Business & Pleasure Umbrella & Chairs, Matouk Towels & Vivi Et Margot Basket

I have never been more thankful to live right down the road from the ocean! A fair share of people warned me that being in my last month of pregnancy during the height of summer might be a little rough, but luckily it hasn’t been too bad. Thankfully, I’m in-doors all day in our air-conditioned office and love heading out to the beach after work (on a non-rainy summer day), where I can stay cool and refreshed in the evening waves. Ever since we moved to Charleston, we’re usually traveling too often in the summer to do anything more than occasional beach visits. Now that we’re staying close to home counting down to our girl’s due date, they have quickly become one of my favorite parts of our routine.

Blush Maternity Jumpsuit & Wagon

Pink Maternity Bikini (one piece version here)

Our beach trips are often quick evening visits during the week, so we don’t need to pack much. We actually keep our beach chairs, towels, and a beach bag in the trunk of the car so we’re always ready to make an impromptu stop! I shared a bunch of my beach essentials in this post, but after we spent almost a full day by the water on the Fourth of July, I wanted to share a more detailed list of what we bring for a longer beach day. Especially this time of the year when the sun is so strong, we think especially carefully about how we can stay shaded, hydrated, and comfortable, while still enjoying the sand and sea to the fullest.

An oversized beach umbrella is the biggest game-changer during this hottest time of the year. Along with keeping us safe from the sun’s rays, the temperature also drops in the umbrella’s shade, making the afternoon heat far more bearable. Business & Pleasure makes some of the prettiest printed umbrellas, like this and this, that would be easy to spot even on the busiest days by the water. We stock our cooler with healthy and refreshing snacks, like cherries, raspberries, and watermelon, plus lots of extra water bottles, which we use to refill our handy Yeti tumblers throughout the day. Of course, since we don’t spend all our time beneath the umbrella, I never go to the beach without a wide-brimmed hat and plenty of sunscreen. Rounding out our beach bag, we throw in a few activities to have on hand, like games, books (I just finished Bringing Up Bébé), and a portable speaker for listening to a podcast or our beach day playlist. Thomas often packs his film camera too, and the photos he has snapped to capture these memories are some of our all-time favorites.