{Florida}...Canoeing Video Special

Sorry, folks! This isn't an after school special made just for you. I thought I'd finish up this week with a fun little video from a canoeing trip we took when we were at New Smryna Beach. This is the most beautiful place from all of Florida. The guided tour of the estuary was free (yay!), informative, and tons of fun. We learned about local vegetation, like Red Mangroves, fought through rough waters, and saw manatees! They swam along next to, and under, us! We had a fabulous guide and enjoyed the day in the sun! If you're ever near New Smyrna, check it out! I'm promising you will not be disappointed!

{Florida}...Outtakes

Dad and me our first night on Lake Smyrna

You've seen the beach, you've seen the parks. Now it's time to see the family! There isn't much to say about these photos, as they are random pictures, outtakes, and family memories! You can probably tell from the pictures that we had a ton of fun! I wanted share some of the less orchestrated moments with you! Enjoy! 

p.s. I love my family.

Got luggage?

Airport rhymes.

Beautiful flowers in the beach house. 

Night palms.

My daily outfit.

Cool seafood joint right on the water. You don't park your car, you dock your boat!

Honeydukes

Nick and me for birthday dinner.

Jacob,  Matt & me for my birthday. At Pinstripes.

Birthday cheesecake.

The kids at Hogsmead.

Sisters on the beach.

The whole family. 

{Florida}...Park by Park

Six parks in six days. Yes, you read that correctly. After the beach, our family trekked to Orlando for a marathon of parks. We visited all four Disney parks and the two Universal parks. It was exhausting, but the memories from the nonstop rides, park food, and ponchos are hilarious and lovable. Right, ponchos...it rained. Hard. The first two and half days were not just overcast, it was pretty much a wash. The downpour didn't stop us, though. We pulled on our really attractive ponchos and enjoyed our days. It cleared up (yay!) midweek and we really had some fun. I never used to be a rides person, but on this trip I went crazy and did everything. Even the ones with your feet dangling! Yikes! 

RockIt Roller Coaster. Amazing!
Each person picks the music to which the listen for the duration of the ride! Sweet!

Cinderella's castle. Obviously.

The Tower of Terror. One of my favorites. 

Disney Hollywood Studios.

Honeydukes! Harry Potter Park at Universal.

Hogsmead.

Hogwarts. HP FTW.

Disney Animal Kingdom safari. We were this close to the giraffe! 

{Florida}...Beach Bums

Seaside sunset.

And, finally! The Florida pictures have arrived! Now, I understand. Florida is not necessarily the most exotic location in the world. But there are some really breathtaking sights there. It is so utterly different from Wisconsin and Minnesota that I just can't help sharing with you. We so enjoyed the beach. Can you believe I'd never been to the beach before? How did it take me this long to get there? I love it. We stayed at a beach house right on the water on New Smyrna Beach. A fantastic location and lovely house. It was spacious and light. We did have a few issues with things being a bit dirty, but we got things spick and span in no time. Next time you're yearning for the beach, go to New Smyrna. It is amazing. 

Sunrise

We were really overwhelmed by the gorgeous sunrise and sunset. I took about a million pictures of every one we saw. How can you not be amazed by this sight? And in case you were curious...yes, the water was already warm at sunrise. 

Me, Amanda. Boating, but not fishing.

We rented a pontoon for a day and went fishing and boating all day. So gorgeous. I didn't fish. It's not really my thing. However, I finished the book I had been reading. The Host by Stephanie Meyer. Surprisingly good! I highly recommend it. 

The women. Abby, Amanda, Mom, Cathy, Me, Becca. Last night on the beach.

Beach life, in general, was amazing. I swear I ate seafood everyday. Delicious and so rare for me. We relaxed, ate, swam, sunbathed, played cards every day. It was the life. 

Shrimp Off the Rock. The first beach dinner.

All photos are personal ones I took on the trip. Some are on Instagram. 

{Weekend Update}...Paradise

After a whirlwind two weeks in the sunshine state, Florida, I'm back! The whether was temperamental, but incredibly relaxing and the sky was breathtaking. Sunrise and sunset were both an essential part of our days on the beach; and what a wonderful life! We canoed, swam, boogie-borded, sunbathed, grilled & brunched. How relaxing. This is a photo of the brilliant sunrise on New Smyrna Beach. 

After a week at the beach, we migrated to Orland for a marathon of six parks in six days. It was exhausting and thrilling rolled into one. I can't wait to share some of the beautiful photos and stories from our trip! I hope you have a good one while I've been away. Although my fabulous vacation has ended, I'm so looking forward to getting back into things!

{Splurge or Save}...Spiffy Sneakers

I talk about shoes a lot...I swear half of the splurge or save post features shoes. And for good reason! We wear them all the time! I've also talked about good shoes for vacationing quite a bit. If you're going to be walking around most of the day, you definitely want something comfortable, lightweight for packing, yet chic. 

Bensimon sneakers are like the Chuck Taylors of Paris. All the cool girls wear them and they look totally rad. The bonus is you don't wear socks with them. Yay! However, I was feeling like a cheapskate, so I went hunting for a similar pair for super cheap. Enter, Old Navy!

Old Navy always has great clothes for super prices. I got these sneakers in hot pink for a great price. The best part about it? They look just like Bensimon, but don't have the cost. Canvas, colorful, comfortable and chic. Not to mention affordable. 

What do you wear on vacation? Do you have a go-to pair of shoes that you would recommend? 

Splurge: Bensimon Tennis Tommy Slip On Sneakers

Save: Canvas Cap Toe Pop Kicks

Bottom photo via

See You in a Few...

I'm going on a super vacation with my family today. I'm leaving on a jet plane... really early - getting up with the chickens early - and getting the heck outta here! Can I get a woot, woot? So it'll be a while until I post live a few times a day again, but I've got some very cool posts all queued up just waiting to be read by you! I'm hoping you stop by and say hello to the blog every now and then while I'm offline. It gets lonely without me. :) 

I hope you have a fantastic next week and a half. Until then, ciao! 

P.S...Wonder what I pack for vacation? Check it out some of my essentials!

Good walking shoes.

A plane worthy pullover.

These basic tees...to die for.

Because a trip isn't complete without leggings.

The perfect sized tote for carry-on. Bonus, it's bright!

Fun shades for sunny weather.

An unexpected nail color!

I was skeptical about this book...but a page turning novel! It's so good.

Roller ball perfume. Fits in your carry on so you smell lovely after a long trip!

Photo via

Vacation Kicks

I've probably mentioned about a million times that I'm going to Florida with my fam at the end of June. It's been a pretty long year, so you can imagine why I'm so pumped. Since we're flying, I sadly can't really bring all my shoes (as much as I'd like too!) for every outfit. Here's what I'm wondering today...When you're on vacation, what do you put on your feet? We all know I like my chucks. I want to be comfortable whether I'm on the beach, shopping or trekking through the new Harry Potter Park. Any suggestions? I'd love your input! What's your favorite vacation shoe?

Birkenstocks: everyone tells me they're amazing and that their feet haven't been happier. But I think they look so ugly (sorry if you like them!) and have always said I'd go barefoot before wearing them. Should I convert and become a Birkenstock junkie?

Sperry Top Siders: They have the reputation of being ultra cute and comfortable at the same time. I think it's great they have a wedge alternative. Do you go barefoot with these? They look like your feet would get really warm. Are they breathable? Would they be good for a variety of situations?

Soludos Espadrilles: These look super comfy to me. They look so easy to slip on, but also protect your toes from rocks and rogue stroller wheels. But, they also look a little flimsy? Have yours ever fallen apart? I always think Rachel Bilson looks so chic when she wears Espadrilles. Would your feet hurt after a day on the pavement? They look great for the beach.

Keds: they are so similar to my beloved chucks, but have a little bit more femininity to them, which I really like. As you know, I've been debating over which ones to get (help!). With socks, would your feet get super gross after a day of walking? What about water rides and the beach? Do you go sans socks? I'm cool with that as long as I don't get blisters. I like how classic these are. 

TOMS: These have been all the rage lately. Especially after the one day with out shoes. I hate to say it, but I think the classic are kind of ugly. Not so much ugly, but cumbersome and boxy. I think the ballet shoes are cute and chic. They also have wedges. I love that this company has a great cause donating one pair for children for every pair you buy. Thoughts? Do they last?