What are your long weekend essentials?

A trip out-of-town or a stay-cation?

I can hardly believe that Memorial Day weekend is already upon us.

You know what this means though, right?

Summer is coming. Well, actually, it feels like summer has already arrived. It’s getting hot out here, guys and I am so ready for that glorious extra day off.

I’m keeping things low-key this year and won’t be going away, but you know what? I’m not complaining. Even though I won’t be traveling this year, I do have some fun plans and there are few things you won’t catch me without this upcoming weekend.

INSTANT CAMERA

Instant cameras have a permanent place both in my travel bag and a living room table.

I’m sure that a lot of you, just like me, keep disks full of photos and memories, that you have yet to print out and organize in your albums. I won’t lie, I myself probably have close to 1000 photos waiting to be printed. Most of the time we just take photos with our phones and that’s where they stay these days.

Technology is meant to make our lives easier, to save us time, but truth be told, I sometimes miss the days before digital cameras. Getting your photos developed was such a treat; you never knew how they came out and you couldn’t wait to get your hands on that envelope, open it, and go through all your photos and see them for the first time.

This is why I love my little instant camera. They’re great for traveling, but also when you spend the long weekend home, have a big cookout or a quiet, nice weekend at home with your family. I think that little things like an instant camera make it easy to celebrate even the simplest of moments. Physically holding the photos, feeling them and waiting to see how they came out always brings back memories and another bonus is that kids love using them, too. I mean, let’s face it. They’re fun.

CLINICAL STRENGTH PROTECTION

Okay, so last week the temperatures have soared and hit the mid-90s. I can’t say that I was ready for such drastic change in temperatures, although I feel like it’s something that happens every single year.

Yes, I’m the type of person who is always (and I really mean it) cold, but even I can admit that it’s getting hot, and it’s getting hot quickly.

So, another, and probably one of my most important essentials for the long weekend is a good deodorant. It doesn’t matter if you’re keeping things low-key, or prepping for a little getaway; a good deodorant is something you… well… need.

The great thing about Secret Clinical Strength Invisible Solid and Secret Clinical Strength Clear Gel, is that in addition to providing 2x the sweat protection of an ordinary antiperspirant, you also don’t have to worry about wearing certain colors or fabrics. In other words, it won’t ruin your style and will protect both you and your clothes. Cuz pit stains ain’t cute.

There’s another reason why I love Secret Clinical Strength; I’m a huge introvert.

What does one have to do with the other?

Well, Memorial Day weekend is an unofficial start of summer and that means a lot of get-togethers, cookouts, special occasions- all of which are fun but can also be a little bit stressful. Especially when you know you’ll be making new friends, meeting new people, amiright?

On those days, I always feel a bit anxious (and you know that I can sometimes over-think the simplest of things). Add high temperatures and humidity, the last thing you want to worry about is a sweat breakthrough and a ruined outfit.

I’ve been using Secret for probably as long as I can remember, so I can’t tell you how excited I am to share Secret in my life as part of a sponsored series for SocialstarsTM!

A GOOD READ

Barbecues, trips out-of-town, family cookouts, visits to the beach- they’re all fun and exciting. BUT on every long weekend (actually every weekend) I make sure to carve out some time just for myself and get lost in a book. If there is one thing that I wish I had more time to do, it’s reading. Spending a quiet evening with an addictive read is a great way to reset and relax. Audiobooks, on the other hand, are an awesome way to entertain yourself if you’re traveling and happen to get stuck in that MDW traffic.

I’ve been trying to stay off all things digital during weekends, and I’ve been able to finish so many books that were sitting on my nightstand for months. I just started reading White Hot Truth and have a few others on my *long weekend reads* list that I’m hoping to get through.

My essentials also include a good SPF (use it rain or shine and reapply throughout the day!) blotting papers, beauty minis and my favorite pair of sunnies.

What about you guys, any special plans for next weekend? What are some of your long weekend essentials?

This post was created in partnership with Secret + SocialstarsTM

As we prep for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, let’s not forget the real reason why we’re celebrating and remember those who have given their lives while serving in the American armed forces.