Beach vacations are the best and if you’re like most folks – you’ll be finding yourself on one in the next month or so this summer. But before you go – it’s always good to be ready.
And to most of us, ‘ready’ means the usual – like sunscreen, towels, umbrellas and the like; but today we’re going to travel a bit off the beaten path and redefine ‘ready.’ Because we’re always big process improvement folks – we’ve got some really cool ideas for some ‘hacks’ that will make your experience a little more exciting and enjoyable – without costing a ton of money. Let’s jump right in!
Cupcake liners
Nope! We’re not actually talking about bringing this tasty pastry to the beach – but the liners can be a great thing to bring along, especially if you’re going to be consuming a cold beveridge or two. You can use these liners as quasi caps that you can place over top of your drinks to keep both bugs and sand out. And even better – they can serve double time as guards on popsicles to prevent drips from getting over small, sticky fingers.
Sand-friendly items
Sand is awesome when it’s on the beach, it’s not so awesome when it follows you to the car, heads inside your home and seemingly locates itself everywhere. Sand free beach bags will help make sure you’re not dragging accumulated sand into your home. Few shakes of a mesh tote and you’re good to go.
Also – bring a dustpan and brush with you to keep in the car. That’ll make it way easier to brush off your feet, sandals and sneakers before the trip home and minimize the time you’ll spend with the vacuum the next time you hit the car wash.
Towels are good, but bring a yoga mat
Use towels for their intended use – drying you off. Bring a yoga mat if you want to lay out in the sun. Not only will it cool off and absorb water a little bit better; but it’ll also serve as a more dependable surface to step on and sand will come off almost effortlessly once it’s time to pack it in and head home. Not to mention – it’s a little bit of a softer cushion that a beach towel.
Stay close to the lifeguard
One of the more necessary, but also more irritating and distracting things at the beach is constantly keeping an eye on your kids to make sure where they’re at – at all times. We recommend that sitting closer to the life guard has its advantages. For one – you’re closer to the lifeguard if you need them. Second, they can serve as a marker for your kids so they know where to find you. Certain beaches can get really crowded and it’s easy for kids to get lost. Having the guard’s chair there will make it easier for them to find you; but also helps give them a little added slack in terms of freedom. You can relax a little bit more and they can earn themselves a little more freedom, with an easy out if they get lost or can’t find you.
Hopefully these tips make your next tip to the beach a little more enjoyable. Be sure to enjoy your time off this summer and time at the beach.