Where are my beach people at?!
"There must be something strangely sacred in salt. It is in our tears and in the sea."- Khalil Gibran
The beach has got to be hands down the best place on earth- amiright?
I won't lie I've spent most of my life on the beach between my childhood days, life guarding teenage years, and up till... well.. this past weekend. When our daughter was born last September I was secretly hoping she wasn't going to be the kid that was afraid of the sand or waves- so what did we do? Dragged her there at one week of life (whoops!)
While almost a year has passed since then...
...it's safe to say we've gotten the hang of the whole let's beach it from 8a-8p.
While I'm no Oprah... when I asked how many of you were interested in seeing a few of my favorite beach things SO MANY OF YOU reached out (I love you all btw.) Let's be real - we all love a day at the beach, but packing up the bab(i)es is no joke! So I gotta break it down for my beach peeps...
Here ya have it kids - the beach things I can't live without!
The hands down winner- the B.O.B stroller - I'm not one for drama but legit couldn't imagine life without this bad boy. While it's made for jogging - it handles all terrain like no other and can honestly maneuver on any beach terrain whether its soft sand, rocks, or rising tide. We got the basic Rambler model as it was cheaper and it honestly has such small differences vs. more expensive models, which now I'm thankful for cause this thing takes a beating! Early on we started having the little miss take naps while on runs or out and about in the stroller so thankfully she is comfortable zonking out in there. Not only is it her nap zone but it also can fit and carry two beach chairs on the handle AND the umbrella on the top. It also has a small storage container underneath that I can fit a couple towels and her beach toys.
P.S. how cute is my hubby!?
This little fan can fit on a few different areas of the stroller and we use it on really hot days and man this summer has been full of them! It's wireless - easily charged with a USB cord but lasts a while without being charged which I love. Easy to change into different positions, strengths, and is so quiet.
Talking about hot days - this year the Easter Bunny brought Gracie this little dog pool for the beach. I recommend this to everyone with a child - it's basically a free babysitter (you're welcome!) This pool not only keeps babe cool on those hot days, but contains them and entertains them. I will put Grace in here under the umbrella, so I know she is sun protected, and give her a few beach toys and I get about 30 minutes without having to do a thing. It's amazing. This pool folds up easily so its easy to transport and is made out of rugged material so you don't have to feel like it's going to pop or break- plus no inflating or deflating a blow up pool. We purchased the medium size and it is big enough to fit two small children.
I found The Beach People during an insomniac filled pregnancy night and honestly fell in love (iykyk.) I could take any and everything off their website and make it mine! I registered for this cute little round towel and had no idea how amazing it could be until I realized how often a 8-12 month old will try and crawl into the sand with food in hand on a rectangular towel. I love this for snack and nap time, drying off, and a blanket on a cooler beach evening. This towel is easy to fit in anything, the most comfortable, and adorable! Available in a couple different colors and options.
Ok so I don't have this but one of my dear friends does and its on the wish list! The L.L. Bean shelter tent is perfect to escape the sun or the wind. This is also easy to unfold and set up and then pack away at the end of a nice long beach day. The floor of the tent expands longer than the top which creates extra needed space. This is great for nap time, snack time, diaper changes, or a hang sesh.
All this talk about snack time has me excited to share with you the most amazing creation known to man - the ciao baby portable high chair. It's like the soccer mom chair but for babies, and not for sitting on the sidelines but for all the beach snacking! This thing is everything its cracked up to be - a beach high chair. It is easy to set up and pack away with a cute little carrying case and can easily be wiped down after a long day at the beach. My only caveat with this is that the tray sometimes tilts down and can cause a mess - so we just try and bury the back legs into the sand so that it isn't as angled.
For style points I have to add the baby champagne bottle - obviously! Someone gave this to us as a gift and its honestly so funny and needed for all my champagne beach lovers. We don't give the little miss champagne but do add some ice cold water for hydration at the beach. Holds about 5 ounces of milk or water and is quite the conversation starter!
For even more style points - let's get to the Bitty Brah hats! My sister in law got her hands on this around Christmas time, which seems to be the only time you can possibly get these in demand hats! This hat is not only stylin' but it also has the draw string that secures around the chin so it stays on even if they try to take it off. Every time I look they are adding more color and design options and several of our friends have gotten some different styles. The size is adjustable so I'm hoping we get. a couple summers out of this. These are great and make great gifts as well.
This little girl has two parents with quite possibly the most sensitive skin around, and she didn't seem to skip out on this gene either. I have used some other sunscreens and she usually gets a rash or irritated skin patches until I found babo botanicals. This stuff is perfect for babies (and adults) with sensitive skin. Also after all that stuff coming out about ingredients in baby sunscreens I got a little spooked, did some research, and found that this stuff is as good as it gets! Zinc based, fragrance free, organic ingredients, and water resistant... SOLD.
We also received this as a gift... and it honestly couldn't be cuter! These Pottery Barn towel robes are what beach dreams are made of. These are for little babes as I think the largest size is 6-12 months, which I love because often the beach towels are too big and these are great for drying off and keeping baby warm after a swim in the ocean. They make these in a few different colors and designs and can even be monogrammed for some added cuteness.
Lastly, but not least - how to keep a sand monster baby clean! I feel like I find sand in my house, car, clothes, washer, etc until at least Christmas. These little crawling and early walking babes tend to get sand in places we never thought possible. I have people ask me - how do I get sand off my infant or toddler at the beach!? I have the answer of all answers - a swaddle and corn starch based baby powder. I usually say to do this when babe is a bit on drier side as it can be tough if babe is wet! Place baby down on a dry towel and place corn starch on affected sandy area and then use a soft swaddle blanket to brush it all off- such as these silky soft aden and anais swaddles. I can't get enough of these and I wish they made them in my size. They're soft, breathable, and machine washable! They can honestly be used in any beach situation - a light blanket, wash cloth, wipe, or towel.
While this is just the start of the many items that get packed into the car and beach bags - they're certainly some the faves! What are some of your favorite beach items you couldn't live without!?
Thanks for all the love - always
XOXO GANSETT GAL
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