Beachin' It With Kids

A day at the beach has been totally transformed. I no longer park my chair at 10:00 to read until 5:00. Those days are long gone!  Now, we beach it in short spurts. 9:00-11:30 and again after naps. Below, you will find my favorite tips to make your day a LITTLE easier!

1.  Bring shade with you. With young kids, you have to have a place for them to escape the sun. These are my two favorite options.

Coleman Beach Tent

Wondershade
This is a game changer!  It's lightweight and so easy to set up. Even the breezier of days won't hinder this umbrella. Totally worth the money!

2.  Think about nap times.  So far (fingers crossed), Parker will sleep anywhere.  Hamilton was not as easy.  I saw someone doing this last summer.  It's genius!  It's the perfect solution for babies and toddlers that love to nap in their crib.

3.  Bring lots of toys!  My little man loves his bucket with the water spout.  WE have to refill it over and over after he dumps it.

4.  Use a mesh bag to haul all of those toys.  While you're walking back to the house/car/golf cart, most of the sand will fall off of the toys.  This streamlines the entire clean up process!

5.  I know everyone says to use baby powder to gently remove sand from the skin.  I have to admit; I'm not above a little old fashion naked baby in the driveway with the hose pipe.  My parents have a nice outdoor shower, but do you think we use it?  Heavens no!  We all go for a hose in the driveway!  I really think it's the only way to remove sand totally.  And you know, I cannot stand sand!  The beach house drives me nuts because no matter how often we vacuum, we can never enjoy a "clean" feeling floor for many than a few minutes!

6.  Most importantly, make memories with your family!  Get out of that chair and (gasp) get sandy!  Your kids will thank you for it!