The Beach With a Toddler: What You Really Need.

As summer winds down (which I'm sad about, for the first time in maybe my whole life), I feel so thankful for the things I got to do and the adventures I got to have. One of my favorite parts of this summer was getting to take Jack to the beach and see him love it so much. 
I'm a big fan of life still consisting of the things you love once you have a baby. From the time he was just a week old, Jack has been to happy hours, pool days, brunches, margarita nights...and slept through most of them like a champ. 
That being said, some things (like beach days) do take extra effort, especially now that the squishy little baby who would sleep through brunch is now a wild and rambunctious toddler. After quite a few beach days this summer, here's a short little list that made those days much easier. I'm not talking about things like sunscreen and water (because I'm assuming that you know your tiny human doesn't need to be sunburned and dehydrated), but a few little things that ended up being super helpful. 

An inflatable pool. If you get nothing else on this list, you need this. So cheap, and will absolutely transform your beach day with a little. It's multi-purpose on the beach: 1) It's basically a playpen. Set it up in the shade, throw some toys in there, and let them play. 2) When it's empty, it's the perfect place to nap. Lay a blanket down and boom, it's a bed. 3) You can keep your kid cool without having to constantly bring them in and out of the water. Just put some water in, let them splash around and stay cool, and you can work on your tan. Win-Win-Win. 
A half-tent. I'm not really sure what the exact name of this is, but my parents bought Jack one and it was fantastic, especially on windy days. 

Baby powder. Through some kind of weird black magic, baby powder makes sand come right off. So when you've got a grumpy gremlin covered in sand, just sprinkle this on and wipe the sand right off (I'm talking about you, obviously, but it works on kids too). 
Rashguard (long sleeves w/ SPF). This protects at least half their body from the sun, making your job of chasing them around reapplying sunscreen a tiny bit easier.
Cheap toys. The cheapest you can find. I'm a huge fan of buying things that will last, but I don't care what you shell out on beach toys, they will. not. last. They will wash away into the ocean. Another child will walk by and pick them up and you will be too lazy to chase them down. They will break. Basically, they're not outlasting the week. So save your money, buy the cheap ones, and your kid will never know the difference. 
Bonus: All the towels. Way more towels than you think you need. I'm not really sure what happens to our towels, within an hour Jack had managed to soak/sand/throw them all into the ocean. Bring all your towels. 
Have you braved the beach with a toddler?