Nothing beats a good book, your toes in the sand and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. But a good moment can easily be ruined by a bad sunburn, an unquenched thirst and the sun’s glare. Don’t let your little bit of paradise escape you. Here’s what you need to enjoy a good book at the beach.
Something to Sip
From chasing down the kids to taking a dip in the ocean, you’re using a lot of energy when you’re playing out on the beach. Be sure to stay hydrated all day long by drinking plenty of water. Some symptoms of dehydration include confusion, dizziness, dry mouth, sleepiness, fatigue, extreme thirstiness and headache. However, you shouldn’t wait until you experience these side effects to hydrate. Keep a reusable water bottle on hand for everyone in your family and keep a few electrolyte tabs stashed away in your bag to give your regular water a boost.
Carry-All Tote
Searching for a good way to keep everything together? From beach towels to books and magazines to snacks and sunscreen, there’s only so much two hands can carry. Stuff it all into a carry-all tote and hit the beach in style on your next vacation. The beach-ready handbag from Trina Turk is both stylish and practical, ensuring that nothing important gets left behind. Plus, you’ll have plenty of room to add the sea glass and shells you find along the beach.
Sunscreen
While you’re spending your time relaxing along the shoreline of the beach, don’t forget to apply sunscreen. You already know that too much sun results in a bad sunburn, but do you know the risks of repeated sun damage? Your skin cells and blood vessels become damaged over time, leaving skin looking withered, dry and leathery. In addition to unpleasant looking skin, skin cancer is the most serious risk that sun exposure causes, and it is the most common of all types of cancer. Doctors recommend applying sunscreen every day, avoiding the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and wearing protective clothing to keep your skin away from the sun’s harmful UV rays. Doctors also note that everyone should use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
Eye Protection
In addition to keeping your skin protected from the sun, it’s important to also protect your eyes. There are a host of problems that can arise from unprotected eyes, such as cataracts, glaucoma, skin cancer around the sensitive eye area, macular degeneration and pterygium, or surfer’s eye. Don’t leave home without a pair of sunglasses with scratch-free lenses. If your lenses have seen better days, be sure to replace them with a polarized lens style to keep your eyes protected.
Large Beach Towel
Whether you’re enjoying a coastal picnic with friends or hitting the beach with your family, a really big beach towel can come in handy. Be sure to pick one up for any occasion when a simple beach towel just won’t do. There’s a variety of colors and styles available online from Overstock.com. Remember to also bring a few extra towels to dry off before heading home.
Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.TM Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the above article. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.
1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? What are you still working on accepting?
I’ve learned to accept that we have to all appreciate the little things and to not take anything for granted.
2. What have you learn to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? What are you still working on to appreciate?
I appreciate and I’m blessed to have loving family and friends in my life.
3. What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? What makes YOU most proud? What goals and dreams do you still have?
My biggest achievement is graducating from Arizona State University in 2013!
4. We all have imperfections, so we think. The truth–we are all perfectly imperfect. What are your not-so-perfect ways? What imperfections and quirks create who you are–your Identity?
Working to keep in mind that nobody’s perfect–it’s been hard to accept it.
5. “I Love My…” is an outlet for you to express and appreciate all the positive traits that make you…well… YOU! Sharing what you love about yourself will make you smile, feel empowered, and uplift your spirit and soul. (we assure you!) Identity challenges you to complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
I love my unwavering intensity. Everything I do is 100 percent.
