1. A large tote bag: A tote bag is essential for carrying all your things in without having to worry about dropping or forgetting anything. You can pack your bag the night before and in the morning, head straight out the door. It's cute, chic, and easy. I bought mine from American Eagle a couple years ago and I still love it.
2. A book: A book is a necessary companion to the beach/pool. It is light, portable, and most of all, entertaining. I recommend bringing a light read and nothing too serious. You're at the beach/pool to relax, not to be anxiously worrying about the main character of your book. I'm currently reading Maze Runner and I love it. If books aren't your thing, I recommend bringing magazines which can be equally entertaining.
3. Snacks: Spending all day at the beach/pool is a surefire way to get you hungry so snacks are a must. Bring something that is easily transportable like apples, granola bars, and chips. I love snacking by the pool and by bringing my own snacks, I can ensure they are somewhat healthy as well. Right now, I am obsessed with Brookside's dark chocolate fruit crunch.
4. A water bottle: It is extremely important that you stay hydrated at the beach/pool. Hours in the hot sun can leave you feeling extremely thirsty and this can lead to many problems, like dizziness, nausea, and heat stroke. My water bottle was purchased at the Color Run as you can probably already tell from the huge block lettering.
5. Headphones: I love listening to music at the beach/pool so I always have to have headphones. It's relaxing and fun. For music, I usually go on Songza, which is an app that gives me many different playlists for just about every occasion.
6. A hat: I wear floppy hats to give myself extra protection from the sun, plus it hides my messy hair perfectly.
7. Sunscreen/Lip balm: This one's pretty obvious, sunscreen to protect yourself from the UV rays and lip balm to protect your lips from the sun. My sunscreen is from Vichy and my lip balm is Dr. Rescue.
8. Phone: A phone is important for a number of reasons. First, if you are ever in trouble, a phone allows you to call for help. It also allows you to take selfies (which we all know is super important) and helps you to stay connected via social media. Also, my phone is where all my music is on so I need it.
Not pictured above, sunglasses are a must if you are out. It protects your eyes and it also covers my dark circles without having to use makeup.
These are all my beach/pool day essentials. What are yours?
-Alicia
