Beach Day Essentials

I realize that it’s August and most of you have been going to the beach for months now but Seattle is generally a bit delayed when it comes to weather. Add the Covid shutdown and we ended up having out prime beach days in July and August.

We live about five minutes away from the beach so it’s a prime spot for us in the summer months. Before Ted (BT), Andrew and I used to go to the beach at least once a week after dinner to hang out and occasionally catch the sunset. Now with Ted, we’ll go down for lunch or in the morning to hang out and throw some rocks.

Because beach time is so integral to our daily lives, I like to keep a beach bag prepped in my car or at home so we can pop down to the beach without too much fuss. Now that we have a toddler, it’s a production to get anywhere so I want minimal barriers between us and having fun in the sand. So it’s not a lot of stuff compared to some people, no wagon required, but I believe that you don’t need a ton of extra stuff when you’re at the beach. Digging in the sand, watching the boats, and splashing in the waves is more than enough fun for a toddler at the beach.

Outdoor Blanket

I got this Little Unicorn outdoor blanket last year and I’m still loving it. I wrote an entire review on it that you can find here. In a nutshell, it’s a plastic blanket that wipes clean – sand, dirt, lunch, you name it. The Little Unicorn brand ones are pretty, well made, and functional. I also think that they are really well made. They recently started selling them at Nordstrom but you can also get them straight from the Little Unicorn website.

Sunscreen

As I age and get slightly less stupid, I’ve realized that one of the worse things I can do to my skin is bake it in the sun. Not only have I become long-sleeves-at-the-beach lady but I also douse myself (and Ted) in sunscreen. Last summer I made the switch to mineral sunscreen after learning more about the chemicals in sunscreen. My favorite has been Supergoop for my face and Sun Bum for everything else and for Teddy.

Snacks

Teddy be snackin’! That kid loves his snacks. I try to bring a mix of sweet and salty for him, which generally looks like fruit and pretzels or something like that.

Hats

Another addition to my hide-from-the-sun-in-plain-sight arsenal is a wide brim straw hat. I’ve been wearing this one for years and it’s super similar to the Brixton Joanna. I’ve gone and tried it on just to make sure (pre-COVID)

I’ve also embraced the baseball cap. If you’ve seen any of my running posts, you’ll recognize my University of Washington, my alma mater, hat. I’m thinking about getting another one so that I don’t have to wear that one when it’s all sweaty and gross after a run. TMI?

Beach Toys

I almost always forget to bring beach toys for Ted. He likes digging in the sand when I actually do remember to pack his toys. My mom got him a set from Costco earlier this year that has been a big hit. A hit with him and every other kid I see at the beach. Seriously, that set is absolutely everywhere, including here in Montana.

Waterproof Shoes

After this post, my sister-in-law went and got me a pair of waterproof Birks (she works at a sporting goods store). I’ve been wearing them a ton since I got them which kind of surprised me but they are perfect for running around in the yard with Ted. I’ve also been using them as my beach shoes both at home and here in Montana.

For Ted, I finally caved and got him a pair of Native Shoes. I’d heard about them from just about every other mom and only good things. So far they have been working out great. No need for socks but they don’t rub or leave blisters either. And when they start to get a little dirty, you can just scrub them with a cloth or a magic eraser and they are good as new. Think of them as Crocs but slightly less ugly. There are select colors on sale right now if you’ve been thinking about getting a pair for your kids.