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Ultimate Family Beach Trip Checklist

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Shell and the Fuel Rewards® Program, in which I was compensated. All opinions are my own.

One of our favorite family trips is heading to the beach. We have a couple of beaches to choose from, all about 2-3 hours from our home. That means we head to the beach a couple of times a month, or whenever we can! Along the way, we’ve learned some helpful tips to make clean-up after the beach trip easier. The worst is when you forget something important (like sunscreen!) so we’ve created a printable Beach Trip packing list to help you get ready for your next trip to the beach as a family.

Fuel Savings for your Beach Trip

You can save up for your summer beach trips by stacking savings with Shell and the *Fuel Rewards® program to help you save on your fuel expenses before your trip. Shell is helping families make the most out of their summer and fall trips with a limited-time promotional offer to receive Instant Gold Status when you join the free Fuel Rewards program.

Plus, once you’re signed up, you can send your referral link to friends and family so they can join the Fuel Rewards program. the first time a friend uses the program by earning a reward or using their card at a participating Shell station, you will instantly earn 25¢/gal on your next fill. And there’s no limit to how many friends you invite or how many times you earn.

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Signing up for your Fuel Rewards loyalty card takes about a minute and rewards you with Instant Gold Status (5c/gal fuel savings, up to 20 gallons per visit) through the end of the year! You can keep your Gold Status by simply filling up at participating Shell gas stations using your personal Fuel Rewards program card or alt ID each time you fill up. Fueling up 6 times or more (minimum 5-gallons per qualifying visit) during a 3-month time-frame will extend your Gold Status savings for the next 3-months!

You can add up your savings easily by linking your credit or debit cards to the Fuel Rewards program and instantly start accruing fuel savings as you dine (thought it may take a few days before those savings post to your Fuel Rewards balance). There are thousands of participating restaurants that qualify. For every $50 spent in everyday dining purchases at qualified restaurants, you’ll earn an additional 10c/gal savings the next time you fill up your tank. Even your everyday retail expenses can help add up to fuel savings! You can earn an additional 5c/gal savings for every $50 spent at participating retailers.

There’s nothing extra for you to do, once you’ve linked your credit or debit card, but watch those savings add up! When you are out shopping for a new swimsuit or looking for new beach toys for your upcoming trip, remember to use your linked card to help accumulate your fuel savings at participating Shell stations.

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Taking a family trip to the beach is an affordable way to get out together as a family. Usually, the only costs associated with a trip to the beach are your fuel costs to get there and sometimes a small parking fee. Spend a few minutes to sign up for the Fuel Rewards program and you’ll be ready to save on all your fuel costs for your beach trip and your everyday driving, as well.

Things To-Do Before Your Beach Trip

Before the day of your trip to the beach, you’ll want to take care of a few things ahead of time to be sure your family can have the best trip possible!

1. Double check all swimsuits. If it’s the beginning of the season, you’ll need to make sure your swimsuits from last summer still fit and are not worn thin from chlorine or sun exposure. If it’s time for new suits, start looking at least a week before your beach day so you’re not scrambling last minute.

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2. Fill up your gas tank. Plan to fill up your tank, even if it’s not all the way empty, the day or two before your trip while you’re out and about for errands or on your way home from work. Starting your trip with a full tank of gas will help you spend more time at the beach and less time worrying about your fuel tank. Plus, it will help you save money by heading to your local Shell gas station and using your #InstantGold savings, rather than fueling up with the higher prices near touristy areas.

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3. Cook easy beach food ahead of time. There are certain kinds of leftovers that are perfect for packing along on a beach trip. We love to pack cold steak that’s already cooked and thinly sliced so it’s easy to eat at the beach. Cold drumsticks are another really great option for beach days. The protein in these two choices is great for all the exercise and play you’ll be doing and they both are delicious, even cold. You can also prep fruits and veggies ahead of time by washing, chopping as needed, and getting them packed and ready to go in the fridge the day before.

Easy Organization Tips for Beach Trips

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1. Separate wet & dry items. Prepare one bag with all your dry towels and extra clothes to change into after your fun day at the beach. Keep another bag or small tub to collect all your wet toys, towels, and suits. This will make it easier to keep your dry clothes and towels clean, sand-free, and dry until it’s time to use them.

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2. Bring along a cooler. A soft-sided cooler works great and eliminates the weight and extra bulk of larger coolers. You can fill the bottom layer with ice, add in your food and drink selections, and then fill in the remaining space with additional ice. If you’ll be at the beach a full day, you can bring a larger cooler and either keep it in the car and send one family member back to gather certain items for each meal of the day or you can tote it along with you if you have enough help. Either way, everyone will appreciate moving beyond just snack foods to more filling items that need to stay cool.

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3. Bag to protect phone/keys/etc from sand. Use freezer strength zipper bags to inexpensively protect your valuables from the sand. Just slip them in and zip the bag closed and then store the zipper bag towards the bottom of your beach back or in a zippered pocket to keep them out of sight and less tempting for strangers.

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4. Plan one easy to carry tote for beach toys. The original packaging for your beach toys isn’t always enough to easily corral all your beach toys home again at the end of a trip. Plan a lightweight bag or tote to collect all the beach toys into one spot and you’ll be able to multi-purpose your child’s water bucket to help you clean off your feet at the end of the trip.

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5. Keep most of the towels in the car. Unless it’s windy, chances are you will only need a towel or two while at the beach for wiping dry hands and eyes. Having extra towels around that you won’t actually end up using will just leave the towels sandy and give you an extra pile to carry out to the beach and back again. We leave most of the towels in the car to give us clean, dry, sand-free towels for drying off when the time is right.

Beach Trip Packing List

Essentials:

  • Sunscreen
  • Towels
  • Umbrella
  • Beach mat
  • Baby powder
  • Baby wipes
  • Water bottles
  • Cash

For the Kids:

  • Swimsuit
  • Rash guard
  • Sandals (no sneakers!!)
  • Beach toys
  • Frisbee
  • Boogie board
  • Hat
  • Sunglasses
  • Swim diaper
  • Dry diapers
  • Life jacket / puddle jumper

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For Mom & Dad:

  • Swimsuit
  • Cover-up
  • Lotion
  • Sunglasses
  • Hat/scarf
  • Beach chairs
  • Radio / portable speaker
  • Book
  • Camera
  • Portable charger

Great Beach Foods:

  • Cold steak, cooked and sliced
  • Cold drumsticks
  • Sandwiches
  • Fruit: Grapes, oranges, diced melons, berries
  • Veggies: Carrot sticks, bell peppers, mushrooms
  • String cheese
  • Hard boiled eggs
  • Juice box, water, soda
  • Chips or crackers
  • Granola bars
  • Applesauce
  • Beef jerky / pepperoni sticks
  • Nuts
  • Raisins or dried fruits

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Important Extras for the Car: 

  • Change of clothes
  • Extra towels
  • First aid kit
  • Lotion with Aloe
  • Lip balm
  • Brush or comb
  • Extra water
  • Plastic bags or tub for wet items
  • Map/directions
  • Extra batteries / chargers
  • Window shade
  • Medications / prescriptions

The ultimate guide to get you ready for the beach! What to pack checklist to make your packing go quick and easy plus awesome tips to help you get your car organized and make beach clean-up easier!

Printable Beach Checklist

Since you’ll want to have this list on hand when you’re getting ready, I’ve formatted the list into an easy to print PDF. Just print, and slip into a sheet protector or laminate and then put it in your beach bag so you have it ready as a reminder on each future beach trip! Get your Free Printable Beach Checklist here!

Hacks for Beach Clean-up Time

1. Use a water bucket for clean-up. You can fill a toy water bucket with ocean water just before you walk away from the beach. Then, when you get to your car you can lay down your beach mat right in front of your car door, a beach towel inside the car, and sit on the edge of your seat to wash and clean your feet as the last thing you do before getting into your car.

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2. Change in the car. This may not be easy or possible for adults, depending on your car size and who’s along with you for the trip. A front window shade screen can help tremendously and another family member can hold a towel over the windows, if they’re not tinted. Even if the adults can’t change, getting the kids into clean, dry clothes can make a world of difference. If you drive a van, the hatchback trunk can the kids plenty of space to change in privacy, and keep all the sand contained in one area. You can also head to the beach in everyday clothes, and use the car as a changing station for putting on bathing suits. Just let your family members use the space before loading up all your beach supplies.

3. Head for a bathroom. As you’re pulling away from town, look for a gas station and stop in for a quick change and bathroom break, if there were no bathrooms at the beach. Even if you don’t need to go to the bathroom, it can be incredibly helpful for clearing out sand and making your ride home more comfortable. While you’re there, dry off as best as you can and change into dry clothes.

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4. Use baby powder to remove sand. Bring along baby powder to easily remove sand. Just twist open the cap and shake to sprinkle a little baby powder where desired, then wipe away the sand.

5. Pack along a cordless hand-vac.  A charged and ready to go hand-vac will make it easy to clean-up the sand from any car seats or other areas to keep you comfortable for your travels home. One adult can help kids change while the other loads up the trunk and then handles the hand-vac. Then, when you arrive back home, a big part of your clean-up is already done!

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The ultimate guide to get you ready for the beach! What to pack checklist to make your packing go quick and easy plus awesome tips to help you get your car organized and make beach clean-up easier!

What other tips do you have for a successful beach trip? 

*RESTRICTIONS APPLY. TO QUALIFY FOR THE GOLD/SILVER STATUS OFFERS, YOU MUST BE A FUEL REWARDS® MEMBER AND SWIPE YOUR FUEL REWARDS® CARD OR ENTER YOUR ALT ID WHEN YOU FUEL AT A PARTICIPATING SHELL STATION. WITH GOLD STATUS, YOU WILL RECEIVE 5¢/GAL IN FUEL REWARDS® SAVINGS ON EVERY FILL-UP. THE 5¢/GAL REWARD FOR GOLD STATUS WILL BE COMBINED WITH OTHER REWARDS IN YOUR FUEL REWARDS® ACCOUNT. IF YOU ARE AN EXISTING FUEL REWARDS® MEMBER, YOU WILL RECEIVE GOLD STATUS FROM 6/5/2017 THROUGH 12/31/17, THE “EXISTING MEMBER INTRODUCTORY PERIOD”. IF YOU ARE A NEW FUEL REWARDS® MEMBER, YOU WILL RECEIVE GOLD STATUS FOR THE INITIAL MONTH YOU JOIN THROUGH THE LAST DAY OF THE MONTH, 6 FULL CALENDAR MONTHS LATER, THE “NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTORY PERIOD”. THE LAST 3 MONTHS OF THE EXISTING MEMBER INTRODUCTORY PERIOD OR THE NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTORY PERIOD (COLLECTIVELY THE “INTRODUCTORY PERIOD”) IS THE “QUALIFICATION PERIOD”. YOU WILL RETAIN YOUR GOLD STATUS DURING THE QUALIFICATION PERIOD, BUT YOU MUST MAKE 6 QUALIFYING FUEL PURCHASES TO QUALIFY FOR GOLD STATUS FOR THE NEXT 3 MONTHS, THE “BENEFIT PERIOD”. DURING THE BENEFIT PERIOD, YOU MUST CONTINUE TO MAKE 6 QUALIFYING FUEL PURCHASES TO MAINTAIN YOUR GOLD STATUS FOR THE NEXT 3-MONTH BENEFIT PERIOD. A QUALIFYING FUEL PURCHASE IS ANY FUEL PURCHASE AT A PARTICIPATING SHELL STATION IN WHICH YOU SWIPE YOUR FUEL REWARDS® CARD OR ENTER YOUR ALT ID AND FILL UP WITH AT LEAST 5-GALLONS OF ANY GRADE OF FUEL. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ARE A NEW FUEL REWARDS® MEMBER AND REGISTER ON 6/15/2017, YOU WILL RECEIVE GOLD STATUS THROUGH THE NEW MEMBER INTRODUCTORY PERIOD (I.E., 12/31/2017). YOU WILL NEED TO FILL UP WITH AT LEAST 5 GALLONS OF FUEL AT LEAST 6 TIMES DURING THE QUALIFICATION PERIOD (I.E., 10/1/2017 AND 12/31/2017) TO MAINTAIN GOLD STATUS DURING THE BENEFIT PERIOD (I.E., FROM 1/1/2018 TO 3/31/2018). THEREAFTER, IF YOU CONTINUE TO FILL UP WITH AT LEAST 5 GALLONS OF FUEL AT LEAST 6 TIMES DURING THE SUCCESSIVE 3 CONSECUTIVE MONTH BENEFIT PERIODS, YOU WILL RETAIN YOUR GOLD STATUS. IF YOU DO NOT MAINTAIN YOUR GOLD STATUS, YOU WILL RECEIVE SILVER STATUS. WITH SILVER STATUS, YOU WILL RECEIVE 3¢/GAL IN FUEL REWARDS® SAVINGS. THE 3¢/GAL REWARD FOR SILVER STATUS WILL BE COMBINED WITH OTHER REWARDS IN YOUR FUEL REWARDS® ACCOUNT. REDEEM FUEL REWARDS® SAVINGS WITH YOUR FUEL REWARDS® CARD OR ALT ID AT PARTICIPATING SHELL STATIONS. FUEL REWARDS® SAVINGS ARE LIMITED TO 20 GALLONS OF FUEL PER PURCHASE, PER VEHICLE, OR FRAUD LIMITS PLACED BY SHELL AND/OR LIMITS PLACED ON YOUR FINANCIAL CARD BY YOUR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION, EACH OF WHICH MAY BE LOWER. FUEL REWARDS® SAVINGS MUST BE REDEEMED IN A SINGLE TRANSACTION. ONCE YOU BEGIN TO DISPENSE FUEL USING YOUR FUEL REWARDS® SAVINGS, YOU MUST DISPENSE TO THE 20-GALLON LIMIT OR YOU FORFEIT ANY REMAINING DISCOUNTED GALLONS OF FUEL. FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ONLY PUMP FIFTEEN (15) GALLONS OF FUEL, YOU WOULD ABANDON THE REMAINING FIVE (5) GALLONS OF DISCOUNTED FUEL. IF YOU HAVE A REWARDS BALANCE GREATER THAN THE CURRENT PER-GALLON PRICE OF FUEL, THE PRICE WILL ROLL DOWN TO THE MAXIMUM CAPABILITY OF THE FUEL EQUIPMENT, AND YOUR REMAINING REWARDS WILL BE SAVED FOR A FUTURE FUEL PURCHASE. DISPENSER MAY REQUIRE A PRICE OF UP TO 10.9¢/GAL. IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO COMBINE MULTIPLE DISCOUNTS AND/OR REWARDS IN A SINGLE TRANSACTION. FOR PURCHASES OF $75 OR MORE, PLEASE GO INSIDE TO PAY. UNBRANDED DIESEL AND ALTERNATIVE FUELS MAY NOT BE ELIGIBLE. THE FUEL REWARDS® PROGRAM IS OWNED AND OPERATED BY EXCENTUS CORPORATION. OFFER MAY BE MODIFIED OR DISCONTINUED AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. NOT VALID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. PLEASE SEE FUELREWARDS.COM FOR COMPLETE FUEL REWARDS® PROGRAM DETAILS AND TERMS AND CONDITIONS. OTHER RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY. ALL TRADEMARKS ARE THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. TO LEARN MORE, VISIT FUELREWARDS.COM/GOLD OR CALL (888) 603-0473.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Shell. The opinions and text are all mine.

Jonna

Wednesday 27th of September 2017

I love taking our family to the beach, and this is a great checklist. Especially loved the tips on getting OUT of the sand!

Keikilani

Wednesday 27th of September 2017

Packing lists are essential for me whenever we make a trip to the beach! With six kids, I am always forgetting something essential.

Nancy at Whispered Inspirations

Wednesday 27th of September 2017

Oh the sand, yes the SAND. It gets EVERYWHERE. It is a good idea to protect your stuff from the sand when visiting the beach. These are all really great tips.

Gingermommy

Wednesday 27th of September 2017

This is a great beach checklist! It is so much fun to visit the beach with your family, but totally better when you are well prepared. This checklist is bound to help a lot!

Hali

Tuesday 26th of September 2017

What a thorough list, I love it. So useful!!

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