Summer Living Essentials — As Seen On CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin

Whether you’re spending plenty of time in your backyard swimming pool, going on hikes and jogs in a nearby park or lake, or just chilling out at home, I’ve got plenty of ideas to keep you energized, hydrated, eating healthy, sleeping comfortably and enjoying every second of your summer — and, as usual, I shared them with viewers of CBS Austin’s “We Are Austin.”

To watch today’s “Summer Living Tips” segment, click here. And, for all the details on the products shown on air, keep right on reading!

GET YOUR CAFFEINE FIX WITH JAVA MONSTER

Longer days and longer nights means many of our energy levels sinking drastically come mid-afternoon. And there’s nothing quite like caffeine to give you some much-needed pep in your step, right? And thanks to Java Monster, you don’t need to spend time and money driving to your local coffee shop whenever you’re craving a refreshing iced coffee.

Java Monster is a line of ready-to-drink premium coffee and cream flavors that you can store in your fridge and sip on when you’re craving an iced coffee. Made with real coffee and real cream, Java Monster comes in flavors ranging from classic mocha (whimsically called “Loca Moca”) and vanilla (dubbed “Mean Bean” to more daring options like Kona Blend and Salted Caramel.  Each 15 oz. can retails for $2.69 at local grocery stores.

SNACK SMART WITH RW GARCIA

Sure, we could all make kale chips or roasted chickpeas, but who wants to stand over a hot oven when it’s already 100 degrees outside? No thank you! In the summer, we want our snacks to be healthy and nutritious but also quick and convenient. Enter RW Garcia, a family-owned and operated business that has been making healthy and delicious snacks for over 30 years. RW Garcia was the first snack company to become non-GMO verified, and it specializes in gluten-free and kosher chips and crackers that are produced in a peanut-free and tree nut-free facility.

If you’re having a backyard picnic or enjoying some vino with your significant other, make sure to add some of RW Garcia’s gluten-free crackers to your cheese board. For a delicious crunchy bite that’s salty but slightly sweet, try the Sweet Potato Crackers, which are made with sweet potato and corn as well as a mixture of 3 seeds: flax seeds, black sesame seeds, and chia seeds. For a more herbal and savory bite, try the Organic Lentil & Turmeric Crackers, made with the aforementioned 3-seed blend, corn, and lentils, and then dusted with a slightly spicy turmeric seasoning. Each of these crackers retails for $3.99 at Sprouts.

And since chips and salsa are the official state snack here in Texas, I can’t forget to fill you in on RW Garcia’s delicious Mixt Bag tortilla chips. True to its name, each Mixt Bag incorporates tortilla chips in at least two colors/flavors. The Yellow & Blue Mixt Bag, for instance, incorporates tortilla chips made with blue corn and yellow corn, while the Veggie & White Corn Mixt Bag features a medley of tortilla chips made with corn and garden veggie combinations like red beet and onion, spinach and garlic, and carrot and tomato. The MixtBag chips are on sale at H.E.B. through August 6th so you can scoop them up at the low price of 2 for $6.

Additional RW Garcia products including Sweet Beet Crackers, Kale Crackers, Yellow Corn Chips and other Non-GMO verified and clean products. Make sure to seek them out at Sprouts, H.E.B. and Central Market

TAKE YOUR PASTA DISHES TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH OTAMOT

What if you could enjoy consume all the vitamins, minerals and fiber found in over 10 vegetables simply by eating  plate of spaghetti and meatballs or a slice of lasagna?This is not a trick, y’all! You can live a Garfield-esque, lasagna-filled life and make each meal the most nutritious ever simply by using Otamot, a delicious and nutritious tomato sauce that just hit  Whole Foods stores nationwide.

Otamot sauces are made with 9 to 12 organic vegetables, each cooked at a precise time and temperature to preserve the vitamins and minerals in each ingredient. In one jar, you’ll find veggies like tomato, red bell pepper, sweet potato, butternut squash, beets, carrots, spinach and more. Not only is each sauce nutrient-dense, but it’s also a beautiful medley of flavors, so that the savory, sweet, spicy, salty, earthy, and tangy qualities of the ingredients balance one another perfectly to create an unparalleled edible experience. The sauces come in three flavors: Organic Essential Sauce, Organic Carrot Bolognese and Spicy Organic Sauce (my fave!).

The sauces are USDA certified organic, vegan, and gluten-free, plus they contain no added sugar. This last point really sets Otamot apart from other tomato sauces. See, most store-bought tomato sauces (whether marinara sauces or canned tomato sauces) contain quite a bit of corn sugar (i.e. high fructose corn syrup) or cane sugar, making them sneaky sources of added sugar. Otamot, however, relies on the natural sweetness of its ingredients rather than on unnecessary and unhealthy added sugars.

Not only are Otamot sauces the perfect way to elevate your pasta dishes, but they can be used to whip up chilis, soups, tacos, baked beans, dips, and much more. Visit OtamotFoods.com for recipe ideas.

Otamot sauces retail for $12.99 per jar at Whole Foods stores.

QUENCH YOUR THIRST WITH ELECTROLIT’S HYDRATION BEVERAGES

How much water do you consume in a typical day? And do you account for the fluids you lose by sweating (particularly when exercising) or for the diuretic effects of alcoholic beverages and caffeinated drinks? Most research suggests that you don’t — according to recent surveys, as many as 75% of Americans are functioning in a chronic state of dehydration. Those suffering from mild to moderate chronic dehydration might experience symptoms ranging from headaches and fatigue to constipation, lack of concentration, muscle weakness and cramps, dry and flaky skin, and more. More severe cases of dehydration, meanwhile, can be potentially life-threatening, leading to loss of consciousness and adversely affecting the kidneys and liver.

In the summer, when we’re spending more time in the sun and heat, the risk of dehydration rises exponentially. After all, the more we sweat, the greater the need to replenish lost fluids. Consider this: you can become dehydrated if you lose as little as 3% of your body weight due to a lack of water intake. And, if you’re an athlete or enjoy working out in the great outdoors, remember that drinking water may not be enough to aptly rehydrate after 60 minutes of strenuous exercise in the heat. To replenish electrolytes quickly, you’ll need a powerhouse hydration beverage like Electrolit.

Electrolit is a great-tasting, scientifically formulated hydration beverage that replenishes the body after outdoor physical activity, illness, hangovers, and sun exposure. Its unique formula, taste, and wide variety of flavors has made Electrolit the preferred premium hydration beverage for children and adults. Featuring the optimal balance of electrolytes, including sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium, Electrolit prevents and treats dehydration, immediately addressing any hydro electrolytic imbalance. It also includes glucose, a natural sweeter, to speed up the rehydration process and provide an energy boost.

Electrolit is available at grocery stores and comes in nine tasty flavors including Strawberry Kiwi, Fruit Punch, and Grape.

MAKE YOUR BEDROOM EXTRA COZY WITH JCPENNEY’S NEW LINDEN STREET BEDDING LINE

If shelter-in-place orders have taught us anything, it’s that there really is no place like home. Our living spaces should feel welcoming and inviting, functioning as our personal refuges and providing the sense of safety and comfort we all seek.

To turn your bedrooms into the ultimate sleep sanctuary, you’ll want to check out Linden Street, JCPenney’s new and exclusive collection of ultra-soft, sustainably-sourced, 100% natural cotton bedding.

The collection debuts with a range of 3-piece comforter, sheet, and quilt sets that are effortlessly chic and amazingly affordable, with prices ranging from $40 to $220 at JCPenney.com.

The clean neutral shades (light peach, slate gray, pale mint, white, and denim blue), subtle textures (from trapunto quilting to box-stitched details and ruffle trims), and minimalist patterns (striped accents, jacquard motifs, leaf prints, and floral patterns) all lend themselves to layering, mixing and matching.

BREATHE EASY WITH THE BETTERAIR BIOTICA800 PROBIOTIC AIR & SURFACE PURIFIER

We all love living in Austin, but one thing we can do without is the constant battle with seasonal allergies! And while we may associate allergies with the air outdoors (grass, pollen, cedar, and so forth), the truth of the matter is we’re all exposed to a ton of allergens even when we’re indoors —whether it’s the pollen we brought in on our clothes and our shoes, pet dander, dust mites, or mold. To improve your indoor air quality this summer, pick up the BetterAir Biotica800 Probiotic Surface & Air Purifier ($300 at BetterAirUS.com).

This groundbreaking air purifier disperses good bacteria, or probiotics, to balance any bad bacteria in your home. The unit, then, continuously releases an ultra-fine mist of BetterAir’s Enviro-Botics, its proprietary probiotics blend, so that it can waft through the air and also land on surfaces, penetrate fabrics, and infiltrate every corner of the room. These probiotics then neutralize any allergens and pathogens in the air and on surfaces, thereby creating a balanced, optimal indoor ecology.

By relying on probiotics, BetterAir helps to recreate the optimal air quality conditions found in nature, where probiotics outnumber pathogenic bacteria by as much as 8 to 2. In contrast, the EPA has found that indoor air can be at least 5 times more polluted to the air outside, which is why probiotics help to tilt the scales and restore some much-needed balance. This emphasis on probiotics is a critical component of this purifier’s genius: whereas other air purifiers kill all bacteria (both good and bad), thereby leading to an over-sterilized environment, BetterAir focuses on working with nature to create a balanced indoor environment.

Moreover, BetterAir doesn’t rely on chemicals, UV lights, filters, or antibiotics – instead, it uses a 100% natural system to help us all breathe the healthiest air possible.

PROTECT AND COMFORT YOUR EYES WITH BIOFINITY ENERGYS CONTACT LENSES

Madonna may have been living in a material world, but we are living in a digital world. These days, many of us are working from home, checking e-mails constantly, hopping on Zoom and FaceTime conference calls, and using countless apps to complete our daily tasks. Our kiddos, meanwhile, are spending tons of time streaming their favorite shows, playing games on their phones, and taking online courses. And, when we’re off the clock, we’re likely scrolling through TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook or checking our news feeds. Simply put: we’re relying on digital technology more than ever. And while we can thank the tech geniuses in our world for helping us pivot and adapt during this time, it’s important to realize the challenges that come with our virtual realities. Among these challenges: as our daily screen time skyrockets, we’re more likely to experience dry eyes and eye tiredness. These are among the symptoms associated with Digital Eye Strain or Computer Vision Syndrome, which can occur after just 2 hours in front of a screen.

Luckily, Biofinity Energys contact lenses were developed with an optical lens design and material that helps eyes adapt to the demands of today’s digital world. When we stare at a screen, we blink up to 50% less, than we ordinarily would, which can lead to eye dryness; Biofinity Energys rectifies this problem through an Aquaform Technology that locks in moisture, preventing eyes from becoming dry and uncomfortable.

The lenses also feature a proprietary Digital Zone Optics lens design to help with eye tiredness, so you can seamlessly transition from online to offline events. If you find that, after staring at your screen for a few hours, your eyes struggle to adapt to the sunshine outdoors, these contact lenses will assist you with this issue.

To learn more, talk to your eye care professional and download a free trial certificate at BiofinityEnergys.com

MAINTAIN YOUR KIDS’ SMILES WITH FIREFLY

Getting your littles to brush their teeth can be a battle. There’s the reluctance to enter the bathroom and pick up the toothbrush in the first place, the rush to finish (no, five seconds is not enough time to clean those teeth!), and the whining, stomping, and tears that can accompany the twice-daily routine. But here’s the truth of the matter: young kids tend to dread brushing their teeth simply because they don’t regard it as a fun activity. But what if, as parents, we could reframe the way they see oral hygiene? What if we could make it a fun part of the day?

To set the stage for a more successful dental care experience with your kiddo, start by picking up a toothbrush featuring his or her favorite character. Firefly’s Clean N’ Protect Power Toothbrush ($4.84 at Walmart and Walmart.com) comes in a ton of fun colors and features beloved characters like Spongebob Squarepants, Bumblebee from The Transformers, Max and Duke from The Secret Life of Pets, and Queen Bee and more adorable dollies from the L.O.L. Surprise franchise. With one of these toothbrushes, your child will feel like he’s spending quality time with a good friend. Meanwhile, you can rest assured that this toothbrush will effectively clean your kid’s teeth thanks to a soft rotating toothbrush that safely cleans teeth, removes plaque, stimulates gums, and prevents gum disease and tooth decay.

The toothbrush’s  ergonomic handle will make it easier for your child to maneuver and its compact head will fit comfortably inside his or her mouth. Plus, the toothbrush comes with an antibacterial character cap that protects the toothbrush bristles.

To make the experience all the more fun, pick  up the Firefly Natural Anticavity Fluoride Toothpaste ($3.48 at Walmart and Walmart.com), which is 98% naturally derived and 100% fun. The formula is clinically proven to strengthen kids’ enamel while reducing cavity-causing bacteria and plaque build-up, and it contains no artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, dyes, or sulfates. Plus, it’s available in kid-friendly flavors like Wild Watermelon and Strawberry Smoothie!

SECURE YOUR SWIMMING POOL WITH THE CORAL MANTA 3000

As we seek some relief from the heat in our pools, we should take every precaution to ensure our kids’ safety. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 350 children under the age of five drown in pools each year across the US. Most of these deaths involve backyard pools and occur in the months of June, July, and August, underscoring the need for parents to secure their swimming pools in order to prevent accidental drownings.

It’s $2500 at CoralDrowningDetection.com