My in-laws have a house in North Wildwood, New Jersey and my husband and I are lucky enough to be able to go visit a bunch of times over the summer. There is nothing more relaxing than lounging by the ocean in the warm sun, reading a good book. I always bring a giant bag loaded with all of my essentials for a perfect beach day. Basically, if you dump out the bag, this is what you would find (in addition to some extra hair ties, bobby pins, and loose change):
#1. For a healthy mind: a good book. I am only on Chapter Three of Euphoria by Lily King because I just started it on Saturday, but so far I am loving it. It is loosely based on the events of anthropologist Margaret Mead’s life (and love triangle). I also highly recommend: Wild, Gone Girl, Bossypants, Let’s Pretend this Never Happened, The Food Revolution
#2. Sunnies, especially gold Aviators. Splurge on these Marc Jacobs aviators, or save with these cheapy Target ones, like me.
#3. An infuser water bottle. Plain old water can get boring, and lemon water is amazing for so many things. Lemon reduces inflammation, aids digestion and reduces bloat, so it’s literally perfect for the beach. I love this bottle.
#4. I am a huge fan of Larabars. Delicious, ready to eat bars with only a handful of all-natural ingredients? I’m sold. Although my absolute favorite flavors are the chocolate/peanut butter varieties (SO. GOOD.), I also love the all-fruit bars like Apple Pie and Lemon Bar. Also, chocolate-chip free varieties hold up better for the beach (no melting). You can get them in the organic/natural section of most grocery stores, but you could also order in bulk through Amazon.
#5. Yes to Carrots is one of my favorite natural and cruelty-free beauty brands. I love so many of their products, but their Pomegranate SPF 15 Naturally Smooth Lip Balm is an absolute must-have for the beach.
#6. I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT MY WET BRUSH. On or off the beach this brush is a MUST-HAVE. Like, if you buy a single product off of this list, make it the Wet Brush. My hair is a rats nest 99% of the time and a regular brush totally rips my hair and damages it. The Wet Brush is a total game changer. It gets me through my knottiest moments with absolutely no tearing, pain, or damage. I can also brush my tangled, salty, beach hair in about 5 seconds. I’m not kidding. Must have. You can tell by the picture that it’s very well-loved.
#7. SUNSCREEN. I apply two different sunscreens before I go to the beach, a regular, SPF 30 (or higher) sunscreen on my whole body and this Neutrogena Clear Face sunscreen on my face (and scalp- because that burns too!). It’s totally non-greasy and does not make my face break out. I also pack it in my bag to reapply throughout the day, because I don’t want wrinkles or sunburn. Sunscreen is SO SO important and the older I get the more careful I am about protecting my skin from the sun.
#8. Sambazon 100 Juice. It is so important to stay hydrated on the beach, so in addition to my infused water, I like to bring a Sambazon 100 along for extra hydration and lots of flavor. Once again, the flavor I chose is the Strawberry Lemon Acai, because I’m obsessed with anything lemon. This juice also contains healthy omegas, protein, and fiber and is totally organic and GMO free. This variety is has just 70 calories and 5 grams of sugar in the entire bottle. The perfect beach drink to pair with your lemon bar Larabar!
Oh yeah, it also doesn’t hurt to have a really cute puppy and a really cute husband on the beach with you to make your day even better!
