Living on the beach can seem like the ultimate dream, especially when you’re on a coast as beautiful as the one in Southern California. But, your new beach life can turn into a bit of a nightmare if you’re not careful.
There are some rules of beach living that you have to prepare for before you settle in. These include everything from how to best take care of your patio furniture and keep sand out of your home to safety tips for your skin and much more.
Not to worry, the beach hacks listed below will help you figure everything out.
Here are the top ten tips you need when adjusting to the SoCal beach life.
1. Wear Sunscreen Every Single Day
Having the beach in your backyard doesn’t mean you’re going to spend every day sitting in the sand and splashing in the water. You still have a life to live beyond the beach! But, you do need to wear sunscreen every time you leave the house.
It doesn’t matter if you’re going to lunch with your girlfriends or for a quick morning run on the sand. The sun shines bright almost every day in Southern California, which means you need to take good care of your skin as you go about your life.
2. Keep Your Sunscreen Out of Direct Sunlight
Maybe you already have a good skincare regimen in place, but maybe you also have a tendency to keep sunscreen in the car or out in the sun.
This is really bad for your sunscreen. The intense heat caused by direct sunlight creates a change in the chemical make-up of the sunscreen. It hinders your sunscreen’s ability to do its job, even if you use all-natural sunscreen.
3. Always Have Some Aloe Vera in the House
No matter how much sunscreen you use and how well you take care of it, you’re bound to get a sunburn from time to time. It’s part of the beach lifestyle.
As such, it’s good to have some aloe vera on-hand, just in case. You never know when your beach nap may go for longer than expected or when your children will come home bright red from an afternoon in the sun. No matter how bad the burn is, though, aloe vera can help.
4. Invest in Top-Notch Outdoor Furniture
This SoCal living hack is all about the quality of the environment you create. It’s pretty amazing to step out on your beachfront porch in the morning and drink your coffee or watch the sunset in the evening. But, it can be kind of a bummer to keep replacing the furniture that gets worn down from the beachfront conditions.
Standard outdoor furniture can’t hold up against the salt in the ocean breeze or the sand that gets picked up, either. These elements can quickly cause all kinds of wear and tear. You can prevent this from happening if you buy the right furniture from the get-go instead of learning about the possible beach damage the hard way.
5. Avoid Dragging Sand into the House
As nice as it is to invest in furniture that can hold up against sand outside, you need to be careful about how much sand you bring inside. Your home should have an outdoor shower somewhere if you’re right on the beach, use it.
If you’re a block or two away from the sand and you don’t have a shower, at least set up a hose by one of the side doors. This makes it easy for everyone to come and go from the beach at all hours without turning the house into a complete mess.
6. Freeze Your Drinks
Another thing to think about is how hot the beach can get. It’s nice when you have your home nearby to cool off in, but when you want to spend the whole day on the beach you need to be smart about it.
Freezing your drinks makes a huge difference. This keeps your drinks cold much longer than a bit of ice can, and it works as ice in your cooler to control the temperature of snacks.
This tip works for classic kids drinks like Capri Suns and Gatorade, and it’s a great hack for pre-made adult drinks, too. Prep your favorite beach drinks the night before you have friends over and freeze them. This will keep the party going all day long!
7. Upgrade Your Beach Towel
Thinking about your drinks a little differently isn’t the only way you can better enjoy your time on the beach. You can also turn an average beach towel into a compartment for small items. All you need is a needle and thread and a bit of time.
The best way to make pockets out of a beach towel is to fold a good-sized flap over itself on the length side. Then, secure the “flap” in place by creating different sections along the width side from the crease to the opening. This results in small pouches that are perfect for keeping your smartphone or your favorite book out of the sun.
8. Save Your Smartphone
Speaking of keeping your smartphone out of the sun, be careful about it coming into contact with water, too. One of the best beach life hacks is to invest in a waterproof pouch for your phone.
Not only does it let you take pictures and make calls when your hands are wet, but it protects your phone from any drink spills or unexpected waves. It’s the tool everyone in the family needs, especially when you’re all spread out around the beach.
9. Make Sure There’s Plenty of Fun for Everyone
It’s easy to enjoy the beach when you have a deep passion for being by the water and enjoying the simpler things in life. If your kids are having trouble adjusting or they complain they’re bored at the beach, come up with fun games for them!
There are all kinds of ways to have fun at the beach beside laying out and going swimming. Depending on where in Southern California you end up, you could be near a bunch of tide pools to explore or close to elevated areas for your older kids to hike and bike. If you haven’t made your move yet, research some SoCal real estate blog content to make sure you end up in the perfect location for everyone.
10. Remember to Enjoy the Beach Life You’ve Created
Living on the beach is like a dream come true at first. But unfortunately, too many people forget about what a luxury it is after they’ve settled in. Don’t let this happen to you.
Make it a point to enjoy something about the beach every day. This could be by taking a quick walk on the beach in the evenings or making morning coffee on the deck a part of your routine. It could be as simple as leaving the curtains open in the living room to watch the waves roll in.
Whatever you do though, just make sure you’re tuned in to what’s happening around you. The beach life never loses its magic if you know how to notice it every day.
Create Your Own SoCal Beach Hacks
The beach hacks above should help you settle in quite nicely, but they’re not the only way to be smart about living on the beach. You’re sure to come up with your own good tips and interesting ideas as time goes on.
If you’re looking for more beach living advice for the time being, click here.