Top Vera Bradley Must for Spring Vacation

1. Beach Towel –
   

   These retail for $35 but worth every penny! Sometimes you can get them cheaper through the outlet stores. I have 5-7 myself. They are oversized, luxurious, and colorful. If you can, try to score the older beach towels. The older beach towels are higher quality than the newer ones. These also make great bath towels, especially for plus-sized fans
2. Flip Flops –
   

   I lived in these when I lived in So Cal. Super comfy and cheap enough ($24 before any sales) to have lots of patterns! I don't recommend the older ones with the straw bottoms or Starry Night, they are uncomfortable. However, Vera caught on quickly and made much-needed updates. I even wore them to Disneyland, they are that durable.
3. Sunglasses –
   

   I think these are very underappreciated and often forgot in the melee of  Vera Bradley accessories. I picked up two pair, one in Boysenberry and the other in Raspberry Fizz, at the annual Outlet Sale for $30 each. Normally these retail for $64-$108. Honestly I forgot about them until my $160 Coach sunglasses snapped in two a couple of years ago. I dug out my Boysenberry and never looked back. They are durable, lightweight, and cute!
4. Ditty Bag –
   

   You can't go to the beach without this bag. I never did! It retails for $28, but often you can get them cheaper in retired patterns. It has drawstring closure and more importantly, it's plastic lined. This allows you to put in wet and/or dirty stuff inside without having to worry about leaks or getting the pretty exterior pattern dirty. I've used this to hold wet towel, shoes, swimsuits, goggles, and on occasion a dirty diaper. I've washed mine over and over with no issues. You can also bring snacks in the Ditty Bag or hold travel necesseties in your luggage. The possibilities are endless!
5. Beach Bag – There is no way I can narrow down the perfect Vera Bradley beach bag for you because there are so many options! I personally have used the Get Carried Away, Vera, and the mesh bag, depending my needs (ie how many kids I have in tow). All have worked well. I also recommend bags in the Lighten Up line because they are lightweight and waterproof. I have yet to use a backpack, but I could see that in my future.
6. Cooler Bag –
   Ooops, this was supposed to be a Top 5 list, but then I remembered my Marrakesh Cooler Tote and my Mini Coolers! How could I forget? What cute way to store cold drinks, cheese, fruit, and yogurts for a hot summer day! The zippered top to my Cooler Tote deterred many a frustrated seagull. I found my Cooler Tote on the Vera Bradley's eBay store for about $20. Coolers aren't super great sellers, they often show up deeply discounted online.