It's in the Bag.

Here's one of my beach bags. Yes, I said one...and before someone asks, yes, they are all monogrammed. Don't y'all know me well enough by now? I have a big bag full of towels and a smaller bag to hold pertinents such as books, sunscreen, sunglasses, and one very special item. As promised yesterday I'll share my #1 beach bag necessity with y'all.

This very special thing is pictured above . Do y'all see it? It's not the suncreen, but let's give another shoutout to Coppertone, my summer love. And while SPF is indeed the most important thing you can put on your person while in the sun, there is one other item I deem even more useful than sunblock.

Keep looking. It's in plain sight, just like Carrie's money jar. (Funniest post ever--go read after you've finished my not-nearly-the-funniest-post ever.)

It's not a drink koozie, however those things are pretty swell and useful when hiding illegal Land Shark on the beach. (Which I didn't do...hello, my kids were with me! No gettin' lushy in the sand when the girls are around.)

OK, OK...since there's not much else in the bag, I'll go ahead and out my favorite product:

What? You don't read Good Housekeeping? Real Simple? InStyle? Thank God y'all have me to set you straight on these things. I know this is what y'all are saying. Nod your heads in unison.

As much as I adore the ocean and sand, I abhor the feeling of millions of granules sticking to my body, especially in places that are normally minty fresh. All that twitching & itching drives me insane. Don't even get me started on trying to keep sand off the thumb of a particularly precious two and a half year old who is still rather fond of placing said appendage in her mouth. Baby powder to the rescue!

Here's how it works:
I have no idea.

Here's what I do know:

Shake a handful onto dry hands (that are still sandy, of course) and rub them together....instant smoothness, y'all. The sand is GONE! Pour some down your chest...on your legs...wherever you're feeling uncomfortable and whenever a shower isn't close at hand.

Yeah, baby powder. I buy the Target brand. Johnson & Johnson's, while the classic standard, is far too expensive to be used frivolously on the shore.

I wish y'all could see the stares garnered when I break out my trusty powder and fling clouds of it around my general area. Last week a family I didn't know stared at me before finally asking, "What does that do?" I replied, "I dunno--but it works--no foolin'!"

They were my kind of people, because instantly the mother and her two teenaged daughters were reaching for the container, putting it on their hands and calves, exclaiming, "This does work!" and "We are so going to Walmart this afternoon to get our own!"

Oh, I know, people...Lula comes through every time. No thanks are necessary. I'm sure our shared contempt for beach discomfort is the bond that brings us closer together. And if all it takes is one simple product for an easy solution...well you're certain I'm gonna make it known to each of you.

It's just the kind of person I am. Most of the time. And if you are fortunate enough to have been aware of baby powder's beach brilliance, why the heck aren't you sharing it with the world?

See? This is why y'all have me. Sometimes I'm as helpful as Heloise, only without that flowing mane of white. And a column in Good Housekeeping. Whatever...

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Several of you have inquired about my beach reads from last week. Here goes:

The Luxe and Rumors, by Anna Godbersen, both classified as "Young Adult" novels. They were great reads--lots of heaving chests, beguiling glances, backstabbing & conniving, and fervent, stolen kisses. Just my style! These are part of a series, with the newest one, Envy, arriving in September.

Sail by James Patterson. A quick read, but entertaining as always. James and I are thisclose.

Lost Souls, by Lisa Jackson. Vampyre (her spelling) stuff. Remember, I'm a closet-Goth.

Marked, by PC Cast and Kristin Cast. The first in a series by this mother/daughter writing team, about a Vampyre (again, the authors' spelling) finishing school called "The House of Night." 'Nuff said.

There ya go--my summer beach reads. Now I'm moving on to the pile on my bedroom floor, 'cause I gotta get caught up before Breaking Dawn comes out in 33 days. 33 days!!! Woo-hoo!