It's in the Bag

Now that summer is in full swing, hopefully you've had the chance to spend some time soaking up some sun!  Anytime I head to the beach or the pool I always have a bag full of goodies to get me through the day.  I thought it would be fun to share my beach bag must haves!

The first thing you need is a great beach bag.  I prefer a bag that zips at the top to avoid sand getting in or anything else falling out.  I don’t currently have one with a zipper, so in the meantime I’m using this bag that I got for free last week after spending way too much money in Victoria’s Secret. (oops!)

A very important part of any day in the sun is sunscreen!  Right now I’m using Hang Ten Classic Sport SPF 50 on my face.   I got this in an Ipsy bag a couple months ago. My favorite sunscreen for the rest of my body is Coppertone Sport AccuSpray SPF 15.  I hate traditional sunscreen lotion because it takes forever to apply and I always seem to miss a spot.  Plus I hate the greasy feeling it leaves.  The spray is so much faster and easier!  The SPF 15 is also the perfect amount to tan but not burn!  Seriously this stuff is amazing!  I would definitely recommend that you pick up some of this!  You can find it for around $7.00 a bottle. 

It’s also a good idea to have Chapstick so your lips don’t burn.  I always carry the Chapstick Classic in Cherry with SPF 4.

  

I love reading while I'm lying in the sun so I always have a book or magazine with me!  This summer I've got three great books on my list.

The One by Kiera Cass – This is the third and final book in the Selection Series.  I absolutely love this series!  The best way to describe it is a mix between the Hunger Games and the Bachelor.  It's set in a futuristic society with 35 girls all competing for the love of one prince.  If you’re looking for a new series to get into, I would definitely check this out!

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin – I started watching Game of Thrones last fall so I decided to start reading this last Christmas on my trip to Japan.  Sadly I’m still only halfway through, but I’m determined to finish this by the end of my cruise in September!  My goal is to eventually read all of them, but at this point I’m not overly optimistic that this is an attainable goal.

 I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends by Courtney Robertson – this is probably the book I’m most excited about reading.  This is a tell-all memoir on Courtney Robertson’s experience on the Bachelor.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love the Bachelor so I can’t wait to read all the juicy details in this!!  I wish everyone who went on the show wrote one of these books because I would read every single one!

Here are a few other things I always have in my bag;

•  My iPod.  In case I’d rather snooze than read.
•  A cheap pair of sunglasses.  This way if they get scratched or dropped, I don’t ruin my good pair!
•  Baseball Hat.  To avoid burning my scalp or getting tan lines on my face if I’m wearing sunglasses.  Also to keep the sun out of my eyes if I don't feel like wearing sunglasses.
•  Hair ties.  I use the thinner Goody Ouchless.  You can get a pack of these for less than $2.00.  It’s always good to carry extras of these because you never know when you or someone you’re with may need one!  And let’s face it, we all want to be able to rescue a friend in need!
•  Bobby Pins.  I also always have bobby pins just in case!  I started using Sally Beauty MetaGrip Premium Mini Bob Pins when I was in high school and never looked back!  These are smaller than traditional bobby pins and they just seem to hold so much tighter.  You can get a box of these at Sally for $3.49.  They have 2 or 3 different colors to choose from to match your hair color.  Here's a picture of my bobby pin on top next to a regular bobby pin to show the size difference.  You can also see the difference of how tight they are.  These come in this handy box so they're easier to travel with and I'm not as likely to lose them!

I’m guessing that most of you have similar items in your bag!  You never know what you’re going to want or need, so my motto is be prepared!

Thanks for reading!!

~Sarah