In case you all haven’t tried out these New Balance Sneakers, you all MUST! We had taken soooo long to finally get these, and now we wear them on major R-E-P-E-A-T! They are so comfortable and you can wear them to workout, or you can wear them with more of an athleisure look (perfect for traveling for the holidays!) What is even better about these sneakers is that we found them on eBay for less than other retailers! If you’re a little skeptical about buying stuff off of eBay, we were, too, BUT ever since we started buying some harder to find pieces, or designer pieces we had been on the hunt for, we have been hooked ever since! 80% of their pieces on there are actually brand new, and not used. They also have free 2-day shipping on most orders, which is a game changer, especially for the holidays coming up! And, since we are on the topic of gifting, we wanted to share our favorite sneakers and athleisure items that make the perfect gifts for all of your loved one:
Comfy, neutral sneaker that can be worn with leggings
If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you know Alexis and I recently packed our bags for fun beach getaway with our parents to Grand Cayman. If y’all haven’t been, definitely add it to your getaway list! We have been traveling there for our annual family vacation for the last eleven years, and y’all the water and sand literally look like a postcard! It’s the one time we are all together relaxing as a family, so I always look forward to it (not to mention the amazing tan I get every time)!On that note, while I love a good getaway, I’ll be honest, I despise packing! It just stresses me out and I always put it off in hopes it will get done on its own. Anyone else relate? Both Alexis and I get asked a lot about essentials for summer travels (or year round for that matter), so I thought why not cover what I took with me on this beach trip as well as some essentials!
I love using my American Express #BlueCashEveryday Card to stock up on travel essentials because it gives me cash back, including 3% at US Supermarkets, 2% on gas and department stores and 1% on everything else! It also has no annual fee, which I love! I’ve been using this card for over four years and have nothing but great things to say!When I am heading to the beach, obviously, swimsuits are number one on the list! This is semi- embarrassing but for this trip, between the two of us, we took about 25 swimsuits for a week! Clearly, we will be doing lots of shooting on the beach! I like to take a variety of suits on trips for different activities. For example, if you’re going on a cruise or somewhere where you’ll be doing different water activities like snorkeling, jet skiing, sailing, scuba diving, etc., you’ll want something that stays put. We know we have all been there where your suit is super cute but not so much when half of your chest is hanging out or your bottoms are falling down…OOPS! These are some of my favorites for activities like this because they’re all super cute for photos AND stay in place:
Another essential are coverups! You could always do the basic cutoff and tank, which is always a good option if you’re going to be out and about and want to be able to wear stuff! These are some of my favorite shorts for that. Some other good options for coverups are these kimonos/scarfs that can double as a sarong for walking around and can be tied differently—just search sarong ties on Pinterest! I also love a good off shoulder coverup like this one with tassels or a cute black or white one that can be used for years.
For the evenings, I love a good sundress or romper. I take a few black and white options that can be easily dressed up with heels or down with flats depending on the look you’re going for. I’ll also pack lots of fun colors because who doesn’t want to look bright and cheery on vacation? They don’t have to be expensive either! I’ll get a bunch for under $20 that look nice and classy paired with a cute bag and heels.Some other must haves are a good beach tote. I like to double up my plane bag as my beach tote to save room! I love this one by Carmon Sole that has the cutest studs at the top and is wipeable. This one is also one of my favorites that you can customize! On that note, y’all know how much working out is part of my lifestyle, so I always pack enough workout clothes for each day I am on vacation and some running shoes! No, that doesn’t mean you have to workout everyday, but it at least gives you the option to do so and no excuses not to!
Lastly, here are some other essentials I always pack:
Tinted moisturizer with SPF to throw on in the morning before heading to breakfast for the beach
A good pair of sunnies (I usually bring one or two)
Curling wand in case you want to do your hair—I usually wear it natural or up in a top bun, but in the event I want to style it
You may be wondering if I have all of these products already or stock up before the trip. Some of the suits and pieces I have already, but I like to buy a few cute things for each trip. I like to take fresh sunscreen and cosmetics with me on every trip, especially if it’s travel sizes. I also like to take new stuff so that way there’s less of a chance of it leaking in transit!
I also love that with being an American Express card member, I am automatically eligible for ShopRunner. If you’re wondering what that is, it provides all members with unlimited free two-day shipping and free return shipping! There are tons of stores that are part of this program like Neiman Marcus, GNC, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, and Sole Society, just to name a few! I love this program for ordering stuff in general, but specifically for last minute packing like this trip!
If you haven’t listened to our “An Extra Dose” podcast episode where we talk about traveling tips, definitely check it out! We all talked about what we take for international travel that has helped us a lot!
It is about that time that most people are taking their summer trips. In case y’all are about to head out on a trip, we wanted to share some of our must have summer vacation packing essentials. We don’t know about you, but we are known to overpack, especially when we are going on a beach trip. You can never have too many options, right?! And, what if you aren’t in the mood to wear what you packed! UGH, the struggle is real.
We want to talk a little about what is on our packing list:
SUNGLASSES: of course, you have to have good shades. Yes, they are to protect your eyes, but let’s be honest, they are also for the fashion statement.We love these mirrored ones, and these aviators are classics.
TOTE: a good tote is a necessity for heading out to the pool and beach. We love to bring one that doubles as a travel bag as well. This one is on sale and super cute!
SUNSCREEN: we literally ALWAYS forget this on every.single.trip. We love this brand, and the scent of this one looks amazing!
WATER BOTTLE: we started doing this and bringing a water bottle with us. It is great to bring to the beach, so you can make sure that you are drinking enough water and staying hydrated.
WHITE JEANS: always a classic, and we love the fit of these!
DENIM SHORTS: These are great to throw on top of a swimsuit and we love the cuff on these!
SLIP ONS: we swear by these because they’re under $60 and come in a bunch of colors!
BRIGHT SANDALS: these are a good color and these are super comfy! They also come in a bunch of colors!
HAT: we love a good hat, and this fedora hat is a great option that can be worn with your swimsuit or regular clothes.
SUGAR LIP BALM: This one is super moisturizing and it has a light shade of color.
BB CREAM: This is one is a great every day color. We have been using this one pretty much every day and we love how lightweight it is, but it is also good coverage for during the day.
We had a great response on our post styling pieces a few different ways a while back in this post, so we wanted to do another one for y’all! This grey sweater is probably one of our most worn pieces, and most “liked” by y’all, so had to include it in this post! It is under $40, super soft, and goes with everything! The v-neck is also super flattering on anyone.
We styled it a few different ways to show y’all that you can wear it any season, and so many different ways! Also, you’re definitely not limited to just the way we styled them here by any means. You could wear it with white jeans and denim cutoffs, etc.,which we didn’t show here!
With Black Shorts + Tennis Shoes
We love this look for spring because the longer sleeves keep you warm, and the black shorts and tennis shoes are super comfy for running around!
With Shorts + Booties
This is the same as the above look, but we swapped out the tennis shoes for these booties ON SALE!
With Ripped Jeans + Tennis Shoes
This look is great for spring or fall because of the longer sleeves and the jeans. This is a great outfit for traveling or running errands because these jeans are stretchy and these shoes are super comfy!
With Moto Leggings + Slip Ons
These moto leggings are our go-to legging. This exact pair is sold out, but this pair is similar and great for spring and all-year.
With Black Ripped Jeans + Black Heels
This is a great outfit for date night, or a fun night out, or even brunch! The block heel adds a dressier hint, and the ripped black jeans keep it a little more on the dressy-casual side.
With Ripped Jeans + Slip Ons
This is similar to look #3, but we swapped out the tennis shoes for these grey slip ons that look great with everything! If y’all can’t tell, we wear them ALL of the time!
You can totally mix and match the shoes and bottoms in different ways to create even more outfits, too! To be honest, we probably wear these outfits way more than it seems on our Instagrams, haha.
In case you all haven’t tried out these New Balance Sneakers, you all MUST! We had taken soooo long to finally get these, and now we wear them on major R-E-P-E-A-T! They are so comfortable and you can wear them to workout, or you can wear them with more of an athleisure look (perfect for traveling for the holidays!) What is even better about these sneakers is that we found them on eBay for less than other retailers!
If you’re a little skeptical about buying stuff off of eBay, we were, too, BUT ever since we started buying some harder to find pieces, or designer pieces we had been on the hunt for, we have been hooked ever since! 80% of their pieces on there are actually brand new, and not used. They also have free 2-day shipping on most orders, which is a game changer, especially for the holidays coming up!
And, since we are on the topic of gifting, we wanted to share our favorite sneakers and athleisure items that make the perfect gifts for all of your loved one:
{ New Balance Sneaker | Faux Leather Leggings | Grey Sweater| Black Puffer Vest }
On that note, while I love a good getaway, I’ll be honest, I despise packing! It just stresses me out and I always put it off in hopes it will get done on its own. Anyone else relate? Both Alexis and I get asked a lot about essentials for summer travels (or year round for that matter), so I thought why not cover what I took with me on this beach trip as well as some essentials!
When I am heading to the beach, obviously, swimsuits are number one on the list! This is semi- embarrassing but for this trip, between the two of us, we took about 25 swimsuits for a week! Clearly, we will be doing lots of shooting on the beach! I like to take a variety of suits on trips for different activities. For example, if you’re going on a cruise or somewhere where you’ll be doing different water activities like snorkeling, jet skiing, sailing, scuba diving, etc., you’ll want something that stays put. We know we have all been there where your suit is super cute but not so much when half of your chest is hanging out or your bottoms are falling down…OOPS! These are some of my favorites for activities like this because they’re all super cute for photos AND stay in place:
Some other must haves are a good beach tote. I like to double up my plane bag as my beach tote to save room! I love this 
