Finding a Gift For That Hard to Shop For Family Member

dIt’s that time again, the holiday season. December is supposed to be a time of happiness and joy. But the fact is that it can actually be a pretty stressful month because you have a limited time to complete your Christmas shopping. There are certain members of my family that are very difficult to shop for. I have sisters with very specific fashion tastes, a brother-in-law who only likes high-end merchandise, and a father who seems to have everything on the planet already. Every year it is difficult to find the right gift for these hard-to-shop-for family members. I always want to put a smile on the face of the person opening the gift, so December can get pretty stressful for me. There are always a couple family members who I just can’t manage to find the right gift for, and as the days move to mid and late December, it really starts to become crunch time.

Despite the fact that I usually wind up finding something at the last minute for many of these people, I have actually done pretty well in the past and have given some pretty good gifts. As hopeless as I may feel at some points, it always winds up working out. The reason that I am writing this article is because I wanted to share a success story with you. I am hoping that this gift success story might cause you to think outside of box and consider a new product. Or maybe an idea will pop into your head that will wind up being a perfect gift for a hard-to-shop-for person on your list!

Baby Beach Tent

Last year I was struggling to find the right gift for my sister. She has a young child, though, which opened up some doors for me in terms of gifts. I could shop for a parenting related gift now. In an effort to try to identify a good potential gift, I thought back to some recent conversations that I had with my sister. I remembered her mentioning that she was going to the beach this coming summer, so I did some research on products that will make it easier for a parent to take a baby or toddler to the beach. I noticed a common theme among many of the products that were mentioned. Most of the products were intended to protect the baby from the sun. A baby or toddler’s skin is soft, new, and extremely vulnerable to sunburn. As we age, the outer layer of our skin hardens and becomes more resistant so sun exposure. But baby skin needs protected because it is new and susceptible to burning.

While researching within the category of sun protection, I found myself interested in baby beach tents. The best baby beach tents are made with high quality UPF 50+ polyester, which reflects ultraviolet radiation and protects the baby. UPF stands for Ultraviolet Protection Factor and is a measurement of the amount of UV rays that the material will block. UPF 50+ is the highest rating for any of the baby tents that I saw and will block at least 98% of the ultraviolet rays that come into contact with the material. In addition to blocking radiation, baby sun tents also provide a shady area for a baby or toddler to play during the day. It can get hot at the beach in the direct sunlight, and it can be uncomfortable for a baby to be in direct sunlight for too long. Beach shelters provide a cool escape for a child to play sheltered from direct sunlight.

Beach tents are portable and convenient. This is important for trips to the beach because it always seems like you have more stuff than you can carry when you finally make the trek from your parking spot to the beach. A pop up beach tent weighs less than 8 pounds and folds into a carry bag that can easily be slung and carried over a shoulder. Set up and tear down is simple. It takes less than 30 seconds to set up a baby beach tent. The best beach tents are able to be set up by simply pulling a drawstring, which expands the frame and opens the tent. This is convenient when you are at the beach with your baby because when you get to the beach your toddler is going to want to explore and run around. The last thing that you want to have to deal with is loose tent poles and a complex setup process.

Baby sunshades are also great because they have a privacy wall. The floor of a sun shelter extends in front of the tent into a patio-like area. This has two purposes. First it provides a barrier from the sand in front of the tent which is nice for playing. But the second reason is that the oversized floor is cut in a way that when it is folded up, it completely seals off the opening to the tent. By zipping or clipping the floor up, you are able to create a closed private area inside the tent. This is perfect for feeding or changing your baby.

Beach tents are also nice products for adults spending a day at beach without a child. Sun shelters are about 4 feet tall, which is the perfect size to sit under in a beach chair. If the sun gets too strong and you want a break, you can move your chair under the shade and enjoy a few minutes of cooler temperatures. 4 feet tall by 7 feet wide is also perfect cooler size. We like putting a cooler underneath the beach tent to keep it shaded from the sun. We can use the cooler as a table and leave our drinks on top of the cooler. Since it is all shaded from the sun, drinks stay nice and cool while you’re relaxing. The other benefit of keeping your cooler under a beach tent is that it shelters your drinks from nosy eyes. This is important if you decide you want to sip on some adult drinks that might not be allowed at the beach. Wait, I didn’t just condone that!

Whenever you go down to the actual water, you have the ability to put all of your valuables inside the tent and close the privacy wall. This will deter potential thieves from stealing your belongings. You even have the option of putting a little lock through the zippers, which will ensure that nobody can unzip your tent and get to your stuff. Just make sure you don’t lose the key!

Conclusion

In addition to all of the wonderful benefits of a beach tent that I listed above, the most appealing characteristic to me was affordability. Beach tents are priced in a range that makes them a good gift. They make a great present because they actually provide value. The parents that you give a beach tent will thank you on Christmas day. But they will also thank you that summer when they use it and see how much easier it made their life at the beach. Hopefully this article taught you a little about beach tents and why they can make a good gift for a new parent. We wish you good luck while shopping this holiday season. And have a Merry Christmas!