What’s in your ultimate beach bag?

This past week, I joined the Schick razor team and some of my beauty blogger extraordinaire colleagues on a fabulous foray to the Delano in Miami.

We cavorted in the sand, enjoyed early morning workouts with celeb fitness coach Gina Lombardi, ate amazing food, and spent a lot of time sunning, cocktailing, and relaxing.

I’ll share more info on my week and pictures soon, but the verdict? Vacations, even under the guise of “work”, rock.

I did, however, realize that enjoyment of even the most luxe of circumstances is dependent on having the right items in your beach bag. And so, we decided to figure out exactly what such a bag should include.

And wait till you see what the result was….

Target Ultimate Beach Bag

Three lucky SheKnows.com readers have the chance to win a Target Ultimate Beach Bag.  The cooler tote is filled with an assortment of products valued at over $250, including: a Flip Video MiniHD Camcorder, up & up sunscreen and aloe, a beach mat, water accessories and Archer Farms snacks.  Check out http://www.target.com for more information on each of the above.

To have your chance to win, share what you would have considered perfect inclusions for your own ultimate beach bag! You can also tweet your answer to me at @alywalansky and cc @target!

Deadline to enter is August 10.

Disclaimer: Target supplied all the products to me for this giveaway, and do not expect to have them returned. They are to be given to three of you!

I’m all about not being hungry — sadly this often results in me always eating.

For those less fortunate, help those in need via Meals on Wheels.  Splenda has an app on Facebook to “Send-a-Pie” – sending virtual pies to friends.  They’re hoping to get 25,000 pies sent by Labor Day to up our donation to Meals on Wheels (calorie-free, virtual pies – what could be sweeter?)

Here’s the link to the Facebook Send-a-Pie app: http://apps.facebook.com/send-a-pie/

And if that’s not tempting enough — August is National Peach Month, and they’ve got Katie Brown’s Georgia Peach Melba Crisp recipe, which is a light & sweet summer treat:  http://splenda.tastebook.com/recipes/2009402-Georgia-Peach-Melba-Crisp

Recently, I was browsing in the mall and came a cross a sexy, sleek black Wii.

I had no idea such a product existed!

And then, days later, I discovered it, at a better value, on Gettington.com.

Beyond being sexier than the original, The Wii, the Wii console bundle comes packed with software and accessories. Meaning you have no excuse not to use it immediately!

Nintendo® Wii™ System Includes :
• Nintendo Wii Game Console (Black)
• Wii Remote Controller
• Wii Motion Plus
• Nunchuk Controller
• Motion Detecting IR Sensor Bar
• Wii Stand
• Composite AV Cables
• Wii Sports (Rated E)
• Wii Sports Resort (Rated E)

I love Gettington - and since browsing it for the first time, I’m a wee bit obsessed. The site has over 20,000 brands in categories including health & beauty, fitness, women’s apparel & accessories, appliances and home – so pretty much they can fulfill everything I think I need on a daily basis. And for subscribers, they have a weekly goodie bag full of secret deals, discounts, private sales, and even free gifts!

I can’t wait to have all of you share in the awesomeness that is Gettington — and to make things even more exciting, they are awarding this fab Wii to one of you! To have your chance to win this Wii, you will need to visit the Gettington site, to choose an item that would be in your fantasy goodie bag, and then leave it in the comments below. You can earn extra entries by tweeting @alywalansky and @gettington with that fantasy item as well. You can enter up to once a day, but it must be a unique answer each time! Deadline to enter is July 27. The sponsor of this contest is SheKnows.com. Good luck!

I’ll be tweeting live with celebrity stylist to the stars, Robert Verdi, about staying stylish when traveling — and giving tips, how-to’s, giveaways, and advice! Follow live on Twitter and streaming video!

http://yfrog.com/6cglfwz — that’s my newest acquisition, hot off the wires of Twit-vid!!!!

Tonight at the @World_of_Juicy event, an intimate group of bloggers had dinner with mega-hot designer Erin Fetherston.

Erin made a name for herself with her AMAZING Parisian-inspired fashion line, full of everything I love - romantic dresses, sheer blouses, satin jackets — and she’s loved by everyone from Zooey Deschanel to Kirsten Dunst.

She’s now creative designer for  Juicy Couture and tonight’s event was to celebrate her involvement, influence…and some super exclusive after-hours shopping. (They opened up the west village location for just the dozen or so of us at like 10 pm!)

Was amazing…and I will soon have the full story and pix. But while after hours shopping, I picked up a super hot new lambskin leather jacket that I had to show all my friends immediately. Check out the mini vid above to see! I wish it wasn’t a million degrees out…I’d wear it tomorrow!

Friends, birdies have told me voting daily is allowed in the Project Mannequin competition - and in fact, all the other contestants are RT-ing to their followers to do so! So please make it your daily mission to vote for me, and RT to your friends and followers! 

Click the link and vote for SheKnows! That’s me!

So, here’s the thing: I am posting  SUPER HUGE giveaway tomorrow….but I can’t say what it is yet.

HOWEVER, if you were to check out the below (today’s obsession of mine), you’d probably want to OWN what it is I’m giving away tomorrow. Got it?

OK..

Today, i learned of the existence of GREASE: The Game, and I’m honestly going to say it’s first game I’ve actually ever really truly wanted to own (sorry to all the games I’ved owned before…)

“Friday night and she’s got a date - going places, just a staying out late,
drop dimes in a record machine - rock n’ roll party queen!”

505 Games today released the first video in a series of Pink Lady Diaries for the upcoming Grease video game based on the classic high school musical for the Wii and Nintendo DS.

In the first Pink Lady Diary, a weary worker is just about to call it quits for the day when a magical transformation in the elevator lifts her spirits as she steps out as a Pink Lady.

It’s also compatible with a Wii Balance Board and up to two USB microphones, up to eight players can compete in two teams for musical domination at Rydell High in party mode. The DS and DSi versions of the game will test players’ rhythm skills as they tap to the beat of 10 beloved “Grease” songs as they follow Sandy and Danny on their high school journey. Players can also use the camera function of the Nintendo DSi™ to get in the game by uploading their face to their favorite character.

I think I have a giveaway of the game coming up (we’re currently negotiating!) - but for now…well, lets just say I will not be wasting my evenings watching soaps for a while! My wii has been turned back on!

Wondering where to go for your next vacation? Consider a visit to one of the  more historic destinations our country has to offer. Whether you walk Boston’s Freedom Trail or take a trolley around Savannah’s historic squares, America is full of national treasures that make for the perfect family vacation!

New York, NY

It’s easy to forget that before Times Square and Central Park, the Dutch originally settled the Big Apple in 1625 and the British then conquered it in 1664. New York City has since played an important role in American history including becoming the financial capital of the world and a major center of academia, fashion and culture. I like NYC in the summer because there is so much that you can do for free (including tours and museums).

St. Augustine, FL

Visit the oldest city in the U.S. and get your dose of warm Florida sun and fascinating history. St. Augustine is known for its gorgeous sandy beaches, breathtaking architecture, and Spanish fortifications. There are some terrific local museums including The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse and Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth National Archaeological Park.

Savannah, GA

I briefly visited Savannah, GA  and all I can say is that you should definitely spend some time in this sultry southern city. Magnolia trees draped in Spanish moss line the avenues, framing exquisite Southern homes and accentuating the warmth and beauty of Georgia’s very first city. One of few to be spared from the ravages of the Civil War, legend has it that General Sherman declared the city of Savannah too beautiful to be destroyed. The food is delectable, too. After all, Paula Deen hails from this southern sanctuary.

Boston, MA

History really comes to life in Boston; a city that blends modern day advancements and a rich legacy of America’s formative years. You will definitely want to take your walking shoes because you don’t want to miss The Freedom Trail or Boston’s Walk to the Sea (both free activities). And don’t worry, there are accessible tours and tours that accommodate little feet.  Boston is hip and historic and filled with an array of activities to keep you going from morning ‘til night.

Santa Fe, NM

Santa Fe is the oldest capital city in what is the modern United States. The area has a very high concentration of artists with an abundance of galleries, sculptures and displays for you to peruse.  The preservation of its historic Spanish-Pueblo style of architecture is also remarkable and truly breathtaking.

Voting is now open in Project Mannequin:

Here’s the link: http://www.charlotterusse.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=4310806

As of now, they have me listed as “iVillage” — I told them that info is outdated, so at some point today it will be changed to “SheKnows” - if you see either of those that’s ME. Vote for me! I want an iPad!

Or at least photograph it…

Check out this AWESOME contest Domino’s is doing:

There’s more info here: www.showusyourpizza.com

And for those of you right here on Alytude, I’m giving away a $30 gift card to Domino’s! To have your chance to win, please share your favorite toppings — weird or otherwise — to have on your own pizza! Deadline to enter is July 25!

FTC Disclaimer: Domino’s Pizza provided me with the information and gift card for this contest.