Swim Bag

I'm breaking the silence on what our dad is starting to refer to as "that sad, pathetic blog." Unfortunately, he's right.

Our old gym had the best pools. Indoor lap, indoor warm 'therapy' pool (can't be beat in the winter), outdoor lap and an outdoor kiddie pool. It was heaven. And since we didn't have to pay to use the pool, we could go as often as we wanted, for as short as we wanted. I was kid-free back in the those days, but Nikkala never felt bad leaving after a half hour if her kids had melt-downs.

We might not have the awesome pool hook-up anymore (our Y only has one indoor pool that's always just a bit too cold), but I've learned how to pack an awesome pool bag from my years spent there. With this ready to go I spend less time getting ready for the pool than we actually spend in the water.

Here's what's in my bag. For real. Not things I wish were in my bag, but my tried and true go-to items.

1.  Swimways inflatable baby float- twists down small, pops up big and dries pretty quickly
2. Diapers- both swim and regular. That way we never get to the pool and realize we forgot to grab one (or two)
3. A beach towel- some random ones I got on closeout at a big box store years ago
4. Toypedo Bandits- these toys win us lots of friends in the kiddie pool
5. Dove gofresh Cool Essentials deoderant- for after the shower and still lounging around the pool deck or under the umbrella on the beach
6. Camelbak kids water bottle- for keeping the mini fish hydrated
7. Spray on sunscreen- this one comes recommended by Real Simple. It's in my bag, but we haven't been swimming outdoors since I bought it
8. Snacks- granola bars live there all the time and I throw in fresh produce
9. Chaco flip flops- fancy embellished sandals may look cute, but these work well for the showers, too
10. Land's End extra large canvas tote- I could pack a few small children in this thing. I know there's always room for whatever else we might need (like change of clothes, toiletries, a whole lunch, more toys, whatever!)

With the crazy hot and humid weather we're having, we're putting our swim bag to good use. We went swimming this afternoon and just got invited to join some friends at the neighborhood pool tonight. Guess it's time to restock the supplies!

Do you have a swim bag? What are your essentials?

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