Real-Life Summer Survival

Finding Rhythm in a Season That Refuses to Sit Still

Every December, I start romanticizing summer.

After months of Illinois winters, chore boots, frozen fingers, and enough layers to qualify as a marshmallow, I convince myself that summer is going to be slower.

I daydream about

More porch swings.

More sunsets and seeing the fireflies.

More breathing room.

Then June shows up... and apparently everyone in the family joins a different committee.

Suddenly we're juggling camps, VBS, birthdays, cookouts, vacations, and somewhere in between I'm packing boxes because we're moving back to my family's farm.

Despite everyone supposedly being more relaxed, I spend half my life cleaning up wet towels and answering my personal favorite question: "Didn't we just eat?"

Because apparently, summer turns my children into professional snack hunters who are starving exactly 2.3 minutes after a meal.

It's chaos.

The fun kind... but still chaos.

One thing growing up on a farm taught me is that every season has its own rhythm.

You don't fight it—you learn to work with it. The cattle still need care and the hay still needs baling, but the rhythm changes. Instead of forcing a perfect summer, I’m asking:What does it look like to steward this season well?How do I create enough preparation that a spontaneous trip to the lake feels fun instead of stressful?

Summer isn't about squeezing more into the calendar.

It's about making enough room to actually enjoy it.

For me, that starts with being prepared.

Not perfectly prepared.

Just prepared enough that saying "Let's go to the lake!" doesn't require an hour of scrambling first.

Here are a few things that have earned a permanent spot in our summer routine.

The Mom Bag

Every mom has one.

The bag that's somehow carrying snacks, Band-Aids, sunscreen, chargers, wipes, random rocks your kids insisted on bringing home, and at least one thing nobody needed until suddenly everyone needed it.

I've learned that a little preparation goes a long way toward keeping small hiccups from becoming full-blown meltdowns.

Check out my must have favorites here →

Long Days Outside

Our family spends most of the summer outside, which is wonderful until someone gets too much sun, so I like having a few essentials within easy reach.

One is a mineral sunscreen we enjoy using because it fits our family's preferences with less questionable chemicals.

After a long afternoon outdoors, I also love keeping LavaDerm Cooling Mist nearby. It feels refreshing on warm summer days and has become one of those products we reach for again and again.

Shop our summer favorites here →

The Hydration Conversation

If there's one thing I constantly remind everyone to do during the summer, it's drink more water.

Sometimes we think we're tired because we're busy, but we're really just dehydrated

When plain water starts feeling a little boring, we add Vitality Drops for a splash of flavor that makes everyone a little more excited to refill their water bottles.

It's a simple change that our whole family enjoys.

You can grab your favorite flavor here →

Evenings Outside

Some of our favorite memories happen outside after dinner and nothing ruins a beautiful dusk evening faster than mosquitoes. Because we spend so much time outside on the farm, a reliable repellent is non-negotiable.

To make those evenings a little more enjoyable, I’ve transitioned our family to natural, plant-based bug repellents powered by citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, and cedarwood.

I love knowing exactly what is going onto my kids' skin when they're out catching fireflies or taking an evening trail ride.

You can grab your favorite spay here →

Ready for Everyday Adventures

Summer has a funny way of keeping you on your toes.

One minute everyone's laughing.

The next someone is crying over a scraped knee... or because their sibling looked at them funny.

I like keeping a small bag stocked with the basics so I'm not running back inside every five minutes.

Deep Relief is one of the products that's always tucked inside because it's convenient to have with us wherever the day takes us.

You can grab it here →

Don't Forget Mom

Can we talk about moms for a minute?

Summer doesn't necessarily mean less work.

It just means different work.

You're feeding more people, cleaning more towels, driving more places, and somehow trying to make childhood magical while remembering where you left your coffee.

I've learned that taking care of myself doesn't have to be elaborate, but stewardship includes you, too.

Taking care of yourself can be as simple as small, intentional resets

• Sometimes it's sitting on the porch with my little diffuser while the kids play.

• Sometimes it's taking five quiet minutes before everyone wakes up.

• Sometimes it's enjoying a chilled NingXia Zyng during a long afternoon gives me the clean energy boost I need to keep up.

Here's to Summer

Before we know it, backpacks will replace beach towels, the fireflies will disappear, and another season will begin.

So I'm trying not to chase the perfect summer.

I'm simply trying to be present for this one.

The laughter.

The sticky popsicle fingers.

The endless snack requests.

The muddy shoes.

The memories.

If you'd like to see the products our family enjoys using throughout the summer, I've linked everything below to make it easy.

Browse our Summer Favorites →

I'd love to hear from you...

What's one thing that's always in your summer survival kit?