Things We loved: May

Has anyone else been looking forward to summer as much as we have? Now that our kids are out of preschool and are finally at an age where we can take them pretty much anywhere, it’s like a whole new outlook on the season.

For Mary

Our son just finished pre-K! With that milestone complete, our household focus has shifted to ALL things summer. We’re currently plotting and planning our first family beach vacation. Things on my packing list include:

WETCAT Turkish Beach Towel. Yes, it’s worth the hype. It’s thin enough to pack and super absorbent to dry off after a dip in the water.
Knockaround Seventy Nines Polarized Sunglasses. Okay, I’ve had the same sunglasses for over a decade. As much as I love them, it’s time for an upgrade.
CUPSHE Swimsuits. Since the twins came, one-piece and high-waisted swimsuits have been my go-to when going to the pool or the beach. These are my favorite.

Until then, here’s some of the kids’ current faves:

Orbeez. The kids are OBSESSED with them. They can’t get over how these tiny little beads grow when you soak them in water for a few hours. They are on high rotation this summer and great for summer sensory activities.
Crayola Color Wonder Mess Free Blank Coloring Pages and Markers. Although our 5-year-old understands to draw only on paper, the twins don’t. These are also good for flights and road trips.
Royal Junior Bubble Gun 3000 Blaster. Let me just say that this is hands down the best outdoor bubble toy out there. You just dip the blaster in bubble water and press the button. I like it better than the machine because our kids can all interact together with minimal effort.

For Patti

This summer, A&Z are mixing up the weeks between Dance camp, KinderGym, and Camp Grandma. We are also throwing in our 1,000 Hours Outside and planning a couple weekend trips to the lake. Here are some things that found their way onto our Amazon list:

OmieBox Bento for Kids. Since I’ve been in Kindergarten prep-mode since April, I’ve been watching Adalynn’s Lunchbox on IG and TT. I love the account and have put most of her lunch supplies on my Amazon list. We ordered our lunchboxes this month, and the girls are already asking to use them for every meal.
Easy Playhouse Cardboard Castle. When we were in Michigan this month, our cousin bought this present for the girls. It was a big hit and they loved coloring and writing their names all over it. And when it gets its full use, just recycle it.
Oliver Jeffers at The High. For Christmas, the girls received The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home. They became fast bedtime favorites and I got super excited that the author, Oliver Jeffers, has an exhibition at our High Museum.
TBR. I needed a bit of a palate cleanser the last couple weeks, so I’ve been reading my way through the Bridgerton series. I also have The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah and The Club by Ellery Lloyd in queue.
Lastly, Mary and I are tapping into our emo phase and going to the Sum 41/Simple Plan concert tonight! We’ve also booked our Music Midtown tickets for September to see My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy. Yeah, we’re that kind of Millennial…

Child(ish) Advice will be going on break for the month of June, so we hope you all have a great start to your summer. We’ll be posting our June adventures on Instagram and TikTok, so please follow along.

Mary & Patti

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