Road Trip Must Haves

I have been looking forward to vacation pretty much since January. Now, it's finally almost here and I can't wait to leave on Friday! I know that today is only Wednesday, but I already have almost everything laid out and ready to pack up for my week at the beach. One thing I made sure to have absolutely perfectly packed right away, though, was my car bag. The ride to South Carolina is roughly 12 hours, so I definitely need to make sure I'm entertained for every minute. 

First and foremost, I needed a good book. I've had If I Stay by Gayle Forman on my shelf for forever and since the movie comes out next month and I absolutely have to see it, I decided vacation was the perfect time to crack into the book. So, book? Check. But one book is definitely not enough, so I had to find some other sources of entertainment. It's no secret that I'm a runner, so my next choice of reading was Runner's World magazine. I've actually never read the magazine before, but have always wanted to check it out. What better time to get to know the magazine than by spending 12 hours with it? Not to mention it's the half-marathon special, which I'm super excited about. With those two reads, I will definitely not get bored anytime soon. 

Some other random knickknacks include an abundance of colored pens, a notebook for random ideas and lists, some lotion, my new Forever 21 sunglasses, and hair essentials like headbands and ponytails. All of this goes in my beautiful The Fault In Our Stars bag that I won in a giveaway. Gosh, just writing about it all makes me beyond excited to hit the road. I've always been a fan of long car rides because I can get so much done. Why can't it be Friday already so I can have my 12 hours of reading and relaxation? 

Must Haves: Ready for the Beach

Young and Free Tote Bag // Large Diamond Beach Towel // I Don't Sweat I Sparkle Tank // Maybe Someday // Stylish Expression Sandal // Garden Rose Cosmetic Bag // Oversized Cat-Eye Sunglasses // Ruched Geo Print Headwrap

With my vacation to Surfside Beach quickly approaching (only two more weeks!), I have been thinking nonstop about what I'm going to bring with me. Whenever my family goes to the beach for the week, which we've been doing for the past four years, we always spend almost all day, everyday just lying on the beach. While we do rent a condo on the beach, I hate having to constantly go in and out because I forgot stuff. That being said, I have to make sure I pack all of my essentials before heading out for a long, gorgeous day on the sand. 

A towel and sunglasses are definitely a must, but I've learned that little things like a headband and a cosmetic bag to hold the little things like lip balm, lotion, and hair ties is a must. The beach is hot, which means that I'm bound to start sweating about 20 minutes in to laying out in the sun. A headband helps keeping my sweaty, sticky hair out of my fave while I try to work on my tan. I also love finding fun tanks to wear over my bathing suit. They're comfortable enough to wear if I'm in the shade and always brighten up my outfit. Lastly, you'll always find a book in my beach bag. I read at least a book a day over vacation, so a book or my Nook is always in my hand while I'm on the beach. This year, I'm definitely digging into Colleen Hoover's newest book. Mmmmm I can smell the salt and sunscreen already!