Hey, it's hot outside and it's hot inside — no one is here to judge you for wanting to put the minimal amount of effort into your Summer activities [1]. But just because you're feeling super lazy, that doesn't mean you can't have a fun and fulfiling few months in the sun. Whether you're just trying to make it through the day without melting into a puddle or you're hoping to have the best Summer road trip, backyard BBQ, or pool party ever, we have rounded up all the genius time-, sanity-, and money-saving hacks you need in your Summer toolkit. Are you ready for the ultimate lazy Summer?
— Additional reporting by Erin Cullum, Alessia Santoro, Rosy Pahwa, Emily Co, Nicole Yi, Sarah Lipoff, and Macy Cate Williams
Put your phone in a plastic bag.
The touchscreen still works through the bag, but you don't have to worry about sneak-attack kiddo hugs getting water all over your phone.
Create a pool noodle cooler.
For the ever-thirsty kid — or the mama who wants to enjoy her beverage but is needed for playtime in the shallow end — create a pool noodle [2] cooler by looping string through the noodles and wrapping them around a plastic container filled with ice.
Remove the stem and middle of a strawberry with a straw.
Instead of chopping off half of the strawberry, push through the bottom with a straw and remove the stem easily.
Use a cupcake liner to keep bugs out of drinks.
With Summer comes lemonade and other sugary drinks that bugs love diving into. Punch a hole through a cupcake liner with a straw and create a lid for any type of cup.
Regrow green onions by leaving the stems in a glass of water on your countertop.
Make a natural sunburn remedy out of two ingredients.
This easy sunburn remedy [3] is made from raw honey and aloe vera.
Use a (new) toothbrush to get rid of pesky hairs on corn.
Use a cupcake liner to catch popsicle juice.
The only thing worse than a leaky popsicle is the residue that it leaves all over your hands and clothes. Pierce the popsicle stick through a cupcake liner, and voila — no more drips!
When packing for a trip, pack outfits in baggies so they're ready to go.
For littles who don't mind Mama picking out their clothes, preplanning outfits for a holiday can be a huge help. Seal them in individual bags with accessories and make getting dressed less of a headache.
Bring a balloon in your pool bag.
If your little one gets clogged ears from swimming, plug their nose for them and have them attempt to blow up the balloon. Works like a charm.
Make aloe cubes for sunburns.
On those rough days when they wriggle out of your sunscreen grasp before they're completely covered, cool down their sunburns with a frozen aloe cube. Sweet relief!
Change the direction of your fan.
Your fan should spin [4] counterclockwise in the Summer.
Preserve the kiddie pool overnight.
If you're stepping away from the kiddie pool for a while or leaving it full overnight, cover it using a fitted sheet so that the water stays clean and bug-free.
Waterproof a tote bag.
Turn a bag you already have into a beach bag by using waterproof spray [5] on it to keep all of your belongings dry.
Use Kool-Aid to remove chlorine from your hair.
Mix lemonade Kool-Aid into your shampoo, lather your hair, and rinse to remove any chlorine buildup [6] from your hair.
Remove a splinter without tweezers.
Mix a little bicarbonate of soda and water, put it over the splinter, and place a Band-Aid over it. In about an hour, the splinter will be ready to push out with ease!
Use a pineapple slicer to maintain the perfect shape.
Keep your kids safe with a daily photo.
Wherever you go with your family this Summer, snap a full-body shot of your kids in the morning so that if anyone were to go missing (hopefully this never happens), you have a completely accurate and up-to-date photo of your kid in the exact outfit they're wearing.
Make these DIY bath toys.
Slice up pool noodles for an endless source of bath toys. If you find any of the toys getting moldy, just throw them away and create more on the cheap.
Mix a cup of cinnamon into your child's sandbox.
The cinnamon naturally repels ants and other bugs for a scream-free outdoor play session.
Keep bugs away with dryer sheets.
If you're at a pool with lots of mosquitoes around, lay out dryer sheets to keep the bugs away. The sheets will repel them.
Make boot trees with old pool noodles.
Keep boots upright with pool noodle inserts.
Cover watermelon with a stretch-fit silicone lid for easy transportation.
Put a bottle of aloe in the drinks cooler.
Despite our best efforts, sunburns happen — cool the burn from the get-go (instead of waiting until you get home) with a bottle of aloe gel that can sit in the cooler with the juice boxes and sandwiches.
Use a pool noodle for keeping clothes free from wrinkles.
Keep fabric from wrinkling while travelling by wrapping it around a pool noodle and pinning into place.
Freeze fresh lemon juice in big batches so you have it at all times.
Make toys from old pool noodles.
Battle it out in the pool with these cool battle sticks.
Cut a bunch of cherry tomatoes at once by placing between two lids.
Fill water balloons with a condiment bottle.
Instead of wrapping (and breaking) water balloons on the hose or a sink head, little ones can help you fill them with a condiment bottle. Fill up the bottle, slide the balloon opening over the top, and pinch the opening shut while your kid squeezes the bottle. Easy!
Soak strawberries in water with a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to extend shelf life.
Core a bell pepper while keeping it whole for easy chopping.
Protect your car bumper.
Perfect if you're worried about future bumper damage to your car.
Empty the toddler pool efficiently with a length of hose.
Instead of trying to tip over the heavy pool and risk breaking it, use a small amount of hose and a little bit of science to drain the pool efficiently. (See the step-by-step guide [7].)
Prevent injuries with this DIY trampoline-spring wrap.
Wrap pool noodles around trampoline springs to prevent injuries that can happen when people land on the springs.
Upcycle a plastic bottle for a bug trap.
Keep pesky bugs and wasps away while enjoying lunch on your patio this Summer with a homemade wasp trap that repurposes a plastic bottle. Get the simple DIY here [8]!
Use a pool noodle for outdoor lights.
Put a string of lights in the middle to light up your backyard during Summer nights.
Cut the legs off of old plastic chairs to make poolside chairs.
If you want to sit on the side of the pool to watch the kids, cutting the legs off classic plastic chairs and placing the seat on the floor next to the pool allows you to dangle your feet in the water with the comfort of a seat back.
Slice watermelon on a cutting board on top of a baking sheet to catch all the juice for easy cleanup.
Don't turn on the oven.
Don't add to the heat by turning on the oven! Take a look at our Summer slow-cooker recipes [9] and leave the scorching temps outside where they belong.
Save fingers with this door slammer barrier.
Prevent the slamming of doors and finger ouchies by attaching pool noodles to doors.
Keep bugs away with scented floating candle jars.
Enjoy your Summer nights with the help of scented glass jars topped with floating candles [10] that keep bugs away. Along with being easy, this DIY [11] gives your lemon and orange peels a second life — and you can toss the ends of fresh herbs into the mix too.
Roll up clothes to pack for vacations.
When you roll your clothes, they take up less space, and older kids who dress themselves can see what they have at a glance so they won't take out and destroy an entire pile to find their favourite dinosaur shirt.
Make a racetrack for the backyard.
A fun way to pass a few hours.
Stop mosquito-bite itching with a warm spoon.
Warm a spoon under hot water and hold it on the bite. The heat destroys the protein that causes the itchy reaction, and you have one less irritated and scratchy kid on your hands.
Freeze fresh mint in an ice cube tray with a little water to add to cocktails or iced tea.
Prevent water from boiling over by placing wooden spoons over the pot.
Make a two-ingredient ant trap.
All you need are two household ingredients — bicarbonate of soda and icing sugar — for this easy DIY ant trap [12].
Make some fun horsies out of pool noodles.
If your kid needs something to play with, it won't take you too long to fashion these.
Keep leftover avocado from browning by coating the flesh with a little olive oil.
Take the kiddie pool inside when it's too cold for a swim.
An inflatable pool is just as much fun in the living room! Give your kids a new perspective and keep them busy by throwing some of their indoor toys into the pool on a rainy day.
Get rid of fruit flies with an all-natural fruit-fly trap.
All you need is apple cider vinegar and dish soap. Get the DIY here [13]!
Use a wine glass to easily peel a mango.
Use a blow dryer.
If you have to inflate a kiddie pool or beach ball, use a blow dryer on the cool setting — not hot! — to fill it to capacity in minutes (without passing out due to lack of oxygen).
Cut a watermelon into rectangles, not triangles or half-circles.
Even though everyone loves pretending their half-circle watermelon slice is a big smile, big pieces of watermelon are hard to eat and the juice gets everywhere. Cut it up for little hands and mouths by slicing it tiny, and let them eat their watermelon rectangles to their heart's content!
Make a USB-powered mini A/C!
All you need is a plastic box, some small fans, a USB cable, and some ice. Watch the step-by-step DIY [14] now.
