Tuesday, May 23, 2017

What I'm Packing for Hawaii

I'm not usually into getting clothes to match my vacation destination, but it seems that most of the items I've purchased for the summer seem to match our destination: Hawaii!


Orange Dress As soon as I saw this dress, I knew it would be perfect for our trip! It just looks like Hawaii to me.

Flamingo Shorts I ordered these shorts on a whim, and I have to say that I love them! The pattern is so fun! I also got these and these. I love to pair a patterned bottom with a basic top. They'll look great with my favorite v-neck tees and tanks!

White Embroidered Blouse The embroidery on this blouse is so pretty, and I love that the material a little heavier weight (read: not sheer)!

Bikini (Top & Bottom) I love that this swimsuit brand comes in small, medium, and large, but also the cup sizes D and DD. I am always worried about not getting enough support from bikini tops, but this one is great!

Sandals (less than $30) I posted about these in this post, and am so glad that I ended up ordering them! They're so cute and fun!

Straw Purse I got this version for Mother's Day, but I love the orange - it would look great with the orange dress!

Earrings If there's ever a time to step out of my comfort zone and wear some fun tassel earrings, Hawaii is it!

Sleep Shorts I either sleep in these sleep shorts and a tank top, or this romper. Super comfortable and cool (as in not hot, I'm not commenting on how cool I am!).

Black Strapless Romper Maxi This was a last minute purchase. I love the combination of shorts and the maxi skirt!

Here are some other items I'm packing for the trip! Are you taking any trips this summer?



XOXO, 
Monday, May 8, 2017

Travel Essentials

We have some fun trips planned for the summer, so I've been doing some travel research and planning to get ready. Today I thought I'd share some of my newfound travel/packing wisdom with you. :)


1. Packing Cubes I am what you would call an overpacker, so I'm all for anything that will help reduce the amount of luggage I need without reducing the amount of stuff I'm bringing. LOL! I've read really good things about packing cubes, so I decided to try them out. I ordered the six piece value set as well as a three pack of the medium bags. The first time I use them will be when we go to Hawaii in June, so I'll do a full review after that, but if you're looking for ways to organize your suitcase now, definitely check them out!

2. Woolite Travel Detergent Packets I am notorious for spilling on myself (if I can make it through a meal without getting food in my hair or on my clothes it's a miracle!), so while wearing something more than once on a trip sounds like a great idea, it's rarely ever worked out in the past. I discovered these Woolite Travel Packets on our trip to Europe a few years ago, and now I don't travel without them! They're perfect for throwing in your suitcase, and it's really quick and easy to handwash an item in your hotel room sink when needed.

3. Wet Beach Stuff Bag Oftentimes when traveling your return flight is after your checkout time, but it's hard to go to the pool because you don't want to pack a wet swimsuit in your suitcase. This wet stuff beach bag is the perfect solution to that problem - now you can spend your last morning relaxing by the pool or on the beach, and when you're ready to change out of your wet suit you can stick it in the bag before throwing it in your suitcase. Sounds heavenly (pool/beach time, not a wet bag in your suitcase - ha!).

4. SKITS Tech Case I mentioned this in my Holiday Gift Guide for Him and I have to say that this is probably one of Michael's favorite gifts from Christmas! It seems so silly that someone would be excited over cord organization, but when you think about how many chargers you need to take with you when you travel (phone charger, eReader charger, fitness watch charger, laptop/iPad charger, etc) it really comes in handy in terms of keeping cords organized and untangled.

5. Noise Canceling Headphones I've been going back and forth about whether or not I should order these before our Hawaii trip. We're flying first class, and the airline's website says they provide them, but what if they run out or just don't end up having them? They're pretty expensive to buy, and I'm not sure how often I'll use them other than when we're traveling, but at this point I don't have any headphones (I lost my earbuds when we were in Mexico last year) so I probably need to get something. If you travel a lot like Michael does, then you should probably invest in some good noise canceling headphones (Michael has these and loves them), but if you don't travel as much a good pair of earbuds is probably enough.

6. Kindle Paperwhite In the past I've always carried at least one book onto the plane with me and packed one in my suitcase, but they tend to take up space and add weight, so I'm excited to start traveling with my Kindle instead! When I first got it I wasn't sure I liked it, but it's so handy to have a book with me wherever I go, and it weighs less than 8 oz so it doesn't add much weight to my bag (truth be told, I don't feel much of a difference when it's in/out of my bag). It's also really nice because as long as I can connect to WiFi I can always download a new book, so I'm never without something to read!

7. Passport Holder If you're leaving the country, you need something to hold your passport that will stand out when you're digging for it in your bag, and it doesn't hurt if it's cute!

8. Large Tote When I travel I like to bring a book, a puzzle book, magazines, my wallet, a snack (essential on the plane to help prevent motion sickness), a cardigan, etc, and I don't want to get bogged down with an extra bag, so I carry my LV Neverfull and fill it to the brim. I usually keep all of our passports in my purse, so I keep them in the wristlet that came with my LV Neverfull. This reversible tote & wristlet (less than $50!) would work perfectly to hold your passports/travel documents and all of your other travel essentials! And it comes in so many fun colors (I especially love the blue/grey combo)!

Where are you traveling to this summer? What are your travel essentials?



XOXO,
Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Life Update

I wanted to pop in and let you know that my posts may be a bit light for the next month or so. I was offered a tutoring job at the elementary school where I used to teach (the school my kids go to) that I just couldn't pass up. Initially it was going to be half day, so I though I'd still have time to blog, work out, stick to the cleaning schedule that I started a few weeks ago, etc, but now it's full day, so it's going to be a balancing act. At the end of the month I'm either going to be filling out an application for a full-time teaching job next year or be exhausted and ready for a vacation (or both!). A few months ago I was sure that I'd be back to teaching full-time next year, but then I started to find my way, and now I'm kind of thinking I'm good the way things are. Of course, I'm two days into my tutoring job and spent half the night planning for the groups I'm working with, so teaching is definitely a passion. We shall see. If any of my PTA friends are reading this they're probably freaking out a bit right now - I signed up to be president-elect next year, and can't exactly do that if I'm teaching! Rest assured ladies, I'm happy where I am. I think?

Anyhow, I will update my blog when I can, and I'll do my best to keep up with my Facebook page. If you haven't liked my page yet, please do!

Talk to you soon!

XOXO,