Finally travelling again? If you are headed to a beach or cottage, then I have some FABULOUS finds to make your vacation even better! I give you my Amazon Summer must-haves 2021!
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The girls and I are prepping for a cottage getaway this summer and we are beyond excited. Like most, we haven’t travelled anywhere in 2 years – and while my backyard is my oasis, a change of scenery is a special treat once in awhile.
In putting together lists of things we’ll need for our little getaway, I came across some Amazon items that I wanted to share with you. I’ve already tried them and have been so pleased that I wanted to tell everyone!
First up is a Soft Silicone Body Scrubber
We have been using those mesh body loofahs for the past hundred years and we go through them about 1 every month to 2 months because the mesh starts to pull out of the knot or I feel like they’ve seen enough dirt. Each one runs about $6 CDN, times the three of us, times 6 per year… it adds up!
I bought one of these soft silicone body scrubbers based on a recommendation from a fellow blogger, Kelley Nan, and I have to tell you it is the bees knees!! I get the same amount of lather as I did with the mesh scrubby, but with ¼ the amount of shower gel/soap! It exfoliates, suds, rinses easily, hangs over the faucet AND you can run it through the dishwasher if/when you want to re-sanitize it!
The finger slots in the back are easy to slip in and out of so you don’t drop it while lathering up, and it rinses up a dream!
I think they have a smaller face version as well, and I’m not lying when I say I’ve ordered 2 more (for the girls). (I’m thinking it might even become a stocking stuffer for everyone in my family come Christmas) At approximately $6 US each, it runs about the same as a single scrubby, but will last forever (less in landfill folks!)
Crazy for this thing!
Next up in my Summer must-haves is this CALPALMY Sand Anchor for Small Boats, Kayaking Surfing and Tubing
My girls are teenagers and will inevitably spend time at the beach sunning in the sand and cooling the waves. I bought them the floating mattresses below, but was worried that within a few minutes they’d float away. It’s no fun getting on a lounger and then off again because you’re a block away from where you started.
I looked up options for keeping the floating loungers in place and came across this sand anchor!
It’s completely flat when empty, so takes up next to no storage/packing space, but when you get to the beach, you fill it with rocks or sand and it acts as an anchor for canoes, kayaks, small boats, jet skis and of course floating loungers. No hook in the sand for people to stub their toes on, and a floating buoy so you can see where the bag is placed. I’m going to wrap the cord around the headrest section of these $13 loungers:
fill the sandbag up, and let the girls float – without floating away.
This sand anchor can also be used as a waterproof dry bag – I have no idea what that is for, but I thought I’d share both features in case you do. 😂
No camping or cottage vacation is complete without a campfire right? I haven’t sat by a campfire in at least 2 years, so it’s something I’m really looking forward to.
We made up some fire starters in this blog post, and while I know you can use branches for roasting marshmallows – these Telescoping Marshmallow Roasting Sticks
are awesome!
Colour coded so everyone knows which is who’s, wrist strap so they don’t get dropped into the fire, and with a plastic cap so you can pack them up and put them away for next year without getting stabbed in the hand in your search.
The best part? They store at 12″ long, but can be extended out to 32″ (almost a metre!) for roasting! Roasting hot dogs or marshmallows is certainly a Summer must-do, so these are a fantastic Summer must-have!
I bought the 5 pack (~$9 US) because that’s all we need, but they do come in larger packs of 8 or 12 as well.
This next item is absolutely, definitely and positively a summer must-have – Racerback Cami with Built-in Shelf Bra
I HATE wearing a bra in the summer. It’s an extra layer that just adds to the boob sweat and makes summer living a little less easy. I don’t have big ta-taas (38C and drooping 😂), so this medium support racerback cami is absolutely PERFECT!
I tried a few different brands, including Hanes, but they are all going back and the only ones I’m keeping are this brand. It comes in several colours and runs at ~$20 CDN. I love it because the shelf bra (mostly) hides any nipples that perk out (men can’t handle any nipple-viewage 🤦🏻♀️, and I don’t like feeling self-conscious), and it’s much easier to get on than a typical yoga top or sports bra – which if I’m being completely honest with you are a total battle for me.
This one slides on like a tank top and the shelf bra doesn’t get twisted up everywhere while you’re putting it on. They also make great layering pieces come Fall. I’m really pleased with this purchase!
Next on my Amazon summer must-haves list are Crocs. (or some knock-off version of Crocs)
I know, I’m the loser with about 6 pairs of Crocs for every season and reason, but come summer they are FANTASTIC for kids.
Crocs Kids’ Classic Tie Dye Clog
I have bought water shoes for our family every single year we’ve gone to a cottage. They run around $20 CND per pair and they only last ONE summer! The uppers tear, sand isn’t easy to wash out, and inevitably we get mold and mildew inside the shoe itself. For beach walking/playing, Croc’s protect your feet from the hot sand and rocks, and with the holes throughout the front of the clog you can easily wear them in and out of the water! They slip on so kids/adults aren’t battling with sandal straps or yesterday’s wet water shoes; it’s a slide-in and go! Pack one pair of shoes and you are good for just about everything on your entire vacation!
This Kindle Paperwhite is the priciest item on my Summer must-haves list, but because it’s waterproof, anti-glare, AND has ton of storage – it is a MUST for beach reading.
I actually received mine as a gift at Christmas, and while I was skeptical that it was any better than an iPad, I can tell you that for reading – it IS! If you have Amazon Prime you also have access to hundreds (thousands?) of free books so you can store as many as you like and read voraciously your whole vacation (without adding much to your packing load). One battery charge will last over a week and you can use it at the beach, in the hot tub, in the bath – anywhere really because of the waterproof feature that protects it from accidental drops and steam.
Finally, and a great memory-maker, is a Cuisinart 2-Quart Automatic Ice Cream Maker.
It’s not super-large or super-expensive, but we have taken it to any cottages we’ve rented for at least 8 years. (It’s about the only time we use it if I’m being honest.) This year I asked my now-teenagers if we should pack it for our little vacay and I received a resounding “Yes!” Creating little ice cream/ fro-yo creations for desserts each day is easy and delicious and is now entrenched as a memory of summer fun. We bought the Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream recipe book, but I’m sure there are plenty of recipes available for free online.
That’s all I’ve packed so far, but I come across anything else wild and wonderful I promise to share.
The world is slowly coming back to ‘normal’, so get out and enjoy your summer!!