My dad likes to tell a story of a beach holiday my family went on when I was about five years old. We lived in North Carolina and had gotten up super early to drive to the coast, which was about four hours away. As the story goes, my exhausted father looked over at me at some point and thought, "Wow, she's started to get really hairy legs for a five-year-old." When he took a closer look; however, he realised that rather than hair, my legs were actually covered from top to bottom with mosquitoes.

The only thing more divine than floating around in a pool on a hot summer's day is floating around in a pool with a refreshing beverage. But once you're settled in your doughnut shaped floatie, the last thing you want to do is get out to refresh your beverage. Luckily, The Kitchn has a cheap and easy solution for this summertime sadness: All you need is some pool noodles.

Before you have kids, the beach is easy. You amble down with nothing but a towel and a bottle of water; maybe you bring an umbrella and stick it in the sand with the ease of Zeus tossing a thunderbolt. Sun protection is a big hat and a dab of sunscreen. But once you procreate? Hannibal crossed the Alps with less effort and gear than it takes to get kids to the shore.

According to all the Instagram pictures of toes stretched out on deck chairs, many people looove the summer. They bask in the bright sun, revel in the heat, and don't especially mind the sand-in-the-bathing-suit/sunscreen-in-your-eye sensations of January; the moment Australia Day weekend rolls into sight, it's constant watermelon, sailboats, and beach barbecues.

It's hot out and you wish you could be in nothing but your underwear, but you have to be around people and look professional. These are the essential things you should know when picking out your summer wardrobe.

There's no arguing that pie is the most noble form any summer fruit can assume, but there are times I want a fruity dessert that doesn't require the heating of my oven (or kitchen). In such moments, I turn (once again) to booze and make some stupid-easy but still sophisticated-tasting wine-soaked fruit.

Holidays are a time of high stress. Despite the delight of not having to work for several days or even weeks, holidays come with pressures. These can include catching up with family, giving gifts, consuming to keep the economy buoyant, and having enough fun to see us through to the next holiday.

Here are ten tips for enjoying things that little bit more without all the stress and after-effects.

Hoo boy, the weather on Christmas Day is a bit of a mixed bag across the country this year. Some of us will be heating up the barbie and jumping in the pool whereas others are likely to be neck deep in Christmas sweaters with a glass of egg nog and an open fire. (I know what I'd prefer.)

Here's the Christmas Day weather forecast across Australia.

Video: If you've dropped something in the pool and can't spot it from above the water, this super simple trick can help.

Picking your own strawberries is a dangerous game. What starts out as good, clean fun plucking berries from their bush quickly escalates into a manic race against everyone else at the patch to pick the most and the best berries, leaving me with scratched limbs, stained lips and way too many berries.

School's almost out for summer, but that doesn't mean your kids should stop learning. Researchers have found that kids can lose one to two months of reading and maths skills over the summer.

What happens when you combine a cultural obsession with thinness, a bit of organised propaganda and a catchy hashtag?

Enter the “bikini bridge”: the space between the bikini and the lower abdomen that occurs when bather bottoms are suspended between the two hip bones.

From the team that brought you Coke Plus Coffee No Sugar and Coke Plus Ginger comes an entirely new summer blockbuster: Coca-Cola Raspberry.

Launching in stores tomorrow, Coca-Cola Raspberry is exactly what it says on the can: Coca-Cola and Raspberry mixed together in a delightful hybrid fruit-soda.

This post was originally published on January 3 2017 over on Lifehacker. This sponsored repost is brought to you by Surf Life Saving Australia

If you're planning on hitting the beach this summer, take a look at this handy guide before you dive into the water so you know how to escape a deadly rip current. It might just save your life.

An Australian teen was recently hospitalised after a mysterious swarm of creatures seemed to bite his legs and cause serious bleeding. While the incident has produced some shock and awe, there's no reason to get too worked up about it.

Earlier this month, a child in the US died a week after apparently aspirating water while wading with his family. The media has called this a case of "dry drowning", also called "secondary" or "delayed" drowning, in which a person initially seems fine after inhaling water but then dies hours or days later.

Happy weekend, and welcome back to 3-Ingredient Happy Hour, the weekly drink column featuring super simple yet delicious libations.

Picture the scene: you're enjoying a seaside stroll in some airy rubber thongs when one of the Y-shaped straps suddenly snaps. You're now forced to hobble around with bare feet on scolding hot pavement. Tch, eh?

The next time you suffer this summer indignation, impress your friends with this DIY repair. All you need is a nut and a washer.

Sunscreen is sunscreen, so you'd think the way you apply it doesn't really matter. However, choosing between cream or lotion and a spray-on sunscreen can impact the likelihood you'll use it, the amount of coverage on your skin, and even the actual protection you get. Let's find out which might be better for you in this sunscreen showdown.