Guest Post: Beach Bag Essentials!

I'm thrilled to have Jen guest-posting here today! She & my hubby were actually college buddies before I ever made it over to HSU, and now we've reconnected through blogging! She's mommy to the most adorable little girl, and she has great taste in everything from little girl fashion to home decor...just visit her blog! You'll see :)

Hello there, Perfectly Us readers! I'm Jen and I blog over at Down with the Dearmores, where I blog about marriage, motherhood, and everything in between!

I was so excited when Katie asked me to guest post for her while she is away on a fun beach vacay with her hubby and friends! Ahh...doesn't that sound nice right about now?!?

Katie asked me to share some of my favorite beach necessities for littles! This couldn't come at a better time as I have a 21 month old baby girl and we are at the beach often {thanks to my sweet in-laws who have a beach house about 2 hours from our home}! Such a nice and fun getaway every now and then! Now, you know I couldn't resist sharing some of my favorite beach pics of my little miss! ;)

  I've created a board with some of our very favorite beach necessities! This will give you an idea of where to even begin when packing for your little beach babe! Yes, a simple beach trip can be hard work toting around even more stuff than the usual + a little one! Did you know moms tote around 20 pounds on average?! The nice thing for us is we are right next to the beach, so we load up the golf cart and go, but I realize for most, that is not the case {again, thanks to my sweet in-laws}! There are many different kinds of beach carts and wagons that you can load all of your stuff in to save the hassel of dragging around multiple bags, towels, sippy cups, and a very anxious toddler. Just trust me on this one! ;) 

There are obviously many different brands, versions, kinds, etc. of each of the items I posted, but this is where you come in to find what works best for you and your babe. You can click on the link below for details about each item.

{what's in my beach bag} toddler version by jenni824

1. Umbrella/Tent - You will definitely want a place to take a break from the sun!

2. Beach Tote - This is the tote bag we use the most. Very durable and holds a lot!

3. Beach toys - Bring lots and lots of them {at least that is what has worked for us}! Anything from buckets, shovels, squirt toys, and sand molds. 

4. Laundry basket/bag - This is where I like to store all of our toys. It allows most of the sand to fall out before you even have to rinse anything off!

5. Snacks - Toddlers expend lots of energy at the beach, so be sure to pack lots and lots of drinks and snacks.

6. Baby Powder - you know the trick, right?! Before you get in the car, or walk into the beach house, dust your feet with some baby powder and the sand falls right off. So nice!

7. Beach hat - I didn't think our little one would keep it on, but sure enough, she did! Our favorite one is from Baby Gap {as seen in our pictures above}.

8. Coppertone Water Babies sunscreen - It's cheap and works great! I've used both the spray on kind and the lotion, and both have worked for us. Remember to apply sunscreen about every 1-2 hours...gotta protect their precious little skin!

9. Sunglasses - this is still a tricky one for us, but I haven't given up! This is my favorite pair to date!

10. Beach cover-up - I simply can't get enough of little swimmies and beach cover-ups! We've had great luck finding them at Carter's, Baby Gap, Old Navy, and Children's Place.

The best advice I would give you is to simply have fun and remember capture all the many memories! Afterall, don't we all feel like kids when we're at the beach?! 

Thanks again, Katie, for having me today! And for those of you reading, I'd love for you to stop by and get to know me and my little fam a little better!