What Courtney Bought and Loved

She’s baaaacckk!

I can’t say how happy I was that 1. Courtney agreed to start sharing her great finds with everyone and 2. that you all were just as pumped as I was to read her picks. So she’s here again with her summer essentials. And you guys, she knows what she’s talking about. The girl always shows up the pool like a boss with three babes in tow.

Also, just a reminder that you can click the title or the image to click through to the product. Plus, I linked them all at the bottom!

Remember when you could show up at the pool with a cute coverup, a trendy straw tote bag, sunscreen and some tip money for the bartender? Yeah…me neither.

Those days are long gone, and with three boys under five, I show up at the pool looking more like I’m seeking shelter and will be residing here for the foreseeable future. BUT the pool is our happy place, so my main goal is to keep everyone as chill as possible so that we can get there and stay there. I’ve gathered up my very favorite summer essentials for a long day at the pool with kids (I continue to say pool because in Louisville we are landlocked by a minimum of 10 hours. If you can get to the beach for a day – lucky you – a lot of these are perfect for that, too!)

Scout 4 Boys Bag

This. Thing. Is. Massive. Last summer, when I realized the amount of crap that is required to get to the pool solo with two babies and a toddler, I found this bag and was sure I’d never be able to fill it. Wrong – it’s full every weekend, and it is HEAVY (all the stuff, I mean. The bag itself is a thin, waterproof material with no weight at all) so this is not your best bet if you’ve got a bit of a walk (like from a beach house to the beach). But if you need everything in one place, get this bag.

Laundry lingerie bags

I use several of these in the big Scout bag. I put sunscreen in one, diapers in another, swim suits, etc. These are super handy to make sure you can grab something quickly without digging through the entire bag. And somewhat off-topic, these are perfect for storing games with pieces e.g. a Mr. Potato Head or play food for the kitchen, because as much as I’d like to be, I am not a person with perfectly labeled bins lining the shelves of a playroom. Know your strengths.

Swim Ways Infant Baby Spring Float

Summer of 2018 MVPs right here.

I spent countless hours standing in the pool with two perfectly content (usually sound asleep) infants floating next to me. So many people let a new baby keep them inside all summer when they don’t want to be. I get it! I am all about keeping them cool and comfortable, but I also think there are ways to do it and keep everybody happy. Like this float. We joked that we wanted to just take turns standing in the water all night long for one of my twins – that’s how well they slept in them. I’d say these are best for babies 2-5 months, unless you’ve got a particularly small or a particularly chill baby.

Coolibar SPF blankets

These blankets are perfect for babies under 6 months who can’t use sunscreen yet. They are breathable material, dry quickly and are SPF 50+. We used them daily in the pool and on walks in the stroller without ever fearing they were overheating.

Note from Danielle: You can see the blankets in the pic above of the twins floating along.

O2 Cool Stroller Fan

This fan is the best quality you can get in my opinion – several friends replaced their fans that broke or died with this one after seeing mine. In fact, just this weekend I replaced the fan that we have been using since 2015 (!!!) because the clip finally broke. It is sturdy and it clips on anywhere, the fan blades are totally covered (those foam blades are just asking my kids to rip them off and eat them) and it actually gives off some powerful cool air. Stroller naps made possible. You might actually sit in a lounge chair with a cocktail for like 12 minutes. Enjoy it.

Note from Danielle: I am one of the friends she referenced above. We bought this for Reese and used ours for Blake too. We gave it away after Blake moved out of stroller age but honestly, I’m thinking about buying another one because now the kids play golf and it’s perfect to add to a golf cart. So yeah, it’s good for babies, kids and your husband’s golf habit.

Summer Infant Pop and Sit Portable Booster

I will confidently say that if you have a baby between 7-20 months you need to go ahead and Buy Now With One Click.

Summer day #1 at the pool, lunchtime rolls around. I had spent the morning diligently packing healthy lunches and snacks (it was day one, remember? Don’t worry, by day 2 we were back to pool chicken nuggets and Uncrustables. Again, know your strengths).

Anyway, I lay out a beach towel, spread the twins’ lunch on the towel, and they proceed to crawl on top of it, step on it, smush blueberries into their brand new swimsuits and each get about 1/2 of a pretzel stick into their bellies total. Terrible lunch = terrible naps. Terrible naps = so much parenting o grumpy children who haven’t napped. Yikes, I had to find a solution.

Summer of 2019 MVP

Enter these chairs. Pop them up in the shade, strap them in and they happily eat all of their grilled cheese and fries, fill those tummies and are ready to crush some poolside naps. These aren’t just for the pool, either. I’ve been keeping them in my car, and when we go to a friend’s house without high chairs, or big brother’s baseball game, really anywhere that isn’t ideal with two 15 month olds, they have an easy little seat that folds up into a small carry bag.

WHEW – told you I take a bunch of crap to the pool. But is there anything better than sunkissed, exhausted kids who have spent a day in the water? It’s worth the effort.

What Courtney Bought and Loved – Pool Edition

Michelle Rivard says:

July 19, 2019 at 11:50 am

Hi Danielle and Courtney,

LOVE that you featured the Coolibar UPF 50+ Sun Blankets. SUCH a smart way to keep little kiddos safe. the only thing…it’s “UPF” not “SPF”.

Here is more information about why: https://www.coolibar.com/mission/isn-t-my-cotton-tee-enough.html

Keep staying sun safe!
~Michelle

What Courtney Bought and Loved: Amazon Fashion Edition – Lou What Wear says:

May 5, 2020 at 3:15 pm

[…] back with another round up of What What Courtney Bought and Loved and it’s a good one. I mean, they are always good but with this one, she’s here for us. […]

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