What’s in My Beach Bag in the Summer of 2020?
In the midst of a global pandemic, being outdoors is really one of the places where I feel safe. With plenty of sun and humidity, and a pretty natural affinity to stay away from other groups, the beach makes sense for us. Especially if we are able to keep our distance from others. For us, the beach is truly our happy place. I get to sit (sometimes) uninterrupted while the kids play in the sand, and then we all go splash around in the water together for a little bit, and then I get another break. The beach usually means an early bedtime, or at least solid sleep, and being outdoors just makes us all much happier humans.
We’ve managed to make it out to the beach a few times, including once when I went without hubby, and we are currently staying on the beach for a week (more on that next week). My beach bag looks pretty much the same from year to year, with the exception of a few updated products.
Because the kids are getting older, it’s starting to get much easier to pack for things like a day at the beach. Chloe being potty trained makes a huge difference for sure! Either way, here are my beach bag must-haves in 2020. I didn’t include things like beach chairs, umbrellas, or towels, because those are pretty much a given for us. We have these really great beach chairs that you can wear as a backpack, they lie flat, and they have two zippered compartments on the back of the chair – one insulated, one not.
- Sunscreen. Always the first thing I pack. Make sure you are using an SPF of 30 or more and that it has broad spectrum coverage. I like mineral sunscreens because they are more gentle on the skin, but they do take a little more work to rub in. Our favorite is Blue Lizard. Remember that the most important aspects of sunscreen are using enough of it and reapplying it!
- Baby powder! In case you didn’t know this trick – brush a little baby powder on clingy sand, and it brushes right off! This is especially helpful when your kids can’t make it anywhere without tripping all over themselves in the sand.
- Hand Sanitizer & Masks – For walking to and from the beach, and just in case you touch something (a gate, a bench, a handrail, anything). This is probably the biggest difference from years past. Do I think it’s cute? No. Do I enjoy it? Definitely not. But is it necessary? ONE HUNDRED PERCENT.
- Kindle – because is there any place better to read than on the beach?
- A wide-brim hat & Sunglasses – for fending off the sun’s rays and helping to keep sun damage at bay. This hat lets me wear my hair in a ponytail and it rolls up so it fits in my bag and leaves my hands free.
- Water & Snacks – because dehydration and kids (okay maybe also for me because the beach makes me super hungry for some reason).
There you have it, our beach basics! What would you add to this list?
xoxo,
