To Travel is to Live

To Travel is to Live

If there is one thing that I cannot get enough of - it's travel! Traveling is hands down my favorite hobby, and I'm always planning ahead my next trip as I would like to see as much of this beautiful world as I can. We try to spend more of our money on experiences instead of on "stuff", and I have never once regretted choosing traveling to a new place instead of a new designer piece that will hang in my closet or the latest electronics. Spend money on memories is my motto!

We were originally booked on an Alaskan cruise next month to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary, but obviously our plans have changed. We are still going on a small getaway on the Gulf coast, and are saving the big trip for later this year or next year to celebrate year 11.


In the spring of 2019, we took Lil' Miss on a Disney Cruise (recap found here) with friends of ours and we visited Cozumel Mexico, Grand Cayman, Falmouth Jamaica, and Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. It was priceless watching her experience the beautiful beaches in four new to her countries on that trip as well as all the fun that was to be had on board as well.




We also had a few staycations here in Florida, and I was blessed with a whirlwind world tour for work that took me to Singapore, Milan, and Rio de Janeiro. Exhausting and surreal, but purely amazing.

*Even on a rainy day, it was INCREDIBLE to see Christ the Redeemer literally in the clouds*


*Workin' it in Singapore*


I'm still obsessed with this swimsuit that I wore in Singapore when I rewarded myself with a dip in the gorgeous resort pool once the event was over. It was just what I needed after running around a convention center for 3 days, and not sleeping much. 

Before Lil' Miss was born, we took a babymoon cruise to Bermuda which was perfect. The Zika Virus was a big threat in a lot of tropical places at the time, but thankfully not in Bermuda. In fact, I didn't see a single bug the entire time we were on the island for a few days. While pregnant, I enjoyed all the food on board including tiramisu at dinner each night - YUM!

Bermuda - Island Recap
Bermuda - Cruise Ship Recap



Vacations with friends are also a ton of fun! As much as we traveling just the two of us or with Lil' Miss enjoying fun experiences in new cities or countries with friends builds even strong friendships.

Friend's destination wedding in Punta Cana - Recap found here

Friends Birthday Cruise to the Bahamas - Recap found here


A couple's trip to San Francisco was a great combination of site seeing in the city, and heading out to Napa and Sonoma for wine tastings. We also went hiking in Muir Woods, and explored the picturesque seaside town of Sausalito. Some of our must-dos were taking the ferry to Alcatraz, taking pictures in front of the Painted Ladies and the Full House house, going to the Top of the Mark, the Golden Gate bridge (of course), and wine country. 

Napa and Sonoma recap found here

When in New York City, one must go to Yankee Stadium and catch a baseball game. And of course root root root for the home team! 


In Chicago enjoy ALL THE FOOD! I still rave about the food in that city! Go for drinks in the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock Building and other amazing rooftop bars around the city, take the train and go to Wrigley Field for a Cubs game and hang around in Wrigleyville after it's over. An architectural river cruise tour and a photo opp in front of The Bean are also a must dos! Devour some deep dish pizza, a Chicago style hot dog, and grab donuts and coffee at one of their many donut shops, take a spin on the ferris wheel at the touristy Navy Pier, and then stop for a drink at Three Dots and a Dash which is a hidden underground tiki bar. 

Chicago recap found here

After our wedding in 2010, we flew out to Las Vegas for a few nights before renting a car to drive through the desert to Los Angeles where we flew to Fiji for our honeymoon. We stayed in a honeymoon bure on Qamea Island which was honeymoon perfection. We had a day bed with a view of the beach, a hammock on our front porch, and an outdoor rock shower and jacuzzi tub in a private courtyard in the back. We snorkeled the South Pacific, hiked to waterfalls, had an afternoon on Honeymoon Beach with a picnic lunch, dinner on the beach, a couples massage in the jungle spa (complimentary for honeymooners), and enjoyed beach combing every day. Totally worth the long flight over! 


Make sure to check out my Travel Tab at the top of my blog page where you can find links to all of my travel recaps and reviews of cruise ships. You'll find locations from Fiji to the Caribbean, Europe, Rio de Janeiro, Bermuda, Singapore, and fun spots here in the United States - Chicago, San Francisco, San Diego, New York City, Miami, Las Vegas, Cape Cod, and the Florida Keys to name a few.

**This blog post is in collaboration with Nakturnal, however all opinions are my own.

Red, White, and Blue Beaches

Red, White, and Blue Beaches

Even with everything that's been going on lately, we had a beautiful Memorial Day Weekend complete with a beach day, pool time, grilling, and H was able to go golfing with a few of the guys to celebrate his birthday. I made sure to rock red, white, and blue all weekend and broke out my favorite stars and stripes bathing suit.

Stars and Stripes Bathing Suit {Only $15} | Beach Cover Up {Only $17} |  Sunnies


They were doing a fantastic job at New Smyrna Beach making sure cars and beach set ups were a certain distance apart, and they broke up any large groups. At one point, I heard the beach police soaring down the beach and blaring their alarm. I looked up, and saw them breaking up a large group of people. I'm so thankful the beaches are open again, but it's not time to throw a big party people - come on!

We also grabbed lunch to-go from one of the beach-side restaurants. It's one of our favorite spots when we're at the beach, and I was happy to see they survived the shutdown. I also was very happy to hear that all restaurants and shops down by the beach in New Smyrna are locally owned. No chains! If you're in the area - definitely head out to enjoy the beach and some local food and drinks. 





For Memorial Day, I wanted to rock more red, white, and blue - and this peplum top was the perfect pop of red especially in the heat. I paired it with white jean shorts, and blue nails. Guys I painted my nails for the first time in 2 and 1/2 months. It was nice, and Lil' Miss even said "Mommy you have pretty nails again!" Out of the mouths of babes I tell ya... 

Top {Only $8 and comes in 3 colors} | ShortsSandals | Barrette | Knotted Cuff | Lipstick in Creme Cup | Double Ring | Necklace | Sunglasses



Did I mention this bathing suit top is reversible! I wore the red and white stripes side to the beach, and the blue and white stars in the pool. Festive and practical! 



Don't forget to use coupon code SUM54 to receive an extra 15% off your entire purchase at SheIn for their Summer Sale now through June 30th. Happy Shopping!

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Jumpin' Jumpin'

Jumpin' Jumpin'

Who else has Destiny's Child stuck in their heads now? Always in the mood for one of their songs, and of course casual chic neutrals. I'm currently obsessing over this jumpsuit which is only $12, and can't wait to wear it out for some weekend fun or at the office under a light jacket. Versatile pieces that work for the 9-5 and for drinks with the girls or chasing lil' miss on the playground are my jam!

Jumpsuit {Only $12} | Sunnies | Sandals {40% off} | Tote Bag {50% off} | Watch | Knot Cuff



I'm also still swooning over my recent amazing find on major sale - this tote bag. It's currently 50% off and fits all the things including my work lap top. So, I can finally stop lugging a lap top bag to and from the office (when we head back in the coming weeks) or when traveling for work events. 



Don't forget to use coupon code SUM54 to receive an extra 15% off your entire purchase at SheIn for their Summer Sale now through June 30th. Happy Shopping!

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Lashes and Ruffles

Lashes and Ruffles

I hide behind sunglasses a lot, and can use all the help I can get when I take away my "disguise". Between hereditary dark circles no matter how much sleep I get at night, and barely there lashes I love a little extra oomph to bring out my hazel eyes. I'd always been somewhat turned off by false lashes due to having to glue them on. But magnetic lashes are a total game-changer, and I love that they are handmade and re-usable so I don't have to throw them out after only one use. Yes please!

Magnetic Lashes - Save 30% + free shipping with code BEAUTY30

*Summery Line Up*

Re-usable Lash Line Up


So easy to apply even for this beauty non-expert!



**This beauty product review is in collaboration with Hivency, however all opinions are my own.


Now about this dress - I can't get over how flirty and cute it is especially for the upcoming heat here in the sunshine state. Don't get me wrong! I love the heat, but if I'm not in the pool or at the beach I need to be comfortable and wearing something light and airy. You won't catch me in jeans from April through at least October. Comfort is key, and breezy and fun dresses are my go-to.

Dress {only $21 and comes in 3 colors} | Espadrilles {40% off} | Double Ring | Knot Cuff | Sunnies




Don't forget to use coupon code SUM54 to receive an extra 15% off your entire purchase at SheIn for their Summer Sale now through June 30th. Happy Shopping!

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Pour a Cup of Coffee, and Let's Catch Up

Pour a Cup of Coffee, and Let's Catch Up

Happy Monday Lovlies! Lots to catch up on, as I apparently decided to take an unintended blogging break last week. As I've mentioned before, I've actually been quite enjoying this forced slow down and extra time at home. I've been savoring my morning cups of coffee, extra time with lil' miss, and not rushing out the door each morning. With that said, I stepped back a bit from other things that take up my time and that's OK. 

So, what have I been up to? It's amazing how we envision staying at home with doing nothing. Ha - I wish! I'm blessed to be able to work from home throughout this pandemic, I've been keeping up with online workouts, rifled through two books, tackled lots of house projects that have been sitting on the back burner, donated clothes and toys, and of course extra time with lil' miss. I'm not big on gifts for Hallmark holidays (like Valentines Day or Mother's Day), but I did treat myself recently and scooped up this Marc Jacobs tote bag at 50% off which will fit my work laptop so I don't need to lug a laptop bag to and from the office or on planes for work trips (whenever that happens again).
I finished The Widow Clicquot which I highly recommend if you're into champagne, and learning more about it's history. I then immediately dove into The Thousandth Floor which is set in NYC 100 years into the future in a massive 1,000 story building. Incredibly intriguing, and I had no idea when I began reading it that it was a part of a series. Now, all I can think about is the next book! Has anyone read it? I'm bursting at the seams to discuss the 1st book!


It has felt great to get some much needed organizing, purging, and deep cleaning done around the house. I even cleaned the oven... guys the OVEN! We also finally picked up a shampoo carpet cleaner at Target to clean the carpets in the house. I do love tile or wood floors throughout the living areas of the house, but I'm a stickler for carpet in the bedrooms. There's just something cozy about waking up in the morning, and stepping onto a soft carpet. Anyone else feel the same?
I typically work out about 5 days a week, with 2 rest days but while we've been sheltering in place at home we've been going for lots of walks around the neighborhood and I've been taking advantage of all the free online workouts available to me. My local Bar Method studio goes live on Instagram each Sunday with FREE community classes, and they're available for 24 hours so you can hop on and join the workout when it's convenient for you - from anywhere around the world. This is the perfect time to try out a barre class if you've never experienced one before, and the instructors are fabulous! Just follow them here and join the fun! I'm also blessed to have an on-site gym at work which also has a personal trainer on staff. While we've all been working from home, he's been conducting Zoom workouts MWF each week, and another co-worker has been streaming yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Zoom. So, my only rest day now has been Saturday which would have scared me in the past, but has been exactly what I need right now. Pass another glass (or bottle) of wine - I've earned it! 
This sweet girl made me a mommy, and her infectious giggles and sweet kisses warm my heart each and every day. She and my husband treated me to brunch at home yesterday morning and mom-mosas after a sweat inducing Bar Method session on Instagram Live. After her nap, we did some gardening together with pots and seeds my mom sent for springtime. My parents were supposed to move down here by Easter, but the pandemic has obviously put a hold on things. So FaceTime and care packages have been common-place instead. 







Getting dressed in actual clothes (I can't remember the last time I wasn't in pajamas, workout clothes, or a bathing suit) and blow drying my hair for the 1st time in 2 months needed to be documented. I felt like myself, and it was nice. But it was also nice to change back into cozy shorts and tank to hit the couch! 



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