2018 Summer Must-Haves Guide

Some of the products listed in our guide have provided us with product in order to review. All thoughts and opinion listed here are our own. 

2018 Summer Must-Haves Guide

Summer has arrived and nobody wants to be stuck inside trying to find the best gifts, To help you out, we have compiled all our favorite Must- Haves in one spot. Discover all the items you need to have a summer of fun as well as great gift ideas for every summer event.

Sun Safety

Knockaround Sunglasses have quickly become the sunglasses of choice by myself and my family. Since receiving our first pair, we are fighting each other daily for who gets to wear which pair. This San Diego-based company was created in 2005 by Ace a graduate art student at the University of California, San Diego. He combined his East Coast prep style with his new love for the laid-back lifestyle of Southern California and created a company around a sunglasses line that was both practical and stylish.

Over the years the basic sunglassses line expanded to include multiple frame styles, a wide variety of color options, apparel, headwear, and other accessories, such as belts, duffel bags, and uniquely branded goods. They also offer Limited Editions and Collaborations from time to time so you can own one-of-a kind sunglasses. Each pair of sunglasses comes with a pouch to help protect the lenses when you are not wearing them.

I can personally attest to both the practicality and style of these glasses. Whether my husband is fishing down at the creek or we are enjoying brunch in Downtown Knoxville, the sunglasses we are wearing are Knockaround. Our newest pairs include the Mai-Tais (pictured above) and the Paso Robles (pictured below.) Each style is available in a variety of colors so make sure to click the links to discover the large variety of options available. To shop all the styles that Knockaround has to offer click HERE!

 

Fun Summer  Activities

Mystery Tackle Box – This is the perfect monthly subscription for anyone who loves to fish. The box arrives ever month full of new things to try. The boxes are offered in 4 size/varieties  (including a beginner’s box) and are customized to a species of fish (Bass, Walleye, Panfish, Catfish, Trout, and Inshore Saltwater). There are three plans available monthly, 3 month plan, 6 month plan, or a 12 month plan. When you find something you like you can shop their wide assortment of products so you can stock up your tackle box with your favorites.

YardGames.com – All your favorite games have been enlarged with these deluxe yard games. Enjoy a night of Tumbling Towers, Giant Checkers, Dice, or Pong outside with friends and family this summer. These games are perfect for family gatherings, group outings, and parties of all kinds. Discover all the great Giant Games, Tossing Games, and Corn Hole at YardGames.com. You can also customize certain games for your summer reunions and more.

SeaTurtle Sports – Heading to the beach this summer? Make sure to take these beach friendly games like Turtle Toss, HOOT, Turtle Disc, and Beach Bocce. These games are made to be transported and work well on grass and sand. Plus relax on the beach with the Turtle Nest Hammock. Shop for the great SeaTurtle games and more today for hours of fun.

Staycation Kit – Not everyone can afford to head on out of town to enjoy a vacation with the family. The Dating Divas want you to enjoy your summer at home with this fantastic Staycation Kit full of ideas to bring the vacation to you. It includes Staycation Invitation, Summer Vacation Bucket List, Family Activities Itinerary, Kids & Spouse Love Coupons, Summer Staycation Postcards, and more. Get your KIT today and start your staycation tomorrow.

Summer Parties

Evite – Plan your next summer BBQ or party in minutes with Evite. Create personalized invitations, keep track of guest lists, and get ideas for party decor to match your invitations. After the party easily share party photos with guests who attended easily thanks to Evite.

Tasty Summer Eats

THE COCOA EXCHANGE™  believes that life tastes better with cocoa. With the mission to inspire and empower every woman to create her own unique recipe for success, the brand lovingly transforms the nourishing super-fruit into delicious cocoa-infused and chocolate products that help manifest surprising moments of joy.  Discover delicious treats such as DOVE® Signature limited-edition Strawberry Caramel Truffles, Pure Dark Strawberry Lemonade Rounds,  and Pod & Bean Hot Sauce Trio. 

AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate(a division of Mars Wrigley Confectionery) features chocolate fashioned off ingredient lists from the 1750’s.  This summer Mars is working with historic sites such as Fort Ticonderoga, Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, The National Archives, Monticello, and The Smithsonian to not only sell AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate, but also to educate consumers on the history of the Americas through the unique lens of chocolate. You can enjoy this delicious chocolate for yourself when you shop their online store for treats such as Chocolate Bites, Chocolate Sticks, or create amazing desserts with their Chocolate Blocks.

Chocodate started as a hidden treasure in Dubai and is now a globally recognized treat! This delicacy blends the flavors of an almond covered date covered in chocolate, taking your taste buds to the Arabian desert and the mountains of Switzerland and back again! They have four flavors to choose from – Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Coconut and White Chocolate.

Summer Fashion & Beauty

Premier Designs Jewelry-  Dress up your casual summer outfits or summer evening wear with the versatile and stylish jewelry from Premier Designs. Discover how easy it is to dress up your wardrobe with a just a few pieces. Plus, the stand behind every piece of jewelry sold and will replace it if there is a manufacturing defect. Shop with confidence and expand your jewelry box.Looking for extra style tips, sales and more – Join Shelly’s Sparkling VIP Group.

LipSense– With a wide variety of colors and glosses, there is a shade or 2 for everyone looking for long lasting lip color coverage. Thanks to their unique formula, LipSense will stay on your lips for up to 18 hours. There is no wax in the product so when applied with the gloss you moisture your lips while sporting fabulous colors all day. The makers of LipSense also have a full line of beauty products including makeup and skin care. Discover the lip color you have been looking for all your life.

AU Customs – These hand-made bracelet and necklace charms are hand-stamped and the perfect accessory for every outfit. Choose the words and images that best represent you and the message you want to carry with yourself daily. Several styles are available and she will work with you to create your custom piece.

 

Summer Travel

DIY Memory Travel Map – I love the travel maps you see all over Pinterest but I don’t have the time to create my own. That is why I love this template set from The Dating Divas. The map includes templates for all of the States (including Alaska and Hawaii). Just pick your fave photos from each state you’ve visited, use the template to cut it out, stick it on…and you’re done! It even comes with little flags that you can stick onto the map to mark your favorite places, honeymoon spot, and more! When finished it fits a 24×36 frame so you can display it on the wall in your home. Get ready to commemorate your summer travels.

Summer Safety

Avon Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard – My family has been using Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard for over 14 years and we have never been disappointed. It protects against a wide variety of insects including mosquitoes, deer ticks, gnats, no-seeums, sand flies and biting midges. It is DEET-Free and helps keep the skin moisturized while protecting you from nasty bug bites.

 

Summer Reading List Suggestions

How to Walk Away – Margaret Jacobsen is just about to step into the bright future she’s worked for so hard and so long: a new dream job, a fiancé she adores, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in a brief, tumultuous moment.

From Enemies to Partners: Vietnam, the U.S. and Agent Orange outlines the moral reasoning for a fuller American response and present further steps the United States and Vietnam can each take in a joint humanitarian initiative to resolve the legacy of Agent Orange/ dioxin in Vietnam. They address the critical issues of whether dioxin pollution still exists in Vietnam, what needs to be done to finish the job of cleanup, how many victims of Agent Orange carry out their lives today, and the impact of Agent Orange on relations between the United States and Vietnam.

5-Ingredient Air Fryer Recipes – Whether your are new to air-fryer cooking or air-fryer pro, this cookbook is the perfect way to expand your family’s menu. All of the recipes in this collection require no more than five ingredients (excluding salt, pepper, water and cooking spray), and most can be fully prepared in just 15 to 20 minutes. Each recipe is unique, designed exclusively for the air fryer and downright delectable. The results are every bit as irresistible as higher-fat options – perhaps even more so. Moreover, each dish is delicious proof that a recipe needn’t rely on expensive, hard-to-find ingredients and complicated steps to be excellent.

150 Best Toaster Oven Recipes – Toaster ovens are versatile, compact and convenient, doing the job of both a toaster and a full-size oven while using far less space and far less energy. They can do so much more than just toast — they can bake, broil, brown and keep food warm. This updated edition includes 125 delicious recipes (all designed exclusively for toaster ovens) from Linda’s previous book, practical tips, and information on various toaster ovens, and, by popular demand, an all-new “Basics” section with over 25 easy recipes.

Aromatherapy with Essential Oil Diffuers – While essential oils can be used for aromatherapy in many different ways, this book primarily discusses the use of essential oil diffusion to address health imbalances. Part 1 covers the history of aromatherapy, explains the different types of diffusers and teaches you how to choose, use and store essential oils from ammi to ylang ylang. Part 2 provides detailed instructions on diffusing essential oils to treat various health conditions and to enhance your environment, and offers over 160 formulas for specialized oil blends.

Seriously Good Freezer Meals – Author Karrie Truman shares 150 recipes photos that will change the way you think about freezer cooking. You won’t find your mother or grandmother’s freezer meals here (except lasagna, of course). Her recipes include tons of vegetarian, gluten-free and vegan options.  Plus, she adds a bulk-batch chart for ease in making large quantities of each freezer-meal recipe. She gives you all the tools you need to become a freezer-meal genius: information on shopping, cooking, freezing, thawing and everything in between. The book includes beginner, intermediate and advanced meal plan programs to guide you in cooking 7 to 50 meals in a day.

Excerpts From An Unknown Guidebook – The first book in a new seven-part series sweeps up children and adults with its engaging and exciting adventures. Folk legends and tales provide us with a sense of history and readers will be transported away in this new series.  Aaron is an average midwestern teen or so he thinks. When his grandfather disappears under strange circumstances, Aaron’s ordinary existence changes forever. He will soon discover a mysterious world where stories are powerful and dangerous, where deadly enemies and dark forces lurk just out of sight. Accompanied by his friend Jake and an odd girl from another dimension, Aaron must save his grandfather from the gathering darkness, and the shadowy creatures that thrive within. In time, Aaron will learn that whoever holds the story, wields the power, and that the choices he makes will change the destiny of the entire universe.

 More Great Summer Must-Haves

NestAway is an awning protection system that includes customizable foam barriers and weather-proof ties to fill the gap between beams and awning fabric. This prevents birds from making a nest in the gap between your home and awning, thus saving you from a mess on your deck, gutters, and home.  Installation takes minutes, no special tools are required and barriers fit all awnings. Each awning protection kit comes with four foam barriers and fifteen weather-proof ties and easy instructions. Nestaway offers a humane, discreet and chemical-free solution to prevent birds from building their homes in the nooks and crevices of awning frames. Shop for NestAway at  www.ProtectYourAwning.com, Amazon, and Walmart.

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