Sweet Summertime: What's in My Beach Bag?

On a good day it's about a 15 minute drive from my house to the beach, so I am out there quite often. I always carry my beach bag with me with all of the necessary items for beach survival.

{Beach Towel}

This is actually one of the towels I brought to use at school, but it is perfect for the beach. It's bigger than a normal beach towel so you don't get your legs covered in sand.

{Sunscreen}
There is no doubt that I am extremely pale and extremely prone to getting sunburn. I'm so tired of getting burned and I think it's important to protect your skin, so I choose high SPF sunscreens. I also bring a chapstick with SPF, because, yes, even my lips will get burned. It's awful.

{Water!}
If you aren't bringing water to the beach, at least bring some sort of beverage. Whether you're out there for just a few hours or all day long, you're going to want to stay hydrated.

{A Hat}

I always keep a hat in my bag. Obviously they keep you protected from the sun, but they also come in handy for taming crazy beach hair.

{Snacks}
Because you never know when hunger is going to strike.

{Sunglasses}
Gotta have the glasses. It's always a good idea to keep a cheap pair in your bag too. Going to the beach and forgetting your sunglasses is the worst. Squint city.

{A Book}
Last but not least, a good book. I'm guilty of taking books and never actually reading them, but sometimes you just need a break from swimming and sunbathing and sandcastles.

I'd love to know what some of your beach bag essentials are!