June 3, 2013

By Emily Bathe

1. A towel is the first thing you need for a day at the beach or pool. Stay dry with Nate Berkus’ maize-colored Topanga Beach Towel. _$17.99_

2. Next, be sure to pack sunscreen — your skin will sing its praises later. Anything with an SPF of 30 or higher will do the trick. We like Coppertone Sport. _$6.29_

3. Keep your lips protected from the sun with a lip balm that has SPF. Try Banana Boat’s Sunscreen Lip Balm with aloe vera and vitamin E. _$1.97_

4. Look for sunglasses that block close to 100 percent of UV light, like Mossimo’s Brown Lens Sunglasses, with a tortoiseshell frame. _$16.99_

5. Relax and catch up on your summer reading with a bestseller like “Silver Linings Playbook” by Matthew Quick. You can buy a physical copy or a digital copy for your iPad. _$12.00, or $4.99_

6. It wouldn’t be a day at the beach without your favorite music. Bring a pair of headphones and your iPod, or try a portable speaker like the iHome Rechargeable Color Changing Mini Speaker. _$19.99_

7. Stay hydrated and energized with the new Starbucks VIA Refreshers. Just pour a packet into a 16-fluid-ounce water bottle for refreshing fruit flavor. _$7.59 for six_

8. Save some money by grabbing a snack before you leave. All natural popchips are a low-fat option and come in different flavors. _$1.89_

9. Lastly, stay active with some water sports. We recommend tossing around a neoprene COOP football. _$4.74_

All items can be found at [Target](http://www.target.com/). Now that you’re not ill-prepared, sit back, relax and enjoy the sunshine!