Beach Baby Must Haves

We just got back from a week at the beach with family and we had a GREAT time!  I read a few "what to bring" posts from those who have beached it with toddlers already this year and I found those to be helpful, so here's my must-have list for the Toddler Mom set!

Shortsleeve Mockneck Rash Guard

First up: a 2-piece bathing suit.  Because my girl and I are both beach babies, I knew we'd be spending a lot of time in the water and the sand and not much time under the umbrella.  I also know (from last year) that it's a HUGE pain to change a diaper when you have to take off the entire bathing suit.  Thus, my first Must-Have is a rash guard top (sun coverage!) and a bikini bottom (diaper changing ease!).  I am in love with the quality of the Lands End suit I purchased specifically for this vacation!  I also needed help with sizing and their customer service was outstanding - I'm looking forward to next year's bathing suits already!

Shirred Ruffle Tankini Bottom

Second: Good sunscreen!!  I love Coppertone Water Babies Pure &Simple SPF 50 because it's thick, stays put, and is rated a 2 (recommended) by the EWG for Best Sunscreen.  I was really good about putting it on before we left the house and reapplying after every swim, and after 4 full days of sun, I'm happy to report that there were no burns!  Not even a little pink... girlfriend got a bit tan, but no pink or red, so I'm a happy camper.

Coppertone Water Babies

Green Toys Sand Play Set

I subscribe to Citrus Lane and got the next two items in my May box.  Third on the list is a solid play set, and this Green Toys Sand Play Set really fit the bill.  The pieces are great quality and are highly unlikely to break while digging - even my husband commented on the sturdiness!  The rope handle is a nice touch, as well, and easy for little hands to grip.  All of the edges are smooth and thick, so there are no sharp pieces of plastic poking out to hurt little hands.  I'm really happy these were included in our Citrus Lane May box!  

iPlay Sun Hat

You can't forget a wide-brim hat, so my fourth must-have is this iPlay Sun Protection Hat.  The wide brim gives great coverage over the shoulders and back of the neck, which was awesome.  It's also made of a microfiber material so it wasn't heavy when wet.         

My other "Must Haves" are pretty standard - swim diapers, lots of snacks & juice boxes (playing at the beach for 5 solid hours makes a toddler hungry!!), and a change of clothes for the card ride home.  Our beach had a hose/shower so we could rinse off and get the toddler into a fresh diaper & beach cover up (no wet suit for the ride home!) before loading up the car.  Last year we bought a small pop up tent because Little Miss was only 10 months old and we needed a place for her to nap at the beach.  We brought the tent this year and set it up but there was no way my toddler was napping while we were AT! THE! BEACH!!  We set it up the first 2 days but then left it in the car so we didn't have to fool around with it in the sand.  I am happy we had it, just in case, but it wasn't a must-have this year.  

Pretty simple, right?  I had my beach bag loaded up with things like a first aid kit, a book for me (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH!!!!!!), some extra tubes of sunscreen, and my iPhone (in a ziplock baggie!), but I spent most of my time in the water or digging in the sand with my toddler.  My brother brought my final Beach Must Have - a waterproof digital camera.  

Canon Powershot - Waterproof!!

I had my small point & shoot with me and took a fair amount of pictures with it from the safety of dry land, but the waterproof Canon allowed me to get a ton of amazing shots that we'll treasure forever.  Given that I spent most of the trip with the waterproof camera in my hands, I probably need to get one of my own.  It also shoots videos... Dear Santa, Momma needs this & a 35mm lens for the dSRL.  Love, Me.

We've been making an annual trip to NC for the past 3 years, but I think next year we'll need to add in a few day trips to Delaware because my girl is a beach baby and who am I to deny her warm, salty ocean waves on the sandy shore?

Just a note - I wasn't paid or perk'd for any of the items above - I just love them & wanted to share.  Everything I listed I purchased on my own :-)

PS - This post contains Amazon affiliate links, and trust me when I say I'm not getting rich off this :-)  There are also Citrus Lane referral links, which earns me credits when someone uses my link to start receiving a monthly subscription - I'd love if you used my link to support my Citrus Lane habit!