Summertime is far busier than the school year in our household. Between shared parenting, vacations, day trips, finding childcare, and rearranging work schedules to accommodate everything, I’m exhausted at the end of the day!
That’s why, when I plan out our summer activities, I attempt to travel the path of least resistance. I try to make everything easier and more efficient to make the most of the time with my family. Here are some great summer hacks that you can incorporate into your daily summer plans or for a special luau you are putting on.
Freeze Kool-Aid and add to seltzer, soda or lemonade.
Brighten up your drinks with Kool-Aid ice cubes. Mix different flavors together and see what delicious concoctions you can come up with. See your plain drink turn into a rainbow of flavor right before your eyes!
Freeze fruit or melon balls and add to water (or wine for the grown-ups).
You can freeze the fruit as is or add to an ice cube tray and add water over top the fruit. For the melon, just take a melon baller and scoop out the fruit and freeze just as is. And you don’t just have to use melons with this trick. Granny Smith apples, pineapple, and peaches would be a great mix in addition to watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew. Fruit-infused water is so refreshing on a hot summer day! Want to keep your wine or sparkling wine cold? Freeze whole grapes and put a few in your glass to keep your drink constantly chilled.
Freeze coffee for iced coffee lattes.
I can’t make it through the day without my coffee. Even more than wine, I need coffee! But during the summer, sometimes it’s a bit warm for hot coffee first thing in the morning (added to my almost daily hot flashes, too). I love iced coffee, but after the ice melts, my coffee is watered down and not as tasty. Freeze coffee in ice trays and add those to your morning coffee. The flavor stays strong and I can enjoy my morning caffeine without having to turn the A/C on to cool me off.
Freeze water balloons to keep drinks cold.
If you are having a party and have a big batch of juice boxes or cans of pop in a cooler or bowl, freeze some small water balloons to keep your drinks cold. When you do this, it will keep your drinks cold without having them sitting in water after the ice has melted. You can also refreeze and reuse the balloons multiple times!
Cupcake liners to the rescue!
Cupcake liners can be used for multiple purposes during your summer parties and while playing out in the sun. Eating popsicles? Poke the stick of the popsicle through the cupcake liner and then you have something to catch the drips from the popsicle if you can’t eat it quick enough in the heat!
Another way to utilize cupcake liners is to flip them over and use them as a bug shield for your drinks. Take your straw and put it through the middle of your cupcake liner and put it over the top of your drink. You can still sip your drink while keeping the bugs away.
Watermelon Jell-O rinds for the win.
A fun way to eat watermelon during the summer is to make a Jell-O watermelon. Take a small watermelon and cut it in half. Scoop out all the watermelon (freeze the fruit to make your infused water) and then pour in your Jell-O. You can use whatever flavor you like. Once the Jell-O has set, slice your watermelon and enjoy!
There is so much fun to be had during the summer. Easy summer hacks allow you to spend more time having fun with your family and friends. What are some of your tried and true summer hacks? Share in the comments so I can try them all!
