Disclosure: I was asked by Avon to participate in the #AvonBugGuard campaign. All opinions in this post are my own.
When summer hits, there’s more sunshine and more outdoor activities….and of course, there’s also more mosquitos and other pesky bugs.. During the summer, our family loves to play in the pool, relax at the beach, enjoy the scenery through hiking, listen to music at parks, and have fun at picnics. All of these outdoor activities require sun and bug protection, especially for me and one of the twins. We don’t know what it is, but both of us always, without fail, get mosquito bites every summer. Well, that stopped a couple summers ago thanks to the Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Collection. Now the mosquitos hate us 🙂
This year we have been doing more outdoor activities than previous summers. During the heatwave a few weeks ago here in LA, our air conditioning unit decided to take a break thanks to the rats eating through the ducting system. That’s a whole separate discussion. Rather than melting in the heat of our home, we decided that outside was the best place to be.
One of the outdoor activities that we thoroughly enjoy is picnicking because we love to just sit at a park, eat, play games and relax.
I used to get so worked up about going on a picnic and having to pack and carry all the picnic essentials with us let alone dealing with getting sunburnt and fighting off the mosquitoes. Knowing that I have the right protection against the mosquitoes and with years of perfecting my picnic preparation I’m more inclined to do more outdoor activities than ever before.
Here are my tips for having a fabulous family picnic without the stress of getting sunburnt and/or covered in bug bites.
LOCATION
Knowing where you want to picnic sets the tone for your family outing. Certain locations are not picnic friendly so do your research before heading there. When the twins were a lot younger, we would have a picnic in the backyard to get them comfortable with the idea of eating outside. Once they were comfortable, we started introducing them to different places. Now, they can’t wait to go on a picnic with us.
PREPARATION
We do grocery shopping the night before and pack everything that we need like a blanket, food and drink, bug repellent, SPF and games and toys. We also get the twins excited by engaging them to help with the preparation. This motivates and inspires them for the outing.
BUG REPELLENT AND SPF
I can’t live without SPF in general but every summer the Avon insect and mosquito repellent products are my life saver.nAs. Their products are created with formulas to protect me and my family from itchy, painful and potentially harmful bug bites. We spray ourselves with AVON’sn Bug Guard Plus IR3535 Expedition Pump Spray SPF 30 before we head out the door. This keeps us protected because it repels mosquitoes for 8 hours and deer ticks for 10 hours. This also allows us to skip the SPF application since this spray already contains SPF 30.
If you do not like to use sprays, I highly recommend the AVON Bug Guard Plus IR3535 Cool ‘N Fabulous SPF 30 Lotion Disappearing Color that goes on blue and disappears when rubbed onto skin. While all of these products are amazing, my favorite would have to be AVON’sBug Guard Plus Picaridin Towelettes, which also repel mosquitoes for 8 hours and deer ticks for 12 hours. These packets are compact and light. I carry them in my purse in case I forget to apply the bug repellent spray before heading out the door. The full collection is also deet-free, which I really love.
FOOD AND DRINK
Packing finger foods is the key for a no hassle picnic with the kids. Before the kids, the hubby and I used to carry utensils, plates, wine, and everything else to have a picnic. And yes, that was very romantic and practical for both of us. The twins’ arrival really changed how we do most things, including picnicking. All the food and drinks you see here in these photos are so easy to clean up. They are placed in re-usable bags and when we were done eating we put the trash in the empty re-usable bags and throw them away. Simple, easy, clean, and hassle-free.
GAMES AND TOYS
If it is just the two of us then I would bring my book and a magazine and just relax on the blanket. If you have kids then you know that they cannot sit still and need to constantly play. We love bringing games like frisbee and badminton because they are not only light to carry but also fun to play with. Although I brought a magazine with me, I end up playing frisbee with the twins most of the time.
We are officially halfway through the summer, but there’s still plenty of daylight and sunshine ahead so that you can plan a nice picnic without the stress or potential bug bites. With AVON’s Skin So Soft Bug Guard items starting at $14 you can easily find a product that will help protect you wherever your outdoor adventures may take you. The entire collection can be purchased from your local AVON Representative. Check out AVON.com to find an AVON Representative in your area and help keep your skin bug bite free.
