Let the Music Invade Your Summertime Soul

This summer wherever you might be – on the dunes playing volleyball, reclining next to the pool that belongs to your favorite friend, driving long-distance to see loved ones, or firing up burgers on the barbie – music has probably wheedled its way into your sunny day adventures. Pour your margaritas and listen to Jimmy Buffett or the Beach Boys. Rocking with your best friends during a backyard game of baseball and some cold ones in the cooler requires a little something heavier – think Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, or Van Halen. And for those lazy summer nights sitting on the dock of the bay or on the top step of your deck, try Coldplay, the Killers, and U2. Sure, when you were a kid, you never went anywhere without your Walkman or boom box, but today you can make sure you never hit a commercial with your digital MP3 player fully loaded with lots of summery tunes. And while you’re at it, grab the sound pod travel speaker so that all your cronies can sing along. It’s not our fault though if your ears bleed from your pal Chuck’s terrible rendition of “Layla.”

Pull Out the Checkered Tablecloth!

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Hamburgers and hot dogs. Wine, cheese, and slices of fresh fruit. What do all of these tasty treats have in common? Besides being wonderfully delicious to nosh on, they are all yummy foods to take along to your favorite spot in Central Park, the beach at dusk, that cozy bench near the river, or even in your living room for an impromptu picnic. Our busy lives often have us grabbing a bagel and coffee on the go to eat in the car during the morning rush hour or else swinging by a drive through for a warmed over sandwich that was on a dollar menu. Not exactly the best choices for our tummies or our souls. Award yourself a little down time with the treat of a picnic – complete with our picnic kit – to make a meal in the park as easy as say, a walk in the park. This kit has everything needed to make lunch or dinner or brunch or breakfast or midnight snacks exceptional except the food – that’s all on you. Oh, and it doesn’t come with ants either.

Hey, Where'd You Get that Lid?

There’s nothing more American than apple pie, a Chevrolet, and your mother, unless of course you count nearly every person’s favorite pastime – baseball. Even if you didn’t qualify to be a Phillie, a Pirate, a Dodger, or a Marlin, you’ll still want to hang in the dugout wearing a baseball cap –it’s your choice to wear it sideways or backwards – with your pals. Whether you are a gal or a guy, you’ll look great wearing an embroidered cap or take your look up a notch with an embroidered retro cap. Don’t leave your buds in the dust though – these caps are so well-made and yet so inexpensive, you’ll be able to afford them for your entire team. In fact, you might love the head gear so much you may find yourself purchasing a baseball cap in every color to complete your outfit each day of the week. But if your team isn’t tops in the league, keep in mind that a baseball stress reliever is what every all American needs to squeeze away the pressure of another blown save.

Now Jot this Down

Ever notice how when the phone rings and someone’s about to give you a number to jot down, you can’t find a pen and paper? You search every drawer in the room trying desperately to come up with some paper – even a scrap of an old menu or a piece of a food store circular – and a pen, but to no avail. Your search is completely fruitless. It can be super frustrating, so don’t do it anymore. Instead, keep a stash of paper and a pen next to every phone in your house and in places where you know you’ll need them – like on the kitchen table or by the front door. Instruct everyone in the house to LEAVE these important tools in their places to avoid another incident where you can’t find a pen and paper again. Here are some suggestions for what to leave next to the phone: a Post-It fat pad and a prism pen. Or for complete convenience use the notable flip jotter with pen. No more missing or rolling away pens because this one is attached to the pad!