How To Prepare For Summer

I’m sharing my tips on how to prepare for summer, including staying cool, protecting your skin, and planning fun family activities.

Happy Summer!

Summer officially beings this week, and I am here for it! Mazen and I are flying to San Diego this weekend to visit KK (his grandmother) and we’re heading down to Bald Head Island in August this year. Lots of smaller events and fun in August!

Whether it’s a beach getaway, a backyard barbecue, or time at the pool, summer offers countless ways to enjoy the outdoors. The long days are filled with sunshine and heat, the sense of extra freedom from routines and school schedules, and the opportunities to spend quality time with family and friends (our family beach trips are something I look forward to every year).

By getting organized, you can ensure that your summer is not only filled with fun and relaxation but also free from unnecessary stress. From gathering the right gear to planning exciting activities, every little detail can enhance your summer experience. I’ve put together a simple list to prepare for a memorable and stress-free season, ensuring you maximize every sunny moment.

1. Refresh your beauty routine.

With Beautycounter’s temporary closure, I am refreshing my beauty routine more so than usual summer. I’ve been trying out some other clean beauty brands, while trying to keep my routine as simple as possible. Summer beauty means all the SPF and minimal makeup, for me. I live in tinted moisturizer with SPF (loving the Dime Wonderscreen) and cream blush (this one is so easy to apply). I’m loving the new Crunchi mascara as it doesn’t smudge in the summer heat.

2. Pack the pool bag.

We get excited for opening pool day, as we spend a lot of time at our community pool all summer. Our pool bag is ready to go with the best Turkish towels, swim goggles for the kids, my favorite sun hat, sunglasses, wet bags for wet suits, and more! I have my favorite bag and everything that’s inside linked here.

3. Plan that summer trip.

Whether you’re gearing up for a family road-trip, opening weekends at the beach, or jet-setting to somewhere new in an airplane (my sister just saw Taylor Swift in England!), preparing for the summer trip will be more than worth it. My best tip: use credit card points to travel for free! I have a post here on how you can use Chase cards for hotels and flights and Capital One on more low-key travel like ferries and Airbnbs!

4. Get to Costco for cookouts + entertaining.

You never know when there may be an impromptu neighborhood potluck or block party, so I like to keep our walk-in pantry a little extra stocked over the summer with chips, crackers, bulk condiments, and the like. Our drink fridge is also fully stocked with extra beers, seltzers, NA wines, and more. Don’t forget paper plates, napkins, cups, and extras of anything in case the party gets out of hand!

5. Stock up on safer sunscreen.

I’m terribly sad that I couldn’t stock up on our favorite safer sunscreen this summer, but so far I’ve been impressed by this Crunchi sunscreen and Supergoop will be great for the entire family. I also have really been liking Dime’s Tinted Wonderscreen – a comparable swap to Dew Skin (get 20% off with my code: KATHEATS).

6. Get outfitted for outdoor concerts.

Summer means it’s outdoor concert season! These are our favorite concert chairs and backpack cooler. This portable picnic table I’ve had for YEARS and it’s great for concerts and picnics because it’s low to the ground and lightweight. The legs fold up into an easy-to-carry bag!

7. Simply your meal plan.

We’ve been using Blue Apron for years for this very reason. I like to have 2 meals from Blue Apron that are structured and delivered that cover 4 nights a week. And then the other 3 nights we can either use some produce from our garden (or my in-laws) and make something creative or use those nights to attend a cookout or go out to dinner. When we have this loose dinner plan and can mix and match which days we do what, dinnertime doesn’t feel stressful. Plus, we’re cooking 3 nights and enjoying leftovers the other 3 so if we stay late at the pool we just heat and eat!

There’s a great promo right now to get 30% off the first 4 weeks of a new subscription!

8. Perk up your patio.

Dust off your patio furniture (literally!), so it’s ready for happy hours (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere)! Check out this post for my summer happy hour essentials.

9. Keep cool in summer athleisure.

Athleta is my typical go-to for summery activewear that’s functional, but also stylish. My Trekkie North Shorts and Birkenstocks are summer essentials. I also love Carve Designs for summer things like the Cruz Rashguard and Bali Shorts as my go-to pool coverup (I wear medium in both).

10. Stock the freezer full of fruit for smoothies.

Summer = smoothie season! We make sure our freezer is stocked with tons of fruit so we can whip up healthy homemade smoothies whenever the craving hits. Here are my best smoothie tips and tricks.