It’s been several months since my 14-year-old daughter boxed up all her Stanley tumblers and donated them to make room for her Owala water bottles. My girl swears by them for keeping her water cold for hours and loves that they come in colorful designs. Everyone in my home has now switched to Owala and feels pretty pleased with the brand’s insulated cups, from 40-ounce straw tumblers to 24-ounce screw-top water bottles.

My family has only a couple of critiques about the original tumblers and water bottles. Occasionally, my daughter found the water bottle’s push-button lid open when she carried it to theater rehearsal in her tote bag. She also has an autoimmune disease that causes a great deal of joint pain, so she’d occasionally comment that it was hard for her to hold onto the carrying loop on days when her fingers were swollen. 

One of my favorite parts of having teenagers is sharing clothing, accessories, and bags with my 14-year-old daughter. After all, spending more than I usually would on an item feels more reasonable when I know two people will get lots of use out of it. To learn about what’s trending in fashion, my daughter and I both turn to social media. Recently, we’ve been sending each other TikToks of women of all ages sharing their love of a stylish, durable bag: the Longchamp Le Pliage Tote.

My family visits theme parks all the time, and it’s no secret that standing in line for rides all day can be a sweltering summertime activity. And while we’re nearing the official start of fall, it’s still quite hot out in many parts of the country.

I’ll admit, I’ve always thought people who wore portable fans around their necks to beat the heat looked a little funny, but recently, one of my most trusted theme park friends arrived at our Walt Disney World dinner table wearing a HandFan portable fan. She raved that it had made her entire day at the park so much better, so I figured I’d give it a try.

The first time I visited Walt Disney World (WDW) with my kids, they were just 3 and 5, eager to meet their favorite characters and get some Mickey-shaped ice cream bars. A decade later, I visit with teenagers who will still oblige me with a character photo, but care more about which restaurant has the best cheeseburger and how many thrill rides we can pack into one theme park day. Still, through many trips to WDW and Disneyland, I’ve perfected my checklist of items to pack in my bag for a day at a Disney park — many of which haven’t changed as my kids have gotten older.