Puerto Rico ..or anywhere Beach Essentials

Beach Essentials by Erica Valentin

If you know me in real life....then by now you know we are leaving for Puerto Rico in T-Minus 20 days....and if you don't know now ya know! This is the first real family vacation we have had in a long time and I am seriously stoked!  I've already gotten 99.9% of my shopping done and just need to pack our suitcases then we're off! 

Of course most of our days we will be hitting up at least one or two so these are a few of my Must-haves for any trip to the beach!


1.  SKIN CARE - I cannot stress enough the importance of good skin care at the beach!  Skin Cancer rate are at an all time high and not to mention wrinkles ::gasp:: Who needs all that mess? I seriously swear by self-tanner! My husband thinks it's silly but sunless tanners have come a long way in recent years ......most of them give a nice bronze glow now! I absolutely love love love the Jergens Glow line which you can find in any drug store but if you don't mind spending a little more then you can't go wrong with St. Tropez.  A lot of department stores sell that line and you can find it at Ulta and Sephora as well! This one and This One give amazing results! I would also suggest doing your self tan routine a few days before you get to the beach then just touch up.

Now that you are nice and bronze it doesn't mean you are safe from the harmful effects of the sun .......make sure you slather on tons of SPF at least 30 minutes before going in the water.  Both myself and my children are fair skinned and burn so I usually get the Banana Boat Sport in SPF 100 but I've heard 75 is just as much protection.  Make sure you reapply throughout the day as well!

2. Coverups - There are so many cute coverups and rompers out there that are easy to throw on over your bikini and go! Having a nice coverup will also help you protect your skin if you will be out in the sun for hours.  My husband just suprised me with two really cute crochet coverups from Victoria's Secret which I cannot wait to wear and This one is also adorable!

3. Footwear - Ummmmmm Tory Birch Sandals....nuff said! Cute & classic clip on thong sandals are comfy for the beach but can also be transitioned to a more dressy look as well! Just because you are going to the beach doesn't mean you can't look amazing!

4. Beach Bag - Do yourself a favor and get your self an oversized beach bag.  I cannot tell you how many times I have regretted taking my purse to the beach.  I love having to carry just one bag that I can throw everything in without a problem.  I have two beach bags I plan on taking to Puerto Rico.  One was a promo bag from Victoria's Secret that I got for free and the other one my husband picked up from Restoration Hardware.  I absolutely love both of them but I've been swooning over all the Straw Pom Pom Totes since Poms and Tassels are so big this season.  However a lot of them are kinda pricey.  This Kayu Tote Bag is to die for but priced at anywhere from $100-$150 I may take the DIY route.  Plus Cait from Southern Curls & Pearls (one of my fave blogs) posted this FANTASTIC DIY!

5. Round Beach Blanket - This one is a no brainer ....we all love a good beach blanket but hos about these adorable round beach blankets.  This summer season is the first time I'm actually seeing these all over the place.  I may be late hahaha but seriously I have never seen the round ones before.  One Kings Lane has them for around $100 but I just found this Mandala Scalloped Beach Blanket on Gilt.com and it's only $25...SCORE!!!

6. Hair - Love Beach waves......even when your not at the Beach?  Salt sprays are the answer.  I have a few but this is my favorite one - Love & Salt - from Nordstrom and you can't beat the price!

7. Camera Gear - I rarely leave my house without a camera......if you only have a phone ....that's cool too because most phones nowadays take amazing pics anyway and I think you should always document trips whether you on social media or not so that you will always have those memories to look back on.  I use my iPhone a lot but I also have the Nikon D5000 (with a 35mm lens) since 2011 and I have two Canon G7x which I purchased just this year.  The Nikon is amazing for fashion and travel photography but IMO it is heavy and bulky.  I was planning to add an 85mm lens before our trip but that's not going to happen so the 35mm will have to do.

The G7x is what we currently use for vlogging.  Its sooooooooooooo lightweight and the flip screen is awesome.  Plus you get alot of great features like an adjustable f-stop that will give you some great bokeh just like a DSLR but in a more compact camera.  If you are new to the world of YouTube like us and you are taking the vlogging route this is definitely a must-have camera! This is a more pricey point and shoot though but well worth the money.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this little beach list and happy travels!
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