Back when we toured our current home in December, I was very hesitant about one specific part of the space… the refrigerator was not actually in the kitchen. The actual kitchen itself is very tiny and narrow but right outside of that room is another room where the refrigerator was just sitting by itself. In a way, I’m extremely thankful for it’s weirdness because I know it helped keep it on the market a bit longer (long enough for us to find it without it being super competitive) but I knew there had to be ways to maximize the functionality of this space. You might be wondering, “Why would there not be a refrigerator in the actual kitchen to begin with?” and, if you’re unfamiliar with NYC apartments, you also might be shocked to know that washer/dryers are very hard to come by. Well, this place had a washer/dryer in the spot where the refrigerator would traditionally be and you cannot just switch the two around due to plumbing. There’s no complaining happening here because we have our own washer/dryer in the city which we did NOT have in our previous place but my original vision was to extend the kitchen space to include the room just outside of it and surround the refrigerator with a cabinet, add shelves to the wall, and make use of every inch. Technically, it now could be described as a butlers pantry which typically serves as an inbetween room between the kitchen and dining room. One of the first steps was to select a paint color and I turned to one of my all-time favorite paint brands, Farrow & Ball, to book a Colour Consultancy appointment. I love Farrow & Ball for their high quality and eco-friendly formulas. Their low odor finishes and lack of toxic fumes make me feel much better about using it in our home and I appreciate their passion for using sustainable materials.
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If you’re having a hard time narrowing down a paint color for a space in your home, Farrow & Ball offers their Colour Consultancy services (virtual or in-home) to help guide you through your design dilemmas. Sometimes the process can just be overwhelming so the Colour Consultancy experts are there to provide their expert knowledge of the Farrow & Ball palette (and finishes) to make the design process more simple for you.
On the morning of my booked appointment, I showed the consultant around the room I wanted to paint (via the computer screen). I had previously sent her responses to a questionnaire so that she could learn more about my style and types of colors I’m typically drawn to. I also showed her around our future nursery and narrowed down those as well to make use of the time! Having this color fan of all 132 colors was extremely helpful to have when talking through the best options. It was also nice to have to compare to wallpaper options.
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We ultimately decided on two contrasting colors, Treron and Old White. Treron is a dark grey green (very typical of me to choose) and Old White is a traditional neutral that we thought would look great on the doors to make them pop. I also ended up painting the shelves and cabinet Old White as well. The two colors look SO good together and being able to talk through the options with an expert made such a difference in finally making the decision. Old White matches really well with our retro refrigerator so it gives them a more built-in feel too.
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I am SO happy with how this space has turned out. I ended up finding the piece of marble from a local antique shop and the shelves were made with the same brackets and wood we’ve used in previous shelf projects. This room went from awkward and non-functional to useful and cozy.
BEFORE WE MOVED IN
AFTER
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Click here to explore all of Farrow & Ball’s paint colors and to book a Colour Consultancy appointment for design help!
This post is sponsored by Farrow & Ball, a company that I have used and loved for years.
After we arrived back from Italy last month, it wasn’t the beaches I missed most but the FOOD. And then I remembered that, if it’s good food we’re missing, we’re not in a bad place to find it! There are many reasons people love New York City but one big reason is that it is one of the most diverse cities in the world making it a perfect place to find whatever authentic ethnic cuisine you’re looking for. Italian food has always been my favorite but I recently asked you all on Instagram what the best Italian restaurants in NYC are and after narrowing the list way down by the TOP most recommended (some places had over 30 votes), I decided I’d put them in a list format and keep it here to document as I try them. I didn’t include the ones that only had a few votes although I’m sure they are incredible… the list just got too long! And speaking of local recommendations, I love this article The Big Apple Debunked – What Locals Love about New York City
The most recommended Italian restaurants in New York City (by area/neighborhood) were…
TJ and I agreed that this was our favorite part of our recent trip… it was our first time ever visiting Italy but it was also the most relaxing part of our entire trip. After driving 2.5 hours from Nice, we parked our car for 3 days at Imperiale Palace Hotel in Santa Margherita. This town is about 8-10 minutes down the road from Portofino and our hotel was a quick 5 minute walk to all of the restaurants and shops Santa Margherita had to offer. We were both really sad when the day came to leave but we were so happy to spend 3 full days exploring this area on the northern Italian Riviera.
WHERE IS SANTA MARGHERITA?
Santa Margherita is located on the north-west coast of Italy outside of the city of Genoa. It is a coastal town that has a lot to do, great restaurants, beautiful seaside views, and is a great place to stay if you are looking to visit Portofino. Hotels in Portofino can be a lot more expensive than in Santa Margherita, but we found that we enjoyed being outside of Portofino and were able to take a taxi/boat taxi over there one morning very easily. Our hotel had us never wanting to leave the property except for dinner (where we had some of the best meals of our lives!). Since it was our first time in Italy, the town reminded us a little of many of the French coastal towns we saw with long winding roads, a lot of hills until you are down on the beach, and most people drove Vespas to get around. If you’ve seen the Disney movie, Luca, it looks identical to that. When planning our trip, we wanted a small portion of our trip to be as relaxing as our honeymoon (less exploring, more slow mornings and time sitting by the water) and turned out being exactly that! We kept going back and forth between which we loved more… this 3 day stay or our honeymoon in St. Lucia and it was hard to decide.
THE HOTEL
When searching for a place to stay, this hotel kept popping up as one of the most recommended when visiting this area. We decided to book a 3 night stay at Imperial Palace Hotel and it ended up being one of our favorite hotels (and by far the most luxurious) that we’ve ever been to. It was also the biggest splurge on a hotel we’ve ever done, but so worth it. As soon as we arrived, I knew that this would be a once in a lifetime experience. Because this trip was booked with only 3 weeks notice, most of the more standard rooms (which are equally as beautiful) were all booked up so we decided to book one of the suites. It was the most elegant room I’ve ever seen… complete with a sea view terrace, a glass chandelier the size of our entire kitchen at home, the most spacious marble bathroom, and the most stunning antique decor… I felt like I was dreaming the entire time. One of the best features was the ceiling fresco that was something out of the Sistine Chapel. It felt like we were in a Michaelangelo painting and stretched across the entire room with ornate moulding accents.
The hotel also offered complimentary breakfast, a private seaside beach area, pool, and was in such a great location making it easy to walk everywhere. For both of the full days we stayed here, our day looked like this: wake up and eat breakfast downstairs on the terrace, come back to our room to get ready for a beach day, sit on the beach (order lunch at the cafe) until time to go to dinner, walk to dinner, sit out on the terrace at night, repeat. We enjoyed it SO much and it was really nice to have some slower days sprinkled into our trip. The private beach area (not really a beach, more like rocky terrain that had a cut out for swimmers to venture out into the Mediterranean) was only for hotel guests and had some of the comfiest beach chairs where you could order food from a cafe. Before breakfast, we usually went down and set up our towels on the front row and then went to eat. The breakfast had a wide variety of food – scrambled eggs, bacon, omelette bar, pastries, fruit, and cereal. I loved sitting on the terrace eating fruit while looking out over Santa Margherita below.
The hotel also has a spa and TJ and I booked a couples facial/foot massage one afternoon after a long day of sitting by the water. The spa area seemed to be under a little bit of a renovation, so they set up the rooms in actual vacant guest rooms. TJ really enjoyed the foot massage and the facial was one of the best I have ever had. It was quick but the perfect way to end a beach day.
OUR FAVORITE RESTAURANTS
Our first encounter with Italian food was even better than we imagined it would be. We learned our lesson in France and made sure to do our restaurant research ahead of time and book reservations at Ristorante Antonio (it was so outstanding that we booked two dinners there during our stay) and Angolo 48. We loved the Italian/seafood type food this region had to offer. One of my favorite dishes was a lightly seared calamari at Antonio’s that we ordered both nights we went. Pesto pasta was another common menu item in this region. Being in one of the regions of Italy known for great vineyards, TJ ordered some local wine at each meal and said they were all amazing. I’ll definitely have to revisit Italy post-pregnancy. Another restaurant we read a lot of great reviews about was Il Patio but did not get a chance to try it. There was a small bakery right across the street from Antonio’s and we would stop inside right before dinner to get an almond croissant before they closed for the night. It would be our “second dessert” for when we got back to our hotel after dinner.
OTHER TIPS AND ANYTHING WE’D DO DIFFERENTLY?
This area isn’t the most car-friendly so I’d go into it knowing that you will likely park your car the entire time and walk/use a taxi/boat/ferry to get places. To get into Portofino, we took a taxi there and a boat taxi back. The taxi from the hotel was pricey but worth it for the early morning out there.
We really wouldn’t change a single thing about this part of the trip. We really loved the hotel, the location, the specific suite we booked, and everything about our time there. There are definitely other nearby towns that we would have loved to see but we also really enjoyed and needed some down time after our busy week exploring France.
Covid Note: We had to show our “health pass” or vaccination card to dine indoors. These rules could be changing at any moment so be sure to check beforehand!
We recently returned from our second visit to France and we loved it just as much as we remembered. We traveled there two years ago and it was one of our favorite trips we’ve gone on so we knew we had to return one day. I think it’ll be a place I’ll want to continue visiting every couple of years or so… it gives me so much inspiration in so many areas of life. Both trips have included a little bit of the French Riviera as well as Provence. Both areas are located within the region known as Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. I have a hard time visiting this region and narrowing down all of the villages I want to see because they’re all SO beautiful and full of charm and history. It gives me fomo to think of not seeing them all which I know is impossible but that is a personal problem that I am working on with each visit :). While some may feel slightly more touristy than others, some you’ll definitely want to nail down your French phrases before visiting because it will be challenging to communicate if not. I’d recommend listening to podcasts ahead of time for French lessons!
Cagnes sur Mer
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Whenever we’ve planned either of our trips here, we’ve always flown into Nice and rented a car for at least a week. This time around, we chose to stay at an Airbnb about 40 minutes outside of Nice. This allowed us to have a homebase while spending most of the daytime driving to various spots to explore. If you’re wanting to spend a lot of time exploring the countryside in Provence, I would split your time up between 1) finding an Airbnb close to Nice and 2) finding an Airbnb in Provence. St. Tropez is another area we LOVE but is about 1.5 hours away from Nice. Here are a list of villages/towns/cities that we’ve visited either this time around or last time that we really enjoyed:
Provence
Aix En Provence:
(1.5 hours from Nice) – this is one of the larger cities in Provence and has a lot of things to do and explore. The city is made up of older sections with smaller streets and cute cafes, along with a more modern section with shops and sights. We stopped by on Thursday where we found a large market that stretched along a boulevard called Cours Mirabeau. This market supposedly happens three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays but ends around 1pm. The stands are a mix of clothing, antiques, jewelry, handmade soaps and gifts, art, and so much more. We naturally gravitated to the older, more vintage home decor items. I found a vintage toy Mercedes car that inspired me to begin a collection for the baby right next to a stand where we bought a piece of fine art. We ended up having to ship the painting back home but it still was way less expensive than something I’d find at a market in NYC. It literally arrived in New York two days later for $100. We had lunch afterwards at a little cafe that was located on a busy street of pedestrians. If you find yourself in Aix and want to grab something to eat, I’d recommend strolling through the quieter streets because there are some adorable sandwich shops where you can sit under a large umbrella and order some coffee while planning the rest of your day. I also did some shopping at stores like Longchamp and came home with the most perfect personal item/carry-on bag ever that I will use for years and years!
Gordes:
Gordes was one of the coolest places we went on our first trip to France. It sits up on a hill overlooking farmland and vineyards. The view of Gordes from down the hill might even be better than the view from the village itself. On our first trip we stopped in a little market and picked up some pasta, fruit, cheese, and veggies to make dinner at our Airbnb. There is also a very nice hotel located in Gordes, but we didn’t have a chance to check it out. During our recent trip, we were not able to drive up this far since we were not actually staying in Provence this time around but, if you are, this is a must stop. The weekly market in Gordes happens every Tuesday morning.
Gordes 2019
St. Remy:
This was another spot we visited during our first trip. I wish we could have spent a little more time in St. Remy, but we only had a couple hours to explore. Unfortunately, when we went it was in the middle of the afternoon and a lot of the cafes had closed before reopening for dinner. We found a great little shaded courtyard where we saw a street performer playing a winding music box and it was very relaxing. The St. Remy market happens on Wednesdays and, for any of these, be prepared to show up early if you are driving or else parking might be a nightmare.
Menerbes:
We stopped in this town that was known for being in the heart of French wine country. This town was also up on a hill and had great views down onto the vineyards. Luckily we were able to walk into a restaurant with no reservation (not recommended!) that had amazing scenery and amazing wine. No matter where you are visiting in France, I’d strongly recommend making dinner reservations ahead of time. Most restaurants in France (and Italy) book each table once per night and dinners are a much longer experience than in the US where they often have 1.5 hour time limits (at least here in NYC). It’s the complete opposite over there so be sure to book ahead if you want the best restaurant experiences!
Apt:
The city was about an hour and a half away from our Airbnb during our first trip to Provence. We traveled there to visit a large market – one of the biggest that we had ever been to in either France or the U.S. It was a little difficult finding parking, especially if you have a larger rental car. Apt’s Saturday market is known to be one of the best food markets in all of France. This was the town that we found those little girls dresses that I thought I’d use one day until I found out we’re having a boy. 🙂 Still keeping them just in case because they were the cutest ever.
Nice/French Riviera
Nice:
We didn’t spend too much time in the city of Nice, but we did explore for a bit on one night of our most recent trip. It is very much a coastal city that has a lot to do and see, especially walking along the beach. The architecture is beautiful… reminds of me a pastel Paris. A lot of the restaurants have a seating area that is right along the water. As you move a little farther away from the water, there are large openings and courtyards that have street performers and dancers that entertain people eating dinner or walking through the streets. We also had some of the gelato of our lives here after dinner one night. I loved Nice but I think because we’re so used to a big city, we opted for more quieter towns most days. But Nice was poppin’, especially after 8/9pm.
Villefranche-sur-Mer:
We stopped by Villefranche-sur-Mer both times in France mainly because it has some family history on my mom’s side – my grandmother and grandfather lived here for a couple of years when my mom and uncle were babies. On our recent trip, we actually parked our car right in front of the house that they lived in without even knowing it! One downer was that each time we came to the town it was pouring rain. We were able to find a little cafe to have a quick bite to eat down by the water, and luckily they had an awning we were able to sit under while it rained. One thing we love about Villefranche is how colorful the town is. Some of our favorite pictures are looking down on the town where you can see all the buildings, the beach, and boats. This town is small, charming, and very colorful but it definitely feels more quiet than others we’ve been to.
St. Tropez (+ Grimaud and Gassin):
On our first trip to the south of France, we stayed in a boutique hotel right outside of St. Tropez. Since we rented a car we were able to go into center village of St. Tropez and some of the surrounding villages. St. Tropez reminded us a lot of Nice, except smaller and not as many new structures or architecture. It was very colorful and there were so many cute alleyways to explore in Old Town. We got turned around quite a few times in our journey there, but somehow always ended up in front of an ice cream or ‘glacé’ stand. Grimaud and Gassin are two villages that are not too far away from St. Tropez. I almost prefer Grimaud and Gassin over exploring St. Tropez but maybe that’s because I like the quieter, less “glamorous” spots. These were some of the first villages we went to and where we instantly fell in love with the South of France. It felt like we were really in Beauty and the Beast. Grimaud does have a market as well (Thursdays), but during our first trip there we were not planning on going and just missed it. St. Tropez has a large market located in Place des Lices on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. Gassin is a much smaller town that, like many other towns, sits up on a hill. This was where we had one of our first dinners in France and it did not disappoint. Warning: it is a work out walking up the steep slopes of Gassin! A lot of these towns are actually a workout now that I think about it.
Grimaud and St. Tropez 2019
Saint Paul de Vence:
This village was on our list the first time we traveled to France, but for some reason mapquest couldn’t quite get us there. It took us this long ending road that actually ended in someone’s backyard, yet said we were there? Don’t be alarmed if your map takes you crazy places… Anyway, we were determined to find it on our second trip, and it did not disappoint. The town does feel a little bit touristy, but it has great cafes, art galleries, and an abundance of wine and cheese shops. I really loved the gift shops here because they were so art-focused. I found mini paintings to bring home to friends. We stopped in a few of the art galleries and in many of them you can actually meet the artist. We didn’t have a dinner reservation the day we went, so unfortunately we had to leave hungry, but if you plan a trip there I am sure it has wonderful food.
Saint Paul de Vence
Vence:
If you are looking for a village similar to St. Paul de Vence with not as many tourists, we would recommend Vence! We stopped in on Wednesday when they had a flea market in the center of the village. It was a little rainy, but it did not stop the vendors from setting up the stands and haggling with the locals and passerbys. I ended up getting a very cool vintage event flyer that we are planning to put in the baby’s room, and a vintage dustpan and broom set. After doing a little shopping we sat down at a cafe to have a coffee and a quick bite to eat. The cafe didn’t technically open until 12pm, but they graciously sat us down about half an hour before and supplied us with delicious espresso. One note: there is also a museum of art in Vence that definitely looked worth exploring, we just didn’t have enough time. Vence felt very much like a local’s spot and barely anyone spoke English, just FYI! I don’t know if this town is on many “travel guides” but, for that reason, I wanted to check it out.
Cagnes sur Mer:
We stayed here our very last night on our trip mainly because it was so close to the airport and would make things a bit more convenient. It’s much smaller than the surrounding towns but was very quaint and cute! We stayed at a hotel that I found on Airbnb called Chateau Le Cagnard and it was a very relaxing last night. We ate dinner at the hotel’s restaurant (so delicious) and mainly just had a low key evening strolling around the cobblestone streets. You can’t really drive up directly to the top of the village (way too narrow for cars) but there are parking decks half-way up that you can use if you do need to park. We had just dropped off our rental car at the airport so we took an uber here and back to the airport the next day.
Menton:
Menton is the last big town in France before crossing the border over into Italy. We stopped by Menton and had lunch on our first trip to France. It gets crowded on the weekends so just a warning for parking… the earlier you get there, the better! The beaches were packed and there was a lot of celebrating going on along the seaside. On our most recent excursion to Menton it was a little more quiet, but still definitely a place for tourists to stop in. Like Villefranche, Menton is full of colorful old buildings that are very picturesque. We went on a Friday when they had their market going on. It was a relatively small market, but had a lot of cool vintage items. There weren’t as many clothing stands like in Aix, Apt, and Vence. We ended up having lunch before traveling through to Italy. Being so close to the border the town has a great selection of French/Italian restaurants. We actually talked about how this town would be a great place to stay for a couple of nights. It’s large enough to where I’d feel like there would be enough to see and do over the course of a couple of days. Plus, it would be way more fun without having to worry about car parking.
There are seriously so many towns and villages that are still on my list that we ran out of time to see. If you happen to visit in July, I’d definitely recommend visiting and staying somewhere in Provence so you can experience the lavender fields too. Sault and Valensole are the places to go for that!
WHERE TO STAY:
Because there is so much to do and see, I don’t know that it would be worth it staying in a luxurious hotel, necessarily. Maybe for a couple of nights… but we found that we were rarely at our Airbnb (other than breakfast and dinner one night) and most of our time was spent exploring. We’ve always just found really nice Airbnbs to stay in that have breakfast options, a kitchen in case you just want to cook fresh food from the markets, and just serve as a nice place to sleep. When we drove over to Italy (which I will elaborate on in my next post) though, we did splurge on a very luxurious hotel and it was well worth. every. penny. However, France had us in an exploring mood and therefore an Airbnb was the perfect way to save money. I’d feel guilty leaving a splurge-worthy hotel all day long, ya know? However, just wait until this Italy hotel I tell you about.
SHOPPING AT LOCAL MARKETS:
I tried to list as many local market days of the week above when mentioning each of our favorite towns; however, there are a few things to note! Markets in France or ‘le marché’ are a way of life and basically every town has one at some point throughout the week. First of all, weekend days tend to be the best days for the larger markets so keep that in mind when planning your trip but we were not even in France over a weekend and visited plenty of weekday ones. There are also different types of markets you might want to look for. Some focus on food and clothing, flowers, some focus on antiques, and some focus on second-hand items that are less $ than an actual antique market. I found that my personal favorite type of market to find was frequently called a ‘brocante’. They are easy to find online when searching by each town but just know that most of them end by 12 or 1pm. There is just something about sifting through vintage French home pieces and I was particularly on the hunt for some items to decorate our future nursery with. I came back with quite a few finds that I can’t wait to one day share stories to my ‘lil babe about. When searching for markets to visit in France, you’ll likely see the term ‘Provencal Market’ and those are usually larger than a farmer’s market or a flea market – but rather a mix of the two! Fresh produce, cheese, bread, with the addition of clothing, leather goods, etc.
BEACHES TO VISIT:
We mainly saved our “beach/relaxing time” for our Italy portion of our trip; however, there are beach clubs everywhere along the French Riviera… everywhere. Nice has numerous but even smaller towns like Villefrance-sur-Mer had some. Menton is also a big beach town! One memorable beach we visited during our first trip to France was Cap D’Ail. It was surrounded by mountains and just so stunning. We really wanted to revisit it this time around but ran out of time and knew we’d get plenty of beach time in Italy. But, Cap D’Ail is definitely one that I would suggest looking into!
OTHER TIPS:
The smaller the rental car, the better. Underground parking decks are tiny.
Enjoy your trip and accept the fact that you might not be able to visit every single place on your list within one visit.
Dinner reservations are a must if you want to dine at really good restaurants.
There usually are public bathrooms in the bigger cities and villages, but they cost .50 euros.
Don’t be afraid to haggle and negotiate with the vendors at the markets.
Most restaurants in the smaller villages do not have all day services, so you will need to strategically time out when you try to grab something to eat. There were a few times we were turned away or told to come back.
We found that large breakfasts were not really a thing in most areas… more like a croissant and coffee, unless your Airbnb has a breakfast option which came in very handy for us before our long days of exploring.
Order dessert whenever possible.
WHAT WE WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY:
– Both times we’ve visited France, we almost felt like it wasn’t long enough. Make sure you book enough days to really get to explore while also squeezing in some relaxation/refuel time.
– Dinner reservations! We were good about this in Italy but not at all in France so we felt like we didn’t get the best restaurant experiences until we got to Italy where we were more on top of our reservation booking skills.
WHAT TO PACK:
If visiting in the summertime, I’d recommend packing dresses and comfy shoes. I wore these sandals nearly every day but some days called for sneakers. Don’t forget to bring sunscreen, outlet converters, maybe a backpack for the daytime (to carry around a camera), swimsuits, sunglasses, and a good hat! TJ brought a mix of shorts, long pants, polos, t-shirts, and a couple button downs for nice dinners. He did walk around in loafers all day in France and got a few blisters – so maybe bring a pack of bandaids as well! I linked all of my travel outfits here.
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COVID NOTES:
This could very well change at anytime but, when we went, we needed to show our vaccination proof or a negative test to get on our plane in the US. To enter indoor dining in France, we needed to show the same thing but any negative test would need to be within the last 48 hours. They were much more strict about this in airport restaurants as opposed to restaurants in Nice but this was also the same week this was just set in place so I’m sure by now it’s much more enforced. Basically, at this time, if you are vaccinated and show your CDC card, you do not need to get tested every 48 hours making it pretty seamless. Masks were required at public indoor places and no matter what your vaccination status is, you have to show a negative test to get back into the US. Again, this could change at any time so, before you plan your trip, make sure you are updated with the newest guidelines! For us, we still enjoyed our trip to the fullest and are so thankful we were able to make it happen, safely.
If you have any other questions, let me know! Or if you have any towns/villages I didn’t mention, I’d love to add them to my neverending list of places to see one day. I tried to save videos/photos in an Instagram highlight too.
I’ll be sure to share our Italy portion of the trip next.
With a baby on the way this December and the recent loss of our sweet lab Colbie, we’ve somewhat last-minute decided to squeeze in some travel to a couple of places as a family of two. TJ and I have been together for almost 12 years and traveling together has always been one of our favorite things to do but, like most people in the world, we haven’t left our home too much in the last 1.5 years. Since I won’t be able to travel internationally for a while starting this fall when I’ll hit my last couple of pregnancy months (and now that other countries are opened… for now), we decided to plan a babymoon to one of our favorite destinations, the South of France. We’ll also plan on visiting parts of the Italian Riviera (our first time ever in Italy) which I am very excited for. We visited the French Riviera and Provence a few years ago and fell in love with everything about it. When planning these trips, it can be challenging to narrow down your stops and figure out what all to pack while all keeping it somewhat organized and minimal so you’re not lugging around multiple bags. The prepping can be stressful but, in the end, is well worth it.
I’m partnering with Walmart today to share a few packing and travel essentials to make the packing process a little less stressful.
Step 1: After creating a loose itinerary of our trip, I like to walk through each day of the trip and start writing down (very specifically) what I’ll wear. The more repeat outfits or mix-and-matching, the better, and the more dresses, the better! Dresses = no pants = less clothing = more space in your suitcase. The fact that I’m pregnant also makes dress packing extra easy! If you are in need of an affordable luggage set (with a TON of reviews), we have this set and it’s just as sturdy as it is beautiful. The green color is especially pretty if you can catch it while it’s in stock! Since this will be our second time to the South of France, I know the importance of mindfully packing only comfortable shoes. I’ll probably bring a couple of different sneakers, some comfortable slide sandals, and maybe one pair of nicer yet still comfortable shoes.
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Step 2: Once you have a list down of what you’ll wear each day (including pajamas at night, comfy clothes, specific undergarments if needed, hats), start making a pile of them on the bed! Include any devices you might need each day as well such as a steamer or curling iron. Once you have this clothing planning and gathering step out of the way, you can focus on the super important carry on and tech items (including an outlet converter). I highly recommend packing this exact actual outfit list with you too so you remember and save time when getting dressed on your trip and have more time for exploring.
Step 3: By now, your big checked luggage should be all planned out. Grab your carry-on suitcase and add in a few of your outfits you just planned. It could be helpful to use packing cubes such as these. This is also when I add in all of my travel essentials that must be with me at all times. (Passport (and passport case), ID, chargers, travel-sized toiletries, vaccination card if you have one, medications/vitamins, headphones, laptop, camera gear, contact lenses and glasses, converter, umbrella, wallet). Some of these items will be placed in my “personal item” which is usually a larger tote bag or backpack. I try to make the most of that personal item so the larger, the better.
PS: Don’t forget to check your passport expiration date! Some countries will require it to remain active for at least 6 months after you land. Plus, the turnaround times for passport renewals are quite a drastic change from the norm these days… it’s been extremely time consuming for us trying to ensure we will have ours renewed in time. If you are struggling to get yours back in time, I highly suggest searching FB groups using keywords like “passport service”… so many helpful people in those groups which ultimately helped us with our quick turnaround.
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Step 4: Airport Outfit and Airplane Comfort
I like to layer up and layer up wisely while keeping comfort in mind. If I plan to bring a sweatshirt on my trip, I just wear it to the airport to save extra space. I’ll also wear my chunkiest (but comfiest) shoes. I’ll also be sure to pack a travel pillow (and eye mask) for the plane and anything else that will help me get some extra sleep on the long journey.
I’ll usually print out a generic “International Travel Checklist” right after I’ve completed packing just to double check and make sure I didn’t leave anything important out.
One other thing I like to be prepared for is keeping my toiletries in the proper sized containers in a clear zip-loc bag. If you’re wanting your usual full-size products, I’d recommend finding some toiletry containers.
I’ve rounded up a few travel essentials to make your trip a little less stressful below all available at Walmart and with great shipping turnaround and prices so you can save your $ for your experiences! They even have a new Wow and Now section broken down into easy to shop categories and their travel section is GOOD.
Most importantly, be sure to stay updated with the country you are visiting and their latest restrictions and what you’ll need to prove that you are healthy. It’s changing every day so you’ll definitely want to keep checking daily for updates.
We’re SO excited and feeling extremely grateful to share that we are expecting our first BABY in December! We found out back in April and it’s been such an exciting time learning more and more about this little bean that will be joining our family before we know it. We filmed a video to share our thoughts, when we found out, how we found out, and more… so I’ll save the wordy blog post for another day and let you just catch up right here!
As someone who is fairly introverted, I really don’t mind spending time at home alone. The other night, TJ had a work dinner for the first time in over a year (almost forgot those existed). I knew I’d be spending some time at home by myself that night so I planned on having a much-needed, simple at-home spa night. I ordered my favorite greek food for dinner to be delivered, picked out all of my facial serums and hair treatments, put on my favorite washable silk pajamas and picked out a movie.
The first step of a spa night for me is taking a shower/washing my hair and doing all of the hair treatments so, if needed, they can sit while I do other skin masks. For the last 1.5 years or so, I’ve been using Herbal Essences Hemp + Potent Aloe collection, which is made with real botanicals certified by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This collection is one of the few of the mass care brands that ranks very high on the EWG website. In addition to the Hemp + Potent Aloe shampoo and conditioner being the best to combat my frizz (especially in this summer humidity), I follow up with the Argan Oil and Aloe Hair Mask along with the matching Hair Oil Mist once I’m out of the shower. The Argan Oil and Aloe Hair Mask is the best hair mask for dry hair – my hair always feels so silky afterwards! Plus, the Argan Oil & Aloe Hair Oil Mist does wonders for detangling and repairing. If you’re in the market for some new hair products (and want to discover how amazing Aloe vera for hair is), I’ll link this collection here because it is not only affordable and easy to find, but has made a big difference in my hair over the last 1.5 years.
I’ll apply some self tanner immediately after drying off (don’t forget about exfoliating beforehand) and then step into my silk pajamas. To avoid any mistakes, I’ll use extra moisturizer on my knees, ankles, and feet to avoid tanner mishaps. I’m not going to lie, some nights call for an XL t-shirt but when you’re having a spa night… it calls for your finest! And I can’t recommend these splurge-worthy pajamas enough.
Once ready to get the skincare treatments started, I’ll prepare a cup of rose tea with lemon. I’ve lately been drawn to Rose Hips with Hibiscus! Nights alone are when I can re-watch some of my all-time favorite movies like My Best Friend’s Wedding, You’ve Got Mail, or How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. But before pressing play, I’ll get my journal out and jot down some thoughts to really help clear my mind.
While my hair is drying and tea is steeping, I’ll turn on my facial steamer to prep my skin for all of the serums I’m about to apply. A spa night is not complete without a face mask so I’ll usually start with one of those and then move on to serum and moisturizer later.
This is our second summer in New York City and I remember being so surprised last year about how hot it got here in July, especially as someone coming from North Carolina. I lived on cold summer salads, Italian ice, tons of ice water with lemon, and told myself we’d be traveling somewhere every July moving forward. Well, the time has come, and while we don’t have any travel plans set in stone for anytime this month, I’ll be staying as cool as possible while also making the most of our time here with our friends. Mentally, I’ll be transporting to somewhere on the Italian coast with lots of caprese salad, refreshing lemon juice on everything, and evening patio time in the shade.
I’m partnering with one of my favorites for outdoor entertaining and dinnerware, Walmart, to share my top summer staples for whether TJ and I are just having a date night at home on a hot summer day or hosting friends and family while trying to keep cool.
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Aside from the quick shipping/delivery and easy online shopping experience, Walmart has been my go-to for years now when it comes to our dinnerware. You can find really beautiful full sets of 16 pieces for unbeatable prices that are also very high quality, convenient serving dishes in any size, shape you can need, unique glassware, and so much more. Not to mention, cute little outdoor bistro tables and pillows.
DINNERWARE SETS:
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You can also browse curated lookbooks of products depending on the season you’re shopping for which I find so inspiring and helpful. I found this bright yellow outdoor pillow and these cute summery lemon dish towels to add to my summer collection and they both transport me to somewhere in Italy.
SERVING DISHES:
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Last week, we picked up some fresh salads from a local favorite grocery store, West Side Market, and ended the night dining outside while the sun set. Sometimes you don’t even need to travel to transport yourself to a totally different place. PS If you’re in the mood for a few of my favorite picnic food recipes, you can read here.
It’s my favorite time of the year… when it’s 70-80 degrees just about every day (‘til the summer heat arrives) and one of our favorite things to do is bring dinner outside to the park to enjoy on a big picnic blanket right before the sun sets. Sometimes we’ll pick up sandwiches at a local deli but other times we’ll make our own dinner to bring out there. When I think of summer park days, the first thing I’m in the mood for is refreshing pasta salads, salsas, and sandwiches. Today I’m sharing a few favorite recipes we love to make that all use simple ingredients that taste like summertime. I’m excited to partner with the Vidalia Onion Committee and highlight my personal favorite ingredient.
Vidalia onions have a sweet, simple, yet distinctive taste and the harvest hits stores in April and typically runs out of stock by August or September. They’re also hand planted and harvested in only 20 counties in South Georgia so you’ll want to pick these up while you can! Not only do I add them to just about every single pasta salad, casserole, and sandwich I make, but they’re also a good way for me to get more vegetables in my diet.
So, last week, we ended up making a modified version of my favorite pasta salad in my Grandma’s cookbook, a simple corn salsa, and caprese sandwiches. I love to make this pasta salad at the beginning of the week so I can eat it for lunch throughout the rest of the week. For the caprese sandwiches, we picked up fresh focaccia bread from a local bakery but you can of course make your own too.
‘PICNIC PASTA SALAD’ RECIPE:
4 cups cooked pasta, elbows or penne
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 large cucumber, diced
Pinch of salt and pepper
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup of feta
Optional: olives, shrimp
In a large serving bowl, mix all ingredients. Stir to combine.
CORN SALSA RECIPE:
3 cups corn kernels, shucked (or you can use cooked corn if you prefer)
1 cup finely chopped Vidalia onions
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 medium jalapeno, finely chopped
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
In a medium serving bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Stir to combine.
Adjust flavor with vinegar or lime juice. To add more spice add additional jalapeno.
CAPRESE SANDWICH RECIPE:
Rosemary focaccia bread
4 Vidalia onion slices
1 heirloom tomato, making 4 individual slices
Fresh mozzarella cut into slices
Pinch of salt and pepper
8 basil leaves
Balsamic glaze
Slice focaccia bread into individual sections.
Add layers of onion, tomato, mozzarella, and basil.
If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’ve ever really loved my hair until this past year. I’ve always had uncontrollable frizz, constant baby hairs and breakage. For someone who has never colored or even highlighted my hair, it has had some major dryness at times, likely due to heat damage. It wasn’t until this year that I noticed less frizz, more moisture PLUS shine & softness. 2020 also brought me bangs… which has really helped my baby hair issue since they completely hide them and give my usual part a rest.
In terms of my routine, I try to wash my hair no more than 2-3 times per week and limit the heat tools as much as possible (I’m still working on that). About a year and a half ago, I was introduced to a few new hair products that I’ve been using ever since, and they’ve made a big difference in my hair. They’re all a part of the Herbal Essences Potent Aloe Collections, a sulfate free, paraben free collection that is made with real botanicals certified by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
FRIZZ CONTROL SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER
Herbal Essences Hemp + Potent Aloe Shampoo and Conditioner have been my go-to for months now and is the first step in my hair routine. I used to use the Bamboo + Potent Aloe Collection but switched things up a bit recently. The good news? They’re both part of the same collection of sulfate free and PETA cruelty free products made of real botanicals and sustainably harvested aloe. Not only do they smell incredible, but the Hemp + Potent Aloe Shampoo is one of the only mass hair brand products that meet the ingredient standards for the Environmental Working Group.
ARGAN OIL & ALOE HAIR OIL MIST
After I get out of the shower and my hair is slightly tangled, this Argan Oil & Aloe Hair Oil Mist smooths and helps fight frizz. It’s been such a game changer and now I ALWAYS use it right after washing my hair.
25mm ROUND BRUSH
About a month ago, I bought a new brush specifically for my bangs and I cannot recommend it enough (less $ version here). It heats up very quickly and when used with a hair dryer creates the perfect amount of volume for the bangs. It was definitely a splurge for a brush but worth every penny. When it comes to styling bangs, I start with damp hair and brush left to right repeatedly a few times to confuse the roots so that they don’t drift to one side. Next, I’ll take my round brush and pull up using the hair dryer to heat up the brush. It only takes a few seconds since the brush heats up so quickly but I just love the volume and slight curl it creates.
1.25in. CURLING IRON
This curling iron has been in my routine for years and I try to only use it a few times a week at most. It curls my hair in no time at all and I’ve never had any issues with it so I plan to continue using it for as long as I can! If I’m going for a more wavy look, I like to leave more ends out (3 in.) but if I’m going for more curls/less wave, I’ll leave barely any ends out when curling.
HAIR ACCESSORIES
My last step in my hair routine is an accessory that I’ve been reaching for almost every day… specifically, a hair barrette, which also takes me back to my middle school/elementary days. My mom would always put my hair in a barrette but nowadays, I reach for the tortoise and gold classics. Sharing a few of my favorites below:
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Let me know if you have any questions or if you’ve had the chance to try the Herbal Essences Hemp + Potent Aloe Collection yet. If you’re wanting to order a few products depending on your personal hair concerns, you can find the collection here.
This post is sponsored by Herbal Essences. All opinions are my own.
As soon as you walk into our apartment, you’re greeted by our “dining room” which probably isn’t supposed to technically be a dining room but, since the first day we walked in, I couldn’t stop envisioning our round dining table right in the center of it. It almost seemed to good to be true that all of our furniture fit perfectly in it so I decided that we’d start with this space. I filmed a full video of the makeover here and I’ll be sure to link as much as I can within this post!
