Summer 2026 Essentials

If there is one thing worth investing in this

summer, Sol Brush sunscreen is it!

This is a clean ingredient, SPF 50 mineral sunscreen that takes less than a minute to apply, better yet, my kids have never once fought putting it on (they actually love it!). Before you let the price tag scare you, do the math on how many cans of sunscreen you go through in a summer...just ONE Sol Brush = about 7 cans worth of sunscreen! My family of 4 all used it nearly every day last summer and went through just less than two brushes! (Compared to other brands, Sol Brush’s product includes more powder).

*Bonus: can be used on babies to adults, not oily, big brush applicator for use on whole body and face, perfect for scalps, and over makeup.

In all my years as a nanny and as a mom, I don’t think there has been a single summer without scraped knees or hands, scratches from playing outside, or the inevitable re-opened scab wounds. This spray speaks for itself. On any skin damage- scrapes, cuts, sunburns, bites, etc.- this spray uses Hypochlorous (naturally produced by our body) to clean and rebuild the skin barrier and with NO STING! 

It may have taken several year, and more than a few broken sunglasses, but I have finally found *affordable* kids sunglasses that can withstand being thrown on concrete, stretched in all directions, sat on, and somehow still remain in tact by the end of the summer! Better yet, they sell packs of 3 for less than $20 for when a pair inevitably gets left at the park. 

Another simple thing that will be used more than you’d expect! Much roomier than the typical wet/dry bag, we use these bags DAILY! On the go snacks and drinks (no biggie if they spill- 100% washable), dirty/wet clothes, wet swimsuits, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, extra clothes, really anything you can think of, this bag can hold without the bulk of a diaper bag. Bring it with you to the park, library, walks and always have what you need on hand! 

These may seem like simple tools that many people will glance over, but they can reduce power struggles and improve your relationship with your children more than you’d imagine. One thing about me, is I am a deep-dive researcher, I have read numerous professional and personal perspectives and watched hours upon hours of workshops of different top child development experts teaching emotional regulation and different approaches on helping children learn and grow; and the one pattern I continuously noticed was the impact of using visual schedules and timers to help children smoothly transition between activities/tasks/places. (This is something that needs to be used consistently to help create clear habits and less stressful struggles).

These may seem like simple tools that many people will glance over, but they can reduce power struggles and improve your relationship with your children more than you’d imagine. One thing about me, is I am a deep-dive researcher, I have read numerous professional and personal perspectives and watched hours upon hours of workshops of different top child development experts teaching emotional regulation and different approaches on helping children learn and grow; and the one pattern I continuously noticed was the impact of using visual schedules and timers to help children smoothly transition between activities/tasks/places. (This is something that needs to be used consistently to help create clear habits and less stressful struggles).