My Summer Essentials {+ How to Save with Meijer mPerks}

I have an ongoing partnership with Meijer and am compensated for posts. All opinions and content belong to me.

Summer is the best time of year, amiright? As a parent, I feel a wave of relief come over me each day that is beautiful outside. I love sending my kids out to play and knowing they are making memories, which sometimes *feels* like mischief to me {don’t get me started with all the dirt currently on my deck…}.

Despite the dirt, I’ve been getting a little emotional lately watching my kids grow-up before my eyes. On the tough days, I remind myself that these early years are fleeting and to enjoy every moment. I mean, look at these smiles. Oh the simple joys of being a kid!

I’m trying to do everything in my power to ensure my kids have the magical summers I had growing up. To do so, I’ve started thinking about what was essential

Summer is….

Freshly painted toes
Sunscreen scented skin {especially baby heads! Mmmm…best.smell.ever!}
Watermelon mustaches
Sparklers on a cool evening
S’mores over a bonfire {With a peanut butter cup! So good!}
Fresh squeezed lemonade
Popsicles with neighbor friends
Dipping your toes into the hot sand
Seeking out joy in unexpected places
Love my little lawn gnome found in the Meijer garden department!
A cold sip from the hose
Impromptu picnics
Tank tops and sun-kissed, freckled shoulders
The feel of soil while digging for worms
Collecting bugs
Dirty feet after a long day of outdoor play
Swinging in sunshine

The sights, sounds and feelings of summer bring me back to childhood and make me SO happy. It’s my hope I can replicate those feelings for my kiddos in the years ahead.

Save on Summer Essentials with Meijer

I am a Meijer loyalist and love seeing my savings on my receipts add up! So far this year, I’ve saved more than $1,200 shopping sales and using mPerks. That’s a savings of 20% each time I shop, which is huge for my family of 5.

A few items that are essential to summer in our house!

Looking to save on summer items? Here’s how I shop:

Be on the lookout for great weekend coupons. Before the weekend, Meijer usually adds a Friday/Saturday coupon for 5% off groceries, 10% off general merchandise and 15% off apparel. I keep a running list of items we need and wait for these coupons to shop {i.e. we bought our car seat with the 10% off one, plus the money we spent earned me a $10 off baby reward as well.}
Shop for the season. This time of year is chock full of coupons for grilling items, sunscreen, bug spray, gardening items, and more. I was ecstatic to even find one for $4 off 2 bottles of Essie nail polish. It’s my absolute favorite polish!
Love the summer colors Essie has right now. My favorite polish by far!
Use the product scanner feature. If you have mPerks on your phone, be sure to scan items you are purchasing to see if there are any coinciding coupons. Often times I find seasonal item coupons on there.
Visit the clothing departments. Meijer has super cute kids clothes, but I usually can find stuff for me too. On a recent trip, I scoredasummeryromper for $12 thanks to stacking my 15%offmPerk with a 40% off sale. There often is an extra 25% off clearance items, too.
Can’t wait to wear this red, white and blue romper found at Meijer for the 4th of July!
Clip rewards before shopping. With mPerks, you can select rewards to work toward while shopping {i.e. spend $500 during the month, get $9 off}. I often hit my limits and get money off a future order. A few weeks back, I got $35 off with my rewards! I always make sure to take a few minutes in the car to nab ones I think I may want before I head into the store.