A Look Inside My Beach Bag...

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N....WOOHOO!!
Every year since I can remember my family heads down to the beach for the 4th of July! It use to be a 3 bedroom condo with 20+ of us packed in there like sardines. Now that we all have our own families and individual schedules with meals, naps, and bed times it has come to the point where each family gets their own condo on the same street! It's a tradition that we just can't break and for the most part of it I look forward to it every summer! The days of absorbing the sun and closing my eyes to enjoy the sounds of the ocean are LONG GONE! Now I'm counting kids every 3 minutes, packing huge coolers of juice boxes and P&J's, chasing shovels and boogie boards into the surf and taking bathroom breaks every 30 minutes! All that aside it's amazing to see my daughter running and laughing with all her cousins just like I did growing up.
This year I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite things and what's going to be in my beach bag this summer...

1. Cetaphil came out with a NEW Moisturizer...UVA/UVB Defense Facial Moisturizer SPF 50! I love this stuff! It's non-comedogenic, for all skin types, alil goes a long way and works GREAT!
2. Like Mother like Daughter. My baby girl has very sensitive skin and needs a constant moisturizer. I like to use Aveeno Baby Sunblock Lotion, Continuous Protection, SPF 55. It's alil thick but definitely last for hours. Tip: Apply BEFORE you go on the beach!
3. While on the beach I do an tri-hourly touch up on the kids with Coppertone Continuous Kids Sunblock Spray, SPF 50. This is great b/c I don't actually have to touch their sandy bodies and it takes seconds!
4. Ok, as much as I know about the harmful rays of the sun I still LOVE a natural, sun kissed tan! So on my body I use Hawaiian Tropic Protective Tanning Dry Oil Continuous Spray SPF 12. This SPF is just enough to keep me from getting burnt while giving me my healthy glow. It's not sticky or messy like most sun tan oils and it smells DELICIOUS!
5. Now my husband on the other hand does the same thing every year! Being Greek he thinks that he's invisible from the sun! Although he's already dark complected he still gets REALLY burnt! So I'm always armed with a bottle of Banana Boat Soothing After Sun Gel with Pure Aloe Vera. Alittle sticky at first but this green gel could put out a fire if need be!
6. SUN GLASSES!!! I 'm a BIG believer in investing in a good pair of UV protecting, over sized sun glasses! Not only do they look HOT like Posh Spice, but they are an anti aging mechanism that is over looked (no pun)! SQUINTING causes Crows feet and forehead wrinkles! This year I chose Prada's 'Glamour' Oversized Sunglasses.
7. For the past 3 years I have stocked up on these adorable Mossimo® Gemma Flip Flops - in Silver in fear that they won't make them next year. So far I have 4 unworn pairs in my closet. They go with EVERYTHING, their comfortable and best of all their $$$CHEAP$$$!
8. I went hat shopping last week b/c I really stress out about sunspots and unwanted pigment (the kind that coats your upper lip). So I wanted something hip and chic that would compliment my suite and sunglasses while blocking those harmful UVB rays. I ended up with this. A little more then I wanted to pay for a straw hat but it's a more sophisticated twist to your teenagers cowboy hat and it's "one size fits all", fits like a glove!
9. Summer reading...what's that?? I can't remember the last time I read a chapter in peace! I've chosen 2 books based on reviews and editorial notes. The first one, "Bitter is the New Black : Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass,Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office" seems hilarious! Sounds like it got alot of LOL's and might shed some humor on the poor state of the job market and economy? The 2nd "The No-Cry Discipline Solution: Gentle Ways to Encourage Good Behavior Without Whining, Tantrums, and Tears" really sounds like a page turner!! LOL! Maybe if I read this one first and learn some new techniques on dealing with my squealing, arm biting, gut kicking, toe stomping, crocadile tear, Drama Queen of a daughter I could get a couple chapters of Bitter in?
10. Remember that amongst all the "Chaos" the best thing coming home in my beach bag are the memories made the Summer of 2009!

XOXO,