On Trend Summer Swim Pieces

It is officially August! I don’t know whether to sigh in relief (that I’m off another month) or to weep tears of sadness! July was busy month that was finally the perfect balance of productive, relaxed, and family filled. I can’t believe summer is halfway over for me. I always feel so grateful to have these two months to reset, recharge, and refocus on some other passions before the school year kicks off in September.

I’ve been eyeing some of my favorite swim wear this summer noticing some great pieces I love to mix and match and others that I’ve been waiting to go on sale as it gets closer to the end of the swimwear season. Keep an eye on this as many pieces that are traditional never go out of style and I always find my favorites come toward the end of the season and I get excited to wear as new the following.

I’m not putting away my swimwear quite yet! I’m actually planning on spending most of August on the water with an upcoming trip my husband and me have planned for our anniversary. I remember organizing it a while back thinking I had so much time to get everything set and counting down. But now this vacation is just right around the corner. I plan on spending most of this adventure in swim wear or casual pieces because it will be high temperatures for where we’re headed. Any guesses??

I’ll be putting together another post early next week of what I’ll be packing to bring along and there will be some major clues. Last month, for the 4th of July weekend we made our first trip to Cape Cod and stayed at the most quaint inn, The Escape Inn before we met up with friends who are Cape natives. More to come on that trip in another post for my travel section. It was a favorite short trip and I’ve been editing photos and wishing I could have a house there!

The swimsuit I’m wearing is a steal at the price point from Amazon, a less costly version compared to the scalloped one by a higher end designer. I had seen some other bloggers trying it so thought I’d see what the hype was about.

---

Swim Details

Swimsuit/Amazon // Tote/Amazon // Headband/Anthropologie // Sunglasses/Gucci // Sandals/Steve Madden

I thought it my be helpful to leave a review here on this swimsuit because there’s some others I’ve tried from Amazon and loved and some I’ve passed on due to sizing, quality, or fit. I actually wasn’t a fan of the high waist bottoms in this style given my longer torso, depending on the cut this isn’t always a style I feel flattered in. I actually ended up switching out the bottoms for a different pair once we hit the beach. Overall, the quality is good, it is fully lined and the top is lined with light removable cups too. I just felt that for a set the bottom scallop area could’ve been more seamless in construction. But for under $30 it was a budget find that’s on trend.

There’s a few other brands and retailers featuring some swim pieces on sale that I’d had my eye on for our upcoming trip. Linking a bunch of my sale finds then favorite beach ware pieces in the widgets here so be sure to check them out.

---

The One Piece Swimsuit

The one piece I’ve noticed has definitely made a come back the past few years and there’s so many versatile styles that are made to fit so many different shapes and sizes. I’ve been loving the throw back to the belted swimsuits this season and anything with texture I can get on board with.

The Two Piece

This season I have been loving the one shoulder silhouette and the ruffled feminine pieces. I’ve been spotting a ton of floral combinations and pieces that can be styled with straps or strapless.

I’m looking forward to putting together some coverups next to coordinate with the swimsuits that are lightweight or could double as a blanket for the plane or a dress for lunch. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and enjoys what is left of summer!

Must Haves for a Beach Getaway

This 4th of July my husband and I are traveling to Cape Cod to stay with friends and will see my best friend perform in a musical that’s running at the Cape Playhouse. It’s our first time adventuring to the Cape, though I’ve frequented Martha’s Vineyard and loved it there. I’m looking forward to exploring and enjoying some beach time with friends as we celebrate in red, white, and blue !

Outfit Details

Dress / Sandals / Oh Hey Vacay (old) similar here

I’ve simplified my packing and just bringing some basics since we’ll be spending most of our time lounging around at the beach. I’m bringing mostly swimsuits, sandals, casual outfits and using my go to travel cubes for packing. I like how they keep your clothes all separate and organized with little wrinkling. I love this Lilly Pullitzer version but there’s larger and more budget friendly ones on Amazon that work great! I recently put together a packing guide blog post for when we travel so you can read more about how I pack and what I use to organize everything here. I’m also bringing my favorite roll up sun hat that is my go to for keeping the sun off my face and this travel beach blanket. We’ve had one for years and it’s lasted so long. If you’re in the market for any beach essentials these have been on the top of my list this season.

Wishing everyone a relaxing and fun 4th of July!

Travel Essentials for Organized and Easy Packing

Knowing what and where I packed my things from shoes, to tops, and bottoms is essential to keeping organized once I unpack at my destination. One of my biggest passions is traveling and I’ve loved the opportunities I’ve had to do so, whether it’s for work or personal trips. I used to get so overwhelmed with packing, procrastinate, and then end up over packing or forgetting the essentials I need.

When I used to nanny I was always impressed with how organized the mama was with keeping all of the children’s items organized in their suitcases by color coded zip storage pouches. This also made things easier for me when packing up! Though those days have ended I still swear by the zip around pouches and have used them for years to keep my garments sorted, making everything easy to find. They’ve become more popular now and usually come in a pack and in various sizes.  

After some trial and error with what to bring or leave behind I feel like I finally have a handle on my packing lists and if you’re traveling this summer I hope these tips can help you too! There’s nothing worse then arriving to your vacation spot and realizing you forgot something you need, then as you dig to locate it everything gets all mixed up into what looks like a dirty laundry pile! Sounds like a night mare right? So I started to make little investments over time for various items that I keep stored away in my suitcase for when I’m ready to pack up.

Something new I’m trying is this purse organizer because I always use a larger tote when traveling and it keeps me from having to dig to the bottom of my bag for lost lip glosses ! I love the use of see through pouches for my electronics/charging cords, headphones, mints, and pens. I’ve also used a similar one for my makeup that I don’t check with luggage. This option from amazon is great and keeps everything safe whether in a suitcase or carry on. I keep a smaller pouch with me for in flight items (tissues, hand sanitizer, mints, sleep mask, lotion, chapstick, eye drops)  

---

Luggage

I have honestly gone through so much luggage in the travels I’ve had and many time the airlines don’t always handle your prized pieces as carefully as you make hope for. I do think investing in a feather weight suitcase is a great idea because why have extra weight before you even begin packing?! My favorite brand is always Delsy Luggage bu I do love the Calpak version and my tried and true Diane von Furstenberg that’s sadly discontinued! I love my hardshell suitcases lately because they’ve really held up and don’t snag. I’ve been fortunate to just have some scrapes happen or wheels needing replacing, but fortunately most are covered under a manufacturer’s warranty. Always check for that shelling out cash on sometime pricey!

Don’t forget about luggage tags for your carry on and checked bags. I love the leather or silicon ones because they last much longer.

---

Carry On

Whenever possible I try to get my carry on items into a larger tote. I love how this one can be personalized too with so many prints & monogrammed. When traveling I pack and organize my totes particular to what I’ll need with me. Things like my ipad, headphones, charging cords, makeup, snacks, or books. I use this bag for an overhead carry on, it’s great quality and doubles as a beach bag and gym bag. I have used it over and over and the bottom of the bag is finished well so I couldn’t recommend more at this price point!

Be sure to check out the widget below to see some of the pouches and other items I pack into my carry on to stay organized.

---

Travel Outfit

As much as I like to look put together and feel my best when I look my best I do tend to lean toward comfort and ease when traveling. My ankles usually swell on flights so I try to avoid tight clothing. I always end up cold on airplanes or want to sleep so I often bring a shawl or scarf that could double as a cover up or beach blanket for warmer trips, or scarves for cooler trips. This is of the easiest way to pack smart and functional.

What are your travel essentials for your bucket list destinations? I’d love to hear what you use or anything I should try for my next escape in my comments section!