Tips to Stay Hydrated and Easy Bead Counter Tutorial to Help!

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All opinions are mine alone. #HydrationToGo #CollectiveBias

Summer is upon us and that means days of fun outside enjoying the sunshine. Up here in the Pacific Northwest, that sun is bringing intense heat. I mean we are talking 11 days over 103 all the way up to 115 with no end of the heat in sight! In order to keep my family healthy, it’s important that we all stay well hydrated to make it though the long hot days and nights.

For this, I’m turning to smartwater we pick up at CVS pharmacy to grab and go with us on all our summer adventures. When we want a little flavor we opt to pick up some vitaminwater in a variety of flavors or some delicious Honest Tea or Gold Peak Tea.

To help track how much we are drinking during the day and to mark which bottle belongs to who, we made up these simple bead counters in personalized colors. Wrap it onto your bottle and move beads from one side to another as you complete your water. If the day is half way done and you’ve only drank one bottle, you know you better get some more in!

Right now, you can stop into a CVS pharmacy and pick up any combination of 4 with your CVS ExtraCare card of smartwater, vitaminwater, Gold Peak and Honest Tea for $5 and receive $2 off your next CVS visit! Look for the hydration station packed with all these goodies to grab and go for your busy summer days and to get some more ideas how to stay hydrated this summer, visit Hydration to Go. Stock up for hot days to come now while this deal is still on and sign up for your own ExtraCare card if you don’t have one already! (offer valid 6/28-7/25 2015)

Today, we are sitting outside in the shade (where it’s still 95 degrees) and crafting our own bead counters while taking a few time outs to hop into the pool to cool off. Here’s how to make you own with your own family!

Bead Counter Tutorial

Materials

Pony Beads

Rubber Band

Keychain Loop and Latch

Thin Satin Ribbon

Additional Decorative Ribbon

Directions

Select 8-10 beads

Cut thin satin ribbon to 33 inches long

Connect thin ribbon to keychain loop with slip knot

Attach rubber band to keychain loop with slip knot opposite ribbon

Add latch to rubber band

Insert one end of ribbon into right side of bead

Insert opposite ribbon into left side of bead

Pull in opposite directions to move bead up to loop

Repeat with rest of the beads

Wrap counter around your bottle and tie ribbon to loop

Add extra decorative ribbon to decorate

Done!

Because we used the rubber band and latch, your bead counters should fit bottles of various width or you can opt to just hook it onto a back pack when your on the run at the beach, park, zoo or whatever! We love to use them for keeping score when playing games too!