15 Things I Keep in My Beach Bag

Summertime is finally here, so it is time to start thinking about hitting the beach and the pool!  We live about five minutes from both the local pool and the beach, so we always make sure to have our beach bag packed and ready to go with all of the necessities.  Here are the top 15 items that we just can’t go without for a day at the beach or the pool.  My son is only 8 months old, so keep that in mind while reading the list of items in our beach bag.

1. Smart Bottoms Swim Diapers - We like to have two or three in the bag just in case.  We love the Smart Bottoms swim diapers because they are soft and comfortable, they fit my son well and they do their job really well.  Plus, who can resist all of the cute prints!
2. Rash guard - We have a short sleeved one and a long sleeved one, it just depends on how long we are going to be out as to which one we bring.
3. Hat - Our hat has a chin strap to keep it in place and has a wide brim to keep the sun off of our son’s face.
4. Sunscreen - We like to use a natural sunscreen like ThinkBaby.
5. Sunglasses - Our son’s sunglasses have croakies so that he can’t pull them off.
6. Beach toys - We have toys that are made out of silicone and are smaller so that our infant son can play with them without getting hurt.
7. Snack - My son LOVES the little fruit and veggie melts!  If I know we are going to be gone all day, I will bring lunch in a squeezy pouch.
8. Smart Bottoms cloth diapers and cloth wipes - Depends on how long we plan on being out, but I like to bring at least two.  One for the trip there and one for the trip home.  When going to the beach, I make sure that my spray bottle only contains water so I can use it to try to rinse sand off of my son's hands as well as clean his bottom.
9. Smart Bottoms beach blanket - It is so durable and easy to shake off if gets sandy.  Plus, you can't beat the adorable prints that it comes in.  We have three!
10. Pop-able beach tent - This is a must for a full day at the beach, not as much for the pool.  It provides necessary shelter for our baby for nap time.
11. Smart Bottoms wet bags - I use wet bags to organize everything, but at the very least I try to keep three On The Go wet bag in our beach bag.  One for wet clothes, one for pee diapers and one for poop diapers.
12. Chapstick
13. Water bottle/sippy cup - It is so important for both baby and the parents to stay hydrated while out in the sun.
14. Towel - We have a cute hooded towel with a monster on it!  He loves that towel.
15. Book - If you are going to the beach or the pool for the day, at some point (hopefully) the baby will take a nap…leaving mom and dad a little time to relax and enjoy themselves! 

This may sound like a lot of stuff, but in my opinion, you can never be too prepared for an outing.  There are always a few miscellaneous things that I grab at the last minute depending on the plan for the day, but I think it is important to have a beach bag pretty much ready to go if you plan on frequenting the beach and or pool during the summer.  I want to make sure that I’ve got everything that we will need for a fun day at the beach or the pool.  The best part, all of the items listed in this article fit perfectly into the Smart Bottoms beach bag (along with the matching changing pad) with room to spare!  Having a bag already packed frees up time that you can then spend in the water making wonderful memories.  Luckily, Smart Bottoms makes a lot of the items that we use frequently at the beach.  I didn't have to look far to find the products that we needed for our bag.  I recently read something both sad and inspiring, we only get 18 chances to spend the summer with our babies before they grow up and leave the nest...so I don't know about you, but I would rather spend my summer at the beach than preparing to go to the beach!

 

My name is Delayna Jarrell.  I'm a photojournalist currently living and working in South Carolina.  My husband and I have an 8-month-old son named Harrison and a 4-year-old Jack Russell named Wallace.  We have been married for two years and have been together for five.  I am a full time staff photographer for The Island Packet, which is the local daily newspaper.  My husband is the Parks and Recreation director for one of the neighboring municipalities.  I love being a mom, cloth diapering, cooking, reading, Harry Potter and binge watching shows on Netflix.