Post by cabbagecabbage on Feb 24, 2015 13:13:24 GMT -5
So, I'm six months ahead of myself but I'm SOOOO excited. I just put a deposit on a beach cottage right on the water for a week this summer. DD will be turning 3 the week after, so I think she will love it. I've never stayed on the beach and I've never taken her on a real vacation, just weekend trips.
If you've done the beach house thing, what do you recommend? Anything from packing advice to snack advice to whatever.
We go to our family beach house a lot - For the beach I always take a beach tent/umbrella, towels, sand toys, snacks and water in a cooler, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses. Bring some extra water for washing sandy hands for eating snacks.
Post by Kcthepouchh8r on Feb 24, 2015 13:45:50 GMT -5
Besides what's been mentioned getting one of those long sleeve SPF shirts is convenient to limit the amount of sunscreen you have to put on a wiggly kid.
We beach vacation atleast 2x a year, once in a condo and once in a house. I much prefer the house. Do you know how far the water is from the house? I bring a baby monitor so I can put DS2 down for a nap and can still sit out with everyone. I recommend individual snacks or packing in snack size ziplocks. If my kid wants to eat sandy pretzels fine but your not sticking your hand in my bag. [br
]Baby powder for quick sand removal.
Flashlights for crab hunting at night
Buckets, shovels, nets
Cash for ice cream man
Medicine for all
We always plan our meals before hand and cook each night.
Shoes for hot sand, either water shoes or crocs. Beach towels and blanket Small radio to take to the beach laundry detergent, dish soap, sponges, dishwashing detergent Clorox wipes, paper towels, insulated cups, toilet paper
Our beach house comes with a small supply but you have to provide all of your own paper products.
We go to our family beach house a lot - For the beach I always take a beach tent/umbrella, towels, sand toys, snacks and water in a cooler, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses. Bring some extra water for washing sandy hands for eating snacks.
Baby powder to get the sand off.
Garden shovels from the dollar spot at Target. They only sell these at Easter and I usually get about six evey year. They are little wooden handle and metal shovels, hoes and rakes in Lots of bright colors. The metal shovels are great for digging in hard packed sand.
Big table cloths are great for beach blankets to sit on. They don't hold a bunch of sand and they pack up small.
Since you are right on the beach I can't imagine you need much, just run up to the house.
We always take noise machines and monitor.
Some fun games for you and H to play at night: cards, blokus, connect 4.
We go to our family beach house a lot - For the beach I always take a beach tent/umbrella, towels, sand toys, snacks and water in a cooler, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses. Bring some extra water for washing sandy hands for eating snacks.
Baby powder to get the sand off.
Garden shovels from the dollar spot at Target. They only sell these at Easter and I usually get about six evey year. They are little wooden handle and metal shovels, hoes and rakes in Lots of bright colors. The metal shovels are great for digging in hard packed sand.
Big table cloths are great for beach blankets to sit on. They don't hold a bunch of sand and they pack up small.
Since you are right on the beach I can't imagine you need much, just run up to the house.
We always take noise machines and monitor.
Some fun games for you and H to play at night: cards, blokus, connect 4.
Play doh, books, favorite toys in case of rain.
Yah everyone always suggests baby powder but I hate the stuff - the way it smells and how it makes me sneeze. So I just bring an extra water bottle.
Post by cabbagecabbage on Feb 24, 2015 16:45:04 GMT -5
Thanks! These are great.
We will be right on the water, well there is a long staircase down as the cottage is set into a bluff type thing but it's on the beach. It isn't the ocean but Lake Michigan is enough like the ocean for my Midwestern soul. We have a beach tent/umbrella thing and I got DD a two piece with a long sleeved rash guard in addition to the other swimsuit she has. I will look for the kids garden tools at Target soon. Naps aren't an issue since my little shit is dropping them now and I really doubt she will nap by then.
Do I need more than one swimsuit for me? I only own one very nice Lands End one piece I bought last year. I need special sized cups and prefer the slender suits, which aren't cheap. Can I get by with just one or will I be miserable?
We will be right on the water, well there is a long staircase down as the cottage is set into a bluff type thing but it's on the beach. It isn't the ocean but Lake Michigan is enough like the ocean for my Midwestern soul. We have a beach tent/umbrella thing and I got DD a two piece with a long sleeved rash guard in addition to the other swimsuit she has. I will look for the kids garden tools at Target soon. Naps aren't an issue since my little shit is dropping them now and I really doubt she will nap by then.
Do I need more than one swimsuit for me? I only own one very nice Lands End one piece I bought last year. I need special sized cups and prefer the slender suits, which aren't cheap. Can I get by with just one or will I be miserable?
I like to have a few because when I come up for lunch I want to change out of a wet or sandy suit. I don't want to put it back on to go back out if it's still wet. You may be able to get by with one but I'd get a second just in case.
We will be right on the water, well there is a long staircase down as the cottage is set into a bluff type thing but it's on the beach. It isn't the ocean but Lake Michigan is enough like the ocean for my Midwestern soul. We have a beach tent/umbrella thing and I got DD a two piece with a long sleeved rash guard in addition to the other swimsuit she has. I will look for the kids garden tools at Target soon. Naps aren't an issue since my little shit is dropping them now and I really doubt she will nap by then.
Do I need more than one swimsuit for me? I only own one very nice Lands End one piece I bought last year. I need special sized cups and prefer the slender suits, which aren't cheap. Can I get by with just one or will I be miserable?
I like to have a few because when I come up for lunch I want to change out of a wet or sandy suit. I don't want to put it back on to go back out if it's still wet. You may be able to get by with one but I'd get a second just in case.
Yeah. That's what I figured. If keep up on my workouts, maybe I won't need that slender stuff so much and I can get by with a Target tankini or similar as my second suit.
I like to have a few because when I come up for lunch I want to change out of a wet or sandy suit. I don't want to put it back on to go back out if it's still wet. You may be able to get by with one but I'd get a second just in case.
Yeah. That's what I figured. If keep up on my workouts, maybe I won't need that slender stuff so much and I can get by with a Target tankini or similar as my second suit.
One of my favorite things about the house is that its private beaches so it's not crowded and no one else is around. I have wore my not favorite suits and didn't care.
Yeah. That's what I figured. If keep up on my workouts, maybe I won't need that slender stuff so much and I can get by with a Target tankini or similar as my second suit.
One of my favorite things about the house is that its private beaches so it's not crowded and no one else is around. I have wore my not favorite suits and didn't care.
Ours is on private beach but it's very close to a public beach and I know it has moderate traffic all day.
All the PP's have great ideas. One more thing I would consider is a little potty (yes, I know they're gross). Kids end up having so much fun (even fully potty trained ones) at the beach they tend to wait until it's an emergency when they have to pee. This way you can avoid attempting to pack things up, and run in sand up and the long staircase to the cottage's bathroom. Just rinse the little potty out out with extra water and dump it in the sand away from the general walk ways. Of course, I'm only suggesting this for pee. If poop happens then you'd need to clean the potty and discard the "debris" in a more sanitary manner.
I'd also get a second swimsuit. I really dislike putting on wet swimwear & even even in situations due to humidity that my suit doesn't fully dry overnight.
We had a pop-up canopy on our beach vacation. It was awesome to have a lot of shade and DD2 and I took naps there. It was a private beach and everyone left the frame of their canopies up at night so it wasn't a big pain. We've taken it for just days at the beach too and it's a little more annoying if you have to haul it in at the end of every day but still worth it to me with a toddler.
We have a sportbrella - which might be similar to the shade shack - we love it b/c it can be an umbrella or more of a shelter - good for wind, sun & even little rain. Kids have definitely taken naps under there.
Wait, you guys don't just pee in the ocean? I've never brought a potty to the beach.
Though once, DD1 pooped into a plastic bag lined sand bucket. Desperate times.
I cannot pee in water. Ds is the exact same way. We go to the beach everyday in the summer and trek it to the bathroom every time one of us has to pee.
Also random you non coastal people calling a lake the beach. I remember when me and dh started dating and he talked about growing up "on a beach" (aka Lake Ontario). That's not a beach! Lol.
That is rough, kpouch. I have trained the girls to pee in natural bodies of water. DD1 loves it a bit too much!
My aunt, who grew up on the Jersey shore, lives in Illinois now and calls it the beach when referring to Lake Michigan now. I've threatened to revoke her Jersey shore card.
Wait, you guys don't just pee in the ocean? I've never brought a potty to the beach.
Though once, DD1 pooped into a plastic bag lined sand bucket. Desperate times.
I cannot pee in water. Ds is the exact same way. We go to the beach everyday in the summer and trek it to the bathroom every time one of us has to pee.
Also random you non coastal people calling a lake the beach. I remember when me and dh started dating and he talked about growing up "on a beach" (aka Lake Ontario). That's not a beach! Lol.
We have a sportbrella - which might be similar to the shade shack - we love it b/c it can be an umbrella or more of a shelter - good for wind, sun & even little rain. Kids have definitely taken naps under there.
We have one too. And team pee in the ocean. We are 20 min form the beach.
Post by amynumbers on Feb 26, 2015 10:46:11 GMT -5
Oh, and not to be a Debbie Downer but just so you are prepared! Familiarize yourself with every possible indoor kid activity in the area in case you have one or more rainy days.
That is rough, kpouch. I have trained the girls to pee in natural bodies of water. DD1 loves it a bit too much!
My aunt, who grew up on the Jersey shore, lives in Illinois now and calls it the beach when referring to Lake Michigan now. I've threatened to revoke her Jersey shore card.
Luckily dd is not like this. She's been peeing on my arms during swim lessons since she was a baby. Lol
Post by dizzycooks on Feb 26, 2015 12:15:47 GMT -5
I'll never go to the beach w/o an anti-histamine for sand fleas. It was so painful and there's just no way of knowing if they are present until your legs are burning with little red bites from these miniscule bugs.