Resting Beach Face

First of all, one of the most awesome things I’ve found in the last year is the Buy Nothing Project (BNP) on Facebook.  These are hyper-local groups where people give and receive freely with no exchange of money or promotion of commerce. If you don’t have one in your area, consider starting one! Once you are in a community page, you can join the BNP Traveler’s Network. In there, you can say where and when you’re going on your vacation and maybe locals in your destination area can either lend you some things instead of having to buy your items or post in their local group to see if somebody else can. Beach locals always have extra sand toys and boogie boards to use. 

One of my favorite beach items, by far, is my Pacific Breeze Easy Set Up Beach Tent that I got off of Amazon. It’s 6 lbs. I can set it up by myself in about 3 minutes and I can fold it up just as easily. It also comes in a handy bag with a strap that you can wear over your shoulder. (It’s not small enough for a suitcase, but if you or your hubby are duffel bag carriers, it’ll fit in there!  We got our Titan Deep Freeze Cooler from Costco. It folds up when not in use, so it doesn’t take up a whole bunch of room in the car or your suitcase. When in use, it has an easy top access, so you don’t have to deal with zippers. I have a Kelsyus folding chair that I got off of Amazon that comes with its own canopy. (The price fluctuates heavily on this item. It’s typically under $60.) When not in use, the canopy serves as the sheath for the chair and has a carrying strap. Who else hates stuffing foldable chairs back into a bag? Cuz I sure do!

Now, to carry all of this, I have a Radio Flyer® 3-in-1 EZ Fold Wagon that easily folds up and fits in your car.  It has a collapsible canopy that comes with it too.  One of the sides has zippers on either end.  When unzipped and folded down, the wagon can be used as a covered bench. (Seen to the left) If any sand gets it in, just brush it out the side.  Everything folds up and fits back in the wagon when you’re done so you can take it back to your car easily. You should have seen us the first year we went to the beach… #strugglebus #threetripstothecarandback

Because I’m a packrat always prepared, I always take a “beach backpack” with me. Mine is a Jansport leather bottom with two main compartments, and it’s the same backpack I’ve had since middle school.  That backpack is over 20 years old and still going strong.  That’s quality right there.

Now sun protection, I use a waterproof stick sunscreen for my son’s face. It just seems to work better than sprays or lotions that you have to spray or slather on and then rub it in.  (And then it gets in their eyes…and then the tears…) Some more upsides to stick SPFs are that they’re very compact so you don’t have to worry about big cans or sprays, they don’t melt very quickly, AND the spray nozzle won’t break off.  (Raise your hand if that’s happened to you more than once!)  As for me, I DO use spray SPF.  Applying it on the beach is one of the best exfoliants.  Mixing that sand in with the spray and rubbing it in…  Oh man…  Instantly smooth.

One thing we do make sure to bring with us to the beach is a selfie stick so that we can get family pictures together without getting the phone wet. Our selfie stick came with a remote, but I bought my own Xenvo brand remote from Amazon. It has a 30-foot reach and connects via Bluetooth. It’s so easy. I usually keep it in my purse and take it with me everywhere I go just in case a photo opportunity arises and we need “PROOF OF MOM.” It has a wrist strap that you can tighten so you don’t drop it. Make sure you bring a sandwich size Ziploc bag to keep your phone in, so it doesn’t get sand or water on it.  You should still be able to use your phone through the Ziploc bag, and if you have wireless earbuds, you should still be able to talk on it if you need to without any issues. 

For refreshments…I love the Swig brand cups and koozies. They keep my drinks nice and cold. I have the Skinny Can Cooler, 14oz Wine Tumbler, and the 32oz Stainless Steel Tumbler. If you’re traveling by plane and don’t want to take a bunch of toys with you and weren’t successful with the Buy Nothing Project, try these: if you’re staying at a hotel, check with the concierge and see if they have toys to borrow/check out. If it’s an Airbnb or the like, check with the host. If you just keep striking out, head to the local store and get some cheap beach toys and a boogie board. You more than likely won’t spend more than $20 on that stuff and you might be able to clean them off and hide them in a closet for the next guest at your unit.

So, this might not be completely beach related, but when you’re as ghostly pale and prone to burning as I am, and don’t really like tanning, self-tanner can be your best friend. #TANGENT Funny story, I ran into Ulta quickly, and when I came out, my husband asked, “What’d you get?” And I quickly said, “Some sunless tanner.” So he says, “I didn’t know you could buy self-esteem in Ulta.”  After a good laugh, I said, “Well, I said ‘sunless tanner,’ but I guess you could consider that self-esteem too.” Nearly all sunless tanners contain an active ingredient called DHA (Dihydroxyacetone). This ingredient reacts with the epidermis of the skin to produce a coloration which resembles a tan. It can create an unpleasant “yeasty” smell in a lot of people. Again, it isn’t the smell of the tanner that causes the odor, instead, it is the chemical reaction that the DHA has with the body. There are two brands I’ve found that don’t stink that bad. I love, love, love St. Tropez products and the Coco and Eve Sunny Honey Bali Bronzing Bundle. If you are a novice tanner like me, you’ll more than likely get brown/orange on your dry spots like your elbows, feet, hands, and knees. If this happens, the best thing to use is hair bleaching cream to get it off. You can typically find it for less than $7.

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