Friday Favorites: Pool Side

Happy Friday! Somehow our long summer days are blurring into weeks quickly passing by. The last few weeks we’ve been managing long days, teething babies, naps in the car, lots of popsicles and early risers. Summer is hard here. Sometimes it’s so blazing hot outside we spend the day inside, hiding out because not even the pool feels refreshing. But when we brave it out and spend our mornings and evenings poolside or running through the sprinkler, we remember just how good summer really is. This week’s favorites include all our summer must haves for this year and we hope you get the chance to try them and make them yours.

Intex Inflatable Pool | We purchased this from Target and it’s such a great small pool for our backyard. It’s the perfect size for the kids to play, jump and splash in. Not to mention it has cupholders and totally enough room for Mike and I sit inside with them! It definitely beats packing all three kids up in the car, drive to the pool and drag them back home.

Ryobi High Volume Inflator | Mike has had his eye on this tool for some time, but when we bought the inflatable pool we then went to pick the air pump up. I think this is my new favorite tool in the garage because it makes blowing the pool up each time a total breeze! It also has a small head attachment for those small air holes that are found on swim floats. Check it our HERE.

Cold Brew Floats | We never pass up a chance for ice cream, malts or floats. Mike and I are coffee addicts and we almost always have a coffee in hand when we’re out and about. For a fun summer twist we pour our favorite cold brew (currently STOK Black UnSweet) over vanilla bean ice cream. The ice cream becomes the cream and it’s the most delicious float. Add a splash of Kahlua for an adult drink.  It’s quickly becoming my favorite summer afternoon drink and dessert.

Cilantro Avocado Dressing | One of our favorite things about summer has always been grilling. However here in coastal Carolina it’s sometime too hot to enjoy grilling. But on the days/nights we do grilled salad is one of our favorite dishes to make. Grilling romaine lettuce may make you raise your eyebrows, but we’ve been doing it for years and it’s so tasty! The flavor is completely different and added with a mix of grilled and raw veggies it makes for a hearty and filling salad. I came across Pinch of Yum’s version and after reading the recipe for her Cilantro Avocado dressing I just had to try it. I made a double batch and have been using it for so many different dishes. On top of a salad, shrimp, chicken or even as a dip for pita bread. It’s versatile, fresh and super healthy!

Inflatable Swan | This is such a trendy float, but I really do love it. I initially bought it because I thought it was cute, but it’s actually become our go to float for Olivia. I love using this one rather than the mesh one we use to have because the swan doesn’t allow her to put her face in the water. The only thing I miss is having a little canopy over the top, but we’re just sporting all the cute baby hats instead. Find it HERE.

Wishing everyone a fun filled summer lovin' weekend!