Good morning, good morning!
Well you guys, I woke up this morning on a different island.
This year, I signed up to attend a conference for travel professionals, so as much as it PAINED me to leave Nantucket (and my family!), I did.
Yesterday, I made my way to Jamaica (a first for me!), and I’ll be here a few days learning and growing as a travel agent (and then I’ll get myself back up north ASAP!).
In honor of me being back in the Caribbean (third time in three months!), I thought our TRAVEL TUESDAY could be all about getting oneself (and their family)…
…BEACH READY 🙂 .
So, grab that coffee (maybe pretend like it’s a pina colada?!) and settle in for the tropical Tuesday fun.
First things first, every good beach day needs…
…a sunny playlist!
If you haven’t tried my SUMMER PLAYIST yet, you should! It’s a mix of oldies and newer songs all perfect for the pool, the beach, the backyard or the background of your next get together. We listen to this playlist A LOT during the summer season.
I know many of you are like me and enjoy watching movies set during the current season.
This year, I created…
I highly recommend all of these films to get you in a beach ready mood 🙂 .
As you know, we are these people…
…we “beach” hard all summer long. We couldn’t do it as easily as we do without some of our very favorite gear!
First up…
…my very very favorite BEACH BAG! Seriously, how many times have I blogged about this bag? YEARS! The pockets, the size, the durability (we are hard on this thing), all the fun color options, and the price…
…make this our #1 go to BEACH BAG.
Okay, this next item is new! Back in December, my friend told me all about how amazing…
…TURTLE BOX SPEAKER was for music by the water. I did a little research and decided to gift both Andrew and my brother each one for Christmas. You guys, we love it! You can read the reviews for all the details, but it’s been a fantastic addition to our beach days this year.
You can’t head to the beach without…
…a YETI RAMBLER! Not only do our cans stay nice and cold even in the hot sun, but the ramblers allow us to set them down in the sand and the drinks stay upright easily. We keep them in our beach bag and take them with us every time.
Speaking of Yeti…
…our YETI BACKPACK is our favorite! This is much easier than pulling a cooler or carrying a really heavy one from car to beach.
Speaking of backpacks…
…we never head to the beach without these BEACH BACKPACK CHAIRS! They’re light enough that even Mades can wear one easily. I love the big pocket in the back (that’s where we put our beach towels), plus, there is a drink pocket and another pocket for your cellphone/keys/glasses/etc on the side. These chairs are super sturdy too and can recline.
Our favorite BEACH TOWELS are a must too! Not only do we have them in McKinney, but we bought 20 and brought them with us to Nantucket too. I cannot rave about them enough. The size is great, they’re soft, they don’t shed…I love them!
We have traveled all over the world with this BEACH BLANKET. It packs up nice and small (easy to throw in the beach bag) and then comes out easily at the beach. It’s so simple and easy to use and really does a great job at keeping the sand away.
And finally…
…we made burgers on our BEACH GRILL just Thursday. Everything off the grill just tastes better at the beach.
I personally never head to the beach without…
…like ever 🙂 .
I’ve shared these before, but they are certainly worth sharing again…
…my 30 BEST BEACH BOOKS!
I’ve added a few meatier ones and even some suspenseful books in for kicks. I’ve put a * next to those.
A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams*
The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth*
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Slightly South of Simple by Kristy Woodson Harvey
The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle
How to Walk Away by Katherine Center
Swear on this Life by Renee Carlino
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen*
Island Girls by Nancy Thayer
Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand
The Secret Life of Violet Grant by Beatriz Williams*
The Break Down by B.A. Paris*
Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi Laditan
The Beach Club by Elin Hilderbrand
Cancel the Wedding by Carolyn Dingman
One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover*
One Night on the Island by Josie Silver
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult*
Summer Love by Nancy Thayer
Nora Goes Off Script by Anabel Monaghan
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon*
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
Float Plan by Trish Doller
Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst
Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel
And finally…
If you want to get a good workout in before you hit the beach, make sure you try…
…ANDREW’S BEACH READY WORKOUT!
You can also check out THIS POST and THIS POST for some more of Andrew’s workout options. THIS POST HERE includes video links should you need them.
Whew!
That’s all from Jamaica today!
Wishing you the very best Tuesday. I’ll see you back here tomorrow! xx
Elspeth Mizner says
Have a great time learning and being on the island!
Great advice!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Whitney says
Shay, maybe you posted and I missed it but best places to buy swimsuits?! Thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
I buy most of mine at Nordstrom and then also Athleta. They have the widest variety, the best return policies (should something not work out), and great quality brands. I keep my swimsuits for YEARS!
Jennifer P says
That beach bag has become my absolute favorite bag for the beach!! I do also love the yeti backpack! Still having ice in the cooler after a long day at the beach makes the price tag worth it! A MUST for us is this table! Easy to setup and teardown. The legs settle perfectly into the sand which makes it stay put and stable.
https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Lightweight-Collapsible-Campfires-Tailgating/dp/B0BJK55548/ref=sxin_16_pa_sp_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.7ced4058-141f-4cbd-9b1b-8bfe2ae89078%3Aamzn1.sym.7ced4058-141f-4cbd-9b1b-8bfe2ae89078&crid=3P92QK3BUW59R&cv_ct_cx=beach%2Btable&keywords=beach%2Btable&pd_rd_i=B0BJK55548&pd_rd_r=2780d4d9-b79a-4cae-b954-e704f1201408&pd_rd_w=FvllQ&pd_rd_wg=VQMhG&pf_rd_p=7ced4058-141f-4cbd-9b1b-8bfe2ae89078&pf_rd_r=177C61CS9ESPQB6W4QX6&qid=1750162286&s=home-garden&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=beach%2Btable%2Cgarden%2C133&sr=1-2-9428117c-b940-4daa-97e9-ad363ada7940-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&th=1
Curious about the sunscreen/tanning oil you and the family use? Any recommendations? Is there a difference depending on if you’re on Nantucket, in the Caribbean or home in Texas? Have such a fun week at your conference!
Mix and Match Mama says
We use Coola or Sun Bum almost exclusively no matter where we are.
Debbie Dehrer says
Thanks for posting the summer reading list! You’ve got some great ones on there and a few I haven’t gotten to yet.
I love Amy Poeppel. Her books are great. She has a new one out that I’m excited to read.
Have a great time in Jamaica.
Laci says
Gifted my son a turtlebox for Christmas! Unfortunately he lived in an apartment and it was stolen by some roommates in college, but he adored that speaker!
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh no! That’s terrible!
Bren says
Oh how I love hearing about your travels, Shay! You truly love what you do and it shows! So happy to see this list of books as I was needing some inspiration for my next book. Enjoy Jamacia!
Paula Hobbs says
Jamaica???!!!!??? Have a GREAT time!!! I know it’s work, but I can’t wait to see all the things!!!
Sarah M. says
I think I’ve asked this before, but do you guys sit out in the sun all day, or do you have a sunshade of some sort? I love the beach but cannot sit in the sun!!
Mix and Match Mama says
Well it depends on where we are. On vacation, we’ll have some sort of shade (or at home by our pool as well), but on Nantucket, we can just move to one side or the other of our car (if it’s a drive on beach) for shade…if it’s another kind of beach, we don’t have much shade.
Heather S says
Shay-
You need to buy a Shibumi shade! They pop up in like under a minute and provide great airflow . We use our all summer long. They also just came out with chairs that are suppose to keep you cool as well. Ours are in transit current, so I cannnot speak to the validity yet. But the shade I will sing the praises of every👏🏼day👏🏼
Meghan says
Great list! Have fun on your trip! Can you link the pink trucker hat with the mountain on it? Thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s from Aviator Nation 🙂
Lori says
Perfect timing as we head to the DR next week! I was looking for books! 🙂
Emily Baker says
We gifted my son a turtle box for his 15th birthday and we all love it!
And your beach bag is a favorite of mine! After seeing it on your blog, I’ve bought 3 different ones, we love them especially for travel!
K.K. says
Yay for a fun learning trip! Jamaica sounds like a great place to have a conference.
Also, in your beach movies list, My Father the Hero took me back to watching that in my teen years!! I haven’t seen it since then, but I might have to check that out again.
Kari Miller says
I’m thinking the yeti would be great for long baseball weekends too! Thanks for sharing about the beach bag- I’m needing a pool bag and that would be perfect.
Enjoy your conference!!
https://karimillerblog.com/day-in-the-life-june-13-2025/
Julie says
Love this! Makes me wish we were headed to the beach. Our destination is mountains this year. 😊
Katie Stewart says
So much love for the Turtlebox speaker. Another fun summer movie that we love is Just Go With It! Have fun in Jamaica!
Emily G says
Turtle box is the best! Four guys that we know from Houston created it in their garage- determined to have an indestructible Bluetooth speaker for the outdoors. Great guys and great story!! Chip Gaines named it one of his favorite things too!
Laura says
Hi Shay! Does Nantucket not allow Shibumi’s or beach tents? That is all we see when we go to the beach outside of Charleston or Hilton Head so I am curious.
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! They do!
Jaimee Shaffer says
Laughed out loud at the part about parents taking a chair to the beach…just told my son this morning that next time we go I want to relax more. 😂 Can you recommend a chair that you can lay flat on? (Gotta keep the tan even!).
Karen in Virginia says
I see the fabulous grill! Do you guys actually take that on to the sand with you? And how do the raw burgers stay fresh at the beach? Do you have to cook everything the minute you get there? And isn’t that a lot of extra work? Just curious, but I love the grill.
Mix and Match Mama says
Absolutely! We set it up on a little table (to keep it off the sand). We put our cold items in our cooler with ice and then grill, grill, grill at the beach. We don’t have to cook them right when we arrive. Those Yeti coolers keep things really cold.
April says
You travel so much. Three times in 3 months in the Caribbean? I mean, that’s not normal. I do have a Spotify Summer Playlist, and I love it! I usually have songs that have either “Summer” or “sunshine” in them. I have 15 hours worth of song on them. I haven’t even played them yet, as it isn’t technically summer until next week 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
15 hours?! That’s awesome!
Danielle says
I might be in the minority here, but I don’t want to listen to music when I’m at the beach…I want to listen to the ocean! It’s a pet peeve of mine when people play music at the beach, but to each their own I guess!
Lindi says
I cannot STAND listening to other people blasting their music. I think it’s *so* tasteless. Now that’s if we’re close together. If it’s super spread out, I don’t care. We were on the beach once, very close to another family, and they blasted country music. It was so incredibly loud. Ugh, no!!!
Julie L says
How is the sargassum on the beaches there? We leave Monday for Punta Cana and I’ve heard all of the Caribbean is getting hit hard with it.
Mix and Match Mama says
It is absolutely gorgeous here!
Katie Compton says
Oooh we went to Montego Bay for our 15th anniversary in 2019. We stayed at Sandals Royal Caribbean and absolutely loved it. Jamaica really was one happy island!! Enjoy!
Kacy M says
My friend works for turtlebox!
Erin says
This isn’t beach related, but it is vacation related. Have you cruised to Alaska, Shay? We’re on Discovery Princess currently and Alaska is mind blowing. I would recommend to anyone. The scenery here is unlike anything I’ve ever seen!!
Mix and Match Mama says
We have! My big family of like 20 went on an Alaskan cruise! You can see my blog recaps: https://mixandmatchmama.com/2017/06/alaskan-cruise-2017-days-7-10/
Ashley says
I always love your book lists!!! Can you remind me what it means if there is an asterisk (*) by the book/author?
Mix and Match Mama says
Gosh, sorry! I needed to add that (I will!). Those are “meatier” summer chick lit (not necessarily as light!).
Nicole says
Hey!! I’d love to hear – if you’re having a cocktail 1. What’s your go to drink? And 2. Do you make it ahead of time and then pack anything in the cooler to make on the go? Thanks!! 🥰
Mix and Match Mama says
We don’t take cocktails to the beach with us when we’re here. We will get them if we’re on vacation and at a resort pool or something, but it’s not something we take here during the day. I’m really simple and like just a basic vodka or tequila soda 🙂 .
Nikki Merritt says
I ordered that beach ‘blanket’ years ago when you posted it. We’ve taken it all the way to Hawaii and beaches closer to home.