This weekend was absolutely beautiful here in the Bay Area! Naturally, this led to my neighborhood filling up with the sizzles, giggles, clinks and splashes of backyard barbecues and impromptu pool parties. If the weather is heating up in your neighborhood, too, use some of these fun tips to host a “Welcome Back Summer” pool party!

• Dress up the traditional hot dogs and sliced watermelon with these stylish pool party menus from YumSugar:

• Give your party favors a little color with fun flip flops (only $2.50 at Old Navy!) and inflatable pool toys from Designed2BSweet:

• Don’t forget to let the kids show off their style with fresh new summer gear from Gymboree or Quicksilver:

• And, of course, what’s a party without an adorable invitation from Tiny Prints?

Sandals, shade and sundresses aren’t necessarily enough to keep your kids cool as the summer heats up. Since children are particularly susceptible to heat stroke, dehydration and sun poisoning, it is important to keep them cool, comfortable and safely sunblocked.

But this doesn’t mean your kids need to be tucked away in air conditioning and long sleeves! Try these tips for beating the heat and giving your kids a safe and stylish summer:

• Make homemade popsicles by pouring sports drinks and fruit punches into molds and inserting your own popsicle sticks before freezing.
• Get kids their own stylish personal fans, like the ones below, to use when they feel overheated at camp or when playing with friends.
• Revive old summer pastimes by making lemonade or sun tea with your kids.
• Keep the elements at bay with the proper outdoor gear. In particular, look for a good hat that will cover their ears and neck, like these from REI.
• Put oranges, apples, carrots and celery in the fridge before you cut them up to serve as snacks.
• Save the environment while keeping the kids hydrated with fashionable aluminum water bottles like these from SIGG.

These simple tips and tricks will have your family on the fasttrack to a fun summer in the sun in no time!

Now that it’s officially summer, what are you doing to beat the heat? Though I love these summer months, I could do without the hot, sleepless nights. That’s why I was excited when I watched ABC’s, “The View” and saw various ways that to keep cool this summer. Here are a few gadgets that was on their show that you can purchase for cool, comfortable summer days and nights.

1) The Chill Misting Fan from Brookstone.

2) Chillow or a chilled pillow from The Comfort Store will keep you cool at night.

3) And to keep your back, buns and anything you else you want cool, LavaBuns is a seat cushion that can be cooled when it’s hot and warmed when it’s cold outside.

If all else fails, grab an ice cream cone, watch a movie, or stay indoors when you want to take a break for the summer heat.