Summer Products Ashley Swears By
Summer always feels like a full-on sprint in our house. Between our flip property, family adventures, and keeping up with my other AKL projects, it’s a season I love and need to prep for. I’m always on the lookout for products that help me balance the chaos while still feeling good (and looking semi put-together). Whether we’re running around Portland or catching a moment to chill at the pool, these are the things I reach for again and again. From skincare and sleep masks to matchy-matchy sets with the boys, here are my current summer MVPs.
1. The Skinny Confidential Caffeinated Mineral Sunscreen: You know how much I love my skincare. This is my daily sunscreen and I don’t go a day without it! I love that it doesn't make me break out and gives me a tinted dewey no-makeup look. It’s caffeinated so it keeps things nice and firm! The packaging is so chic and gives me that feminine boss babe energy.
2. Bondi Sands Aero 1-Hour Express Self-Tanning Foam: I’m an avid at-home self-tanner! I use this once a week. As I’ve gotten older I’ve become hyper aware of the products I use on my body. I feel more confident with a tan and some color, but skin cancer runs in my family. So, I stay out of the sun as much as I can. I’ve tried so many products on the market over the years.
This express 1-hour ultra-dark tanning foam is THE BEST. I typically put it on first thing in the morning while I get the boys ready and do my hair. Then, I wash it off and put my makeup on. Boom! I’m out the door and tan for the rest of the week.
3. Stanley Quencher ProTour Flip Straw Tumbler: I started using the Stanley quencher three years ago after Shay was born. Stanley helped me keep up with my water consumption goals during my breastfeeding journey. Even now I feel I can’t cope without it by my side. With that being said, I am completely obsessed with this upgraded product. The lid is completely leak proof and it’s made of Recycled Stainless Steel. I had been wanting an olive green one forever and a girlfriend sent me this one. I love having a 30oz and a 40oz so that I can pick and choose on days I need more water.
4. Moon Juice – Magnesi-Om, Blue Lemon: This stuff works miracles on my overactive brain at night. Because it takes me a long time to wind down, I've found a few products that help support and encourage sleep. This one tastes delicious! It dissolves right into water with no clumps or anything. I don’t even use my frother. I like to mix mine and drink it about an hour before bed. This brand uses only the best ingredients and I’ve been a loyal and trusting purchaser of many of their products for YEARS.
5. Blissy Silk Sleep Mask: Summer’s here and that means it’s staying light later in the evening and getting lighter earlier in the morning. I have become completely obsessed with this silk eye mask. I swear I have better sleep. The light compression is so relaxing. It’s silky soft, cooling, and gentle on my sensitive and itchy eyes. This was given to me as a gift and prior to that I’d never slept with an eye mask. Now, I don't think I can EVER go back. This is a must-have for anyone looking to level up their sleep and relaxation routine. HIGHLY recommend it.
6. GoBe Kids Small Snack Spinner Flip: We’re on the go in the summer and away from home a lot. These travel-friendly and fun snack spinners are the absolute best! They have a solid snap feature that keeps things secure. My boys love pushing down on the center button to rotate their snacks. It also keeps them occupied for a while if we need to buy ourselves a minute of adult conversation. Our boys even decorated them with their own stickers so that there are zero arguments over whose is whose! They’re super easy to clean and they’ve survived through many flights and travel adventures.
7. Toddler Boys Two Piece Swimsuit: My boys HATE putting on sunscreen. It’s like chasing down a Tasmanian devil every time we go outside. I love a cute matching long-sleeved swim set like this one! It’s UPF50+ and the shorts have a draw string which helps them stay put while they go crazy in the water. Both of my boys love the color green. And this one has held up great for almost 2 summers! It comes in a few other patterns. The girls’ stuff is so cute, too.
8. Ford and Wyatt Matching Sets: This local-to-Portland Mama is killing it with her comfy and cozy sets. I will ride the wave of matching with my boys for as long as humanly possible. I have the Mama sweatshirt and pant set. I bought the boys the same matching sets so that we can all be rockin’ them together. My boys love that they are oversized and super comfy. I also have the MAMA trucker hat. They make a great gift, too! Support local and check this brand out.
9. Bala Bangles Wrist and Ankle Weights: I’m very committed to my workouts right now! The mental load of my everyday schedule and life can be quite intense. My daily workout and incline walks gets me back to neutral and gives me a circuit break in my day. I swear by these three pound ankle weights. I love their new lime green color and use them on leg day, arm day, for pilates, and on incline treadmill walks. They come in a cute mesh zipper pouch and they never leave my daily workout bag. You can’t go wrong with the charcoal, but how fun are their other colors!?
10. Kids Propolis Throat Spray: I’ve been a loyal fan girl of this brand for so many years. The founder and CEO (new mom as well!) is a total force. They do what they say and their integrity for using the best of the best ingredients can’t be beat. My boys both have allergy symptoms this time of year and are in daycare full-time, which means I will pretty much do anything to load them up with healthy immunity boosting products. They love this spray and we’ve definitely seen improvements in their allergy sensitivity, especially in the spring. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything from this brand. Scouts honor!