We’re headed to the Lake next week and your girl is pumped. My dad will turn 60 this fall so we decided to all go away to celebrate before the madness of football season. We’ll be driving three hours south, caravan style, and for me packing is always the most crucial part of a trip. Let’s dive into my lake-trip (or any summer trip) essentials!Growing up, we spent one week every single summer over the 4th of July at Green Lake in Wisconsin. My most tangible childhood memories all revolve around this place and while it’s been over ten years since we all took a lake trip, the thought of lake air and boat days have me giddy. Since there won’t be Super Targets and Whole Foods around to save my butt, I’m being very strategic and over prepared on this end so it’ll be blissful once we arrive. Here are some favorites that are coming with us:

Eva Birkinstocks: I actually got these for O and can’t get enough of them myself. They’re fully rubber and are perfect for romping around by the water. My favorite part about them is being able to spray them down with the hose or throw them in the lake to clean them off after a day of playing in the mud.

Striped One Piece: Gone are the days where a week at the lake meant my smallest bikinis and bronzing oil. Ohhhh no. I need something I can chase a toddler or two in and bonus points for covering up the evidence they came from my body.

Unseen Sunscreen: My friend Lauren put me on to this and it’s a winnnnerrr. I really liked the Glossier sunscreen because it was my first time actually seeing a clear sunscreen deliver, but the texture wasn’t as smooth and seamless as I prefer. This Supergoop sunscreen is honestly the same texture as makeup primer. It’s so smooth and just beautiful. Bonus points for it being a clean sunscreen!

Erbaviva Sunscreen: I haven’t used this yet, but I’ve done endless research trying to find a truly “natural” and “non-toxic” sunscreen safe for my kids. Guys. It’s really hard. When you have half Nigerian babies, sunscreen will inevitably  turn them purple but I’m really big into sun safety and it’s a price I’m willing to pay. For those long days on the water, I’ll also be bringing this wet bag for switching the kids out of wet suits into cozies on the boat and these insanely protective hats for my kids. I don’t mess around with the sun!

Mosquito Repellant Bracelets for Kids: Maybe on your lake trip, you wont be swarmed with mosquitos on the regular. Maybe, then, your lake trip isn’t in Texas. I plan on having one of these on the kids wrists every day!

Long Sleeve One-Piece: This is an investment. A luxury, for sure. But I can’t think of any better way to tackle sun concerns and also make-me-look-and-feel-good concerns than this exact swimsuit. C’mon.

Citronella Bug Repelling Candle: Can you sense a bit of a theme here? I love how beautiful this candle is and the fact that the scent repels insects is just icing on top! I’m packing a few candles to keep at the table and burn when it’s time for s’mores at night.

Kids Rainboots: these are just a given for summer fun

Herbivore ‘After Sun’ Spray: This is an completely natural spray made with cooling and healing agents like aloe and lavender. It’s best kept in the fridge and sprayed on to refresh after a long day of the sun (especially after too much sun) and feels like a treat.

Organic Bug Spray: Let me just start by saying, I’m not an expert. But I’m pretty certain DEET just isn’t something that needs to be absorbed into my skin and definitely not anything I want on my kids. No one is confident it’s safe or unsafe, so I just stick to the natural stuff.

Life Vest: I can’t stress how important water safety is to me. My kids usually wear these puddle jumpers whenever they’re near water (and they are the BEST invention ever.) So I’m throwing those in the car as well, but for a day on a boat I definitely needed to bring along a real life vest and this one has wonderful reviews.

Yeti Cooler: Friends. This cooler is essentially the price of a car…but it’s for good reason. It’s one of those things you’ll pass down to your kids when they get married. For real. The reason I’m bringing a giant cooler is to fill it with the essentials from Whole Foods we can’t find at the lake. Being a vegan and gluten-free family isn’t always easy in a house full of bread loving carnivores. I’ve gotta be prepared.

Where are you spending the fourth of July? And what is your essential for a day, or week, at the lake?