December in sunny South Africa means hot summer days, coastal vacationing and poolside fun! By now school is out and most parents are finishing their last week of work. Everyone is ready for some much needed R&R. December is staycation time in our home and you’ll find us lazing about in the pool. Just us and a few summer must-haves is all that’s needed to get the summer vibes sizzling. I’m sharing our TOP 5’s to get the pool party started!

1. Cute swimwear!

This year Lullaby Rock Apparel launched their 1st ever collection of swimwear for littles. The designs are super cool, like only Lullaby Rock can do with awesome pieces for rocking boys and kick-ass little ladies. My favourite is the Tankini Lia is wearing – next year mama needs one too please Amy – but who could resist the sweet full frill cozzie?

Almost impossible to believe but, these swimsuits are 100% local. From design, to the fabric made, printed and used to produce each piece AND the quality and fit is perfect!

I think the girls look adorable, all #twinningplusone in their “Buried Treasure” swimsuits but I also really love the “Grains of Sand” design available online. We might just have to purchase 3 of those too… Can a girl have too many swimsuits?

2. Trendy pool floats

Flamingoes, donuts, cactuses, ice-creams and more… Giant pool floats are all the rage, make for hours of fun and awesome photos too. I was happy to find us our own white swan at Pick n Pay hyper. It was a steal for under R200. Just visit the outdoor section to purchase yours.

We even have tiny flamingo floats (available at MRPHome) for our drinks and other what nots. That reminds me of our next summer must-haves…

3. Yummy snacks

Although home made cookies and advent chocolates are a daily must we add healthy alternative too (less work come January). Have you tried Sarah Graham‘s Nourish Power Balls? Eliana can’t get enough of the Cranberry & Cacao Balls! Made with real, raw chocolate, sweet dates and cranberries, for a tart kick, every bite is deliciously creamy and chocolaty. They are also gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free and has no “bad stuff” like artificial flavours, preservatives or additives. All 100% natural ingredients. They come in handy in my diaper bag too!

Faithful to Nature also has me sipping on Zooka Organic Kombucha Tea. The health benefits of Kombucha is something I’ve heard a lot about (read more on the Faithful to Nature Blog by clicking here), but to be honest, it’s never looked very appetising, until now… When served icy cold Zooka Organic Kombucha Tea is pretty refreshing (very reminiscent of the homemade ginger beer my grandma use to make) and don’t you just love the cute bamboo straw by We Care Collective. These can be washed and reused because it’s cool caring about the planet!

Summer wouldn’t be summer without a frozen treat and instead of only grabbing ice cream we make our own fruity popsicles with the help of  Pouch Love Ice Pop Moulds. Puree or juice your favourite summer fruits (I fool the girls and add a veggie or two when they aren’t looking), pour into the silicone moulds, freeze and enjoy! They are also BPA-free, so no worries mama and just pop them in the dishwasher to use again later.

(All of the above can be bought online and delivered to your door from Faithful to Nature).

4. A comfy towel

We’ve got the killer swimsuit, fun pool accessories and delicious treats down. Now, cute towels. Madi & Me (another local brand) literally has you covered with their toddler ponchos, perfect for swimmers age 2-6years. Made from 100% Turkish cotton towelling and finished off with hand knotted tassel fringes. These ponchos are soft, highly absorbent and also dries quickly, making it easy to use over and over again. We all know how many times kids get in and out of the pool. Bonus point for being eco-friendly too!

Of course we chose the pink and white stripes but they have loads of other options and were nice enough to custom make Ava a baby one. I could die!

5. Sun safe skincare

While we enjoy the sun, a sunburn ain’t fun. Buying different sunscreens for different age groups and skin types is expensive and finding natural alternatives difficult. We’ve been using the Pure Primal Skincare range for years and nothing comes close. If you haven’t heard of this amazing Bioidentical skincare range, PLEASE visit their about page by clicking here.

The Pure Primal Sun Away UVA & UVB Protection was the only thing we used last summer and so far the Pre and Post Sun Soothe balm, for “just-in-case” is a winner too.

You’ll also always find a Fat Lips balm in my beach bag / diaper bag /cosmetics bag, any bag. These are fantastic for dry lips.

When we swim, WE SWIM! Wet hair, I don’t care… it’s suppose to be fun! Afterwards I apply a little Skrunch Hair Repair Serum to my own as well the girl’s hair, especially Eliana’s curls. With Tamanu, Neem, Jojoba and Argan oil this helps feed and protect our hair from dryness and damage.

Now, we want you to enjoy summer too and have teamed up with Lullaby Rock and Pure Primal to give you a little treat. One lucky winner will walk away with a Lullaby Rock voucher to the value of R600 as well as a 100ml Pure Primal Sun Away UVA & UVB Protection and their Pre and Post Sun Soothe balm.

How to enter:

1. COMMENT below telling us why you love summer!
2. Make sure you follow these 3 INSTAGRAM accounts: @lullaby_rock_apparel, @pureprimalskin and @justamamma.
3. Also like the Lullaby Rock, Pure Primal and Just a Mamma Facebook pages.
4. Gain extra entries by visit @JustaMamma on INSTAGRAM and following the steps below the competition post.
5. We haven’t forgotten about FACEBOOK. You can gain even more entries by following the steps below the competition post on our wall.

COMPETITION RULES:

1. Competition only open to South African residents residing in South Africa.
2. Winner must be 18+ years old.
3.  A winner will be picked at random and announced on Thursday, December 21st, 2017. 
4. Prizes are not exchangeable or refundable.
5. The greatest care will be taken when mailing your hamper but Just a Mamma and all the brands participating in this giveaway do not accept any responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged items.
6. Instagram,Facebook and Twitter is not responsible or associated with this giveaway.

PHOTO CREDIT | Anje-Ilana Nel from Madison & West.