Quick 6: Last Minute Summer Camp Essentials
My girls start day camp on Monday. Which means that today, I am scrambling on Amazon and a couple other select quick-ship, tried and trusted online retailers to get my sh#t together. Not sure when I became a "down to the wire" kind of person, but I sorta blame Amazon Prime for enabling me. Not that I am complaining...
Here are the 6 things I am currently ordering so they (and I) can have an easy, breezy first day of camp next week.
1- LunchBots Bento Cinco Stainless Steel Container: Okay- so maybe I am admitting something I shouldn't here but if I am being honest- I literally pack lunch to show the counselors that I am a good mom. Because I know Goldie will barely nibble at it- instead waiting until she gets home to raid the pantry. But that is sort of what makes this perfect- the small sections are easy to fill with leftovers and cut up fruits and such. Even like 4 strawberries looks impressive in this! They are dishwasher safe- because I hate few things more than scooping bits of rice out of the crevices of a lunch box container- and free of toxins and such (maybe I should have led with that since people really care about that stuff- but for me- it is kinda more about showing off that I can pack instagrammable lunches for my kid to her camp counselors). I also own this version- a little smaller but still totally substantial for a little person's lunch.
2- Emoji Ice Packs: I like using these to keep lunches cool more than the giant hard case ice packs that weigh down a backpack. And really, in my experience, once inside a zippered lunchbox (I put my LunchBots container inside an old school lunch bag so I can include napkins and a fork and avoid any spillage), the smaller ice packs stay super cold and keep everything nice and cool. I put 2-3 in each morning- and in the off season, they make great boo-boo healers.
3- Zulu Water Bottle With Straw: We go through water bottles like, well, water. No idea where they go- but they are somewhere with missing socks and scrunchies. Love that these can go in the dishwasher, they have yet to leak in a backpack, and compared to many similar products out there, these are really well-priced at just under $10 a pop.
4- Rockets of Awesome Clothing: 80% of my girls' summer go-to play clothes are from here- and at camp this summer they will be living in the soft tees and sporty (but not too sporty) shorts. I am a HUGE fan of the ease (I adore the options to have mix and match pieces sent to you seasonally- keep what you want, return the rest in like 1.5 steps- and then you can purchase one-offs via the website throughout the season), the whimsical (and wide range) of styles and the prices (one of Alexa's all time favorite dresses that she wears once a week to this day was only $24 and still feels like new).
5- Soft Dry Kids Hooded Towel: Yay for these super easy to pack in a backpack towels that I buy en masse via Amazon Prime. Alexa (age 7 and super tall) is too big for these- but I relish in Goldie's ability to use it as a towel and then bask in it as a coverup, and the fact that it rolls up small so she can tuck in back in her toddler-sized backpack all by herself makes her feel like a total bad a**.
6- Oliver's Labels: There are a million label making sites out there- I love this one because the shipping is crazy fast (I opted for 3-5 day shipping but my labels arrived within 2 days), they have a mini size which is perfect for putting on sunscreens and snack bags, and the quality is amazing. I buy these for clothing and swimsuits- simply stick them on and even if you wash your kid's favorite pair of tattered blue shorts 8 times a week, they don't budge. I speak from LOTS of experience.