What's in My Pool Bag?
It’s almost the end of Summer 2020, and we’re all running out of ideas for ways we can tire out our kids, right?
We’ve been spending our days one of two places: at home or at the pool.
There is nothing that tires out my kids better than some sun, some water, and some swimming.
And between packing our pool bag and snacks, going to the pool, playing in the pool, coming home, changing, baths, and everything in between, a pool outing can take up a good chunk of the day, especially when tired kids means bedtime can get sometimes get bumped up by a few minutes. What’s not to love?!
Today, I’m sharing with you what we absolutely can’t live without for the pool. This is what’s in our pool bag each and every time we go!
My favorite swimsuit.
As many of you know, 90% of the time, I’m wearing black. That doesn’t change when it’s swimsuit season! The only swimsuits I own are Seafolly. They’re well made, they hold up season after season, and they’re great coverage and stay in place. I can feel cute while still chasing my three kids! I love that I can feel comfortable and chic. These suits suck you in in the right places and make me feel and look good— which, let’s be honest, is nice for those of us carrying around some extra quarantine insulation.
Rubber Sandals
Nothing goes together better than pools and slides. But… not the kind of slides you’re thinking.
I’m talking about a good, slide-on rubber sandal for the pool and beach!
These are perfect because you can just rinse them right off, water can’t hurt them, and they’re (again) a great, classic black.
My “Mom Bag”
The big beach bag we use to carry allll of our stuff is no longer in production. That’s where I put all of our sunscreen, towels, swimmies, etc.
But my secret to staying sane at the pool is that I also have a little mom bag, just for me. I hate digging for my things in our huge bag, so I toss in a smaller bag where I put my phone, my cash, my chapstick… anything I want to be able to grab without getting elbow-deep in towels and sunscreen bottles.
It also keeps my stuff from getting wet!
This belt bag is a favorite.
Want to limit your sand collection? Two words: mesh. bags.
We’ve had this mesh backpack for seven years, and it’s still in pristine shape. Brian carries this bag when we go to the beach because the wide mesh means any extra sand just falls right through!
Brian’s taken on some solo pool trips this Summer so I can get some work done, and he likes to use it for toys and goggles and keeps the other bag reserved for towels, sunscreen, and snacks.
Even better? This one is a backpack, so you still have all your arms free and mobile.
Hooded beach towels!
If you’ve listened to this episode of Zimmerman Podcast, then you know each of my kids has a color. Same goes for goggles and for beach towels. This way there is never arguments over who wants which towel.
I bought these Pottery Barn hooded beach towels when the kids were just babies. This is Stella’s sixth summer using the same beach towel and the fourth year for the boys. They are such good quality!
And, if you want to go for a monochromatic look, you can always get the towel monogramed with your kids’ initials!
I know it’s tempting to get that Spiderman towel, but in a year or two, they might not like Spiderman, and then you have a towel no one wants to use.
If you stick to a simple design, you’ve got staying power.
Here are a few towels just like ours.
Turkish Beach towels!
For myself, I love anything that functions great and looks good. Despite their thinner, beautiful look, Turkish towels absorb water better than any plain old cotton towel I’ve used.
Here’s one of my favorite splurge towels:
My favorite sunscreen
It’s taken a lot of trial and error to learn that what we put in and on our bodies matters. That’s especially true when it comes to sunscreen.
It’s my job to keep my kids safe, and that means wearing sunscreen and wearing sunscreen with safe ingredients! SunBum is the only sunscreen I trust. We don’t leave home without these two:
It’s hard to find clean sunscreen that’s ALSO a spray, but really, what parent wants to apply a non-spray sunscreen? I love that this spray eliminates that headache without compromising on ingredients.
This stick is so kid friendly that I even let my twins apply it themselves! It’s like a glue stick for your face, and doesn’t have the weird texture that some clean sunscreens have. You’ve gotta try it!
I hope this helps you revamp your pool or beach trips so you can have some fun in the sun!
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