Somewhere with a beach is always my first choice when it comes to choosing a vacation destination. Whether it’s a quick drive to the Jersey Shore or a plane flight to Florida, I love a good beach vacation.
My grandparents lived in Virginia Beach, so we visited them often as I was growing up. Then I married Philly, so my regular beach vacation destination became the Jersey Shore.
And of course there are the plethora of Florida beaches that are only a quick plane flight away… I’ve already been down there twice this year.
For some reason, we always skip over the Outer Banks, but we really need to get down there sometime.
Anyway! Today I’m rounding up all of my favorite beach essentials, including my new favorite beach bag and go-to sunscreen. This mesh beach tote is has me rethinking all my pretty straw totes. Besides the fact that it’s way more affordable, it’s also incredibly practical.
It weighs almost nothing, and folds up flat to tuck neatly into a suitcase. Plus, it holds a ton of stuff. It has a bunch of pockets and compartments to keep you and your family organized, and I love how you can see everything that’s inside so you aren’t rummaging for things in the bottom of the bag.
And because of the mesh fabric, the sand falls right through and doesn’t collect in the bottom of the bag or the pockets. Best of all, it’s under $20 and ships free with Prime!
In addition to that, I rounded up the rest of my favorite beach essentials in a convenient shopping widget, in case you’re refreshing your beach bag for the season.
I was also going to put together a cute little printable checklist, and then I discovered a bunch of them on Etsy and Amazon, so I won’t reinvent the wheel. I think this one is my favorite, but you can search and find one that fits your particular needs. Some are even editable!
My Beach Essentials
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photos: Mary Catherine Echols
4 Responses
You’re making me excited for the beach! We go to Cape Cod every summer since my parents lived there and my kids always want to go back. My grandparents lived at jersey shore so that’s a good memory for me!
In Puerto Rico now for spring break and I recommend a face mist with sunscreen. I like the Sun Bum face mist which has a SPF 45.
That’s a great idea, makes it easy to reapply over makeup, I presume?
I love the beach! It is truly my happy place! It sounds cliche, but my soul is at peace on the beach. I haven’t made it to Outer Banks yet (my brother in law and sister in law live in North Carolina) but we went to Carolina Beach 2 summers ago and it was lovely. Florida is much closer for us, so Fort Walton Beach is a favorite! Also Clearwater Beach. I just put the mesh tote in my Amazon cart!