10 Essential Summer Mom Hacks

Summer is going on strong and if you are anything like me, then you are always looking for ways to make life easier for yourself- especially when you have so little free time because you are surrounded by kids 24/7! I love reading about “hacks”- little tips and tricks that can save you time, money or energy (yes to all three please!) around the house or for outside and finding hacks that make it easier to be a MOM are my favorites. Being a mom is hard, so why not have some shortcuts up your sleeve to make this job a little easier? I have gathered 10 of my most essential summer mom hacks that will help make this time of year a little easier for you. Write them down or pin for later, because trust me, you’ll need them at one point or another!

I love reading about little tips and tricks that can save me some of a mom’s most precious commodity: time!! With three kids ours summers aren’t too relaxing, since we are at swim practices, camps and then just hanging out at the pool. I am always looking forward to little ways or ideas that can help to make my job of “mom” a little easier. These tips are great for parents of kids of all ages and can help save you time, money and energy!

1. Sun Remedy

Yes we all know about sun safety and follow the apply every two hour rule, but we’d all be liars if we didn’t admit that our kids (or ourselves) got too much sun every now and again. If this does happen to you, be prepared with freezing 100% aloe in ice cube trays and use that to help soothe burns and reduce pain and swelling.

2. Beat bugs naturally

One of summer’s downfalls is the bugs. Help to keep these little buggers at bay by making yourself some natural bug repent by boiling some citrus peels in water and then when they cool, apply it your skin using a spray bottle or instead use some essential oils like rosemary, geranium, basil, cedar, cinnamon, lemon, or lavender with a carrier oil and apply it to your skin. If you are having a fire pit you can also throw some dried sage into it to naturally keep bugs away.

3. If you got bit anyways…

Even if you sprayed yourself silly with bug spray, you can still get bit. Help soothe those itchy bites with a dab of toothpaste on them. The natural mint in the paste will create an instant cooling sensation and make you or your kids less itchy fast.

4. Keep water bottles cold

We all know how important it is to stay hydrated in the summer, and getting your kids to drink a lot of water can be tough when their water gets warm outside fast. Help keep it cool by adding some water the night before the bottle and lay it on its side in the freezer, being careful not to cover the mouth of the bottle. This will create an instant ice pack in their bottle and will keep their bottle cooler longer.

5. Keep drinks outside cold

If your kids are having fun outside with their friends, bring a cooler outside with their favorite drinks and instead of ice in it, fill the cooler with frozen water balloons– these will keep their favorite drinks cold and also give them something fun to play with when the ice inside the balloons has melted!

6. Splinter removal without the tears

No summer is complete without at least one kid getting a splinter. To remove them without tears, mix a little baking soda and water, put it over the splinter, and place a Band-Aid over it. In about an hour, the splinter will be ready to push out with ease!

7. Pack smart

Make vacations just a little easier by packing each kids outfits for every day in their own large ziplock bag, compete with undies and socks. This way they can just pick a bag and don’t have to be searching through a messy suitcase for clothes, and then they can place their dirty clothes in the same bags for the trip home.

8. Sand removal made easy

After a day at the beach, be sure to help keep your car cleaner by getting off some of the sand BEFORE you get in. Use baby powder and sprinkle it on legs, feet and arms and brush the sand right off! Bonus: your kids will smell much better too.

9. Cupcake lines to the rescue

Use cupcake liners in a few ways to help you out this summer. One- like how we did with the sparklers, poke a hole in the bottom and stick the kids popsicles in them to help prevent tie-dye stained shirts and less sticky hands. Two- Use them the same way but place your kids straws through them and place them OVER their drinks to prevent bugs from getting inside their cups (bonus: works great with adult drinks too!). Three- Use them in your kids cupholders to keep them cleaner when on road trips (or like, everyday)- and four- help to keep food in lunch boxes separate when you drive, so you have less complaints about grapes touching sandwiches and vice versa.

10. Think LARGER to save time & money

For some reason, I feel like once summer hits, my house just seems like one giant mess that I can’t seem to get ahead of! If you are like me then when you are buying things, definitely think LARGER! Get the super-sized sunblock, tissues and juice at the store. The more you have on hand means the less likely you are to have to replace it. One thing I LOVE to buy super-sized is toilet paper! I used to definitely feel like half of my day was spent changing toilet paper rolls in the bathroom, but now with the new Cottonelle Mega Roll, I can cut that job down in half and be sure we never run out!

One roll of Cottonelle Mega Roll equals 4 regular rolls of toilet paper- wow! Cottonelle Mega Roll Toilet Paper is uniquely designed with a CleanRipple Texture that removes more, and SafeFlush Technology to help protect sewers and septic systems. Plus, with Mega Rolls you get four times more sheets per roll compared to the leading single roll of ultra strong tissue. And more sheets equal less changing the roll, less buying bath tissue and less hassle!

I can pick up a pack of Cottonelle Mega Roll toilet paper when I’m at my local Walmart, and while I’m there I can stock up on some other summer essentials, like sunblock, baby powder and snacks- just in time for my kids to be hungry! I know I will be saving money at Walmart too, which is always a good idea! Save even more money with these downloadable coupons from Ibotta. Even more in a rush? Walmart now has online grocery pick up! See if one near you has his new exciting service here.

So there you have 10 essential summer hacks for moms just like you and me to make our lives just a teeny bit easier all summer long! These are tested by me too, I honestly have used every single one of them and they really work great. I promise. Mom Scouts honor.

Do you use these tips? What would you add to the list??