Pool Party Checklist

Summer. Baseball, flip flops, ice cream and most importantly pool parties  at your house. Are you ready? If not, now is the time to stock up so that when the temperature heats up, you can be caught dangling your pretty toes in the cool waters and not running errands.

• Towels: Make the big and fluffy, perfect for warming up and lying out.

• Plastic plates and glasses: No glass in the pool! 

• Chairs: Some for lounging and some for sitting.

• Sunscreen: The spray bottles work great, especially for kids.

• Bug spray: Don’t let them get the best of you.

• Umbrella(s): For those of us that need a little shade now and then.
  

• Extra sunhats: Ditto

• First aid kit: Better safe than sorry.

• Life saving ring or hook: Ditto.

• Swimmer diapers:  For the little guest that shows up unprepared.

• Music: If you don’t have outdoor speakers wired, hook up your iPod to some waterproof speakers.

• Water toys: rafts, fins, goggles, kick boards. Tailor your assortment to the age group you think you’ll be entertaining most.  (And don’t go overboard, too many toys can crowd the pool and lead to chaos.)

• Lifeguard: Consider it if you have more than 4 or 5 children.  No matter the number of adults, we tend to get distracted and a set of eyes we know we can count on can make the day so much more relaxing.

• Beverages: Stock up on lots and lots of water at Costco or another discount store early in the season and then bring it out as needed.  Sodas, juice boxes, wine and beer are also nice to have on hand for special occasions.

• Food: You’ll have to consider the crowd and time of day when planning the menu but for spur of the moment gatherings, popsicles, fruit and small bags of chips are all good and fun snacks to have on hand to satisfy the hungry swimmers.

• Magazines: To truly indulge while lounging.