Beach Bag Essentials

Tomorrow Isaac and I will begin our road trip to Florida for our quick anniversary beach trip, and I am so excited! I can’t believe we have been married for almost a year (our anniversary is on Monday), and I couldn’t think of a better place to spend our anniversary than soaking up the Florida sun on the white sand beach. I still haven’t packed, but that is on my to do list today… Along with about five thousand other things I’ve been putting off this week! I did manage, however, to get my beach gear in order (because that’s what really matters, right?). So today, before I head off on my trip, I want to share some of my favorite beach bag essentials! 

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Beach Bag Essentials

1. Beach Bag: I know this is a no-brainer, but choosing the right beach bag is so important! You need to find one that will work for you and what you are planning on bringing with you. You don’t want to lug around a jumbo bag full of things you’ll never need, but you also don’t want to bring a tiny bag you can’t fit anything in. I love mine, because it’s the perfect size for what I need to bring, and it’s canvas, so I don’t care if it gets sandy or wet because I can just throw it in the wash with everything else.

2. Beach Towel: You can find these bad boys are everywhere right now! My two suggestions are to get one that is long enough to lay down on when you’re on the beach, and to splurge and get one that will last. I still have a beach towel from when I was in high school, and we use it all the time. It’s totally worth the initial investment! 

3. Cover Up or Sarong: There are so many ways to cover up when you’re walking to and from the beach. My favorites are using a kimono or sarong. I have bought almost all of my kimonos on Amazon (they are so cheap y’all!). They are perfect for wearing to the pool or beach, and also work great with dresses and tank tops during the work week. I’ve had my sarong since the 5th grade (I can’t believe I’ve been able to  keep up with it for so many years), and I absolutely love it. When I wear it, I wrap two corners around my neck and tie it in the back. It’s super cute, and covers up so well! 

4. Sunscreen: When I was younger, I used to hate putting on sunscreen, because I didn’t like the smell or feeling of it on my skin. However, I was a good little girl and I diligently applied it every so often like I was supposed to. Now that I’m older, I understand the importance of taking care of my skin, and I make sure to wear it every time I go to the pool or beach. I love my Hawaiian Tropic Sport Sunscreen, because it smells amazing, and stays on even when you sweat or swim. Perfect for the beach! 

5. Sun Hat: I used to make fun of my mom for wearing floppy sun hats, but now here I am telling you how much I love them! They are perfect for the beach, because they provide the shade you need on your face and shoulders, and help keep you cool in the hot summer’s sun. 


6. Sunglasses: Because it’s sunny. And bright. And you need to protect your eyes. ‘Nuff said.



7. Waterbottle:  I received my S’well bottle as a bridesmaid gift in December, and I use it all the time! It keeps your cold drinks cold for 24 hours, and hot drinks hot for 12 hours. It’s a great bottle to bring to the beach, because you don’t have to worry about the ice melting and you can enjoy your cool drink all day. 

8. Healthy Snacks: I hate when I feel bloated and gross when I’m wearing a swimsuit. That’s why I try to bring lots of healthy snacks with us to eat when we’re at the beach. For this trip, I’m packing KIND bars, Lara bars, baby carrots,  popcorn and cracker chips. 

9. Lip Balm and Lotion: I don’t go anywhere without my EOS lip balm and lotion. I love the mint flavor, because it’s so bright and fresh, and the lotion is super creamy and smells amazing. It keeps your lips and hands feeling soft and moisturized, which is essential when dealing with salt water drying everything out. 

10. Book: Because who doesn’t love reading a good book when they’re at the beach? I’m currently reading The Book Whisperer by Donalyn Miller, which is about instilling a love for reading your students. I just started it, but so far it’s amazing!  I’m also reading Frozen in Time, by Mitchell Zuckoff, which is a story about a plane that crash landed in Greenland during WW2 and the epic story of survival that followed. It’s pretty intense and interesting! My Nook GlowLight is great for reading outside, because it’s waterproof, helps reduce the glare, and the paper-like look is amazing. 

What are your favorite beach bag essentials? 

Keep up with our road trip fun and shenanigans on Instagram @happilythehicks and Snapchat @rsuehicks!