Going to the Beach: Grocery Shopping Tips

For the first time beach vacationer, the biggest surprise might be that on Saturday and Sunday, the grocery stores resemble the kind of stores that are on the news on Black Friday. There are SO MANY PEOPLE in a grocery store that is foreign to them. Lines are long, aisles are crowded, it is rough.

Over the years we have tried several strategies that have varying levels of success that I want to share with you.

Strategy #1:
Shop immediately.
Unload car as soon as you can possibly check in and go to the grocery store with everyone and give each person a small list broken up by sections.

Pros: You only have to navigate one section of the store. It cuts the time in the store down.
Cons: You bring a lot of people into the store. The person who made the list is needed to answer questions. Impossible to do with children.

Strategy #2:
Wait until after dinner to shop.
Unload the car. Unpack. Settle in. Visit the beach. Have dinner. Then shop.

Pros: The store is much quieter. You get to have some fun before going to the store.
Cons: You probably won't get everything on your list.

Strategy #3:
Bring what you need for the first couple of days with you.
Shop at home in your own grocery store and bring it with you.

Pros: You won't have to go to the grocery store immediately. The stores are less crowded on Monday and Tuesday.
Cons: You will have to haul a lot of food with you which could take up valuable cargo space.

Strategy #4:
Use a grocery pick up or delivery service.
Order online and skip the hassle of going into a store.

Pros: Grocery shopping will take less than 30 minutes. You won't actually have to go into a store.
Cons: This may not be available everywhere. It takes some extra pre-planning.

How do you grocery shop when you go on a beach vacation? Do you cook a lot on a beach vacation? Share below!

Going to the Beach: What's in My Beach Bag

I love the beach, but I did not grow up going to the beach. When I started going to the beach, I struggled with knowing what to put in my bag. So, if you are like me, keep reading!

I am a beach bag minimalist. We usually rent a house within walking distance and only spend 3-4 hours at a time at the beach because I am terribly fair skinned.

So, what's in my beach bag?

1. Sunscreen, usually several varieties.
I like Neutrogena because that is what my dermatologist wants me to use. I also love Wet Skin sunscreen. It allowed me to spend 7 hours on the beach in the Bahamas last October.

2. A beach towel

3. Bottles of water
I am not usually a fan of plastic bottles, but when we go to the beach, I do pack them in my beach bag. I am also very careful to make sure they leave the beach with me and end up in a recycling bin.

4. Ziploc bags
We use these to put our cell phones in and my beach book when they are not being used.

5. Mesh bags
I am a beach comber and love to collect shells and sea glass and small pieces of driftwood, so I like the mesh bag to collect my treasures in.

6. Bug spray
Sometimes bug spray is necessary, especially if you have to cross dunes to get to the beach.

7. Beach book
The greatest luxury in my life is reading a good book on the beach.

And that is it. I don't like to carry a heavy beach bag and for our short beach stints, we don't need a lot.

What is in your beach bag? Am I missing something that will make my life easier?

Going to the Beach: Rainy Day Ideas

You look forward to going to the beach for weeks...or months. You have a perfect first day or two and then crash...you wake up to a wash out. It stinks.

This has happened to us on every beach trip we have taken. On our first one, there was a hurricane off the coast, that thankfully, stayed off the coast, but sent us a day of rain. On our most recent trip in 2016, Tropical Storm Colin visited us for half of a day.

So what do you do?

We like to sleep in, make a big breakfast and curl up in a chair or in bed and read or watch a movie. If the rain doesn't let up, we like to venture out for lunch and to find some kind of activity to keep us amused.

Here are my top 5 choices for rainy days at the beach

1. Find a local museum...or three.
Depending on where you are, there will likely be several interesting museums you can visit. If they are on the smaller size, you may want to visit more than one.

2. Find an indoor activity.
Bowling alleys, arcades, or laser tag are all fun options for an active group.

3. Movie Day
Try renting movies from Redbox or Amazon, pop a bunch of popcorn and get movie box candy.

4. Take a class.
In most beach communities, there will be some kind of pottery painting or canvas painting classes you can take on a rainy day.
Pro Tip: If you do the pottery painting, remember to check to see when the pottery will be ready to pick up.

5. Game Day
Break out the board games or video games and get competitive!

What are your favorite rainy day beach activities? Share below!

Going to the Beach: Game Night Tips and Ideas

We are planning our fifth beach trip and my favorite night of every trip is Game Night!

Here are some tips and ideas on how to plan a great Beach Trip Game Night...

1. Create a signature cocktail

We always mix up a pitcher of our drink of the day so the flow of the game isn't interrupted for refills!

2. Plan fun and easy snacks

My OCD brain can't handle a lot of mess, so I like to plan easy, neat snacks for game night.  Popcorn is always a go to, but you can up your popcorn game by having add ins like M&Ms, Red Hots, Goldfish, Marshmallows, Chocolate Chips, etc. 

For those with a sweet tooth, I like to get some cookies, brownies or cupcakes.

3. Have a few fun game choices.

I like to have a variety, like board games, cards, dominoes and some interactive games. I usually choose a more complicated game for the beginning of the night before the signature cocktails kick in and then pull out one of our game night classics later in the evening.

4. Have a fun playlist or open the windows if you can hear the beach

There are always going to be lulls in conversation as people concentrate or get tired...and having a playlist to fill the silence and keep the mood elevated is key.

What are your favorite games for game night? Do you have a favorite game night snack?

Going to the Beach: Dinner Planning and Meal Ideas

Our beach trip is approaching quickly and I am starting to get dinner ideas together for our group!

We like to do a mix of eating out for dinner and eating in. We have found that we can make amazing meals at our beach house for a fraction of the cost of eating out. Even if we spend more on groceries than we would typically spend, it is worth it.

Here is a sample Dinner Menu for our week long beach vacation....

Arrival Night: Taco Bar
We like to do this because it is quick and fun. We get ground beef for the tacos, seasonings, various taco shells, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa, chips, queso and more!

Night Two: Surf 'n Turf, baked potatoes, roasted veggies, salad
This one is fun! We always pick up small steaks at the grocery store and then head over to the seafood market and look for something we either have never tried or something we love to pair with the steak.

Night Three: Visit a local restaurant
Who doesn't love a local restaurant! Check yelp for ratings.

Night Four: Shrimp Boil with peel and eat shrimp, potatoes, corn on the cob, salad and clams if they are available
This is the most fun! You dump a seasoning, like Old Bay, in boiling water and cook the corn and the potatoes. Then, when they are pretty much done, add in the shrimp and wait until they turn pink. Serve it up in a large bowl with some bowls for the peels scattered around the table and you have a party! Oh and lots of napkins!

Night Five: Visit a local restaurant

Night Six: Pizza Delivery and Leftovers
We usually have some leftovers, so we finish up the week with those leftovers and a couple of pizzas to round out the meal.

As we get closer, I will share the exact menus and grocery lists we will be using!

What are your favorite beach trip meals? Share below!

Going to the Beach: Lunch Planning and Ideas

Our beach trip is 60something days away, and I am thinking about what we are going to eat for lunch.

Lunch should be as fuss free as possible. If we are out sightseeing, I like to take that as an opportunity to check out the local restaurant options. As a bonus, lunch menus tend to be a bit more budget friendly.

But when we are doing a full on beach day, I like to have a platter of sandwich ingredients ready so all I have to do is pull it out of the refrigerator and everyone can make their own custom sandwich.

Here is a sample lunch menu for our beach days...
Sandwiches (choice of ham, turkey or chicken) with cheese (choice of Swiss or cheddar) on bread or rolls.
Toppings: Lettuce, Tomatoes, Pickles, Mustard, Mayo
Chips
Cookies
Fruit
Veggies

Another tip I love to use at the beach is to either buy and prep a bunch of fruit and veggies so it is ready for meals or snacks or I like to buy the produce that is cut in the store. Its a little pricier, but sometimes, its worth it.

For cookies, I usually bring homemade cookie dough already portioned or I like to buy childhood favorites at the grocery store.

Something new I want to do this year is add in a cold pasta salad and a cold broccoli salad instead of a chips for a quick side dish.

Here are some recipes I want to try.

Tropical Quinoa Salad

Pesto Pasta Salad

Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

The Best Broccoli Salad

To see what we are planning to eat, drink and do in Destin, follow me on Pinterest!