Packing For the Beach

Another beach trip is upon us and it's our 5th trip to be same location and I must say, I have now become somewhat of a pro at packing exactly what we need to ensure an amazing beach experience. Our first couple of trips didn't go quite as well and many trips to the local Target were made buying the things I either forgot or never would have imagined I would have needed. So, I've decided to compile a list of often overlooked items that you may find useful while packing for your upcoming trip. This list is intended to be used in conjunction with your typical list of beach items (towels, sunblock, sand toys, etc.). 

Beach stuff:

-long handled fishing nets (trust me, your children will use these for HOURS trying to catch fish) 

-pop up sun shelter tent 

-rafts/inflatables

-electric inflator/deflator 

-small beach cooler

-small freezer packs

-reusable water bottles

Stuff to do other than the beach:

-water squirters

-party tub (seriously, easiest fun ever...just fill the tub with water and give your kids the squirters. They'll keep refilling them in the tub and have a blast!)

-sparklers

-water balloons

-cards/games (great for when the kids new a little down time or if it's rainy out)

-s'mores stuff 

-s'mores skewers (I found these awesome telescoping ones at the dollar bin at Target and I love them!)

First aid:

-waterproof bandages

-medicine (Tylenol/Motrin)

-thermometer

-tweezers (these come in handy for so many things, but if nothing else, just plucking the occasional stray eyebrow that's bound to pop up on vaca)

Other house stuff:

-liquid hand soap

-toilet paper (we always seem to run out of the rolls the house stocks for us)

-trash bags (again, we always run out of the provided ones)

-paper towels

-dishwasher detergent

-ziplock bags/Tupperware

-pop up hamper (this has revolutionized vacations for me! No more "living out of a suitcase" feel!)

-extension cord (because there's NEVER an outlet close enough to the bed to charge my phone at night)

-batteries

-scissors (sounds stupid but I've always needed them for one thing or another)

-barbecue lighter

-pen & paper

-plastic plates/cups/utensils (I try not to use these the entire week, but maybe one or two days...I am on vacation after all!)

-iHome/iDock 

...and if you want to be super over-zealous, or have insomnia (or just want to procrastinate packing like I typically do), you can always plan to have a Minute to Win It night with your family. It is SO much fun!! The whole family will be cracking up, guaranteed! I have a whole Pinterest board you can check for great ideas here: http://pinterest.com/npbunting/minute-to-win-it/

I hope some of the things on here are helpful to you or perhaps jog your memory to pack something else. Most importantly though, I hope your family has an absolutely wonderful beach vacation filled with lots of love and laughter and memories made.