Preparing for our Beach Trip…the FUN Part!

My husband and I are soon taking off with our two littles for a family beach vacation.  Or what we have been calling a vacation, even though I’m pretty sure any vacation with children, particularly little children may not exactly be a vacation.  At least not the type of vacation we used to take before our party of two quickly turned into a party of four (and soon to be five!).  After all, there won’t be leisurely long dinners.  Schlepping our kids and all of their stuff through the airport and gate-checking a stroller is hardly how we used to travel before Henry and Nelle arrived. And under no condition will there be anyone sleeping in. Because unlike your alarm clock, kids don’t have a snooze button…even on vacation.

So we’re going on a trip.

And yes, I know it’s not going to be all smiling faces and cooperative toddlers.  But let’s gloss over the hard part and talk about the fun part…what I’m packing for them and their first beach trip!

In Henry’s Bag:

alisonmoorephotography-packingforthebeach

sources:

1. Melissa and Doug Vehicles Maze Puzzle – Borrowed from a neighbor and and the pieces don’t come off so we can’t lose anything – win.

2. The Seashore Book – The perfect story to describe the seashore to a first-time beach traveler.  It’s not in print right now, but I found a used copy on Amazon.

3. Classic Aviators – I cannot even handle my littles in grown-up sunglasses.

4. Perforated Slip-Ons – I can’t bring myself to go all the way to Crocs so these are a great compromise.  Light and airy, and my toddler can put them on himself.

5. Nautical Stripe Stretch Boxer – The perfect swim shorts – classic, easy to move in, don’t slow him down, don’t chafe, and STRIPES!

6. Lobster Swim Trunks – If you’re ordering from Zara, might as well fill up your cart to get the free shipping on orders $50+.  And H is loving lobsters lately…mainly because we stop to say hi to them at the grocery store as they await their fate.

7. Diamond Kite – I actually picked up our kite at Marshalls on the cheap in Manhattan several weeks ago thinking it would be the perfect beach entertainment should we get tired of walking, sand castle building or jumping in the water, but this is a pretty one too!

8. Planes –  We limit Henry’s screen time at home so anytime he gets extra or gets to hold the iPad himself he’s on cloud nine.  Pixar’s Planes seems like the perfect download for this occasion!

9. Barnum’s Animal Crackers – We’re stocked on our regular snacks, but I picked up a few special things to pull out when he needs a pick-me-up or when we’re ascending/descending to keep him chewing and swallowing in hopes of warding off any ear troubles caused by pressure changes.

10. Planes Go – I couldn’t resist picking up another GO book by Steve Light.  What’s more fun than reading about planes while on a plane?

In Nelle’s Bag:

In-Nelles-Bag

sources:

1. Mister Seahorse – The perfect first beach trip board book…in theme with our vacation and has an added bonus of clear tactile “peek-a-boo” pages.

2. Salt Water Sandals – I was so pumped for a good excuse to buy Nelle’s first pair of these classic beach sandals.  The leather stands up against the sand, water and sun…and toddlers.

3. Pom Poms – I grabbed a huge bag of these for Nelle to put one-by-one in a water bottle…much appreciated tip from another mama that recently flew with a tot.

4. Floral Peplum Swim One-Piece – does this come in my size?  Sooo cute.

5. Tortoise Sunglasses – ours are from Children’s Place (sold out online), but these are similar from Gap

6. Who’s In The Ocean – Babies seem to be obsessed with these books…and I’ll try anything that will keep our wiggle worm still for a bit more time in-flight.

7. Denim Diaper Cover – I couldn’t resist.  Pair it with a white T, and her sandals – beach babe.

8. Dum Dum Pops/Sun-Maid Raisins – Suckers are supposed to be great for take-off/landing, but in case they just get slobbery (which sometimes happens), I also have raisins packed because Nelle tends to pop those in one after the other.

9. Gel Clings – Might as well make use of our window seat and decorate while 30,000 feet above…and better than stickers that aren’t meant to be stuck, removed and stuck again.

10. Water Wow –  In case you haven’t caught on yet, Nelle’s at a more difficult age (15 months) for long travel.  Unlike her brother, she’s not yet interested in the iPad so her bag is stuffed with more 20-minute activities.  She loves to color, and you can’t beat this no-mess version from one of our fav toy makers.

Alison Moore
Alison Moore has been growing roots in Wichita for over seven years now with her high school sweetheart turned husband, Andrew, and their three kids, three and under. She's a work-at-home mom that spends naptime editing away the beautiful families she captures through her premiere photography business and is constantly battling an overflowing laundry basket and too much dog hair on the hardwoods. She's blogged for the better half of a decade transparently sharing the natural ebbs and flows of life. She spends a lot of time wishing she'd gone to bed earlier the night before and traveling to Manhattan to brainwash her offspring to love K-State. So far it's working.