Hot Stuff for a Cool Summer
Get Ready for Summer Family Fun with Great Gear, Cool Toys and Hot Fashions
School is out, the pool is open, and the beach is waiting. Have the best play-cation ever with these summer essentials for fun in the sun.
First Class Lounger
Lean back and relax in style with the new Rock And Roll Lounge from Sportsstuff. Contoured for comfort, this ergonomically designed heavy-gauge PVC float is perfect for the pool, beach, lake or a calm river. For loungers up to 200 pounds. $109. www.sportsstuff.com and www.airhead.com
Blow, Blow your Boat
Don’t go dizzy blowing up pool toys. Let the Airhead Hi-Pressure Air Pump do the work to inflate — and even deflate — boats, rafts, tubes, balls, pool toys, airbeds and other inflatable items. The 120-volt pump features a pressure-release valve to prevent over inflating, a lock-on accordion-style hose, four universal valves to fit all popular valve types, a carry handle and a 10 ft. long power cord. $49.99. www.sportsstuff.com and www.airhead.com
Ready, Aim, Water!
Get wild and wet with the Aqua Zooka, a quick-siphoning water soaker that shoots a stream up to 60 feet. The comfortable EVA handles keep the bazooka afloat in water and help you keep your grip, even with wet hands in the heat of battle. 12 to 32 inch barrel inches $8.99 to $14.99.
www.sportsstuff.com and www.airhead.com
Fish are Friends
Adorable Opa Cove Sea Squirts swim-assist vests and Coast Guard-certified life jackets keep kids swimming safe and in style. The comfy vests are designed with a fun flexible fin on the back that can be used to pluck little swimmers out of the water if needed. Styles include Clownfish, Great White Shark, Pink Dolphin, Blue Dolphin and Killa Whale. $59.95 to $69.95. www.opacove.com
Happy Home
This summer get the kids out of the house, and into their own Easy Playhouse, a portable, collapsible cardboard fort kit that kids can decorate themselves. Easily assembled in minutes, the two-piece blank cardboard sides and roof become a canvas for creativity. Kids can make it into a castle, a fortress, a clubhouse or anything they can imagine. The 100-percent recycled cardboard is reversible, so it’s two playhouses in one. $39.99. www.easyplayhouse.com
Nice Ride
Tiny travelers can road trip to summer adventures comfy in the Safety 1st Rumi Air Harnessed Booster Car Seat. This high-tech car seat features an adjustable headrest, side impact protection and an air truss design engineered to absorb and lessen external force or impact, so children have more support and protection in the event of a crash. It also sports an integrated cup holder and snack tray so kids can have drinks and munchies handy during the ride. Babies “R” Us and Toys “R” Us. $179.99.
Make Tracks
Get kids outdoors to explore in Vasque Juxt cross-training shoes. These stylish trail runners are ready for adventure, with rubber treads for all-around traction, durable nubuck leather uppers, cushioned and molded footbeds for all-day comfort, wicking nylon lining to keep feet cool, and dry and quick-pull laces for easy on and off. Kids sizes 10-13, Youth 1-6. $60. REI retailers and at www.backcountry.com
Hot Summer Fashions for Her
What to Wear in and Out of the Water this Summer
Beach Mama
Look your best at the beach in Land’s End swimwear designed just for your body type.
Chat live with their fitting experts who can guide you through their extensive catalog to find a style that’s guaranteed to suit you perfectly, like the slimming All-over Control Grecian Swimdress, with a sexy skirt that covers up just enough. Sale priced at $65. www.landsend.com
Wet Foot, Dry Foot
If you love long walks on the beach but hate wearing soggy shoes, slip on Mary Jane Water Shoes by Lands’ End. They drain water quickly and dry fast, and the adjustable rip-and-grip strap and shock-absorbing anatomical midsole make them comfy enough for dry land too. Sale priced $29.50. www.landsend.com
Jersey for the Shore
Some women enjoy strutting around like they’re in the swimsuit competition of a beauty pageant, but for the rest of us who would rather not step out in nothing but a bathing suit, the light-weight hooded Cotton Jersey Roll Sleeve Cover-up by Lands’ End is perfect for a stroll on the boardwalk, sightseeing around town, or a quick stop at the store. Features a full-zip front, drawstring waist and handy front pockets. Sale priced $20.50. www.landend.com
Stow Away
Pack all your beach gear in the True Navy Rectangle Tote by Lands’ End. This spacious 100 percent washed cotton canvas bag is strong enough to haul it all, and a zippered pocket can securely stow smaller items. $34.99. www.landsend.com