Tuesday Tips - The Beach Edition

Oh, how I love the beach. We went a few weeks ago, and I thought I would share my tips on how to have a great trip to the beach.

TIP #1: Go with family. I think it makes it more fun.

Trevan and his cousin, Caroline

TIP #2: Don't forget the shovels!



TIP #3: Don't forget to wear your hat, and your sunblock!! (I'm telling you, SPF 70 is the way to go)



TIP #4: Don't forget to shave your legs!

or if you're lucky like my dad, part of your legs will just go bald all on their own...

TIP #5: Little kids are often scared of the ocean, bring a little swimming pool for them to play in! (This is my older sisters gem of an idea)


One of my favorite memories from the beach is watching Mallary get a shovel full of salt water out of her pool and watch her drink it. I wish I had had a camera at that moment to record her face! Seriously, so priceless!

Tip#5: Don't forget your beach chairs!

This chair my dad is sitting in is pretty rad, and I don't use that word very often... okay, never. But the chair has a foot stool and a pillow, and it folds up nicely and can be carried like a backpack!

TIP #6: Remember your nose plugs.


Okay, this tip is mostly for my dad. There were lots of family vacations where we had to make a stop for him to buy his nose plugs. He forgot them often, or couldn't find them. He has to wear nose plugs, it's pretty funny.

TIP #7: You can't go to the beach without burying someone in the sand...



TIP #8: Be careful jumping waves sideways... bathing suits are known to often go askew...

TIP #9: Snuggle up in a beach towel after getting out of the ocean, what a great feeling...



TIP #10: Don't settle for riding just white water... Timing is everything... Ride the rise, the fall, and the wash!

Oh yeah, I had some good timing.

My niece and I after the fall, getting ready to ride the wash.

My dad, me, and my nephew

You know you had a good ride when it sends you to the shore. Boogie boarding is heaven to me. There is seriously nothing better than catching the rise, a bumpy fall, and a fast wash to take you to shore. If it's a good one, you'll hear me on the beach from the ocean yelling, "WOO HOO!"

Dad recovering from a wipe out? The first day on the beach the tide was pretty rough. I went out and was beat up almost immediately, making me feel old, so I didn't go back in until the waves were a little calmer. But, you can't keep dad out of the water. It's funny, because talking about a trip to the beach, dad is like, "I don't need to go to the beach, we can do something else," but once we get there, you can't keep that man out of the water!

Tip #11: "Hold tight to your boogie board. Hug it like you would your pillow."

This was dad's wise advice. I had just passed up a large wave, and he asked why I didn't catch it, and I told him it looked kinda "skeery," (sometimes you know if you catch a certain wave it will make you wipe out because you won't be able to catch it at the right timing, and wipe outs don't feel good) that's when he gave me the great advice above. After that I hugged my boogie board (had bruises to show for it) and didn't have another wipe out. :)

TIP #12: If you are really cold, become like a reptile and sun on the sand.

Trevan figured this out a few years ago, all on his own, and continues to do it when he is cold at the beach. It's pretty funny.

TIP #13: Taking a nap on the beach is like heaven! Nothing better than falling asleep to the sound of waves!

TIP #14: Seafood dinners are a MUST!

We are a seafood family! (We were at a wedding when one of my nieces was about three, and we got in the food line, and she was like, "where's the shrimp?" because all of us except Marianne had shrimp at our weddings. I even taught Trevan how to peel off the shrimp shell in one piece!) I love me a good seafood buffet, but we cooked our own, or I should say dad cooked it for us. He is the shrimp and scallop master! MMMMmmmm...

TIP #15: Bypass the souvenir shops and go through all the thrift, antique, and vintage shops!

We went through some stores we had never been through before, and that was fun!!!!!!

TIP #16: Avoid midnight drives to and from the beach. They are no fun.

I don't know why we torture ourselves so...

TIP #17: Relish in the feeling you get while sitting under the umbrella, listening to the waves, feeling the great breeze, and watching the kids play... ahhhh... nothing like it!