Every weekend there's another great festival, concert or sporting event to attend on the Alabama Gulf Coast. With all the great options for recreation, it is important to have the right gear.

Over the past month, I have been testing out three new products that were marketed as music festival essentials. While they would be great for a music festival I have some other uses as well.

Sunshine & Glitter

As a fair-skinned redhead and mother to two redheads, we use a lot of sunscreen in our household. The All The Sparkle mineral shimmer sunscreen is SPF 30 features biodegradable gold glitter and is perfect for the Hangout Music Festival. Skip the body glitter and swap it for sunscreen with the same effect.

Glitter is one of my least favorite craft products, but I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by how easily the glitter washed off my hands after application. Once the sunscreen dried, there was little to no glitter transfer which I appreciated.

The package included Totally Fun After Sun. Unfortunately, no one in my household had a sunburn to test the product on but it has a very pleasant light fragrance and was not sticky once applied. Over the years that has been a complaint with some after sun or aloe burn products.

Sunshine & Glitter is a women-owned business and offers a wide range of products. They also offer glitter sunscreens in varying colors and SPF levels. All the Sparkle retails for $24.95 and the Totally Fun After Sun retails for $16. To check out their line of products, visit www.sunshineglitter.com.

The Mozy

The Mozy is a two-purpose product that will live in my car all season long. The Mozy is marketed as a jacket for your legs. One side features a cozy fleece lining, while the other is a weatherproof softshell.

The waistband features elastic for a comfortable fit. Wrap the blanket around your waist, secure the Velcro and get comfortable. This is perfect for the sports enthusiast sitting in the stands during a cold, windy or rainy game or the office worker who is always cold at their desk. The Mozy also features a large pocket to stash your phone and car keys and can be embellished with Velcro-backed patches.

Sure, it doesn't get cold on the Gulf Coast, but as a parent who has spent many a cold or windy morning at the lacrosse field, this would be a dream.

The other side is you can use this as a blanket to sit on while at the beach or at one of the many music in the park events. It folds up nicely and has a carry handle. The entire blanket is extremely lightweight and can go in the washing machine. It's even small enough to fit in the backseat pocket when folded. The Mozy is already living in the back of my minivan with the lawn chairs and beach bag.

The Mozy retails for around $99. The company has a full line of products including children's sizes. For more information, visit www.getthemozy.com.

Ayla + Co. Fanny

I saved my favorite product for last. Ayla + Co is not a company I have encountered before but after receiving the fanny pack I looked at their other products and liked what I saw. A purse is a must-have in my world but sometimes I need to be hands-free. The small cross-body I own isn't big enough for everything and isn't cute. The Ayla + Co. Fanny solved that problem.

The Fanny color I selected is called peacock and is a lovely bluish-green color with gold hardware. The bag is made of vegan leather, but I never would have known if I hadn't read the description. The box I received contained the Fanny Pack and Battery Power Bank Bundle which retails for $109. Among the many pockets (talk about being organized) is an interior pocket for a power bank with a small hole for the cable. On the back of the fanny pack is a pocket for your phone. Yes, you can charge and still have easy but secure access to your phone.

The front exterior pocket has a hidden magnetic closure with zippers on each side making the pocket adjustable. The interior has two webbed pockets, a pocket for a power bank or anything really, a key leash and a matching credit card wallet. The waistband is wide and the hardware is chic. I took this fanny pack on a recent trip to Tampa and wore it all over town, day and night. This bag is incredibly versatile from the theme park and sporting events to travel and everyday wear.

Ayla + Co is a brand created by parents for parents according to their website. Their line includes a beautiful diaper bag and mini that you would never guess was a diaper bag. Check out the full line by visiting www.aylabag.com.