Beachy Christmas Songs for 2022

My husband has a new radio show in Sarasota, FL. You can tune in from anywhere online at www.wslr.org. The show is called Longboat Luau and he is The Ho Dad.

That makes me Mrs. Ho Dad.

Anyway, he collected a boatload of great songs to give you that tiki, island beach party vibe.

We were discussing his show on December 15th because it’s his only show before Christmas, and how Christmas music will be incorporated into the theme.

Ho Dad is a music master. A former DJ from Roanoke, VA, he has a playlist to last for years to come. Plus, his knowledge of music lands him the title of “Music Historian.”

I reminded him of my blog post from 2014 (WOW! That long ago) where I listed 25 beach-themed Christmas songs.

For me, it was a no-brainer to first go to the Beach Boys for some songs but there are plenty of others that are tops on my list.  These are from artists like Bing Crosby, The Embers, Jimmy Buffet, Squirrel Nut Zippers and more.

Of course, Ho Dad, has a better list than mine so we’ve combined them here for you to choose from.

All are available on your favorite music streaming app or video channel. Make up your own beachy music playlist for Christmas this year using these ideas. It’s not exhaustive so you might come up with some on your own but here are our favorites.

But first here’s a reprint of my previous blog article about beach inspiration this holiday.

1. Christmas in the Sand, Colbie Caillat
2. The Little Saint Nick, Beach Boys
3. Christmas in the Caribbean, Jimmy Buffet
4. All I Want for Christmas is a Really Good Tan, Kenny Chesney
5. Christmas on the Beach, Irene
6. Christmas Island, Andrew Sisters, and Bing Crosby. Jimmy Buffet also does a great version.
7. Surf Rock Christmas, Ventures
8. It’s Gonna Be A Surfer’s Christmas, Morning Glass
9. Aloha Christmas, Dukes of Surf
10. I Love Christmas Music, Embers
11. Mele Kalikimaka, Bing Crosby
12. Christmas Surf-Noir Style, Bikini Beach Band
13. Christmas at the Beach, Uncle Moondog
14. A Kiwi Christmas, The Polka Dots
15. White Christmas, The Ventures
16. Christmas for Surfers, Wheeland Brothers
17. Mary’s Boy Child in a Cha Cha Style
18. Deck the Halls on Steel Drum, Lightning Jack
19. Calypso Noel, Beckett
20. Boogie Woogie Santa Claus, The Band of Oz
21. Captain Creedmore’s Cajun Crawfish Christmas, King Tyrone & The Graveyard Ramblers
22. Christmas on the Coast, John Barker & Mark Black
23. Carolina Christmas, Squirrel Nut Zippers
24. Tropical Christmas, Bellamy Brothers
25. Christmas in Jamaica, The Aracanians
26. Surfer’s Christmas, The Surfaris
27. Surfin’ on Christmas Day, Southern Culture on the Skids
28. Mambo Santa Mambo, The Enchanters

Merry Christmas, and God Bless.

The beach changes us.  

It gets into our soul.

It’s a culture that you either love or hate but if you love it, it reminds you of the fun times you’ve had during the summer.

To dream of having a warm, tropical, beach-side Christmas holiday is something I bet most of us have done.  

Some (me included) have been fortunate to live coastal and experience the warm weather, sea breeze, salt spray and Christmas trees all in one setting.

With my sweet family, I’ve snow men on the beach made from white Gulf Coast sand and a snow man kit which included a scarf, corncob pipe, buttons and a carrot nose.  

We’ve spent countless hours building castles, digging holes, and swimming in the waves during the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Years and beyond.  

We’ve attended “Main Street” parties where bubble snow falls from machines on the tops of buildings onto the tropical shoppers below.  

We’ve walked in flip flops and swimsuits past Christmas trees that were set up near the beach, where palm trees and flowering tropicals sway giving you the false sense of what season it really is.

It’s just fun and strange at the same time.

Growing up in Maryland, Christmas was cold, the trees were bare, and the land was usually snow covered, even sometimes on the beach.

But my life is beach inspired (blame my parents) so I have incorporated this lifestyle into almost everything I do and thankfully I found a soulmate with the same goals.  

So, I will share with you, my readers who I greatly appreciate, a list of wonderful songs that get me pumped for the season of Christmas, wherever I am.  Can you think of others?  Send me a note.

11 Beach-Themed Gifts for Kids

Why not give some wonderful coastal, ocean or beach themed gifts to the kids (and grown-up kids) on your Christmas list this year?

Here are some fantastic ideas:

1. Bucket and Shovel.

Who wouldn’t love to play in the sand with a cool bucket and shovel?

Of course, the castle-building shapes are just as awesome but most buckets come with handles so a little sand creator can also gather some other items from the water line like sea beans, shells, driftwood and more.

Pick plastic or metal and have the bucket decorated with a child’s monogram, characters or other designs.

Add a beach towel, sunscreen and some other beach toys to get them excited about their upcoming vacation or regular trip to the beach if you live coastal.

2. Gift card to the local aquarium.

For the kid that love sharks, this is a cool gift. Be sure to take a walk through the shark tunnel; most aquariums have them for under-the-shark viewing.

But there is so much more to see at the aquarium, it’s a trip for anyone.

Add in a few extra dollars for a trip to the gift shop.

3. Snorkeling equipment and a guided tour.

It’s easy to find a coastal business that will offer some lessons.

Add a gift card for the adventure or a note with a pledge to take them on vacation at the beach and enjoy snorkeling.

4. Boogie Board or Skim Board.

If you attend the beach regularly, you may want to invest in a new boogie board or one that will last a long time.

Skim Boards are great, too.

Not sure the child on your list is good at using either of these boards?  Many vacation spots have surf stores that will give a lesson in boarding.  Add a gift card from your favorite store.

5. Membership to Surfrider and a tshirt.

For the coastal-activist child or teen, a membership to Surfrider might be a great gift.

Membership fees vary depending on the level of monetary contribution and the premium item you want.

At any level, your child will get a monthly digital copy of the organization’s newsletter, a decal and discount in the online store.

6. Surfing lessons and a surfboard.

Whether the person on your list wants to surf the big waves in Hawaii or just coast along the low ones off the Gulf Coast of Florida, surf lessons for the adventurous will be a hit.

skimboard-photopin

Surf shops in vacation destinations provide lessons so pick a shop where you intend to vacation next year and get a gift card with a description of the classes available.

Throw in a DVD of Endless Summer, and a subscription to a surf magazine.

7. Sticker books and other activity books about the ocean.

There is a plethora of sea-themed books, sticker books, and craft kits available in stores and online for any age child on your list.

Books about sea creatures from DK and other publishers, sticker books about the ocean, books about shore birds, sharks, sea turtles are popular with kids.

For the dedicated teen reader try more in-depth marine science books, books about ocean travelers or high-seas adventures.

Rather than just give one book, fill a basket or box with a set of books and other activities. Wrap it up to make one big gift.

8. Model Sailboat.

For the child that likes to put things together, a model sailboat, model ship or ship-in-a-bottle kit would be a lot of fun.

You can find these in specialty hobby stores and online.

Include a story book or DVD movie about this particular boat so your child can become an expert.

9. A tropical fish aquarium.

Available at pet stores, fish tanks provide a learning experience, a calming effect for everyone watching the fish swim around and teaches responsibility.

Pack the aquarium with all the equipment you need, including a book or two on tropical fish and how to take care of them.

Wrap it all together.

Spend the day learning together about the different types of fish and pick which ones you’ll shop for the next day.

Some fish don’t get along with others, so use the expertise of a pet store aquarium specialist to help you pick your new pets.

10. A beach-cruiser bike.

Along the coast you don’t need the gears on your bike like you use on hills.

A simple beach cruiser will get you from your house to the beach or local beach gift store or restaurant.

Easy to ride, the wide tires make it easy to manage a bike ride on the sand.

Add some accessories, like a helmet, water bottle, flat-tire kit, bell and front basket for extra fun.

11. The Ultimate Beachcomber’s Journal

Kids of all ages love to keep lists. This journal is the perfect book for anyone who wants to keep track of what they find on the beach.

The curious child will want to make note of the seashell, shorebird, dolphin, and anything that washes up on the beach.

There are daily diary pages to write down what they did (for example build sandcastles) and what beaches they’ve visited.

A checklist of common North American seashells is also included.

You can find this book on Amazon. Order today.*

*There are no affiliate links in this article but yes, I’ve written The Ultimate Beachcomber’s Journal and will make money from your purchase. Thank you for supporting my small business.

Ultimate Beachcomber’s Journal

Just in time for the summer: The Ultimate Beachcomber’s Journal, a Crafty Beachcomber publication, is on sale.

For a limited time, you can purchase it for $8.99.

The Ultimate Beachcomber’s Journal is a beach lover’s companion and a journal-keepers best friend.  Stocked with pages for diary-style note taking, any beachcomber can journal daily findings, adventures, the weather and more.

2-the-ultimate-beachcombers-journal-cover-1

  • List your favorite flotsam and jetsam.
  • Sketch, draw or paint pictures of your beach treasures on the sketch pages or in the margins.
  • Keep a list of your favorite beaches, beach vacations and bucket list for your next adventure.
  • Manage your shell collection with the sea shell life list featuring common shells from around the world.
  • There are also pages for sea glass and sea pottery finds.

Some sample pages:

This Ultimate Beachcomber’s Journal makes a fantastic birthday gift. Also great for Mother’s Day and graduation presents.  But get it now before the price goes back up. Purchase it on Amazon.com.

Happy journaling!

Gulf Coast Birding Festivals 2018

I can’t decide what I like best: Spring migration or Fall migration.  Living on the Gulf Coast, it sort of doesn’t matter because we’re never without birds.  When the Robins leave the far north of America and Canada, they winter here.  We know it’s spring when they leave.  Warblers fly in on stormy Fall weather for a brief stay before heading south across the Gulf of Mexico.  But they pass through again in the Spring.  Hummingbirds  cross our area north and south and also west and east.  Shorebirds are bountiful in the winter along the Southern coast.  That’s probably my favorite time for bird watching.

207

Birding Festivals bring in a lot of economic power to communities that hold them.  Birding Tourism is counted on in many areas of our country and not just along the Gulf Coast, but I’m partial to the Gulf Coast so want to spread the news about upcoming bird festivals from Texas to the Florida Keys.

The week of April 17-22 brings The Galveston Featherfest to Coastal Texas.    They’re hosting a family festival, field trips, seminars and there are workshops for photographers.

April 13-15th you can join in the events at the Great Louisiana Birdfest.  It features tours, night birding, a photo workshop, socials and other field trips.  Seems to me it’s a premier festival; you might see me there.

The Grand Isle Migratory Bird Fest is scheduled for the weekend of April 20.  There are plenty of family activities, workshops, and field trips.  They’ll have bird banding, a class on binoculars and spotting scopes, a trip to the butterfly dome and an art exhibit.  And in the Fall in Louisiana, you’ll find Hummingbird and Butterfly Festivals in Folsom and Lafayette.

Alabama has it’s Coastal Bird Fest in October (Oct 3-6, 2018), however, the state is host to other events in the Spring.  Among these are the bird banding at Ft. Morgan.  This year it is scheduled from April 17-21.  There are usually two locations for banding at this site.  It’s lots of fun.  A few years ago I was able to hold a bird and release it after it was banded; so sweet.  If you get the opportunity to go, please do so.

Dauphin Island, Alabama is an amazing place to visit during migration.  I highly recommend it. The best time to visit the Bird Sanctuary is from March 1 to April 30.

Now, for Florida.  This state is so large and lined in miles and miles of coast that it’s going to be hard to list all the festivals that take place there in my little blog.  So, I’m going to point you to The Annual Florida Bird Events for more information.

Don’t forget your birding trail maps and guides in each state.  If you’re driving, you can usually get a copy at each state’s Welcome Centers along the interstate.  Texas has amazing interactive online birding maps for the Upper Texas Coast , Central Texas Coast, and Lower Texas Coast.  Louisiana has the America’s Wetland Birding Trail along the Great Gulf Coast. You’ll also find the Mississippi Coastal Birding Trail, the Alabama Gulf Coast Birding Trail, and the Great Florida Birding Trail which is so extensive it’s available in regional maps.  You can find information about them all online or stop at a Visitor’s Center to pick up a copy of the maps.

International Migratory Bird Day is always the second weekend in May.  This is a day to celebrate, well, bird migration!  Bird Day is celebrated in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central and South American and the Caribbean.  There is so much information about it you should just go to the website: www.birdday.org.

Happy Birding!

This is a repost with current event dates of an article from 2015. The information is subject to change and therefore not guaranteed to be accurate. Check the event websites before making your plans to attend anything listed in this article.

The Ultimate Beachcomber’s Journal

Are you a beachcomber?

Do you like to keep track of things, like …

  • the shells  you found on a certain day
  • who you spent the day beachcombing with
  • the other cool things you found on the beach, like a sea bean or a toy
  • your favorite beaches and favorite beaches to comb
  • your bucket list of beaches you want to visit

The Ultimate Beachcomber’s Journal is a fantastic new journal created by me, Eileen Saunders aka the Crafty Beachcomber, just for you.  2-the-ultimate-beachcombers-journal-cover-1

This journal is a 6″x9″ paperback. It fits easily into …

  • your beach bag
  • a zip-top plastic bag to keep it dry and sand free at the beach
  • a standard tablet cover for safe keeping

This comprehensive journal has dedicated space for …

  • beachcombing diary
  • sketch pages
  • a coloring page
  • an info section on things that can wash up on the beach
  • a place to log in your non-shell finds
  • sea glass log
  • sea pottery log
  • a shell life list consisting of common N. American sea shells from coast to coast
  • a beach life list and a beach bucket list, and
  • there’s a section to record what you do with your booty

If you can find a better Beachcomber’s Journal, buy it. If not, buy this one.

The Ultimate Beachcomber’s Journal makes a great gift for your beach-loving friends who love to keep track of their stuff.

Now, if you are like me, you take photos of what you find and send the pictures to friends, family or your online social media of choice.  What I think would really round out this Ultimate Beachcomber’s Journal is to make a photo book each year to compliment your dairy.  While I do not have a coupon offer for any of these photo books here today, follow me on Facebook at the CraftyBeachcomber for some special money-saving coupons to make your own photo book.

With Christmas and Hanukkah just around the corner, head over to Amazon right now to order your copy of my new book: The Ultimate Beachcomber’s Journal. Thanks!

S is for Sand dollar

There is a wonderful sandbar that forms from time to time around Siesta Key.  You can walk out there and shuffle around sometimes ankle deep in the water.

One year we took off to the sandbar because there were so many people out there collecting something. To our surprise, we found an abundance of sand dollar tests on top of the sandbar.  Whole, white sand dollars. So we collected some, too.

wpid-cam01049.jpg

Sand dollar

Over the years we have ended up with a lot of them and I now use them for crafting, making Christmas ornaments that I sell on my Etsy store, Crafty Beachcomber, or give as gifts. I’m working on some new ones now for this Christmas season.

White sand dollars are the remains of the dead critter. The test or skeleton. If you see a sand dollar of another color, typically green or blue, it is alive and should be left alone.  One day, however, there was a person on the beach collecting green (live) sand dollars and setting them on the beach to dry out. Along came a lady who started throwing them back into the Gulf.  Live sand dollars really shouldn’t be harvested. And throwing them back can be dangerous to the sand dollar. The impact of hitting the water could kill it so if you see someone drying out live sand dollars and feel they need to be put back, gently place them back into the water a distance out. They will find the strength to shuffle under the sand for protection.

If you find some perfect sand dollar tests, check Pinterest for the perfect way to display them or for crafting ideas.