- shares
- Facebook10
- Twitter1
- Pinterest2
- Yummly0
- Mix0
- Email0
Ask a parent what items are on their “must have” list to survive the summer. I bet you’d get a ton of different suggestions! We tried to find some of the best ideas to try for ourselves, and then share with our readers. And they aren’t just for parents but for caregivers as well as our children! Here are a few of our summer must-have items for summer fun!
About UnbuckleMe
Founded by a Licensed Occupational Therapist, who worked adapting equipment for patients with disabilities of the hand. Soon after becoming a grandmother, she began watching her grandchild and soon realized that because of arthritis in her thumb, she was unable to push the button of the car seat. As a result, she avoided taking her granddaughter out of the house. She even shopped for alternate car seats, but soon learned that car seat buckles are federally regulated to require 9 lbs of pressure to release (so kids can’t unbuckle themselves!)
She knew there had to be a way to feel more confident and comfortable taking her granddaughter out in the car. Relying on her background as a therapist, she used thermoplastic, splint-making material to create a tool to solve her own problem. Her tool worked great, and she happily began using it with her granddaughter. UnbuckleMe was successfully funded through Kickstarter in early 2017, and is currently sold in hundreds of retail stores across the US, Canada and a growing number of international locations.
UnbuckleMe Device
This is a wonderful and easy to use tool to help unbuckle those difficult car seat buckles! It simply slides over the buckle area. To use, squeeze the handle and apply pressure to release the latch. No longer will you fight with those stubborn buttons. There are no removable pieces and no electronics or buttons. Simply keep it in the back seat pocket for easy reach and storage. You don’t have to struggle getting your child out of their car seat harness. You can purchase Unbuckle Me on their website or at buybuyBABY, Nordstrom and Amazon!
It’s a light weight, easy to use tool that slides right over the buckle, you press down on the handles, and it applies a specific point of pressure right on the buckle to help it release. We also discovered that it’s a great step towards independence for those little ones that want to “do it themselves”! Yes, you have to slide it on but then they can help you get their car seat buckle open! Then toss it in the door panel or in your diaper bag so it can travel with your child if they are going to their grandparents or babysitter’s car.
Make sure to follow UnbuckleMe on social media:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
About Jack and Mary Designs
Jack & Mary Designs studio is located in York, Maine. Founder and Designer, Marilyn Robertson began the company in 2004 with bags and purses, until a custom order brought back memories of her mother recycling clothing into amazing new items. Jack & Mary Designs uses sweaters that would have otherwise ended up in landfills and upcycles the wool into practical fashions with style, and has added different accessories to include scarves, hats, bun warmer skirts, and the famous Memory Mittens.
Sweaters are cut, and colors and patterns are creatively placed together in a pleasing manner that is then sewn into a finished product. Even unattractive sweaters can be repurposed it into something beautiful. Jack & Mary Designs was named after Marilyn’s parents, as she and her company are the perfect combination of both style and practicality.
These are the perfect upcycled product to help keep you or your little one’s hair up for the summer. It doesn’t matter if you’re rocking a messy bun, pony tail, or other fun hairdo. These beautiful and soft cashmere scrunchies come in a variety of colors!
Make sure to follow Jack & Mary Designs on social media:
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
About Go Happy Kids
You backpacked around India, hiked Kilimanjaro and enjoyed civilized dinners at hip restaurants — all pre-kids. Oh, the memories! Fortunately, your adventures don’t have to end when you have kids. The logistics might be complicated and more planning is involved, but the trips are always worth it.
Traveling (near or far) with kids expands their comfort zones and builds confidence. Exposing them to new experiences, people and cultures helps kids of all ages learn to notice and appreciate cultural and racial differences, promotes empathy, curiosity and understanding and can inspire them to help make the world a better place. Taking a break from daily routines and busy schedules also gives us time to reconnect and create lasting memories with the people who matter most. But it’s never easy. Whether it’s your first trip with one child, or your third adventure with three, traveling with kids will challenge even the most experienced and organized parents!
Go Happy Kids Travel Tray
Traveling with kids is definitely an adventure! But it doesn’t have to be complicated, especially when it comes to having safe surfaces for play and meal time. The Go Happy Kids Travel Tray has a great silicone “grippy” liner to help keep toys, coloring supplies, and even plates from sliding around when you’re traveling. And the board beneath is great for white board markers, games, and more. Plus it includes an adjustable strap and carrying bag!
Make sure to follow Go Happy Kids on social media:
About TrustyTrunks
TrustyTrunks have since been developed to create a leakproof seal around diapers that still allows for complete mobility and child comfort. The 100% silicone TrustyTrunks are designed to provide a custom fit and a stress-free experience at the pool. They are washable and reusable, which means your TrustyTrunks will keep your child safe and clean throughout the season. On the road to promoting cleaner, safer recreational water, we save kids and their parents from embarrassing contamination accidents and keep the pools open all summer long.
TrustyTrunks Diaper Cover
Ever need to take your kid swimming, only to find their regular diaper soaked and soggy, within minutes of entering the water? Well, TrustyTrunks provide a leakproof seal around your child’s diaper to help keep all liquids and solids within the cover safely. Plus it’s great to keep out sand, too! They are 100% reusable and safe for the washing machine as well.
Make sure to follow TrustyTrunks on social media:
About The Spunky Stork
A little bit about the company: Since 2009, we choose to source only 100% GOTS certified organic cotton material because we believe in the future of sustainable commerce, and we also really care about our end users: babies & kids. Your little ones have immune systems that are not fully developed, making them more susceptible to toxins. Nowadays, the apparel industry manufactures their textiles with various amounts of chemicals and dyes, many of which are unknowingly harmful to the consumer. Not ours! Our material uses zero dyes or chemical colorants. It’s the reason our entire product line is white.
But let’s not forget about the farmers and laborers who work in highly polluted conditions. Many cotton workers from developing countries suffer from illnesses directly related to the chemicals they are exposed to. By using 100% GOTS certified organic cotton, we are adhering to the industry’s highest standards, throughout the entire textile supply chain. Clean working conditions. Clean clothes.
My Sibling Has Paws Bodysuit
What an adorable bodysuit for your child, up to 18 months! A sweet way to announce their siblings are of the furry, four legged variety. It’s made of organic cotton and hand printed in the USA.
Make sure to follow The Spunky Stork on social media:
My Thoughts
Ask any parent, grandparent, or caregiver about some of their “must have” items for the upcoming summer and you’ll probably hear some wonderful suggestions! Whether it’s suggesting using a yoga mat as a backseat cover or keeping small plastic tubs with lids in the trunk to store all those items that would normally roll around. Every family or parent has wonderful ideas and products to share with others, right? So I loved putting together this list of our summer must-have items for summer fun!
Struggling with car seat buckles can really be a pain, especially if you have any wrist or hand weakness. They all require, by law, a certain amount of pressure to be applied before they release for safety reasons. But getting a child out of their restraints shouldn’t be a chore, which is why I love the idea of the UnBuckle Me device.
Another wonderful tool to keep handy has to be the beautiful and soft cashmere scrunchies from Jack and Mary Designs. They take sweaters and transform them into other products, to save the material from going into landfills. Plus it’s a great way to keep my hair up during the hot summer days, whether I’m rocking the messy bun style or just a simple braid or pony tail. And because they come in so many colors, I can wear them with almost anything. I just have to make sure to “share” them with my little divas in the house when they want to put their hair up too! But there are no metal bars to snag their hair so they are easy to put in or take out. And you’re helping to keep unwanted sweaters from the trash.
Traveling with kids is definitely exciting: whether your took a trip across town, a day trip to explore, spent a week on vacation or even hiked Kilimanjaro! Keeping your child entertained can be a challenge. Having their favorite toys and comfort items available helps your child enjoy the trip too. Not to mention those around you if traveling on commercial transportation. Enter the Go Happy Kids Travel Tray. It provides your child a large (15″x 11″) tray of space. The raised edge keeps everything together. The strap can be used to secure the tray in place or to assist in carrying.
Plus, there is a silicone mat to help keep things from rolling around in case there is movement. It can come on and off though without a problem. The tray itself is also great to be used as a hard surface to practice their writing on, use as a game base, or even use white board markers on! It weighs less than a pound, comes with it’s own drawstring bag for carrying, and slides right into a backpack, carry-on, or laptop bag.
Anyone that has taken kids swimming that are still in diapers knows the hassle and expense of buying swim diapers or having regular diapers that swell up and explode! Not to mention possible leaks out of either kind, right? Enter the TrustyTrunks, a diaper and underwear cover that provides a water and sand-proof seal for your child. Not only does it keep things out, but also holds in liquids and solids so they don’t contaminate the water your friends and family are using too.
They simply slide up like a pair of shorts, and are designed to be used over a regular diaper, a swim/wet diaper, or underwear. Your child is kept dry and any accidents are contained. TrustyTrunks come in two sizes, up to 29 pounds, to help keep your child clean and contained.
If you’re looking for fun designs that are also environmentally friendly, be sure to check out all the sweet products from The Spunky Stork. They want to help support organic cotton farmers and laborers while also providing non-toxic clothing options for our children. It’s why they don’t use dyes in their fabrics, but instead keep the base designs white!
Plus this helps keep it clean and fresh looking, while going with anything! Like this bodysuit that reads “My Sibling Has Paws” that we got for the princess. This way she can brag/announce that she has two furry siblings at home that she loves. Plus you can order sets for twins, big and little siblings, and get items to match or compliment parent’s tops! All while supporting a good cause and being cute, too.
Whether you’re looking for ideas to help get you through the summer or want unique gift ideas for parents in your life, be sure to check out all the items we highlighted today. They are just a small part of our summer must-have items for summer fun and we’d love to hear what ideas and products you use in the comment section below!
We’ve added all of our sponsors to our Celebrate Summer Gift Guide! #MDRSummerFun
Check it out here!