If you are looking for your next Texas vacation then you need to check out Port Aransas! Nestled on the Texas Gulf Coast between Galveston and N Padre Island is the charming island and beach town called Port Aransas. Filled with pastel shops, stores, and restaurants this makes the perfect family vacation! I spent a couple of days here and put together a weekend guide for you guys! From Instagram spots to a restaurant that has presidential history, here is a guide to spending the weekend in Port Aransas and the neighboring city Corpus Christi.
Read MoreI shared a little last week in this post about my trip to South Padre Island. This is the perfect Spring Break location if you are looking for a tropical paradise in Texas. The water is incredible, the beaches are soft with rolling sand dunes and the island is filled with turtles, birds, dolphins, and other wildlife. It’s a welcomed oasis in South Texas. While I was on the island I drove over the bridge to Port Isabel where one of the most beautiful lighthouses on the gulf coast resides. The lighthouse sits in the middle of Port Isabel’s town square with a multitude of shops and restaurants. The lighthouse is open to tour so make sure you check their website for hours and cost for admission. Since I knew I’d be walking a lot that day I pulled out my favorite pair of flats!
Read MoreI cannot believe Spring Break will be here in just a few weeks! One of the top destinations in Texas this time of year is the same location featured in today’s post: South Padre Island! The whole area will be covered in young adults, parties, and tourists. I opted for quieter adventures and drove down last month for MLK weekend. Although it was a little chilly at times, it was the perfect getaway for a long weekend. I brought a bunch of dresses to shoot while I was there, but made it over to the sand dunes on the northside of the island. I wore the cutest swimsuit from Target! It comes in several colors and I’ve been loving this lilac shade. I paired it with a sweatshirt bought one of the local souvenir shops and a pair of sweater shorts. I went ahead and rounded up five swimsuits under $50 from Target for you to shop!
Read MoreI’m going to be sharing more content around how to start a blog! A few weeks ago, I created the first post in this series and share five ways to make money blogging. Today’s topic is going to build on the next step in creating your blog. You’ll need to do some basics like choosing a platform, registering a domain name, and setting up social accounts. Don’t worry, all bloggers got started doing the same thing you are doing right now. Use this blog post as a checklist and schedule time in your calendar to complete each task. Before you know it, you’ll be posting in no time!
Read MoreThe past 6 months I have traveled every few weeks somewhere for the weekend. Work, events, and campaigns have taken me all over the place. When you are in a constant travel mode you get accustomed to having some sort of system to pack or you won’t know your right from your left hand. I’ve curated a list of must-haves for most of my trips regardless of the climate. I recommend always bringing something for warm weather (places heat up) and something for cold weather (cold fronts happen). I’ve written a bunch of posts over the years on packing here but today I’m going to focus on classic items you can bring for your next weekend getaway.
Read MoreIt’s approaching that time of year in Texas when the thunderstorms will be rolling in regularly. Late Winter and Early Spring include weather that fluctuates on an hourly basis sometimes. Having a raincoat and boots handy for those drizzly mornings or evenings makes leaving the house that much more enjoyable. I find that rain gear is something I don’t think about needing until the moment I really need it. And then it’s like I needed it yesterday. This is your sign to do a quick inventory in your household and make sure you have working umbrellas, rain jackets, and boots ready for those March, April, and May showers. Open each umbrella to make sure it’s operable and then discard or donate items that no longer fit or have been damaged. Trust me on this, you’re much more likely to be productive if you don’t have to fight the weather while doing so. A few other things I like to have on hand for rainy days include extra hair ties or a headband, mousse to keep frizzies at bay, and a setting spray for my makeup. It’s the little things in life that can help increase the quality of every day.
Read MoreGosh, I love the ocean. I have to say out of all of the places I lived and visited in my lifetime, I feel most at home when I’m near the ocean. There’s something so soothing and powerful about the water. The waves hold so much force as they push and pull against the grains of sand on the shore. Soft powdery sand that feels like you walking on powdered sugar makes for the best walks. The sunsets are unbelievable and when a storm rolls in…well, as frightening as they are - they also carry so much strength. Today I’m going to share a whole bunch of date ideas, but if you are single… I want you to know it’s okay to do any (or all of these) activities by yourself and show yourself some love. I say that because some of my best memories of my happy place were spent in times of solitude. Valentine’s Day whether you’re in a relationship or not is a day to celebrate love. A day to bring forth self-love and care if you are single. Here’s a word for all the single ladies on valentine’s day if you are looking for some ideas on how to spend your time! Highly recommend some of the tips here! If you are in a couple, I challenge you to take time over the next week to figure out a way to show your partner that you adore them. Brainstorm a few ideas and make the event special. The effort will be worth it!
Read MoreMental health. I’m so glad this topic has been on the rise especially since the pandemic hit. Now more than ever more and more people need resources. My anxiety journey began about 10 years ago. Through a series of trials, errors, and lots of therapy I am now able to manage panic attacks and anxiety without medication. This post is in no way meant to replace medical advice. If you are struggling I absolutely recommend seeking professional help. Today I’d like to share a resource I use in my own mental health toolkit called a “Coping Checklist.” I’m going to share with you guys a few benefits of having one and the science behind it, how to create one, and when to use it. The biggest key in your coping checklist is to use it as soon as you feel anxiety come on. The more you go through the sequence the easier the panic becomes to manage.
Read MoreWow! What a weekend! I had an incredible time on South Padre Island and will be sharing tons of fun content over the next few weeks for Spring Break ideas (both snow and sea) but this morning I wanted to talk more about the overarching theme I’ve chosen for 2022. For the past five years, I’ve chosen a word every single year as a focus for my life throughout the year. First, it was the word “health” after getting pneumonia at the end of 2017. Then, it was “simplify” in 2019 where I share my struggles with feeling a lack of purpose in my life. In 2020 I chose the word “explode” where my entire life took a huge leap forward. I ended a relationship, moved cities and my business doubled that year in followers, website traffic, and income. This past year I chose the word “abundance” and let me tell you, I had no idea what was in store. My life took another large leap forward and I experienced success in professional and personal areas of growth. Moving into a home after living in apartments and cottages for years was huge. I started traveling a lot on my own and experienced an increase in peace in my life. Here we are at the beginning of 2022 and I’m choosing the word - “soar” to rise above anything I’ve ever done before in my life. I’ve set some pretty remarkable goals this year and will be working on hitting them one by one.
Read MoreI love drawing inspiration from nature, and this includes the shades of snow that fall this time of year. Although Texas only gets snow on occasion, I still find myself drawn to the beautiful shades of cream and winter white. It’s been on rotation in the closet these past few weeks. For this look, I paired a cream-colored cardigan (that has the sweetest collar) and a fluffy white jacket (similar one here) to create a neutral but not boring look. I paired it with my favorite pair of jeans (that I have in multiple washes) and knee-high tan boots that are under $50!! You could top this look with a camel-colored coat and scarf if you live in a colder environment! I rounded up a ton of my favorite winter white options below!
Read MoreIt’s no secret that I love Amazon. From their incredibly streamlined delivery and return policy to the quality of the Amazon the Drop collections that highlight influencers, time and time again I am impressed by what they have created in the retail space. To think that they single-handedly changed the book and printing industry! I’m overjoyed day after day with my Audible subscription, endless tv options on Amazon Prime, and getting packages regularly that have that little smile icon on them. With all of the amazing sales and deals happening I had to share my favorite Amazon finds. I’m dating things back over the past year with each item being something I’ve either used, purchased for someone else, or currently have on my own wish list.
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The island stretches a full 60 miles until you reach the Mansfield Channel that separates South Padre Island from North Padre Island. It’s absolutely beautiful and I look forward to getting the opportunity to come back and camp for a few days. I highly recommend bringing hiking boots so you can explore the beautiful sand dunes and grasslands. You’ll need to watch out for rattlesnakes, but other than that it’s a pretty mild hiking environment. You can watch the sunset over the Madre Lagoon which is one of seven estuaries in the world. I also recommend bringing a cooler with extra food and snacks in the event you were stuck. There’s not a lot of people as you get further down the coast (sometimes miles in between campsites) so keeping enough food and water on hand is essential.
Read MoreOver the past week, I took myself on a little journey across the South. I decided to start in Mississippi and travel down to the Florida coast and then back through New Orleans making a loop home. When I arrived at the coast I immediately encountered a series of thunderstorms. It definitely was a challenge for me to photograph and spend time at the beach due to intermittent raining and required an immense amount of flexibility in my day. I am a planner but you can’t always plan everything. Life is dynamic. In fact, some would say that life is constantly changing and nothing remains the same. I’ve found the thunderstorms bring the prettiest sunsets and rainbows. I think that’s true for life, too. There’s no such thing as only experiencing “good.” You have to have the lows for growth and to appreciate the highs. Without rain there is no rainbow.
Read MoreAs the new year is approaching and resolutions are being made I realize that one of the best things I’ve ever done to take care of myself was to refresh my beauty regimen. A few years ago I struggled with hormonal acne. It was so incredibly tough being an adult. It affected my confidence so much. After making a few simple changes and managing my stress level I was able to improve the health of my skin and reduce problems with acne. I changed my regimen, switched to non-toxic products and implemented healthier lifestyle choices. Now I make it a point to regularly point to clear out old products and clean things out. Here are a few ways I’m refreshing my beauty regimen for the upcoming year.
Read More“‘Tis the Damn Season…” says Taylor Swift. If there were ever a song line to relate to that would be the one for Holiday Season 2020. That’s exactly what I thought when Christmas started getting closer. It would be the first in four years that I wouldn’t have my kiddo with me. My heart hurt. However, I have a responsibility to myself and those around me to not sit in pain but instead find joy. Joy in all moments. I figured out this year that joy can come in so many forms if you are willing to seek it out. So I went searching for it instead of sitting home on my couch moping. (I’ve done my fair share of moping for one lifetime and don’t want to go back to being that way.) I wrote about what happens when you let go in your life earlier this week and I’m letting go of all of the fear, sadness and past pain so I have tons of room for peace and joy. If you are also at this crossroad where you are just tired of being sick and tired… then read on.
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I did something big this weekend - I drove 600 miles along from Texas to Florida. Let’s back up for a minute. Two years ago I was struggling driving to work or an hour away to go to my parents house due to panic attacks. It was debilitating. I felt helpless often because I’d turn things down for fear of panic in the car. Enough was just enough. I couldn’t live my life like that anymore. I realized I just had to find a way and where there is a will… there is a way. I began to do something called exposure therapy. It’s where you expose yourself to a situation in small doses to build up a tolerance. Basically, you are rewiring the brain. I started taking day trips on the weekends when I was alone. First it was an hour or two away, then I traveled with my daughter for a whole weekend in November to Austin. I figured at that point if I could make it through a weekend with the kid chatting my head off while driving, I could do something bigger. And I did just that - I booked a hotel, packed the car up and grabbed my dog for a 600 mile journey!
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A couple of weeks my daughter, dog and I packed up a laundry basket full of goodies and headed to the beach for a summer day. We decided to drive to Surfside, TX which is pretty quick from where we live. Under two hours and that’s with stops. If you live in Cypress, Katy, Brookshire, Fulshear or Sugarland I’d recommend looking at that beach instead of driving all the way to Galveston for a day trip. Less traffic, soft sand and you can find a quiet spot once you drive down past where most people congregate. Very important these days with the pandemic and all. I’m a huge proponent of wearing a mask and keeping 6 feet in distance! I also spend most of my time at home, on long walks or in my car. Basically, my own areas I can control :)
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