Loving Lately

It's been a while since I've rounded up my recent favs. So here we go! 



I've been using the infamous Tarte Shape Tape for a while (hello hereditary dark circles!), but when they recently had a huge sale on Shape Tape I scooped up the Radiant version full size tube for only $15. It is a game changer! I feel like the coverage is even better, plus it gives a subtle glow which is much needed in that undereye area. 



I was in need of replacing my eye makeup brushes, and am loving this Essential Eye Brush Set which was only $29. Now if only I could be better at cleaning my makeup brushes regularly. Time to be less gross. 


I've always had frizzy fly aways no matter what heat protectant or smoothing spray I applied before blow drying my hair. Add in Florida humidity and it's not cute. On a side note - I was NOT prepared for the humidity in Thailand last fall. It was on a whole new level that I hadn't experienced.) I had the Liquid Glass Smoothing Conditioner sitting in my favorites for a while, and finally decided to add to cart. Another game changer! It gives that fresh from the salon feeling, and the frizz is almost non-existent. Where has this product been all my life? Oooh and it smells fantastic! 


I was excited that Free People opened a shop recently in Winter Park Village, and couldn't leave the store without this emerald green beauty. I paired this tank with white jeans and wedges for a recent date night, and it was perfect for dinner and drinks.






Before we left for Maui last month, I had been on the hunt for a new pair of pool slides with zero luck. After we got home, I snagged these Kate Spade pretties on major sale. Run don't walk! 


With more trip planning, I know that where ever we go I am packing this resort dress again. So effortlessly pretty and super comfy! 



For a friend's 40th birthday cruise last fall, I ordered these personalized tumblers for all the girls to keep our drinks cold and I'm still using it almost every day for water while working from home. Keeps my water ice cold all day, and it's also just so pretty. 





Spring Break is almost here for Lil' Miss, and we haven't decided where we will escape to for a few days yet. But what I do know, is we will be packing our matching swimsuits that we donned in Hawaii.




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This Winter

Winter has always been my least favorite month - so much so that I moved to Florida from Connecticut almost 14 years ago to have a much less severe version of ol' man winter. It does get pretty cold here sometimes, but at least I'm no longer scraping ice off my car or shoveling snow. After having several strings of chillier weather, it's been nice to venture out when the warmth returns for a bit. 


Scoop Neck Bodysuit {available in 19 colors} | Boyfriend Jeans | Crossbody Bag | Necklace

 



Saturday was the perfect day to stroll around Park Avenue in Winter Park, stop at our fav coffee shop, and check out the new Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar.






On a recent date night, we checked out a new to us restaurant for dinner and champagne bar appropriately called Flûtes! The decor was gorgeous, and perfect for catching up with the girls or date night.








Romper {only $36}



The next day we headed to Universal Studios for the day. We hadn't been since the Christmas parade and holiday treats, so we were ready to get back. We did some character greets, rode some rides, and of course indulged ourselves. 







Mardi Gras has officially kicked off, so we'll be back again soon to enjoy the parade, the food, and the concerts. After being an annual passholder at Disney, Sea World, and Universal I can safely say we are huge fans of Universal and why we keep renewing our passes. The events, the concerts, the rides, the food and drinks, and the details in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter are absolutely incredible. Plus, have you seen the teasers for Epic Universe?!


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What I Wore in Maui

Last week, I recapped our incredible trip to Maui, but today I wanted to highlight what I wore in Maui. I will add a disclaimer that I've never been the best at photos, have zero editing skills, and the lighting wasn't working in my favor for the most part. It was either too bright or too dark, and I decided "oh well". I'm beyond done trying to create an unrealistic portrayal of my outfits or travels. It is what it is, and I enjoy telling my story with subpar photography - ha! 




What I love about tropical vacations is the ease of packing - lots of bathing suits and cover ups during the day, and dresses and sandals at night for dinner. This beach kimono was nice and airy, and the print is even named "Maui". Perfect for walking on the beach or sipping Mai Tai's in your cabana. 


Cutout Midi Dress {available in 5 colors} | Wedges | Drusy Cuff Bracelet


Lots of fun matching on this trip - we are officially hooked on Kenny Flowers! It all started on the Virgin Voyages cruise we went on in November to celebrate a friend's 40th birthday, and we carried on the tradition in Hawaii and Lil' Miss joined the fun too. She was so excited to wear her lemons with us, and then she and I matched on our last full day as well. Too cute! 












I shopped my closet for this dress to wear to our Farewell Dinner on the last night, and paired it with my new favorite sandals that I wore 4 out of the 5 nights to dinner. Sandals are > heels with all the walking at a big resort. 




We also brought hiking clothes to explore the state parks around the island. Everything I'm wearing is old, but the belt bag is recent and I can't get enough of it! It's perfect for sports games, school events for Lil' Miss, hiking, running errands, etc.. 




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Maui: You had me at Aloha

I am still pinching myself that we spent the 1st week of the year in Maui. It was our first trip to Hawaii, and we are officially in love! If you've been around here for the past several years, you know how much I have traveled around the world to cover events for work. Well, this trip was extra special because we were able to bring our families and stay at the beautiful Grand Wailea Resort in Maui.




This was the 1st time Lil' Miss was on a long haul flight and in a significantly different time zone (prior to this she's only experienced a 1 or 2 hour difference in the Caribbean and in Colorado last spring), and as nervous as I was about how she'd handle it - she rocked it! 




She was all buckled in, and snuggled up ready to go when our flight from Denver to Maui was delayed. We had to layover in Denver (REALLY missing the direct flights from Orlando to Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines) and everything was going smoothly until after we were ready for take off. Apparently, there was an engine leak (which is never good for business!) and they kept trying to fix it and finally pulled in a new plane. However, that took several hours and instead of arriving in Maui around 4:00 in the afternoon we arrived around 9:30. In the grand scheme of things I know it's not that big of a deal, and most importantly we were safe on a plane without mechanical issues. But, it was a bummer to not descend into Maui in the daylight and we missed the welcome dinner at the resort. Thankfully, there were a few other co-workers on our flight so we weren't the only ones who missed the welcome dinner and we were all just incredibly thankful to arrive safely.

Once we arrived, we were able to take food from the welcome dinner to enjoy in our rooms and take a quick shower before crashing for the night. I was excited for the Nespresso machine in the room, and of course the beautiful ocean views from the balcony.






Our king size bed was super comfy, and I couldn't believe how comfortable the pullout for Lil' Miss was too. Usually, when I sit down on a pullout in a hotel to tuck her in for a bedtime story and prayers it is bouncy and not much support. This pullout felt just as sturdy and comfortable as a regular bed and I would have totally crashed in it as well if needed. All other resorts - take notes! 




Surprisingly, we slept in and didn't wake up super early like we usually do when changing time zones. We headed to breakfast at 'Ikena and then went for a leisurely walk by the ocean - stopping for coffee at the Four Seasons' surf shop on the beach. 



After we got back, I headed to the gym for a quick Peloton ride (yes - they have Peloton bikes there!) and enjoyed their infused chilled towels before heading to the pool where my company had rented a group cabana for all of us throughout the stay. We were officially spoiled.











Remember when H and I wore matching bathing suits on our friend's 40th birthday cruise in November? Well, Lil' Miss was quite upset she didn't have a matching suit and was surprised to open up her very own matching Positano Lemons bathing suit to match us in Hawaii on Christmas morning. She of course insisted on us all wearing our lemons the 1st day at the pool, and it was adorable.




Lil' Miss quickly made friends with some of my co-worker's kiddos and was up and down the water slides and the Tarzan rope swing so H and I were able to sneak in a drink at the swim up grotto bar. 






That night, we headed off the resort to dinner at MonkeyPod Kitchen. We had heard it was a must try, and when we arrived we knew the hype must be true because it was super busy. We were told we had an hour and 15 minute wait, and thankfully only waited 45 minutes to be seated. A beautiful open air balcony, live music, and cocktails from the bar helped the time fly by.


Cutout Midi Dress {available in 4 colors} | Sandals | Kendra Scott Ring {only $30} | Drusy Cuff




Everything was DELISH from the drinks to the food, and it was such a fun atmosphere. Lil' Miss almost fell asleep at the table, but perked up when her food arrived. It was our first full day, so the time change was catching up to her. Dinner at 7:00 felt more like after midnight to my precious girl.




The next morning we enjoyed another delicious breakfast with a view at 'Ikena where Lil' Miss discovered POG juice - passionfruit, orange, and guava juices blended perfectly together. Then we were off for a whale watching excursion in Maalaea Harbor.




We saw A LOT of whales including one that came right up to the boat and put on a little show breaching the water. I also loved how some of the momma and baby whales came up from air like synchronized swimmers. 




After the whale watch tour, we shopped for souvenirs and stopped for a quick lunch at Maui Brewing Co. and then headed back to the resort for some pool and beach time. 




That evening, we enjoyed a sunset walk to dinner with the work peeps that had the most beautiful view and of course delicious food.






Dinner with a view - photos just do not do the sunsets there any justice. Every night the sunsets were a chef's kiss. Spectacular. 






We mostly hung out at the resort for the next few days enjoying the beach, water slides, and other amazing amentities. 












On our 2nd to last night we walked over to the Four Seasons next door to our resort for dinner. I was scouting out all the different filming locations from the 1st season of the White Lotus. 




For our last full day, Lil' Miss and I matched again and indulged in all the malasadas at breakfast. Absolutely amazing!










Yes - that is a fish tank in the bar top!



We had an evening flight home, so even with a late check out we had time to fit in a little more exploring before heading to the airport. We went over to Makena State Park to do some hiking, and then did a little shopping and had lunch at the Shops at Wailea. 








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