The late summer season means several things here along the Texas Gulf Coast:
- Back to school
- Hurricane preparedness (or recovery, such as this year)
- Staying cool
Here are a few of my top choices of things to get or have ready to go for this month.
Back to School
I used to roll my eyes every time I saw the school reminders to “label everything”. Granted the reasons for labeling everything are excellent ones, I like to donate my son’s older items to a resale store or church and the thought of my son’s name being forever branded on the items in permanent marker made me cringe.
Well cringe no more! These labels from MaxGear are a game changer for me Simply write your kiddo’s name on the sticker, peel the paper off the back of the clear portion, press down, and then stick it on the water bottle. Easy-peasy and it doesn’t wear off when hand washing the water bottle. Woo hoo!
A good backpack is essential for school. In the past, we’ve gotten the backpacks that come with the lunch bag and the pencil bag, but the zippers seem to go kaput before the end of the year.
This year we invested in a more heavy-duty backpack – one that can stand up to all punishment it takes from my son. The Minecraft Squares Allover Print Backpack was our choice for summer camp and school. We have the old Minecraft lunch bag from last year so there was no need for a new one this year. The cost is a little more than what we’ve paid before but it is a very sturdy bag that has room for books and lunch. With Minecraft still popular after all these years, I’m confident my son will still want to care this 2 years from now.
Hurricane Preparedness
This is a must have if you live anywhere that has the possibility of extended power outages. After experiencing several hurricanes/tropical storms and freezes, we decided a generator was a must. We bought the WEN GN400i RV-Ready 4000-Watt Open Frame Inverter Generator two years ago and used it for the first time this summer. The wattage is enough to charge our electronics (phones, computers, tablets), refrigerator, and a couple of floor fans. We unplugged the fridge if we wanted to use the microwave just in case, but we probably could’ve run it at the same time.
The generator isn’t huge in size and weighs about 35-40 pounds before pouring in the gasoline. The weatherproof cover is sold separately and can be found by clicking here.
One of the effects of power outages are not just losing power at your home, but the whole neighborhood. That means that street lights are usually out, making venturing outside a bit tricky for humans and dogs. These Neporal outdoor lights are battery powered and motion detecting, meaning no electricity is needed. These are great year-round, but very beneficial during a long-term power outage.
Staying Cool
Whether you are going through hot flashes or dealing with inconsistent temperatures at your desk in your office, having a desk fan can be a great asset. This little fan from Comfort Zone is great for providing a much-needed breeze when you’re not the person assigned to change the thermostat. The fan head is adjustable and runs on battery power or with a USB port.
These stainless-steel water bottles from are great at keeping water cool. We ordered the Minecraft design (of course) for our son and it came in handy until it got lost at summer camp. So, we are ordering another one.
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