Life Lately & My Go-To Pool & Beach Gear
May 2024 - No. 26
Hi friends! This newsletter is (usually) a monthly-ish round-up of life things - what I'm enjoying, reading, learning, buying, doing, thinking about, and more. Sometimes, it’s a bit more vulnerable and personal, talking about things like how to handle rejection and feeling left out. Sometimes, it’s a deep dive into a specific topic, like travel or back to school.
Today, I’m sharing our go-to beach and pool gear, some adorable girls swimsuits, and some favorite beach and pool-focused vacations!
My Go-To Gear for the Beach & Pool ☀️👙🐚⛱️
BEACH BAGS:
This BAGGU Cloud Bag has been all over the world with me - lots of beach and pool time in multiple countries. While it’s not technically a ‘beach bag’, it’s washable, dries quickly, and holds SO much. We bring this on most vacations because it works great for days at the beach or pool, but doesn’t feel overly ‘beach bag’-like for exploring or going to restaurants
This is my first TikTok-influenced purchase! I just ordered this Bubble Bag for pool days this summer and love it so much! It sits up on its own and holds a good amount, plus comes with a little case to hold your keys, wallet, phone, etc.
These colorful bags are perfect for collecting seashells or beach treasures, and the girls fill them with little toys/figurines for eating out at restaurants
TOYS:
The girls LOVE these diving gems! They come in a little treasure box and they seem to love these more than the standard diving rings (which we also have and brought on this trip).
This collapsible sand toy set was used daily! It’s super easy and flat to pack in the suitcase, and perfect for beach days. It comes with lots of little pieces for sand play, but everything fits in the collapsible bucket for easy packing. It also comes with a water bag to easily clean it out. 10/10 recommend this.
These reusable water balloons are a huge hit around here for outdoor play and beach and pool days.
TOWELS:
XL Reversible Towels - I bought four of these last year and love them so much! They’re super large and plush and cute. They come in a few striped variations including Green/Aqua, Pink/Yellow, Red/Blue
Hooded Towel Ponchos are a must for beach vacations and pool days! The girls wore these to/from the beach and pool every day. They dry quickly and are super thick and plush. They are well worth the money, in our experience! I actually need to order the next size up for the girls soon.
SWIMSUITS (FOR ME):
Obviously when you’re at the beach or pool you need a swimsuit! I’ve had the best luck with Aerie swimsuits over the years. Earlier this spring, I bought this crinkle one piece swimsuit in red (and it comes in a lot of colors) and it’s so cute and flattering! I also have this bandeau one piece that I love - the purple color is so pretty! Both are pregnancy friendly and pictured below. I also own two You Swim bikinis - they are super flattering, ‘one size fits most’, and come in a ton of colors. But you have to be SUPER careful with them. One of them got stretched out in the chest area because I accidently dried it and other got super discolored from being in a hot tub (chlorine apparently can do that to them). Sigh. I’m not responsible enough for clothing that isn’t easy to wash or take care of, lol.
Before this pregnancy, I’ve actually never worn or owned a maternity-specific swimsuit! But I just got this cut-out maternity swimsuit and really like it! I sized up to a large and got the black, but it comes in 5 colors and is ~$50. I also got this pink one shoulder cut-out maternity swimsuit (kept my regular size M) and it’s so cute! Transparency: both were gifted.
Cover-ups: I usually wear or pack a swim cover up …I love this Rainbow Crochet Cover-Up Dress and wear it regularly! I also have a shorter version of this gauze cape swim cover-up and love it!
OTHER:
We use these inflatable bodyboards for the girls when we go to the beach! They are great for playing in shallow water and going on ‘rides’. They roll up small and tight, so they are easy to pack and inflate at your destination.
The girls both have these kids sunglasses - they’re affordable, super cute, and come in a bunch of colors!
Sunscreen—My favorite sunscreen is Glow Sunscreen (Supergoop). The Elf Whoa Glow is an excellent dupe for $14! For the kids, I prefer using a spray sunscreen for their bodies and a lotion for their face - I’m not super brand loyal. When
I like keeping a rechargeable portable fan in my beach bag to cool off as needed!
CUTE GIRLS SWIMSUITS!
I compiled 25+ adorable girls’ swimsuits in this blog post! There’s so many cute ones, and many on sale!
BEACH + POOL-FRIENDLY VACATIONS
International: Turks and Caicos / Cayman Islands / Belize / Portugal’s Algarve Coast /
Domestic: 4 Kid-Friendly Beaches in Maine / Opryland Hotel’s Soundwaves (Nashville)
CODES & DISCOUNTS
BETTER DAYS - use code LUCKYANDI for 10% off
CADENCE - use code LUCKYANDI10OFF for 10% off
CHATBOOKS - use code LUCKYANDI20 for 20% off!
EIZZY BABY - use code ANDI25 for 25% off
HIYA VITAMINS - use this link for $15 first order + free shipping
NUULY - use this link for $10 off your first order!
SHOP LUCKY COLLECTIVE (my Moroccan textile shop!) - use code LUCKYANDI for 10% off!
PAST NEWSLETTERS
No. 25 - Life Lately & Baby #3 Announcement (April 2024)
No. 20 - Life Lately & On Feeling Rejected + Left Out (October 2023)
No. 19 - The Back to School Issue (August 2023)
No. 18 - Life Lately & On Being Outside of Your Comfort Zone (July 2023)
No. 17 - Life Lately & On Prioritizing Joy (May 2023)
No. 16 - Life Lately & On Feeling Vulnerable (March 2023)
No. 15 - Life Lately & A Personal Question (January 2023)
No. 13 - September 2022 (The Travel Issue)
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