Sunrise Cake Smash

Lewis loves being around people but he really does not enjoy being the center of attention. He finds it overwhelming when he feels like he needs to "perform" for friends and family. For his first birthday, we opted for a low-key cake smash on the beach as the sun came up, which helped us avoid the Miami heat and kick off the day in a perfect way. It was a sweet success! 

There were a few things to plan for to ensure the cake smash was not a flop. Here's what we included in our beach bag:

1. A cake from a local bakery

...Because fresh cake is the best kind of cake! The cake we chose was a small square cake that included a layer of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry. We were excited about the variety of flavors because this was our kiddo's first time trying cake so we were not sure what flavor he would like best. Chocolate was the winner!

2. Oversized beach blanket

We ordered this sand-proof, quick-drying blanket from Amazon. It folds up into a very small bag which is perfect for travel, and includes 6 stakes to secure it into place. It washes up very well also - just throw it in the washing machine and then hang it to dry. The massive size of this beach blanket helped us prevent any sand from getting on the cake and gave us a little bit of an extra buffer zone for Lewis to crawl around.

3. Lots of baby wipes

We used a ton of wipes because cake got EVERYWHERE! The Kirkland brand baby wipes are my go-to brand. As a side note, I would recommend bringing a garbage bag with you to the beach so you have an easy way to clean up everything.

4. SwimZip Swimsuit

I purchased a SwimZip swimsuit with built-in SPF 50 UV protection. I love this brand! We have a Long Sleeve Romper Swimsuit and the rash guard swim top are both outstanding. They are easy to put on your little one because of the full length zipper and dry very fast to keep your kiddo comfortable for a day by the pool or on the beach.  

Where we stayed: The Surfcomber. This hotel was one of the most family-friendly hotels I've stayed at! They were extremely accommodating and had loads of activity options for kids of all ages. For breastfeeding mamas: they will deliver a separate mini fridge to your room to store your milk in, free of charge!