Florida vacation recap

Good morning babes! How have you all been? I feel like I've been away from the blog forever, which I kind of have in blogosphere time. I came back from Florida last week and it's been a little crazy with unpacking and working and Adam's birthday (happy birthday boo!) but I'm finally adjusted to being home and I thought I'd start things off with a few photos from my trip!

Florida packing list

palm print workout tights /  Guess wedges / sunnies / straw hat / "Laura Lamont" book / beach tote / white slides / draped racerback dress / bikini top and bottoms

As I mentioned last week, I'm heading to Florida on Thursday to help my mom settle in at the new house (and to get some much-needed sun time on the beach — obvs). My mom and sister and I are driving down with the rest of their belongings (and two little dogs!) and my sister and I will be flying back. Since the car will be jam packed with home stuff, luggage, two dogs and three humans, packing light is definitely a necessity. I thought I'd share a few of the things I'll be bringing with me in case any of you are looking for packing inspiration for your next vacay!

Transitional pieces are going to be the name of the game for this trip. This gray dress is so cute and casual, and easily doubles as a day dress or a swimsuit coverup. I'll be packing several similar dresses that can transition easy from day to night, especially lightweight ones to survive the heat.

Obviously, this trip is going to be a bittersweet one — I'm already dreading the drive to the airport — but right now I'm just looking at this as my first vacation in far too long, an amazing beach getaway, and some excellent girl time. Hope you're all having a great week, babes!

P.S. statement earrings, dress fever and an easy spring outfit

Dining in NYC

One of my favorite luxuries in life is eating out. Testing exotic foods and trying out new dishes I've never had before. (Now there's a sentence my 15-year-old, Pop-Tart and Twizzler-eating self would never have uttered!) As I've grown up and ditched my picky eating habits, I've learned to love so many new foods (all the foods, really). So, naturally, I was very excited to try out some New York restaurants when I visited the city back in January.

NYC trip: Jonas Blizzard

As I was preparing for my first trip to New York two weekends ago, I decided to buy some new Nikes for all the walking we'd be doing. Sensible right? And I was going to wear my favorite faux leather jacket because it's my cutest one and the temps were supposed to be in the 30s, while I'd been getting used to hovering around zero here in Des Moines. It would be a heat wave!

here's to new adventures

Tomorrow I'm heading out on my first adventure of 2016, and my feelings are a mixture of excitement, nerves and anticipation. I've wanted to go to New York since I can remember, and for a long time I thought I would move out there after college and start my life in one of the greatest cities in the world.

Flash forward to present day and I honestly can't see myself living in NYC anymore. (Although that might just change after I see it all in person this weekend!) I love Des Moines and the Midwest, and the idea of settling here but traveling everywhere, starting now.

If I'm being completely honest, I'm slightly terrified. I have never flown by myself before, and the last time I was even on a plane was my freshman year of college, which feels like forever ago. But I'm 23 now and I feel like it's time to start doing more things that scare me. (I know that's super cliche, but bear with me — I'm on that "new adventures" kick!)

But for the most part, I am crazy excited to see the city I've been dreaming about my whole life. Adam and I have booked our weekend solid with sight-seeing. A few things on my list: The Empire State Building, Times Square, Central Park, the 9/11 memorial, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Met. It's supposed to snow up to two feet while I'm there, so hopefully everything looks beautiful and snow-covered. And the forecast is predicting warmer temps than we've had here in Des Moines, so no complaints there!

I won't be posting tomorrow due to my early flight, but I'll be back next week with a recap of my trip! Wish me luck that I don't get lost at any of the airports!

Have you been to New York? What are your recommendations? We want to try them all! 

What's in my bag

With the weather being so cold lately, it's been really hard to get out, and we're starting to get a bit stir crazy. So this weekend Adam and I are taking a day off from work and going to see his family for a few days. It's only a two-hour trip, but it'll be nice to have even a small change of scenery! I thought it would be fun to share what I'm packing for the trip, so here are some of my travel must-haves.

Conair paddle hairbrush. This paddle brush has been by far the best one I've used. It doesn't pull my hair when it's wet, and the wide surface area makes drying my hair go super-fast.

Aveda Light Elements defining whip. I've never been a huge fan of products in my hair, but this defining whip is a miracle worker. It tames flyaways, adds moisture when the winter air dries it out and gives my hair an overall smooth look. I use it before I straighten or curl my hair, and then after it's curled to tame the stray hairs and texturize the waves.

Neutrogena oil-free moisturizer. I have combination skin, so it's always been hard to find moisturizer that keeps my skin soft without looking oily. I picked this one up on a whim when my previous brand was discontinued, and it's been amazing.

Dove Advanced Care deodorant. I've tried a lot of deodorants, but this one has definitely the most effective. It's dry, comfortable and it lasts all day.

Neutrogena pink grapefruit oil-free face wash. (Warning: cheesy anti-acne ad coming up!) When I was in college, I went through several different face washes in the attempt to cure my constant breakouts. None of them worked until I found this one. The grapefruit makes it smell great, and my skin feels so fresh and soft afterwards. I use the scrub about every other night and mornings when I travel. When I'm at home, I use the regular oil-free face wash with my Clarisonic brush in the shower.

Remington Wet 2 Straight flat iron. I'm almost a little embarrassed to talk about this flat iron. I bought it back in high school on sale at Wal-Mart when I couldn't afford a nice one, but it turned out to be a great purchase. I've tried some of the expensive flat irons, but I always prefer this one over the top brands. And I think the fact that I've been using it for at least 5 years really says something for its quality!

Handheld mirror (similar). A personal mirror is a necessity when traveling. I always use one when I'm curling the back of my hair, but it's also nice to have in case there isn't an available mirror when I'm trying to get ready somewhere. This way I can take it into any room and I never have to wait for the bathroom to open up if there's only one.

Conair Infinity Pro hair dryer. Another cheap surprise — this is my favorite hair dryer. It's so powerful that it dries my hair in less than 10 minutes straight out of the shower. I have pretty fine hair, so my hair has never taken all that long to dry, but this one is noticeably faster.

Bare Minerals makeup bag. This bag came with a set of makeup I bought a couple years ago, so (sadly) it's not available now. But it's the perfect size for all my makeup and it's small enough to fit in a purse so it's really handy to just throw everything in and go.

Wow, that seems like a lot of stuff now that I lay it all out and explain all of it! And I still have clothes and accessories to fit in my bag! What are your go-to beauty products when you travel?

My weekend in Kansas City

This week has been pretty hectic, but I wanted to share a few highlights from my trip to Kansas City over the weekend. My friends Felicia and Kenz and I decided to get away for a couple days and drive a few hours south.