Last year my family and I restarted the tradition of spending time at the Connecticut shore. This was a place that I grew up going to each summer along with generations of family members before me (you can read about my childhood memories and why it's so special ). Prior to last year, since I moved to Los Angeles, I had only been back there once in 2013. After our last trip we realized how much we missed the beach, so my parents recently purchased a beach house on the water. This summer, I'll be heading to Westbrook and spending the rest of the season in Long Island Sound.
Usually, I shop for summertime essentials starting in the spring and slowly pick up a few things here and there. Due to Covid, I got a late start since I wasn't sure what was going on (they just purchased the cottage this month). As I made my list, I leaned more towards casual items since I'm not positive what we'll be doing (and what will be opened). Here are 20 items that I'm purchasing (or have already purchased) for my summer at the shore.
1. Bluetooth speaker . How cool is this? You can listen to music in the pool or ocean and it lights up the water around you. (Here's my favorite playlist that will be blaring out of it all summer long.)
6. . East Coast summers bring plenty of rainy days, so having something to do indoors is essential. With tie-dye being everywhere this year I bought a kit so I can create my own. (I also purchased a white hoodie and a pack of from Target.)
12. LPA bikini ( / ). I ordered so many swimsuits this season and sent most of them back, but I fell in love with the cut and purple shade of this bikini.
16. Dolls Kill Sunglasses . These beach-approved daisy shades look like they were made for the gold sundress I bought on Revolve.
17. Daydreamer Led Zepplin tee . A comfy concert tee to wear with denim shorts for a casual look.
Traveling to a cottage or Airbnb this summer? Check out my comprehensive beach house shopping guide for tips and everything you could possibly need to have a safe and comfortable stay.
