Alright, boys and girls, it’s time to pat ourselves on the back because we did it. We got through another cold winter, managed to put away all of the Pesach paraphernalia and now we get to enjoy some well-deserved chill time. Go ahead and kick up your feet while you enjoy a good book, head out to the beach to soak up some rays or pack everyone into the car for a road trip, because it is time to take advantage of the gorgeous seasonal weather. So grab some sunscreen, throw a few bottles of good old H2O in your bag and consider taking a few of these fabulous items with you as well to make sure that your day is nothing less than perfect.
I can’t think of a cuter name for a company that makes headphones designed for sleeping than Acoustic Sheep, whose line of products can be called lightweight only in their lack of heaviness. With super skinny flat speakers embedded in a deliciously soft fleece headband, Acoustic Sheep’s SleepPhones are comfortable to wear and won’t do that annoying falling out of your ear thing that happens all too often with those pain-in-the-neck earbuds. While they are great for listening to music or for blocking out snoring or other nighttime noises, my first thought was that they had plenty of daytime uses as well, although fleece was far too warm to wear in hot weather or while exercising. Thankfully the nice folks at Acoustic Sheep were one step ahead and their RunPhones are SleepPhones’ cooler cousin in every sense of the word. Made with a lightweight, breathable headband in a variety of cheerful colors, RunPhones are crazy comfortable and those speakers stay put no matter how active you are, making them the perfect accessory for your morning workout, hike, jog, trip to the pool or long airplane trips. Both are available in a Bluetooth version for wireless listening and are machine washable, provided you remove the speakers before tossing the headband into the washing machine. But you didn’t really need me to tell you that, did you?
While officially sunglasses are to offer our eyes important UV protection, in reality our shades are a fun fashion statement. And because styles change faster than a toddler on a sugar rush and our sunglasses tend to get misplaced or broken frequently (often thanks to that same toddler on a sugar rush) I prefer to buy my sunglasses on the cheap. Zero UV’s is a great website with hundreds of mega cool sunglasses offering full UV protection, most of which are priced at about ten dollars a pop. So, chic shades can be an affordable accessory that won’t break the bank when you need to replace them once (or twice) during the season. Their selection is really impressive, and whether you are looking for a pair of foldable aviators, Ray Ban knockoffs, red and white polka dot oversize bow-shaped frames or metal steampunk sunglasses with flip up bulls eye lens covers, Zero UV has got your sunnies.
No matter how small you pack up your gear, towels take up more than their fair share of space, especially when you need one for every member of the family. Kiss those space hogs goodbye with microfiber Yogarat towels in a variety of sizes that may just blow your mind because of their supermodel thin silhouettes. Yogarat’s full sized Beach and Pool towel measures a generous 32×68 inches but rolls up into a deceptively small bundle which admittedly lacks the fluff factor of your average terry towel but is soft, mega-absorbent and dries in no time flat. Endorsed by the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association, this is the one you want to throw into your bag this year, leaving you plenty of room for other must-haves. Like chocolate. And an oversized bag of Oreos…