Happy Monday guys!
First of all, thanks for bearing with me over this little holiday break I’ve been taking–I’ll be getting back into the swing of things NEXT Monday, though I WILL have a couple awesome posts coming your way this week–our big closet reorganization reveal and my Lisbon guide–so make sure to keep checking back! I’ll try to post some fun updates from our trip as well ?
I can’t tell you how much your support means to me and the time off has been so needed! I miss you very much and when next Monday rolls around I will be excited to really jump into 2019 and get back into the swing of things!
That being said…we are officially en route to Mexico! (Writing this on the plane as we speak, haha!) Huuzah!
We planned this vacation a little bit on a whim in the midst of all the holiday insanity and are so excited to enjoy some sunshine and relax. We’ll be staying at Unico, which is an all-inclusive resort in Riviera Maya (located in between Tulum and Playa Del Carmen).
Originally we wanted to stay in Tulum (we’ve never been) but because we booked it last minute, all the hotels in town were full, haha–but that’s okay! Unico had availability and we’ve heard SO many amazing things about it from you guys–we are so incredibly excited!
Here are some items I brought with me! If you’re also prepping for a warm weather vacation, you’ll love these items!
Riviera Maya Packing List
I have never spent this much money on a pair of jeans shorts, but after years of every blogger and their mom (including Shaheen ?) raving about them, I finally gave in. I haven’t been able to find a good pair of cutoffs that weren’t too short for my liking, and these are PERFECT. Plus, they’re jean shorts. They’ll last forever! They run true to size!
I actually got two items from this brand called Kos Resort! I hadn’t ever heard of them but I found them on Shopbop. (My favorite part about Shopbop is the free Amazon Prime shipping and the fact that they sell smaller, unique brands I wouldn’t have found otherwise! They are also my go-to for vacation dresses!) It’s so cute, you can totally wear it as a dress IF you were shorter than me. (It barely skims the bottom of my butt, haha–but I’m 5’6!) Runs true to size.
50% off right now (hurry, sizes are going fast!) This is my favorite dress I got for the trip! It’s SO. PRETTY. I love the flared sleeves, lace detail, and the adorable floral print. Runs true to size. They have a lot of really cute other Kos Resort dresses too! If you’re looking for more really pretty and feminine vacation pieces, check out the brand Sundress!
My newest pair of Steve Madden Grecian Slides:
I already own these in tan and white–they’re my FAVORITE sandals (and very inexpensive Hermes dupes ?)–they just came out with a version with adorable Jack Rogers-esque stitching and I am SMITTEN. Hurry, they’re selling out fast! Shop all colors here–OMG also I just saw they have a raffia version. Might need those too ?
I love these cami’s–they’re so easy to throw on casually with a pair of jean shorts or dress them up for dinner with a pair of heels! So comfortable and light you feel like you’re wearing nothing! Run true to size!
Everlane white cotton shirt dress:
I LIVED in this dress in Italy. I wear it as a bathing suit cover up, for a day exploring, out to dinner–whatever. It’s casual, polished, but paired with a tan and tousled beach hair, something about it allows for that “perfectly undone” French girl look I can’t get enough of. On the flip-side, you can iron it, pair it with some chic flats and a chignon, and it’s perfect for the office. A true wardrobe workhorse. It runs true to size.
High waisted white skinny jeans:
Temperatures dip quite a bit at night this time of year in Mexico, so I wanted one pair of long pants in case I got cold! If you missed my like, 876 posts about how I finally found the best white jeans last summer, I’ll catch you up: They’re Madewell’s 9inch skinny jeans. They’re very stretchy and soft, and absolutely not in the SLIGHTEST bit see through. They’re high rise, but not TOO high (medium rise fanatics will still like them!) Also available in more sizes here! (Madewell.com also has them in tall, extra tall and petite!) They run true to size.
Luckily, heels aren’t exactly necessary for a trip to Mexico, but sometimes I like to dress up, so I brought my Soludos wedge espadrilles. They are super comfortable and I love the way they wrap around the ankle! For some reason the website says the run small, but they don’t–they run big. I ordered my normal size but I wish I would’ve gone a 1/2 size down! They have a bunch of really cute styles too if wedges aren’t your thing–shop more Soludos here!
We plan to do some hiking/exploring of the Mayan Ruins around Tulum while we’re there, so I needed a pair of sturdy sneakers that were still cute enough to wear on the plane! I love these and they are about as comfortable as they come! Run true to size but if you’re on the fence I would size down since mine are a little on the roomy side.
Unico offers some great workout classes that I want to take advantage of, so I wanted to bring at least one pair of workout leggings that I could also wear on the plane. (Tip: We wash our workout clothes in the shower and then hang them to dry. You can get little to-go packs of detergent to bring with you!) My other favorite travel leggings are Lululemon’s Align leggings–they are worth every penny and feel like BUTTER–aka basically like you’re wearing no pants! (However, while they’re amazing for things yoga, pilates, etc, they aren’t designed for running or high intensity workouts, which is why brought the Zella ones!)
Everlane travel wallet/passport case:
My first time using this and I LOVE IT. So cute and convenient, holds your passport, credit cards, cash, and also has a zipper pocket for coins! (Which is essential when traveling in Europe.)
My trusty $15 Amazon straw purse:
I take this little thing on any warm weather vacation with me. I got it for our honeymoon and have kind of beaten it to death–but hey, it’s $15. Is it the highest quality? Of course not, but it’s really freaking cute, doesn’t take up a lot of room in your suitcase, holds enough for your essentials, and allows you to double-fist margaritas (because why not?)
This is my favorite sunscreen (safe and non-toxic too!) I always bring it with me in several forms: a couple bottles of the travel-sized body spray, Unseen (totally clear sunscreen for face that leaves no residue and helps your makeup stay put!) SPF setting powder, and SPF lip balm!
My favorite cheapy Amazon cover-ups:
I am usually weary of Amazon clothing, but I took a risk with these and it certainly paid off! If you need cover-ups but don’t want to spend any money, I can’t recommend them enough. I think they’re so cute! I got this one in white and this one in black! If you want nice cover-ups though, again, Shopbop is a good go-to!
My favorite Amazon bikini for less than $10:
This is one of my favorite bathing suits I own ?The same look as the super expensive version, but for less than 10 bucks, you can’t beat it. Comes in tons of colors, and the material it’s made of doesn’t squeeze you in the wrong places and create muffin-top. It’s super comfortable. BUT, also, it has zero support, so if you need support, it won’t be the suit for you. Also don’t wear it doing anything active unless you secure it with the optional halter strap. (Learned that one the hard way.)
When we were on our honeymoon, we stayed the first half of our trip at Secrets Puerto Los Cabos, which is an all-inclusive resort (read my write-up here and see our Cabo honeymoon video here! Anyway, we were all-inclusive rookies–so many people had brought their own tumblers with them to keep their drinks super cold in the heat–GENIUS. Before our trip, we both ordered Yeti tumblers so we could be the veterans this time ?I’m one of those people who won’t drink anything if it isn’t ice cold, so this is going to be a game-changer for me! We also got the straw and straw lid to go with them! I also brought my Swzle metal straw set because I love them so much–they come with a little carrying case and a cleaning brush! They’re a local Chicago start-up too! ??
Shop items below: (Sorry, writing this on the plane slash finishing it in the shuttle–they have wifi–how cool!? No time to make a pretty collage ? Also sorry for typos! Note: You may have to click through the arrow in the widget depending on your browser–I don’t know. It’s being janky.)
Adios for now! xoxo Jess + Neal
