Sharing a look at what I packed for Miami! We had mild weather for South Florida – probably the nicest weather we’ve ever experienced in Florida! I packed a bunch of my favorite tank tops and shorts – many the same style just in multiple colors.
Outfits
I’ll link everything I wore that’s still available but here are a few style notes. I think the most flattering tanks are the Citizens of Humanity Isabel Tank (runs TTS) and the Reformation Julia Top (runs small, I’m usually an XS but sized up to a Medium). My loose gauzey button down from Rails remains a closet staple perfect for the beach.
For beach bags I really love the Naghedi St. Barths Totes (I have the medium size). Durable, sturdy, flexible and easy to clean. I also brought along my YSL Panier Basket (size is the small variation) for a beach bag and Prada Raffia Tote.
For shoes I wore in my new Celine Low Top Sneakers (unboxing here) and absolutely love them. I sized down as they recommended (I’m usually a size 6.5 and bought the Celine in a size 6) and they’re a great fit, super comfortable, no break in required. I also brought along my Veja Venturi Sneakers which I still really love too.
I’ve really grown to love the HunzaG swimsuits. The Domino One-Piece is a great one I find myself wearing the most. It doubles as a top too when you add shorts or a skirt.
Tops & Swim
Shorts, Shoes & Jeans
Accessories
Skincare and Hair Care
I was very impressed with myself that I kept my skincare and hair care packing to a minimum this trip! I stuck with the basics with one in each category. This trip I used everything I packed. The R+Co Dart Pomade Stick is an essential for flyaways and I wish it would stay in stock. I keep checking for it multiple places like Amazon, Neimans, Saks etc. If you can’t find it the Ouai Matte Pomade is also very good.
For perfume I didn’t pack anything with me but purchased a few on my trip including Celine Parade and Loewe Eclectic which I think are going to be new favorites for the upcoming year.
Of course I had to pack my ghd Platinum Plus Styler which is a hair care essential for smooth hair. Helps me get ready in under 15 minutes for hair styling!
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Travel Makeup Picks
I did a makeup packing reel on Instagram if you want to see if all in action. I am an over packer when it comes to makeup but tried to limit myself to 1-2 things in each category. I used everything I packed on this trip so I think I packed just the right amount! The only thing I forgot was a beautyblender sponge and foundation brush. I stopped by Sephora to pick up a beautyblender because I discovered I can’t live without one, lol.
I’ve linked everything below but will list the colors too:
I’m back from a mini vacation with a new Miami travel diary! We booked a Christmas in Miami trip and brought Ollie with us. He’s 11 months old now and was such a good boy the entire time. We were pleasantly surprised to find how dog friendly Miami is. He was even welcomed into the Loewe store at the Miami Design District and was lucky enough to sniff some pretty sporty sneakers! We had a great trip!
Where We Stayed
This trip we split our stay at two places: at an Airbnb in South Beach and also at The Betsy Hotel. This was our first trip with Ollie and since it was an extended trip we weren’t quite sure if he would be ok in a hotel room but he was a very good boy, even with all the new city noises! We could have stayed at a hotel with him the entire trip.
The Betsy Hotel has been on my list for a while and we booked a King Suite which was pretty spacious for South Beach. We had a really pleasant stay! Out of all the hotels we’ve stayed at this was one of the best boutique hotels we’ve tried. Super cute, very clean, good food, friendly staff – it almost felt like a home away from home. They’re dog friendly and gave Ollie treats in the lobby.
Miami Eats
Both Andrew and I love good food and Miami has no shortage of amazing places to try. South Beach is our favorite place to stay because there is so much within walking distance.
Breakfast Places
We love Rosetta Bakery and Shepherd Artisan Coffee – they’re right next to each other! They both have a few locations throughout Miami, we love the one right in the heart of South Beach in between 9th and 10th.
Strawberry Moon at The Goodtime Hotel was a disappointment this time. I’m not sure if it was just an off day when we visited. It was much better the first time we visited over a year ago. This time the food wasn’t as good and service was pretty disappointing.
Green Street Café in Coconut Grove is a fun for a casual breakfast almost diner-style cafe. Pleasantly surprised by the food! We were seated right away even though it was packed. Quick service and fun people watching.
The Salty Donut is one of our favorite donut shops. It’s not really a breakfast spot but we like to pick up coffee and donuts here. They’re opening more shops all the time in different cities. A few in Tampa are opening up in the new year and we are excited!
The Betsy Hotel has a nice breakfast and lunch spot in the lobby area. Hotel food can be hit or miss in South Beach, but we had a few really nice relaxing meals here! Ollie had some scrambled eggs which he really loved.
Lunch
This trip I managed to book a table at Mandolin Aegean Bistro in the Design District and it was exceptionally good. Will 100% be back again.
Taquiza Tacos is one of Andrew’s favorite taco spots. I prefer Bodega Tacos, but both are good and definitely worth checking out.
La Sandwicherie South Beach and Wynwood is one of our favorite sandwich spots. We always buy their signature vinaigrette sauce and pickles to take home with us.
Mr. Baguette in Wynwood is a newer spot we tried and loved! They have fresh sandwiches and delicious pastries and a super cute interior.
Dinner
Joe’s Stone Crab Takeaway is always fun. They don’t have the full menu like the restaurant but the selection is still very good and I always get their Angel Food Chocolate Chip Cake to go with the chocolate mousse.
Makoto Bal Harbour is one of our favorite dinner spots. It was on my must-visit list again since we had such a great experience here. We went again and everything here is amazing. Lots of fun people watching here too!
Doya Wynwood is new to us and we 10/10 loved it. We went very early so we did not need reservations but I highly recommend booking them just in case. This was one of Andrew’s favorites and it’s in my Top 5. Great ambiance, friendly service, amazing food. It’s been a while since we had Turkish Coffee and this place has it, it’s just like the real deal.
1-800-Lucky Wynwood is a fun food court with seven Asian restaurants in one area. We love this place for good food, fun atmosphere and quick service. They have the Taiyaki NYC Japanese Ice Cream here too.
Stubborn Seed is one of the best restaurants we’ve ever tried. Reservations are a must and this time we booked the Chef’s Tasting Menu which is a prefix meal. Expensive but it’s a very special experience you won’t forget. This was our second time here and it’s incredible.
Beach, Shopping and Sights
We spent a lot of time walking or biking on the boardwalk with Ollie for a relaxing time. We also spent some time at the beach on our own as dogs are not allowed on beaches in South Beach. For fun stuff and sight-seeing we drove to Key Biscayne but it ended up being rainy and windy so we mainly stayed in the car. We will definitely go back when it’s warmer and sunny!
Shopping is so much fun in Miami. We stopped at Bal Harbour Shops which beautiful. I picked up something special from Goyard and a few things at Saks and Neimans including the Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Shimmering Body Oil (still available at Franciskurkdjian.com).
We also stopped by the Design District for more shopping and I splurged on a few things from Celine and Loewe. There’s so much to explore here like the Creed Boutique, Celine, Loewe, Bottega and more!
We also visited Superblue Miami which is an immersive light experience. It was just ok for me and I don’t know that I would recommend it as a must-visit experience. The Van Gogh Immersive Experience (similar style of an immersive experience) we visited on a previous trip was much more interesting for us. If your time is limited in Miami I think there are better more interesting places to visit like the Frost Science Museum or Vizcaya Gardens.
That wraps up my Miami travel diary! There’s so much to explore and we can’t wait to go back. This upcoming year we hope to travel more now that we’re more confident Ollie will be able to travel with us pretty much anywhere.
Did you travel anywhere this past year or during the holidays? Where did you travel to or visit? Would love to hear about your adventures if you were able to travel!
Checking in to say hi and let you know we are well and safe! We’ve had an eventful week with a roller coaster of emotions with the Hurricane. We are thankful that our area in Tampa Bay is ok with minimal damage but heartbroken about the destruction and damage that has occurred in other areas of Florida.
We experienced a lot of wind and rain however we did not have to evacuate based on our area and zone. My in-laws evacuated as they are very close to the water so they packed up essentials and spent a few days with us until it was safe for them to return to their home.
We lost power as expected for several days but there were so many power trucks throughout Florida to help we were out of power for only 3 days.
Devastated to see the damage from Hurricane Ian in other parts of Florida. We were in Fort Myers a few months ago and it is heart breaking to see the entire area has been destroyed. They are a little over 2 hours south from where we are. We are making donations to the Florida Disaster Fund. Seeing the damage it will most likely take them years to rebuild.
Ollie and Kitty are both doing well. Ollie is now 8 months old and we think he is nearly full grown at 17.4 pounds! They both bring us so much happiness.
Thank you for all of you who messaged me to check in. Feeling blessed and lucky.
I’m back with a packing roundup! We took a week off for a mini getaway to Key West. It’s been five years since we’ve visited and this trip we took my in-laws with us. We took the Key West Express from Fort Meyers this time. Overall it was crazy hot and humid during our time but we still had a lot of fun! It was a relaxing trip, we did a lot of walking.
A quick look at the hotel we stayed at. Andrew and I booked a 2 bedroom cottage at The Capitana Key West. It’s one of the newer hotels and we really liked it! Super clean, nice modern design, daily housekeeping, cute pool and lounge area. It is 2 miles outside of downtown so you will definitely need a car or golf cart of some sort as it’s too hot to walk that far. Here’s a quick look. If you want to see the inside, I did a mini room tour on Instagram I’ll post below.
For packing Andrew and I packed up 3 Away Bigger Carry-Ons (there was a size limit for luggage on the ferry). I still really love these suitcases and highly recommend them. The Bigger Carry-On is the perfect size to pack essentials for an extended weekend getaway. I also really love their Packing Cubes – both Andrew and I use these. For longer trips we have and like the Medium Suitcase. Their Accessories selection is pretty good these days too! I bought Andrew the Large Toiletry Case and he approves of the design, material and quality!
What I packed below (each item is clickable to take you directly to shop the item):
I didn’t manage to get photos of every outfit I wore but here are a few snapshots.
I’ve never received so many questions as I have about shoes! Here are the highlights on sizing and comfort:
Tory Burch Double T Sport Slide is one of most comfortable sandals I’ve tried. I’ve owned this pair for a couple years now (also seen here and here). They’ve held up really well even though I’m not the most careful with my feet. While it doesn’t have arch support there’s a cushion in the sole which makes them really comfortable on the feet. They run true to size (I’m a 6.5 in most sandals). Comfort is 10 out of 10.
Ancient Greek Sandals Eleftheria Sandal are a recent splurge and I love the minimalist look. They’re very sturdy and I like that they stay on the feet. The straps are not adjustable so it was pure luck that they fit me perfectly. I wish the straps were adjustable though – it seems like having a perfect fit isn’t always going to happen since everyone has different widths for feet, ankles, toes etc. Comfort is 8.5 out of 10 for me. These come in whole sizes and the Size 7 works perfectly for me.
Chloe Woody Slide Sandals are ones I think are super cute, but comfort is a level 7 out of 10 for me. They’re not painful but they’re also not ones I want to walk around all day in. These come in whole sizes only and I wear these in a 37.
Veja Venturi Sneakers are cute for that chunky sneaker trend and I find them very comfortable. They’re very comfortable to walk in around all day. Sizing reviews seem to be mixed (it may depend on color). For these I wear them in a US 6/ EUR37.fendi
Fendi Feel Slides were a splurge and I love them. They’re very comfortable and I had no issues (no break in period). There is a slight arch support inside and the sole has some beveled edges to hug the feet (so there’s no sliding around inside). Even with sweaty feet they stayed on. Sizing is big and wide. I have narrowish feet so I took these in a Size 36. I could have probably gone down to a 35.5 but the 36 is very comfortable. I would recommend going a 1/2 down from your regular size or buy from a retailer that has a good return policy.
For beauty packing I packed up products in 2 different cases this time. For skincare and haircare I splurged on the Louis Vuitton Nice BB Case and love it. I just bought it so I’ve only been able to use it once on this trip. I’ll be able to share more thoughts as we travel more! Packing Reel sharing what fits inside below.
For makeup I packed everything in the Calpak Mini Cosmetic Case. This had been sitting in my online shopping cart for many months. I finally decided to order it in Caramel and love it. Super roomy even though it’s the “mini” version. There’s a bigger option available too!
I don’t always pack hair tools but with the humidity in the Keys I wasn’t going to take any chances on the hotel dryer. I packed up the T3 Micro Aireluxe and the ghd Platinum+ Styler. Both were great! I will probably switch up the dryer for a different one next time (this one took up a lot of room) but will 100% travel with the hair straightener. It’s perfect to smooth out the hair in the morning.
Last thing I wanted to highlight is how I pack my jewelry. I usually wear my necklaces while traveling since I haven’t found a travel case that works for chains (they always end up getting tangled). But for everything else the Mejuri Travel Case is perfect to store rings, three pairs or earrings and thicker chains. It’s also available in black.
Have you been traveling this summer? We have been itching to travel more but Ollie is not yet ready to go with us (hopefully soon). He’s been in puppy training the past 2 weeks so the timing worked out for us to have someone watch/train him this time. We really wanted to bring him but we’re glad we did not (it was too hot and the ferry ride was too long for him!). He’s learning so much! If you’ve traveled this summer let me know where!
If you want to see the places we visited you can check out my Key West highlights on Instagram @beautylookbook.
We took a few days off for a much-needed getaway in Miami! We always have fun in South Beach and love the beaches, great shopping and food. I’m already planning our next trip and hopefully we will be able to stay longer next time! Here were the highlights!
Where We Stayed
Andrew picked out our hotel this trip and he booked us a room at The Goodtime Hotel. We absolutely loved it! We stayed in one of the Queen Ocean View rooms and it was so cute. On the small side, but rooms have a well thought out floor plan and we loved the location. It was further south from the hotels we’ve usually stayed in and it was perfect. Less traffic, not as busy and perfect walking distance to the beach and restaurants we love. Parking is expensive but we luckily found a garage right next to the hotel for a lower rate.
This was probably one of my favorite hotels in Miami! They do have a cute common area they call the “Library” for guest to relax or work. Their restaurant is by the pool called Strawberry Moon and it was delicious.
Other hotels we’ve stayed include Royal Palm, Loews Miami, The Edition South Beach, East Miami and a few other smaller boutique hotels. I really loved the Edition Hotel and would love to go back (but it’s on the pricey side). East Miami is gorgeous but located in Brickell (downtown) so it’s farther from the beach. Both Andrew and I have had a great experience at each one. We try to pick a different one each time, but we both agreed hands down we’d go back to The Goodtime Hotel again.
What I Packed
We both packed our Away Carry-On suitcases (I packed the Original Carry-On in Blush, Andrew packed the Bigger Carry-On in White) plus a travel bag for each of us. Andrew still uses his Everywhere Bag and it’s held up so well over the years. I used the Weekender (larger, discontinued). If you’re looking for luggage I still highly recommend Away. If you click on my PACKING tag you’ll see reviews of multiple sizes, what I packed on past trips and what I recommend for travel.
You can tap each icon to shop what I packed
Beauty Packing
For beauty I brought 4 pouches/bags. I like to have multiple cases to keep things separated and organized for easy access. I packed the Daily Edited Clear Travel Case (pale pink) to carry makeup (mine is the older design, review here). I also usually bring an empty cosmetic pouch or case with me so I can use it during the trip on-the-go and packed one of The Daily Edited Small Cosmetic Cases.
I’m still a lover of Truffle bags as well. I was finally able to use the Clarity Jumbo Train Case* they gifted me last year and it was perfect for my skincare and hair care. I packed a lot of skincare, sunscreen, cleansers and my own Oribe Shampoo and Conditioner*. Everytime I skip bringing my own hair care I always regret it. This trip I didn’t bring my own hair dryer and it’s something I’ll never do again. I’ve been spoiled with my Dyson and sometimes I don’t fully appreciate it until I have to use something else. I never want to be without it.
For makeup brushes I usually grab my favorites and throw them into one of the Truffle Clarity Jetsets. I bought this one myself the first year we moved to Florida back in 2017 and it’s held up so well.
There is so much to explore food-wise in Miami and I have a long list of places to try. With so many people visiting Florida, Miami has become busier compared to our last two visits. I did not make reservations because last year we didn’t need any. This trip all of the places on my list were fully booked. We still had a lot of fun and tried some new eats!
Our must-visits are always Joe’s Stone Crab (I love the crab cakes and chocolate chip angel food cake, it comes with a side of the most amazing chocolate mousse), the Salty Donut and Zak the Baker.
We also tried Strawberry Moon for breakfast (loved), Sorbillo for pizza (was pretty good, but will try a different pizza place next time), Joey’s in Wynwood (love) and Big Pink (super fun diner place).
Fun Stuff
We try to go to at least one museum or exhibit each time we’re in town. The Van Gogh Immersive Exhibit is still in Miami and if they have an exhibit in your city I highly recommend checking it out! It takes about an hour depending and I loved how they brought a lot of his paintings to life in an immersive experience.
We also love relaxing at the beach or pool. It doesn’t feel like a vacation without beach time! There’s so much fun people watching! While our hotel wasn’t on the beach, they did have a designated beach area with umbrellas and lounge chairs. Depending on how busy it is you can sometimes rent umbrellas and chairs even if you’re not staying at the hotel.
I could spend days shopping and window shopping but a lot of the malls are spread out, so I try to pick just 1 or 2 areas to explore. We went to the Miami Design District and I splurged on some wishlist items I had from Loewe including the Mini Puzzle Bag (also available at places like Neimans, Net-a-Porter and Nordstrom), the new shine lipsticks from Hermes and a new pair of sandals.
Do you have any Miami favorites? Would love to hear recommendations on hotels or places to eat if you have any!
We spent a few days in Miami for a mini getaway and I thought I’d share a roundup of what we did, where we stayed and a few of our favorite places! We booked a trip for my 40th birthday and stayed at The Miami Beach Edition. It’s been on my list for years and we love it – it’s beautiful! Everything was super clean, they good service and good restaurants in the hotel. We ate breakfast at the Market Edition one of the mornings and loved it! The entire hotel is scented in a custom scent for them made by Le Labo. We made sure to stop by the spa before we left to stock up and buy some of the shower gels, candles and more so we could take the scent home with us!
I packed a ton of shorts and tank tops with a few dresses and sandals. I brought several pairs I brought with me but the entire trip I mainly wore my new Tory Burch Double T Sport Slides (run true to size) – they’re super comfortable with no break in needed! The one must-have for beach life are the Eric Javits hats. I have the Hamptons style in a number of colors and love how well they stay on and protect my face from the sun. The tops are woven in a way that truly protects your head and scalp by blocking 95% of UVA and UVB rays. They are quite the splurge but I’ve gotten so much wear out of them.
Items in collage below are clickable to shop! These are the things I packed:
(click on items in carousel to take you directly to each shop page)
Makeup
Shopping
We try to explore different areas each time we go to Miami but we’ve found so many good places we find that we’re often drawn back to our favorites. Below trying on some things at Celine.
The shopping is so good in Miami! My favorite spots are a bit spread apart so I try and limit my visits to a few places each time. The Miami Design District was also on my list and I splurged on some of my wishlist items from Celine and Loewe. So many pretty things there ! (Haul will be posted on IGTV or Stories this week.) The pretty Loewe store below.
This trip we stopped downtown in Brickell City Centre to visit the Chanel Beauty Boutique where they have the entire beauty line, Exclusifs perfumes, all the oils and sunglasses too! I bought the travel size Les Eaux de Chanel in Paris-Riviera (love this!) and the L’Huile Vanille Body Massage Oil (smells just like the Sublimage skincare line). We stopped by Diptyque too and picked up a few things including a Ceramic Candle Snuffer and the new Do Son Hand Cream.
Favorite Eats
Our must-visit places include The Salty Donut, Zak the Baker and Joe’s Stone Crab (I always get their crab cakes). We also love the tacos at Bodega Miami and the food at Call My Gaby is next level amazing. They have this amazing meatball appetizer that I can’t stop thinking about!
Wearing: Hat Madewell, Sunnies Celine, Button Top Treasure and Bond (sold out, similar here), Purse YSL Toy Loulou in Dark Beige
Vizcaya
I’ve saved the best for last! The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens has been on my list for years and this is the first time I planned in advance and ordered tickets. I’m not sure if this is always the case but tickets are sold online only right now. We saw them turn away visitors at the booth who did not have tickets. While some areas in Florida (and maybe where you are too) no longer require masks, some do. This was one of them, even outdoors. The place is beautiful! I highly recommend visiting. A number of areas were undergoing renovations so there were some places we did not get to see. Both Andrew and I thought the estate was beautiful! 10 acres of gardens, water fountains, and a two-story building (second story was closed during our visit).
If you’re planning a trip to Miami you can click on my FLORIDA Travel tag to see what we’ve done and where we have stayed in the past. There is so much to do and see. We love it and always can’t wait to go back to see more! We still haven’t made it to other areas like Palm Beach which is on our list.
A number of you have messaged me about your upcoming Florida travel plans asking for recommendations on what to see and where to stay for the West Coast of Florida. We live in the Tampa Bay side which covers a wide area, more specifically we are in the beach area in St. Petersburg. I will try to put together an updated guide for St. Pete, Clearwater, Bradenton and Sarasota. A lot has changed since I did my post 3 years ago!
I’m hosting a giveaway for an eGift card to The Daily Edited! They make some of my favorite travel cases so I’m going to giveaway a $200 eGift Card to one reader. Not sponsored or affiliated. Open to anyone 18 years and older. All you have to do is enter through the rafflecopter widget below. Complete at least THREE of the entry steps but the more you complete the more entries you get. Giveaway will run through May 21, 2021 11:59 PM EST. I’ll select one winner through the widget and contact them via email. Winner has 72 hours to respond and confirm via email or another winner will be selected in their place.
We had so much fun in Miami I almost didn’t want to come back home! Last weekend Andrew told me he wanted to go to Miami for a spontaneous getaway trip – spontaneous as in “let’s go tomorrow.” I’m normally one who prefers more advance notice but all he had to do was mention The Salty Donut and I did not hesitate to immediately start throwing things into a suitcase. I don’t think I’ve ever packed so fast in my life! If you haven’t tried The Salty Donut in Miami add it yo your list. They have the best donuts I’ve ever had and if I lived in Miami I think eating there would be a weekly habit.
Since moving to Florida so many of you have asked me about packing tips for your vacations. You want to know what to wear, how hot it gets, what sunscreen wears the best, etc. I’ve also received so many questions about the Away Luggage and other accessories like their packing cubes, everywhere bag and backpacks. I’ve put together a travel diary to share exactly what I packed, what I wore and thoughts about everything we’ve tried from Away.
This trip we stayed at the Loews Miami in South Beach. We’ve stayed in a few different areas in Miami before and we really love staying by the beach areas. Other neighborhoods also have their benefits but being in South Beach is so fun. You can literally just stay at a hotel in the area and have everything you need for a fun vacation without a car. We like to get around and since we live in Florida we drove 4 hours from Tampa to Miami. We had a pleasant stay at the Loews! Staff is really attentive, rooms were clean, pool and beach area were really nice. The food and coffee bar were spendy but that is expected in South Beach. We tried breakfast at their Preston’s Market which was pretty good – we ate outside on the covered patio which was really beautiful and relaxing.
This is our fourth trip to Miami and each time we plan a mini vacation. We leave feeling like we should have stayed longer! We’ve already found some favorite eats but force ourselves to try something new each time. That being said, my ride or die must-eats for every trip are The Salty Donut and Panther Coffee in Wynwood. We bought a box of four Salty Donuts and walked over to Panther Coffee down the street for a perfect snack. This round we tried the Guava and Cheese, Coconut Lychee, Chocolate Marshmallow and Traditional Glazed Donuts. They’re AMAZING!
For shopping we stopped by the Glossier Miami Pop Up which was a few blocks away, also in Wynwood until April 28th. Full recap plus haul in this post. If you’re in town definitely visit – it’s super cute!
Just around the corner, Wynwood Walls:
During our trip we did a tiny little bit of shopping. We did a quick stop in the Miami Design District to walk around, window shop and browse. I splurged on a pair of Celine Round Sunglasses which I’m really excited about! There’s also a tiny Aesop Store and Andrew bought a few skincare items to try including the Control Anti Blemish Gel and another bottle of Mouthwash. I had my eye on the Sao Paulo Kit for travel but decided to think about it.
There’s a really cute Taco Truck inside the Miami Design District called La Pollita which has cute snacks and drinks. We were stuffed from food earlier in the day otherwise would have tried the tacos, we took a few sneaky peeks at what other people were eating and it looked and smelled delicious.
Since we stayed in South Beach we spent the rest of our time near the beach areas. This time of year it’s warm but not too humid and the water temperature is so nice to swim in! We love the blue shallow water, it’s one of the nicest places to swim. We rented lounge chairs and an umbrella at the beach. You can also rent them even if you’re not a hotel guest. Policy might be different depending on hotel, but we’ve also found in Tampa a lot of the hotels will rent their beach chairs and cabanas to anyone.
Tank – Nation LTD / Shorts – 7 For All Mankind / Hat – Eric Javits (love this because the top has enough material to have it rated SPF50 and it prevents your scalp from getting burned, it really works!) / Swimsuit worn underneath not shown is the Tory Burch Costa Top and Bottom
A few more new eats we tried this time included Yardbirds on Leonox Ave and Havana 1957 on Espanola Way. We enjoyed both immensely! If you’re new to the Miami South Beach area, quick note that some restaurants automatically include tip in the bill labeled “Service Charge.” We didn’t realize this at one of the places we ate until after we left and looked at the bill and realized we ended up leaving a seriously hefty tip because we tipped on top of the tip. A few people had mentioned this to me before but I had forgotten about it! I feel like I still have yet to really explore Miami enough to find the best eats. I’d love to explore more of Wynwood though.
Since first discovering Away I’ve now tried their Carry-On, Bigger Carry-On, Medium Suitcase, Everywhere Bag, Packing Cubes and Backpack. Everything has exceeded our expectations in quality and function. I’m an Away Ambassador so the items I’ve featured were gifted but I stand by everything 100%. I have also bought many suitcases on my own to gift to family and it’s been well received, even among the most skeptical and picky ones. Everything has held up really well. My thoughts on each item:
Carry-On Suitcase is best if you’re a light packer or traveling on international flights with smaller suit case carry on restrictions
Bigger Carry-On is our favorite to fly with and travel with in general. Works on flights we’ve flown with Delta, United, American Airlines. It’s roomier than the Carry-On but still fits in the overhead compartments for the listed airlines.
Medium Suitcase makes more sense for us for longer distance trips. We brought this with us on our California trip over the holiday and think it’s much more convenient to have something larger vs. carry ons for our needs. I plan on buying a second one soon.
Everywhere Bag is the best travel bag I’ve ever tried. I normally use my totes and end up stuffing them full. These bags have well thought out storage zippers and pockets as well as a roomy interior. It fits perfectly under the airplane seat in front of you but is roomy enough to carry a laptop and other essentials you might need for on the plane. There is an exterior pocket to store documents for easy access before you get on the plane. It also has a pocket to attach onto your suitcase handle.
Packing Cubes have gone through a couple design changes, the current ones with mesh top are a lifesaver to organize your clothes, underwear, shoes etc and keep them in place. I bought a set for Andrew and he didn’t want to use them. I begged him to try and he’s now convinced it’s one of the best things invented. He can organize all his clothes by type and he loves how they truly keep things in place without shifting.
Backpack is the larger option of the two they carry, this one has three main compartments to store things that allow you to be truly hands free. We love that it’s cushioned and that the base is flat so it can actually stand up on it’s own if you set it down. There are a couple nicely hidden compartment zippered pockets for things like your passport etc. It fits a lot more than we anticipated!
A closer look at the Backpack which now has a personalization option! There are some more of their soft goods you can personalize with 3 letters which I think is so fun. I have my initials on the backpack. We brought it with us to the beach both back home in Tampa and in Miami. It has really well thought out pocket placement so there’s a place for everything. This one can fit a laptop inside as well.
My full pack list linked below, makeup and beauty to follow in a separate post! We each packed a Bigger Carry-On, an Everywhere Bag and shared the Backpack space. Our trip was open ended – we didn’t know how long we’d be away when we left Tampa.
What I packed (including a couple things I didn’t wear but brought just in case):
You always love reading my thoughts on what I brought and what I missed so I’m doing it again! For a very casual laid back last minute getaway I had everything I needed. I still need to find a good beach coverup and an updated beach tote (although our backpack works better than any beach tote I’ve used). I didn’t pack a nice dress for a just-in-case occasion. Some of the restaurants are dressier and require something other than shorts. This round we were ok with everything very casual. I packed a denim jacket and some long denim pants just in case but didn’t end up wearing them. The three pairs of sandals I brought worked perfectly! I probably could have gotten away with just 1 pair of sandals but I like having options for a few days.
If you’re going to be in Florida know the weather can be unpredictable. Bring a few extra sets of clothes packed with you just in case you need to change if you get rained on or sweat too much. When we’re going out to the beach even in Tampa Andrew always reminds me to bring an extra set of clothes to change into. I feel like it’s a bit of a hassle but I’m always really happy when I do have that extra dry clean set to change into. Aside from the obvious good sunscreen and sunglasses, a good hat is a MUST. I really am so impressed with the Eric Javits one I bought – it is large enough to cover the face and has the perfect amount of flop/stiffness with the brim. I’m going to buy one in black too.
Hope you enjoyed this packing post and mini travel diary! We’ve been in Florida for a little over two years now and there’s still so much more to explore. I still want to go to Palm Beach and perhaps Key West again. If you’ve been to Florida what are your favorite areas?
