Beach Weekend Essentials

Hey y'all! I hope this week is going well for you. Can you believe it's already August?! I'm freaking out a little bit. This year has been a wild one and I am just in shock that it's already the 8th month of 2015. This past weekend, I took some of my own advice and headed out for a spontaneous trip to the beach with a few girlfriends. I had the most rejuvenating time! We packed up the car and drove to Delaware for what was supposed to be a day trip, but we ended up finding a hotel vacancy and turned it into a little weekend getaway. More to come about my trip on Friday- be sure to check back! We had packed contingency bags just in case we were able to find a room but to say we were ill-prepared is an understatement! While you definitely need fewer items for a one night stay, there are a few things you shouldn't forget. To help you avoid my same issue, I wanted to put together a list of essentials for a quick beach getaway!

Well-packed beach bag. A beach bag is the first essential for a beach trip- for obvious reasons! You need a bag that you're ok putting on the sand and won't be upset if sand gets in. A few things I don't want to be caught on the beach without are sunscreen, chapstick (with SPF), a snack, headphones, a sunhat, and a coverup! Here are a few cute ones out there:

Towel. I'm a fan of the over-sized towels or beach blankets out there! It's nice to spread out. Also, if you're going with a group it helps you to claim more space on the beach. This is super helpful on some of the more crowded beaches.

Reusable water bottle. These are great for the beach- especially if it's insulated! That way, you are able to get some refreshing sips of water while you're out in the heat. There are usually water fountains to refill at, or if your beach has nearby restaurants you can full up at their drink stations! There are so many cute bottles out there, I couldn't help but share a few!

Beach read. I've been making reading more of a priority, and the beach is absolutely one of my favorite places to read! I'm not sure that there is better place. The sounds of the beach in the background, the warm sunshine... total relaxation! I'm usually able to get through my books quickly because I'm undisturbed when sitting out on the sand! Check out some of my reads as of late here.

Flip flops. It's so useful to have a pair of rubber flip flops when visiting the beach! I usually don't like to bring expensive shoes just in case they get wet or messed up another way! Sand can be cruel.

Thankfully, I had most of these packed. I did forget my water bottle and was seriously regretting it every time I had to pay $5 for water! But you've gotta stay hydrated on the beach. Hopefully you'll be perfectly prepared for your next getaway, and I hope it's soon!

What are your beach essentials? Did I miss anything?