First Swim Of The Season And Packing That Beach Bag

Cape Town has finally wisened up to the fact that it’s Summer.

Granted, it may still be as windy as all heck, but at least it’s warm.  I’ll take a stifling hot day over a freezing cold one any day!  I know many people feel the opposite of that, but I can never warm up enough in Winter – even with a hundred layers and looking like the Oros man.  It’s certainly a lot easier to cool down in Summer – the pool, a lovely cold drink, beautiful Summer dresses.

It’s the best.

Last weekend was a real Summer weather winner.  We’d been to a 40th out at Suikerbossie (in the Hout Bay/Llandudno area) for the afternoon of what could easily be the hottest day this year.  It was a killer.  Really, really freaking hot.  It was so hot I was contemplating swimming.  Which, considering I have been in our pool a grand total of 4 times in the 3 years that we’ve lived in our house, is a lot right?!

So anyway, I suggested to Seth that we go to the beach.  But he was hot and bothered, it had been a long day and we didn’t have any beach gear in the boot.  We had to give it a miss.

Instead we went home and had our first swim in our home pool.  I didn’t swim (because by then I had cooled down and come to my senses), but the kids did.  The verdict?  It was freaking freezing.  But was that enough to keep them out of the water?  Heck no.  I don’t know how they do it.  Swimming around like crazy in frigid water.  It’s making me get goosebumps just thinking about it.

But it got me thinking.  We really need to get a beach bag going.  Every year I think about it and then every year an entire Summer passes by and we’ve only been to the beach twice.  It’s a problem.  And yes, for those inland folks that are reading muttering under their breaths about living so close to the sea but never going to see it, I hear you.  And you’re right.  We’re too used to just having it right there.  We hardly ever go.

Not this Summer though.  This Summer I’m ready.

Guys, I just packed a beach bag and put it in the boot of Seth’s car.  It even has snacks and drinks in it!  My kids are going to be over the moon when we just randomly end a day off at the beach.

Here’s a bit of what we put in it:

• Towels
• Bathers
• Snacks (rusks, biscuits, fruit chews and juices)
• Suncream (SPF50)
• Beach toys

Additional to that, we keep a big umbrella in the boot of the car next to the bag.

What do you keep in your beach bag?

*DISCLAIMER – This is not a sponsored post. I was sent these goodies by Purity Baby but they did not ask me to write this post.  I had been meaning to do this anyway (for years) and the gifts that they sent me perfectly fit what I was looking for.