17 things I'm doing to prepare for summer as a beach person
The $20 hack I found to work outside in the sun on my laptop is probably the best tip I have ever offered you...
Summer is my super bowl. I’ve waited all year for the warmth, for our home on the beach to enter it’s incredible golden era, for long rides on the beach cruiser and nights spent laughing until our ribs ache on the patio. Ahh. And it’s almost here.
It’s kind of already here, depending on where you live and what the weather is like. But June, in my experience, can be a little fickle on the East Coast, and I’m counting the days until the forecast is reliably a sun emoji and not 50% wind or rain.
I’m prepping!! Here are a few of the things on my list…
The first time I put on sunscreen in May, the coconutty scent of my favorite Vacation face spritz instantly transported me into summer, though it was barely 65 degrees. Smell is such a transportive thing— lean in!
The above applies to a post-beach shower too. Is there anything better than a post-beach shower!? I am swapping out my lavender body wash for this coconut & lime scent so I can live a little.
Plan something to look forward to: maybe you’re a wise person and you’ve had your summer travel planned for months, or maybe you’re finding yourself with a bit of summer blues because you have to work and don’t have much time for play. Plan something for yourself, even if it’s a half day spent at the beach, the movies, or visiting your childhood friend you don’t see enough. No excuses! Fun can be planned or had at any budget, and you are deserving of having fun on the horizon that you can anticipate with glee.
I love a pouch. I keep a pouch stocked with supplies for the beach or a sunny summer day— mainly sunscreen for face, body, and a lip balm with SPF, maybe a spare pair of sunglasses— in my bag at all times. I have one of each of these blue and green and pink and yellow neon pouches and I love that they both fit several spray bottles of sunscreen, plus some face ones and a few hair clips. Also the mesh fabric doesn’t keep sand in! They’re both less than $10 from Gap, hell yeah.
Speaking of sunscreen, living on the beach means I go through an insane volume of it. I started stocking up in April and I like to keep my reserves full so I am never panicking about running out when I want to be relaxing and enjoying the great outdoors… here’s my guide to favorite face sunscreens, pressure tested and reviewed by yours truly.
Have you considered spa water? A pitcher full of cucumber water and mint in the fridge is nearly free and impossibly chic and luxurious.
Eating outside whenever possible is another extremely summer-y thing to do. I forced us to sit outside at a folding table in medium-high winds this week. I stuck to my guns. It was important.
Getting evening walks back in rotation! Going for a walk after dinner is one of me and my husband’s favorite things to do together and a way better way to unwind than rotting on the couch. Bonus points is that it does awesome things for digestion…
Locking in with my laptop shade. Yes, I bought this ridiculous apparatus so I could work outside, and yes, it’s fantastic and it works flawlessly! Also, it is sustainable. I know you were wondering.
There is a time and place for natural deodorant, and this is not it.
You should probably be watching Love Island USA, one of summer’s true delights.
I know my NYC dwellers may be a house divided on this, but between May and October I wear nothing but flip flops. I am pretty particular in that I am only interested in a Havaianas Brazil flip flop. None of this square toe or slim strap crap— the Brazilians knew exactly what they were doing with this one, there is no need to deviate from perfection. I have many fun colors but I love how they break in, divinely squishy and comfortable.
This outdoor blanket changes the game. It’s far and away the best one I’ve ever touched, somehow resplendent on both sides, and in an extremely cute print. It’s splurgey, but I feel strongly that it earns its keep if you go to the beach or park often. (I have a code for Chappywrap, an all-time fave of mine, which can also help bring the price down: FIRSTRODEO15)
Cooling everything: when the temp gets downright sticky, I switch to a soothing, cooling lotion (this one from Koala Eco rocks), the Sofie Pavitt “nice ice” toner pods, maybe a jade roller in the fridge, even a cold body wipe in the fridge…
Summer is the only time I feel like dinner doesn’t have to default to being a hot meal. (My friends know I have a weird thing about how I think dinner should always be “hot food.”) Embrace the “cold dinner”! Lobster rolls! Sandwiches! Pasta salad! Gazpacho, if that’s your freak!
My beach tote stays PACKED. Packed and by the door, with everything ready to go except for snacks and bevs. I know this is not realistic if you don’t go to the beach so often, but living on the beach means I go pretty much every day between June and September, and being ready to roll makes that a lot more fun! I use this jelly tote these days for a fun beach vibe.
Invest in books that you actually want to read. Summer is not really the time to pick up War and Peace. What’s your guilty-pleasure genre or author? Go buy four of those books and enjoy.
What did I miss? Anything you’re doing to get in the summer mood, or preparing to activate your summer self?
post beach shower beer
Love the laptop shade! How did you find that?You can probably use it, too, when you go to vote so no one can see your pick;)