Secret Santa gifts under $25: From useful to adventurous
Stumped on Secret Santa? We've got a few budget-friendly ideas!
It seems like an oxymoron to overachieve at preparing for a relaxing beach day, but it’s worth the irony. Lounging in the sand loses its luxury when you’re suddenly met with a soggy snack, sandy phone, and painful sunburn.
Don’t stress! Take the guesswork out of packing for the beach with these 12 tips and take your day of peace and sunshine to an entirely new level:
- Protect the snacks
If you take snacking as seriously as we do, you understand that the cooler is full of precious cargo. There’s nothing worse than hoping to quench your thirst with an ice-cold drink or enjoy a bag of chips only to find your treat warm or crushed.
Prevent disappointment and pack refrigerated or frozen beverages at the bottom of the cooler. They’ll stay colder longer and you’ll avoid smashed snacks.
- Invest in travel-friendly sunglasses
Sunglasses are a sunny day necessity but don’t just settle for any old pair. Opt for awesome and buy foldable sunglasses. They save space in your bag, giving you more room to carry beach reads and extra sunblock.
Yes, you do need at least SPF 30 even if you “never burn.”
No, we’re not sorry for sounding like your mom.
- Prevent soggy sandwiches
People are very particular about their sandwiches, with a pretty universal zero tolerance for soggy bread.
Jelly seeping through a slice of bread is one thing. Actual water soaking the bread? Unforgivable.
Instead of risking a ruined beach day, use watertight containers in the cooler to keep sandwiches fresh and everyone happy. Crisis averted.
- Turn on some jams
A good waterproof bluetooth speaker is a key beach day accessory. Summon your inner Annette Funicello or Frankie Avalon and reenact the spontaneous beach dance parties of the 60s with tunes that won’t be affected by water or sand.
Do the Mashed Potato and The Twist to your heart’s content. Just make sure the lifeguard knows you’re not actually signalling for help.
- Meat travels separately
Planning to grill some burgers and hotdogs?
Pack them in one cooler, and pack drinks and snacks in a separate cooler. That way, your meat doesn’t get warmer (and potentially give you salmonella poisoning) every time someone opens the lid to get their La Croix fix.
- Stay charged
Rule #1 of building sandcastles: Every step deserves to be documented on Snapchat.
Rule #2: Don’t let the threat of a dead battery shortchange your architectural efforts!
A portable phone charger like the RAVPower 22000 is easy to toss into your beach bag’s pocket and comes in clutch when you’re at 9% and haven’t even started the drawbridge.
- Fill the cooler to the top
Pack a cooler full to prevent pockets of warm air from forming and items from shifting around. Add extra ice or freezer packs to fill in empty spaces.
An extra layer on top will also help to keep the contents colder longer, as cold air travels down. #science
- Beach-proof your phone
Water, sand, and phones just don’t mix. Zip your phone into a plastic bag to keep it safe and debris-free. The touchscreen still works through the plastic, so you can keep tabs on all of your belongings through the Chipolo app.
- Injuries can stay home
We don’t want anything to come between you and your day of fun. Unfortunately, injuries happen.
Pack a small first aid kit in a waterproof pouch and stash it in your bag. Liquid bandages dry quickly and are waterproof to help protect minor scrapes from wiping out on your skimboard.
- De-sand with baby powder
Leave the sand where you found it. It doesn’t want to get tracked into your car or home, either. Once you’re off the beach, sprinkle baby powder on yourself, let the powder soak up the moisture, and then brush the powder off.
What’s that? All the sand fell with it?
- Keep track of it all
It’s easy to be this well prepared for the beach, but it’s not always as easy to remember everything you brought with you.
Don’t let your great day go sour by losing your car keys. Attach Chipolo to them, connect to the app, and listen for the 100-decibel ring that will help you easily find them.
- Store it away
When beach season ends, your bulky coolers and beach accessories will need to be stored until next year’s trips filled with sun and sand.
Let MakeSpace take care of it all.
Schedule a pickup and we’ll come get your beach bag essentials. Next, we’ll transport them to our secure, temperature-controlled storage facility. We’ll also create an online photo catalog of your stuff so you always remember what you have in storage.
Waves calling your name? When you want something back, you won’t have to dig through boxes in a musty self-storage unit. Simply log into your MakeSpace account, select the items’ photos, and we’ll deliver them to you.
Find yourself at the beach with everything you need for an awesome day with a little help from Chipolo and MakeSpace - a valet NY
