5 Tips to Beat the Heat

I would say it was 100 degrees here today. Fun stuff, right? No. Especially when you have no air conditioning. Since I've been babysitting all weekend, with temperatures in the upper 90s/low 100s, I had some time to think up some fun activities to do to beat the heat!

1. Go to the pool. Slather on some sunscreen and jump in the pool! Nothing feels better than a chilly pool on a hot day.

2. Make homemade ice cream, in five minutes. We used this recipe to make our homemade ice cream, and it was perfect. So delicious! My little sister said it tasted like the ice cream from McDonald's--I would say that's a win. Any recipe should do, and I think most are similar. So just click the link above or find one on Google!

3. Hang out at the mall! While it can be tiring with little ones (or any group of kids with ages ranging from 10-15, with both boys and girls) it is definitely cool and air conditioned! Find a mall with free parking so you can stay as long as your legs permit. Try to hit stores that everyone likes, for us today it was Forever 21 and the Disney store!

4. Too hot to even venture outside? Try online shopping! I have to admit, that is one of my favorite things to do. My mom calls me an online shopping addict. Or maybe just a shopping addict...anyway, I always tell everyone "never checkout with a coupon code!" My favorite place to find a code is Retail Me Not! Check out our Etsy shop while you're at it...

5. Build a fort (with fans inside!) then add some pillows and take a nap! Naps are a great way to pass the day when it gets hot outside--heat tends to make kiddos tired and cranky! Taking a nap with your kids ensures you get some rest, and your kids will be more likely to actually nap if you're doing it too. If your kids are too old for napping (but really, who is ever too old for a nap?) play a fun game like Apples to Apples or Cranium.

Well there you have it, my go to ideas for a fun-filled, too hot weekend! Hope this helps you out next time the temperature creeps up to an unbearable heat.

XO, Lindsay

DIY Beach Bag Tote...out of Duct Tape!

It’s official. Summer is here! And what better way to brighten your *hopefully* already gorgeous day than a bright, DIY beach bag?

 This beach bag has ample space for a towel, some snacks, a magazine or two, and your sunnies! Don’t forget those trusty Reef flip flops to save your feet from the hot sand.

This bag was so simple, it took me maybe a half hour to make! The best part? It’s totally sand proof. Just wipe it down (inside AND out) with a wet wipe before putting it back in your car.

Now, duct tape comes in totally cute designs, so pick one you love! I chose Chevron, just because I absolutely love the bright colors, but they have designs with penguins, mustaches, tie dye...you name it, they probably have it.  

To start, lay down a piece of tissue paper, or even wrapping paper will work. I prefer to use tissue paper to make mine just because it’s lighter and can move more easily. It makes for easy folding later in the project! Then, get to work laying down strips of duct tape!

Don’t worry if your designs don’t line up exactly, especially if you’re using the chevron print. My mom said from far away you can’t even tell!

Once you have one side of duct tape totally down, flip it over and start laying down strips on the other side. I chose to use an “accent” color (not sure if white fulfills the category of accent colors...) and I highly recommend it!

Now that you have all of your strips of duct tape laid down (totally cover the tissue paper, but don’t worry if you don’t make it all the way to all the edges), fold your sheet in half, with the right sides together. Now comes the tough part! I would advise drawing a line, but I didn’t and it seemed to work okay. Staple fairly close to the edge, in as straight a line as possible, but far enough in so that you don’t have any tissue paper showing on the inside of the staples. Repeat this on the other side. Try to make sure the tops are lined up and agree with one another! Then when you're down stapling down both sides (be sure to leave the top open) trim the edges--but not too close to the staples!

Now, you’re going to press down and make little triangles in the corners. Trust me, it’s a lot easier than I just made it sound. Then staple in a line across. Hopefully these pictures help clarify what I failed to explain!

Now, the choice is yours but I totally 100% recommend cover your staples with a strip of duct tape. That way you don’t have to worry about them coming out, or stabbing you. Not fun.

And, I lied. This is the hard part. Turn your bag inside out. I almost gave up at this point. Well, not really. I was pretty determined to get this bag done!

Now to make the strap. Or make two, if you want. But basically you take a long strip of duct tape (I chose white at first) and fold it in thirds. Then I decided I wanted a printed strap, so I wrapped my printed duct tape around it.

Then, staple the ends of your strap onto your bag however you’d like it. I chose to put mine on at each end, but you could do side to side, or if you want to straps then staple them on each side. Make sure you don’t staple too far down, otherwise it will be hard to cover.

Now that you have your straps on, congratulations! You’re almost done. The next thing you’ll want to do is run a piece of your accent tape around the top edge of the bag. This can be little tricky, but just try to keep it as close to the top of the bag as possible. It’s okay if you have to fold it over a little bit.

Now that you’ve conquered that, just tape over where your straps are on the inside, and tape down those pesky triangles at the bottom of your bag. And voila! There you have it, a water-proof(ish), sand-proof beach bag!

Now head on out to your favorite beach (or the pool, or the beach chair on your back deck) and soak up some sun! But not too much, and make sure to use sunscreen. :)