Somehow Summer

Somehow, we're coming upon Memorial Day Weekend. Not sure how that happened, since those of us in NJ, never actually saw any of Spring. I know this because I've only needed one pedicure, and it was like, last week. Since October. I had one in October for my friend's daughter's Bat Mitzvah. Last week when it was time to actually put on flip flops, I realized it looked like I had a reverse French on my feet. I had a band of a deep gray color that grew to the tip of toenails.

Anyone not give any fcuks about the Royal Wedding? Me neither. Didn't see it, didn't read about it before or after, and I just saw the dresses on the noon news today. It's nice, yadda yadda, they got married, it's over. Lest you think I was more interested in the other brother and his bride, I wasn't. At 43, weddings and babies, especially those of people I don't know- I'm over it.

That brings me to what I want to talk about. Stuff. As in, stuff I've found that you are going to want also.

Every summer I mention the Whale Bag by Saltwater Canvas. All their bags are on 25% off sale until May 31. You definitely want to get in on THAT if you ever go to the pool or beach.

Last, but certainly not least, I just finally got a Cool Cabana for the beach. I've been wanting one for like two summers now- ever since I first saw them. But I waited, and now I got one on sale! Normally they're like $118 and they're on sale for $99 with free shipping. You can't get them on Ebay or Amazon unless you want to pay shipping too. It's more worth it to go through their site. It looks like the coolest thing ever so I hope it really is as cool as it looks!

Next thing on the agenda is addressing summer stink. Except not on me, but my kid. He turned nine, and while he doesn't exactly stink of body odor, however, he does smell like musty boy after running around all day, or just being in a hot school. Yeah, we don't have air conditioning here, like in the stone age. I found this deodorant for him called Every Man Jack that smells WONDERFUL. It's aluminum free, if that's a concern. It's not a real concern for me. I'm not so crunchy. I use what works. I figured for nine, if he doesn't have raging B.O., then aluminum free is fine. I don't know if it's aluminum that makes it work, but they took whatever they took out of over the counter cold meds, and now they all suck, so.... I bought Fresh Scent, and boy is it fresh!

As for not-particularly-summer-things, but cool Tara-recommended things, nonetheless: 

I was scrolling through Facebook one day and saw something like- "30 things we're obsessed with on Amazon", so I thought I'd just check it out. One of them was the Mancro Slim Laptop Backpack. I needed a backpack that wasn't a ripped, dirty, old Under Armor one that E used for kindergarten and first grade. It was only twenty-six dollars so I bought it. I LOVE it. I got it in purple. It IS slim, it has a lot of inner and outer pockets, and it's cute! It also has a usb hole on the side so you can hide an external phone battery on the inside and charge something like a phone, iPod, or whatever in a pocket on the bag or on your person, hands-free.

Per the norm every few months, I notice as E's getting ready for school, in the beginning of April, that E's pants are floods again. I went to the mall to see about getting him a few pair of pants in either the Gymboree or Children's Place Outlet. There were NO pants. I went into Marshall's thinking there HAD to be pants there. Nope. I got so annoyed, I just saw a pair of RBX leggings in my favorite burgundy/merlot color. Very few workout leggings I see out are made in a soft cotton - I usually find them only in that really spandex, scuba suit feel. I hate that. So I took these and ran. OMG, I'm so in love. I ran back for four more, "space dyed" in the capri length. I think you can only get those on discount if you look around the internet. They're "performance leggings", whatever that means. I don't need them for performing, but forget that pyramid scheme Lularoe- THESE, are "like butter". If, you're looking for leggings to be like butter.

One day we were trying to look up something on YouTube on our Smart TV. We happen to have a Vizio downstairs. Trying to hunt and peck the letters is so time consuming & frustrating, I knew there had to be some kind of external keyboard. We didn't want some big bulky thing either though. I looked up bluetooth keyboard for tv and imagine this- Vizio has a universal remote for their tv sets that has a KEYBOARD ON THE BACK OF IT. Sold. Bought that baby for like eleven or twelve bucks and no more hunt and peck like it's 2004 and you're trying to send a text via flip phone. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L5GDOS8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Most people reading know I sell my old clothes on Poshmark. Sometimes I come across something I *would* still wear if I didn't ruin it with some kind of stain. I thought, what if I just try to dye these things. I did a little research and found idye in Blick art store when E asked me to take him there for some kind of eraser. On the idye package it says you can just throw the dye in the washer. You mean, no mess? Sign me up. We all know B hates a mess! I threw the first pack of dye in with major trepidation. It worked! An aqua/mint BCBG track suit from the early 2000's is now a really pretty plum color. I will say, it's not quite as deep a color as if you boiled the items in dye. But if you have something in good shape without major staining, it will change the color for sure. The kind you can throw in the washer is for natural fibers like cotton. They make a separate one for polyester and nylon. I did that one too- but you have to boil that. Boiling clothes in dye didn't go over well with B, so I have to stick to the kind in the washer, where there is no evidence left. You can get it at Jo-Ann Fabrics, Blick, Amazon, etc.

Now, you know how I love As Seen On TV. I have another one for you. The "Better Brella". It's that one you've seen in commercials that opens inside out so you don't get soaked getting in and out of the car with it. I've been wanting this ever since I saw it. I bought the small one. Meaning, there's a big one, and this is a normal size one. I can't imagine how it won't work. It's automatic, and comes in blue and black right now. Of course, I bought it Saturday evening and now it's sunny. I'll take the sun for now and let you know how the umbrella works. But at Harmon, with a 20% off coupon, it's probably worth the fifteen dollars.

Another As Seen On TV product I picked up is Alert Drops. I actually didn't see a commercial for this first. I saw Potsie, from Happy Days, talking about it on Megyn Kelly. No, I do not normally watch Megyn Kelly. She's on at nine o'clock in the morning here, right when I'm getting in the shower and getting ready for work. I turned the tv on one morning and there were the Happy Days crew talking about what they're doing. Anson Williams was talking about making this stuff called Alert Drops to wake you up when you're driving while tired. I'm ashamed to say there have been times I've had to slap myself in the face while driving. He said his uncle is the Heimlich of the Heimlich maneuver. The elder Heimlich told him to bite on a lemon if you're tired and it wakes you up. Somehow they bottled this for money, and I bought it. Haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but I know one of us will need it on the way home from the shore this summer. #GardenStateParkwayTraffic

So that's what I have for you so far! I'm sure I'll have other life hacks and cool things for you as the summer goes on. I'll also come back to let you know how I fare with the new umbrella and the Alert Drops. You know- anything to make my life easier and get more enjoyment out of every second- I'm IN!