraying some water cools you down really well. I have already used mine on my patio this year.

Insulated big cup for water – treat yourself to a new one or dig out your options and keep one everywhere. I have one or two in my car that I keep filled, Tom has two in his car, I keep one next to my coffee pot, etc. I especially love the ones that keep ice intact for a long time.

Sunscreen that smells like summer – for me that is good old Coppertone. I usually buy one like this and then do store brand for the rest. Pro Tip: Apply sunscreen at home in front of a mirror. Use lotion – not spray – it really works better. Then, when you get to your destination you can reapply with the spray. You don’t want to spray inside your house anyway. Do not get burned. It is extremely painful and it happens quickly. Keep a t-shirt if you have had too much sun and need to cover up.

Soft sided cooler – We take it on the boat but I feel like it’s good to have one in the car for groceries (if you have another errand you need to run and worry about your food getting too hot), for any outdoor event like concerts, for taking things to someone’s house, etc. Keep it in your car!

I think mine must have been totally too far gone by the end of last summer because I couldn’t find any around my garage or my house.

I ordered two to see which one I liked better. I picked these up at Target and I like both and might keep both. They were less than $20 each!

Car sunshade – I keep my car in my garage but when I go places in the summer the car gets so hot and these really help. I am going to purchase a new one for this season.

Beach towels and a drying rack/clothesline for wet towels – I think we have had our Costco towels for 10 years and they still look brand new. They are bigger and really good quality. They might be Tommy Bahama brand. I don’t think you have to wash towels every single time. They are big and that wastes a lot of energy. Put them on a clothesline or on a drying rack. Give each person a dedicated towel so they are using their own. Exception would be our river towels or lake towels. Those need to be washed each time.

Swim cover up – you can also use a button up and look chic

Hat or ballcaps

Flip flops

Swimsuit

babypool, sprinkler toys, pool toys, etc.

Coconut scented lotion – change up your scent for the new season. It’s fun! I have orange scented body wash in my shower now, too, and it smells all summer citrusy!

Summer candle – a citronella one for outside, too

Folding chairs for outdoor concerts, reunions, and picnics

Summer canned cocktails if you partake – I love the skinny cans. Anyone have a favorite? I am over Truly and White Claw and would like to try something new. Surfside maybe?

Skinny can insulator – I love mine! I found it at Target several years ago. Sadly, I had a pink monogrammed one that accidentally got thrown away so I had to replace it.

Summer cocktail ingredients like my skinny marg – 1/2 stick Crystal light lemonade, one shot white tequila, squirt some lime juice from a real lime or from a plastic lime shaped bottle with lime juice, mix all up, add ice, top with Fresca – gonna try this with my Wild Strawberry, too for a skinny strawberry marg!

I tell you what – you can start any cocktail with a half stick of Crystal Light, vodka or white tequila and top with Fresca! Why half a stick? I feel like a whole stick is too much for me. Add a bit of fresh lemon juice or lime juice, too.

I am sure I have forgotten some things! What else would you include? Give brand recommendations if you have them!

In addition…

Write out your summer bucket list

Print out blank calendars of the summer months so you can record community events and see the summer laid out

List of outdoor summer concerts where you can see it (or other summer community activities), list of summer farmer’s markets and locations, etc.

What better time than this weekend (as the unofficial start of summer) to have fun with this? Memorial Day is also a time to honor our fallen, don’t forget.

Happy weekend and start of summer!

Amy