In a fit of panic during the (first) great flood of 2010, Jon and I made the mistake of using one of Laurel's (ratty but apparently beloved) beach towels to soak up water in the basement. She was distraught. It subsequently was oddly fortuitous that I received a towel buddy bag in the mail a couple of days later courtesy of The Children's Place. Laurel adores the pattern (shown) and has been wearing this towel around the house as a shawl ever since (said ratty and water logged old beach towel is a distant memory). And functionally, these cozy 100% cotton terry towels have a built in bag so you can stuff the towel inside itself, toss in other small essentials, pull the drawstring closure, and tote it backpack style. It's a brilliant solution for the beach, which finally seems like a not too distant reality.

Want to win a towel buddy bag from The Children's Place? Here's how: