It is finally summer! With the summer solstice, the first official day of summer and longest day of the year just behind us, we can finally get excited about summer vacations.
It is time for that beach trip or a getaway to somewhere like New England that is a little more breezy and a little less humid. Wherever you are going, we have some tips for you. Here are 4 things you need for your summer vacation.
1. New Summer Clothing
After over a year of quarantine, including last summer, you deserve a new summer wardrobe. Now, we are not saying you need to replace everything in your closet. But you do deserve some new staple pieces! Try on what is in your summer closet, and get rid of things that do not fit anymore, or just are not your style. Making room in your closet is a great way to give yourself permission to purchase things that you do like. And this applies to everyone! Consider buying shorts for women in trendy styles or breathable blouses for the summer heat.
2. Sun Protection
Even though we all know the importance of protecting our skin from the sun, it can be hard to readjust to needing to put sunscreen on every single day. We recommend having both a gentle face lotion sunscreen and an easy-to-use sunscreen spray for all your limbs. Remember to slather sunscreen on the children and yourself every 90 minutes!
Sun protection can also come in the form of a hat and even a baseball cap. These accessories will shield your face and can make a big difference. For extra protection, use a wide-brim hat that will make sure to keep the sun out of easily burned spots like the back of your neck and ears. Things like lip balms with SPF and sunglasses also help! Then there are rash guards for broader coverage when you go into the water; we especially recommend these for children.
While sun protection is important, especially for fairer-skinned people, everyone can get sunburned, and 80% of skin cancer is caused by overexposure to UV radiation. Just because you are not getting burned does not mean you should not protect your body! Put on that sunscreen, cover up, and be smart about how much time you are spending directly under the sun.
3. Reusable Water Bottle
Hydration nation! Staying well hydrated in the summer is absolutely crucial. We know that hydration is a key way to prevent headaches year-round, and this only becomes more important in the summer when temperatures are rising and you lose more water by sweating. Having a reusable water bottle also helps reduce single-use plastic consumption!
Once you get in the habit, leaving the house (or hotel room!) with your water bottle will be second nature: phone, keys, wallet, water bottle is the new mantra! If you are going to be spending a lot of time outside, we recommend looking into insulated water bottles that keep your H2O icy cold. There is really nothing like taking a sip of fresh cold water while you are sitting in the hot sun next to the pool.
4. A Great Book
There is nothing like relaxing by getting lost in a good book. Whether you love fiction, poetry, or nonfiction, you deserve a great book to crack open on the plane or by the pool. If you have a kindle, we can not recommend downloading reading applications enough.This way, you can reserve ebooks from your local library and download them to your kindle when they are ready. And if you prefer paper books or simply do not want to wait in the queue, a quick visit to your local bookstore will do the trick!
Use the tips mentioned above to ensure your summer vacation is amazing and as relaxing as ever. Bookmark this post and refer back to it for your summer getaway now and in the future.
