we ♡ the beach

We do. Even with the sandy mess of a minivan afterward, the time it takes to get everyone ready, the embarrassing myriad of stuff we need to function for a few hours in the sand, and the never ending sunscreen applications ... we are generally game for a trip. Once we get there everyone is pretty happy and sometimes Simon and I even get to sit and chat while watching the kids splash around, dig in the sand, or paw at their strapped on sunhat (I'm looking at you B) for a few uninterrupted minutes which is golden during the daytime hours.

I'll never be an expert on beach-going with kids but we've learned a few key lessons in our short Floridian tenure. We've found that going in the late afternoon/evening is a great time to go because the sun isn't nearly as intense and we can usually get away with just hats and no umbrella. We pack dinner, and once we get home we give the kids super quick baths and they are asleep before their heads even hit their cribs/beds/pillows. It's awesome.

We were also recently introduced to the Beachmate system which has all but changed our beach tripping lives. As much fun as hauling a wagon through potentially packed parking lots and longish walks through the sand to find an open spot WAS ... the ease of either just toting the Beachmate like a regular old tote ....

or strapping the entire thing onto a chair like Super Simon did here ...

it's easy to get it from point A (minivan trunk) to point B (beach, baby, beach!).

We didn't need the umbrella this trip but it can easily be strapped onto the side of the system as well - which is awesome. I don't know that I'll ever get brave enough to take (even a few) kids to the beach on my own but this would certainly make things a million times easier.

The Beachmate system comes packed with four buckets (two small, two medium) two sturdy shovels (thee sturdiest!), a roomy cooler, and plenty of room to stuff all my other necessities inside.

Simon is a big skeptic and calls every other thing he sees, "gimmicky" and I didn't say much about the Beachmate but set it out while I was getting everyone swimsuited up and he was packing dinner with the (enormous!) help of Phoebe he kept saying how roomy and awesome the cooler was. And then he went on to sing the praises of being able to attach it to the chair he was already going to be carrying on his back. And the umbrella attachment feature ... and on and on.

Theo is our resident digger and leaves most of the swimming to the older kids for now ...

he's also our resident my way or the highway-er.

Don't tell him those shades might be better suited right side up. Don't do it.

Phoebe is always first to start poking around the gear looking for food and drink not long after we arrive ...

... and she's usually successful in convincing Simon to bust out our sandwich dinner no matter the hour.

Probably my favorite use for the Beachmate is ....

... for now. Bosco was so happy in his little nest and it seemed to discourage Phoebe from trying to get him to join in her favorite game, "taste all the sand" ...

And now for the fun part. Y'all wanna party like we do ...

... y'all wanna party like us. I know it.

Beachmate is giving way a Beachmate system to one lucky reader. You know the Rafflecopter road well by now, I hope.

Best of luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway