On sunny days we love to hit the beach but I have to confess that i’m not a fan of the sand. I’m constantly on the look out for ways to enjoy the ocean but without the “sandy ick” – and yep I am a Virgo.
I hit the jackpot recently when I discovered some great new truths about sand and baby powder. Did you know that baby powder is great for removing sand from the kids bodies and hair? This tip is so genius that i’ve started using it on days when my youngest brings home half the sandpit from kindy!
I’m hoping that i’m not alone here in my distaste for sand. I came across a pinterest pin once where a mum had used a fitted king size bed sheet (held in place with heavy items like shoes and an esky) to create a beach blanket and sand barrier. This idea sounded so good but not sure if it would actually work in reality. If anyone gives it a go please let me know!
I also dream a lot about my ultimate ‘semi sand free’ beach experience. It’s a resort with full service kabanas by the sea and maybe a nanny or two thrown in for good measure …but we’re talking real life here and i’m not a Kardashian!
So in the meantime, we visit the beach that we love on holidays and weekends and like everyone else we arm ourselves with the right equipment to set us up for a beautiful day ahead…no waitstaff or raised day beds, just sand and a few beach essentials.
What we take to the beach:
1. Insulated water bottles & fruit:
We arrive prepared and protect against dehydration. I take cold water, chopped up oranges and frozen grapes all packed inside an insulated bag.
2. Beach toys:
We love Tiger Tribes QUUT range. If you’re going to make the effort to head to the beach for more than a quick splash, you’ve got to take some extra entertainment with you.
3. Hooded towels for the kids:
The boys wear these to the beach and back (less for me to carry!). We use Jack & Evelyn towels and love them. They are super soft, have press studs to keep the towels in place and come in very neutral resort friendly designs. We’ve had our towels for almost two years and they are still going strong!
4. Sunsmart clothing & extra high protection waterproof sunscreen:
We source good quality board shorts from our friends at Tom and Teddy and The Kids Room Australia; but team these up with Cancer Council rashies and waterproof full cover hats. We are always UV protected and as a tip our private health fund AHM refunds up to $500 per family member per annum for sunsmart purchases!
5. A superior sun shade that stands out.
If it’s a crowded, hot day at the beach you’ll be grateful for a sunshade that your kids will easily spot and come back to. We recently trialed Sunny Jim‘s Byron Sun shade and loved it. We had a test run first by putting this up at our local park that backs onto a man made beach by the Brisbane River. P.S. It’s not like I was avoiding the sand or anything, it’s just that the grass looked so good!
The shade was easy to carry (check out the cute bag it comes in) and simple to put up – in fact, it’s really easy if your husband does it and you sit back and watch the kids instead!
We’ve since used the shade at the beach (yes a beach with SAND) and put an oversized turkish towel under it.
We installed the shade a little closer to the ground on one side to create a great shield against the wind. The shade gave us sun protection and created a lovely secluded space for our day (and future days) at the beach. As an added bonus, we noticed that the shade comes with a zippered compartment. This is great for storing your belongings (phone, sunglasses etc) up and away from the sand.
DETAILS:
Our sun shade from Sunny Jim was gifted for summer. We’ve had many great outdoor play days using our shade as serious sun protection so far and am looking forward to many more.
For more visit: www.sunnyjim.com.au
