Grab your beach bag. It’s time to hit the Beach!

Memorial Day is the unofficial kick-off to summer. There’s nothing like that first day, after a long winter, where you dig your chair into the sand, throw down your new beach bag crammed full of beach-day necessities, and lounge away. This nautical stripe bag from Banyan Hippo is a great summertime accessory.

Coastal Living, one of my all-time favorite magazines, has a monthly column that spotlights a celebrity’s beach bag. Recently they looked inside the bags of Tory Burch and Michael Kors. It’s not just what’s inside a bag that makes a great beach bag, but the bag itself makes a statement.

This got me thinking, about my beach bag. I grew up at the Jersey Shore, where my friends and I spent all summer on the beach. I bought beach bags like other people bought shoes. Was it a Palm Beach kind of beach day (coral and green cabana-striped bag) or did I feel more Nantucket-y (Wicker with navy blue gingham lining.) Of course, it didn’t matter what bag I used, the contents I would stuff inside all remained the same. All the things I needed to keep me blissfully beach bound for the day—a book, a magazine, a notebook (for when I felt like making lists), sunscreen, snacks, and water.

This journal from Three by Sea is the perfect size for jotting down sea side.

A food bag from Bebeloosh Mini will keep snacks sand-free.

What more could you want in a day sitting sea-side? After, I’ll shake out my towel and hang my bag up (ideally on a hook like this one from Monkey and Squirrel)

I might not lounge endlessly anymore, but I still hit the beach when I can, and all my favorite necessities come with me.