As a mom of 3 that lives in Florida, I have had TONS of experience with hot summer months. I’ve found that the day or outing goes much smoother when you’re prepared with everything you need. As much as I love the idea of packing lightly, it always works out better when I bring all the things! I’m going to share our tried and true favorites as well as some newer items we’ve been loving lately.
breastfeeding necessities
Muslin Nursing Cover – You should never feel obligated to cover up while breastfeeding, especially when it’s SO hot outside. However, if that’s something you feel more comfortable doing I highly recommend clothing designed for nursing, the two-shirt method, or this light muslin cover.
Nursing Tank – Any top that allows you to easily nurse while staying cool.
Ceres Chill Breast Milk Chiller – This chiller is incredible and can be used in so many ways. Keep your breast milk cold when pumping on the go, hold all the milk you need for the day, keep popsicles cold at the pool, and the list goes on… You can use my code JUNEANDLILY for 15% off!
Breastfeeding-friendly swimsuit (Bikini top & one piece) – Now that my baby is a distracted nurser (aka popping on and off the boob), I like having breastfeeding-friendly swimwear. I would usually make sure my bathing suit could be pulled down for easy nursing access, but these suits give you that extra bit of coverage.
Manual hand pump – If there’s any product I think a breastfeeding mom should have, it’s this! We get busy during the summer with all the different activities. Babies can be more distracted and not nurse as well. Or maybe you don’t have time for your whole pumping set up. The manual pump is easy to carry around and takes up no space. Don’t end up with clogged ducts or mastitis!
sunscreen favs
ThinkBaby (Sunscreen | Stick) – SPF 50 for the lotion & SPF 30 for the stick. Gentle, clean ingredients, fragrance-free, reef safe, & water resistant for up to 80 minutes.
Badger Baby – SPF 40 with clear zinc. Gentle, clean ingredients that rub in easily. Reef safe with 40 minutes of water resistance.
Babo Botanicals – For the babies with extra sensitive skin. SPF 50, Fragrance-free with clean, gentle ingredients. Free from top allergens and water resistant for up to 80 minutes.
Roe Mineral Powder – SPF 50 Perfect for when you’re out in the sun briefly. I also love to dust this on my daughter’s hairline to prevent sunburn.
Tubby Todd – I’m a fan of every Tubby Todd product due to their clean, gentle ingredients. Their face stick is one of my favorites. It’s small and fits perfectly in my diaper bag. My kids also love the Mineral Mist since we can spray and rub in quickly. Use the link here for 10% off!
Solar Buddies Applicator – Fill with your favorite sunscreen and enjoy a mess-free application! It has a little roller ball and sponge that evenly applies the sunscreen.
Sunscreen Brush Set – My kids love using these brushes to apply sunscreen on their faces themselves. My baby will also happily sit through getting sunscreen on his face.
keeping cool & hydrated
Kids Water Bottle – These are my favorite water cups for my kids. Easy to clean (no tiny crevices to hold mold, yuck) & stainless steel.
Cooler – This slim, compact cooler is perfect for transporting baby’s bottles. TIP: pre-make bottles for longer days out of the house. Then you just grab from the cooler when baby is ready to eat and you’re good to go.
Hand Fan – These little handheld fans are a lifesaver. Small but super powerful. I keep one in my diaper bag at all times now because um.. postpartum sweats. It’s also a portable charger & comes with a second battery so I use that one for my phone.
Stroller Fan – This is the best stroller fan we’ve ever tried and we’ve gone through a bunch. It’s durable and doesn’t feel cheaply made. And I love the movable arms that can grab onto pretty much any surface.
Water Bottle – I like the Hydrojug 40 oz tumbler for the summer because the straw closes so it’s spill-proof. It’s a lot easier to carry around when managing 3 children and all the things. Fits perfectly in my cupholder and keeps my water cool all day.
Formula stacker – Portion out your formula feedings for on-the-go or use it for snacks!
baby gear
Sun hat – I like this one because it adjusts at the top of the head and has a string under the neck to help keep it on!
Sunglasses (Keyhole | Hearts) – These are my favorite sunglasses for babies because they’re bendable, durable, and polarized to protect their eyes from the sun.
Bathing Suits (Rash Guard | Oranges | Tie Dye) – I always go for suits that are cute but also offer sun protection.
Disposable Swim Diapers (Pampers | Hello Bello) – remember… swim diapers aren’t meant to be absorbent so I suggest not putting the diaper on your baby until they’re getting in the water! 🙂
Reusable Swim Diapers – These are also a great option but you may need to size up on bathing suits if you plan to have your little one wear one on top.
Pop N’ Go Playpen – Super versatile and can be used indoors or outdoors. It’s large so there’s plenty of space for baby to move around. It also comes with a sun protection canopy.
Portable Bassinet – I love this for the little babes, like 5 months or less. Bring it to the beach, pool, backyard, etc, and have a safe space for your baby’s naps. I like to attach my stroller fan to the side to keep baby cool.
Portable Bottle Warmer – If your baby only likes their bottles warm, this portable bottle warmer makes warming bottles on the go really easy. Comes with multiple adapters to fit popular bottle types.
Portable Booster Chair – Comes with a removable tray so use it for meal times or as a place for your little one to sit.
water play
Pool Float – Keeps baby safe while floating around in the pool with you has a UPF 50 sun canopy.
Water Toys – Wind up toys that paddle around
Kitchen Sink – My little ones will play with this toy for hours! Perfect for a hot day activity.
Splash Pad – Easily fits my three little ones and even the baby loves it.
Water Table (water pump) – We love our water table and have gotten use out of it for 5 years! Add on the water pump for continuous running water from the top and the kids will play for hours.
for the parents
Sand Proof Blanket – We have the 9×7 ft blanket and it fits our family of 5 (and more). It’s quick drying and the sand from the beach easily wipes off. It also comes with stakes to keep it from flying up.
Bogg Bag – I held off on purchasing this bag for a while but I’m glad I did! I love how it’s structured so it doesn’t collapse when I want to grab something out of it easily and it’s huge so it holds tons of stuff. Incredibly easy to clean too.
Umbrella – One of my favorite summer purchases so far. Perfect for the beach, the park, picnics, playing outside in the backyard. It folds up compact and comes with a carrying bag.
Wet/Dry Bags – Use them for wet bathing suits or clothes, dirty outfits, or carrying an extra change of clothes.
Sun Bag – I love these little clear bags for everything to help organize my diaper bag.
Tote Bag – A cute option that’s made from anti-tear fabric and can also carry a ton of stuff.
Wagon – I waited way too long to get a wagon. We take it to the beach, long park days, soccer games, and more. I even through my kids in there with all the stuff.
beach days
Baby Beach Tent – This little tent offers sun protection for little ones needing a safe space at the beach or you can dig a little hole and it can turn into a little pool for baby to keep them cool. A cute, unique option!
Beach Toys – The perfect sand castle building set.
Collapsible Buckets – If you need to save some space, these collapsible beach buckets are really nice.
Sandscreen – The little pouch contains a talc-free and reef-safe powder that easily wipes away sand and leaves your skin feeling clean.
Beach Sand Cleaner – This is another option to remove sand without the powder.
Beach Tent – This is a larger beach tent that offers shade for multiple people. You can select what size you want depending on your family!
