Beach Bag Essentials

If you have been following me on social media, you know I'm not posting as frequently because we are on vacation at the beach. This year, we decided to do a staycation on a beach close to home. We arrived a week ago, and we'll be here for another little bit. Unfortunately for us, the weather has been terrible! We've had a few flashes of sunlight and clearer skies, but for the most part, it has been soggy and rainy. 

We have decided to make the most of it anyway and we have been doing a lot of reading, playing together, and spending time with one another. It has forced us to slow down and enjoy one another, which is something I will never be upset over. 

But since our time in the sun has been limited, I try to have my beach bag ready to go at all times so we can just run out when the sun comes out. Truthfully speaking, my beach bag is always packed and ready to go in our linen closet, especially in the summer months, when last minute beach days are always a possibility.

Keep in mind a couple of things:
1. We are staying on the beach. If I was spending a day at the beach and was further away from home, I would probably pack a lot more.
2. Caleb requires a lot less now than he did last summer or the summer prior. Now he's happy to play in the sand most of the day and run around chasing the birds or run from the waves.

I'm using a Longchamp bag that my mom gave me for Christmas as my beach bag. This one is colorful, and it doesn't let the moisture in. Plus, I can zip it up to keep the sand out when I'm not using it. It cleans up easily enough, just wiping it off with a damp cloth. 

Inside my bag I keep a few essentials (not everything is shown in the photo above): 

1. Sunscreen: This is number one. I don't ever let my sunscreen run out before I purchase another bottle. I always use at least SPF 30 and this one from SunBum has been my favorite for the last couple years. It smells nice, it's not super thick, and it comes in several different SPF numbers, as well as a face stick and lip balm form (I use all of them, even though they aren't all pictured here). They also have a kids line, which you can find here. I use a separate face stick, the one pictured here is from Babyganics and it's what I use for Caleb's face, neck, and ears (don't forget your ears - I made that mistake once and it was horrible!). 
2. Hat/Sunglasses: One of the things that I have been very careful about is protecting my face from the sun. Aside from wearing sunscreen on my face daily, when I go to the beach I use a stronger SPF, sunglasses, and a hat. I want to prolong the aging process as much as possible, and too much sun on my face = wrinkles, which is not good! 
3. Towel: Obviously. 
4. Water: The sun and the salt water can dehydrate quickly. It's really important to keep hydrated with water. Lately we have been using stainless steel tumblers for ourselves and this stainless steel Munchkin 360 Cup for Caleb. If we are going to be spending a full day at the beach, we will take a cooler or an insulated bag to keep our water cool. 
5. Wet/Dry Bag: My friends over at Creative Sparkles made this one for me (the writing on the bag is actually mine!), and I always put extra swim diapers and regular diapers in there. When there are only dry items in there, I'll typically toss my phone in there, too, to make sure it stays dry. 
6. Talcum Powder: Did you know that a little dusting of talcum powder over sand that's stuck to you will wick the moisture away from the sand and help it brush right off? I always keep a travel sized bottle of talcum powder in my bag for just this reason, especially if we are jumping in the car from the beach. 
7. Snacks: The beach always makes me hungry! So we pack a couple of individual snacks, some fruit, and some sandwiches. 
8. Hair Conditioner/Brush: The sun and salt water can wreak havoc on hair, so I try to prevent more damage by rinsing out salt water as soon as I can, brushing it, and leaving my hair covered in a deep conditioner. I honestly just grab whatever I find at the drugstore, but this one is from L'Oreal and has UV Protection, so I thought it was a good option! 
9. Diaper Disposal Bags: Accidents happen, but trash also gets accumulated, so I use these bags to catch the extra wipes and little bits of garbage that form, so I don't have to keep getting up and walking to the garbage cans. Once the bag is full, I toss it all together in the trash. 
10. Reading Material: Last year, I wouldn't have dreamed of having a chance to read while at the beach. I was on constant watch with Caleb. While I am still constantly checking on him and watching him, he is much more entertained now and will sit in the sand playing with his toys. This leaves me a little bit of time to catch up on some reading! So I'll always toss a book, magazine, or my Kindle in my bag so I can read while he is entertained. 

A couple of other things we take to the beach, but that are not in my beach bag: 

• Umbrella - again, sun protection
• Beach mat
• Beach chairs
• Beach toys for Caleb: some of his favorites here and here. 

And for Caleb, since sunscreen application and re-application is important, but sometimes difficult, I dress him in a swimsuit and swim diaper, but I always put a rash guard with SPF on him to protect him from the sun's rays and preventing a sunburn. 

And there you have it, our beach essentials! I hope this is helpful, and I hope you have some amazing summer beach days! I'm off to enjoy some sunshine. :) 

xoxo, 

​Jenise

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