My Beach Day Essentials 2014

Last weekend, I traveled to the beach with my family. I don't go to the beach often, but when I do it's mostly for relaxation and family time. I realized my blog suddenly became strictly a photo blog and so I decided to change it up a bit and share some tips!

1. SOMETHING TO READ // I always try to bring something to read whether it's my kindle, an actual paperback, or some magazines I can flip through. I'm more of a tanner/lounger when I'm at the beach and even though it's pretty scenic and you can people watch, I like to have something in front of me when I need a distraction from looking at peoples' incredibly red skin. In the pictures above I'm reading Eleanor and Park which is a pretty cute story and an easy read which was perfect for reading at the beach.
2. SUN PROTECTION // As if media and health professionals don't stress enough, we all need sunscreen. No matter what skin color or how high our "sun tolerance" is. I like to use Coppertone spray on sport and I use a face specific sunscreen to apply on my face. It's important to apply it at least every hour when constantly exposed to the sun. Something I like to do is when I'm tanning and I see that my skin is getting red, I sit in the shade for a bit before I set out in the sun again. I noticed that this prevents my skin from getting too much sun at a time. I also like to bring a hat with me so that the sun doesn't beam down on my face constantly. Eyes are also important so make sure you wear your sunnies! But be wary of that sunglasses tan!
3. FOOD & WATER // My mom usually takes care of this part but it's important to bring healthy food! But I'll admit that I do bring junk food... Some friendly beach snacks are sliced fruit and granola bars! Chia bars are my favorite! And don't forget your water!

Beach and City Visits

With only a month of summer left, I'm trying to make the most of it! Despite my bigger expectations at the beginning of the season, I'm pretty content with how most of my summer went. I kept busy with my new job and now that it has pretty much slowed down, I can spend the rest of my free time with friends. With that being said, I went on a couple trips this past week. The first one was a trip to the beach with my family. Which was much needed. It's easy to get caught up in jobs and daily routines that it's important to remember to make most of the time that I get to spend at home. We visited an aquarium and local shops for some treats. We attended a sea lion feeding session where they performed stunts and funny tricks which made me think back to the documentary on dolphins I watched in high school. I wondered if it was sick of me to enjoy watching the sea lions follow orders even if they taught through positive reinforcement. I don't know if those kinds of situations are ever justified.

I took a day trip to NYC to meet up with some friends from college which was pleasant. I enjoyed being tour guide for a day and discovering new spots along the way. I must admit, it sparked a bit of excitement in me which I'm now looking forward to this fall. It was a nice feeling seeing those people outside of school. Since I go to school so far, they seem so intangible and our friendship falters only to be reconstructed four months later. So it was a nice change to see them.