BEST MOM FRIENDLY BATHING SUITS

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If I’m being honest, I really hate when things are referred to as being ‘mom friendly’, and I’m a mom! I don’t know if it’s me assuming the phrase denotes negativity or it’s just me being paranoid that I’m fully defined by my mom hat. Either way I really wanted to share my favorite ‘mom friendly’ bathing suits.

I say that with a smirk because here I am saying it’s crappy to say ‘mom bod’ or ‘dad bod’ like what the hell does that even mean? But in this case, this momma over here has some rips and tears in this fabric and there’s just some bathing suits I prefer to wear! But these styles still make me feel beautiful, sexy, and fierce, which is important to me because I love to feel feminine! Whether you’re trying to conceal your tummy area, hips, or booty and thighs, I’ve got ya covered, literally! Disclaimer: rock your damn body no matter your size or shape because we only get one body in this life, so we mine as well love the shit out of it! We’re perfect just the way we are. *I have to remind myself of this all the time* <333

THE HIGH-WAISTED BIKINI


I’m especially fond of this type of bikini even though you run the risk of looking like you’re in a diaper haha I’ll take my chances! This conceals whatever pooch it is that I think I have, I also got a few stretch marks from having my daughter so beyond wearing a one-piece, this is my favorite version of a bikini. Also this style has scrunched Brazilian cut bottoms so you’re booty looks hot hot hot!

THE CROCHET SEXY ONE PIECE


Honestly, this is probably my all time favorite go-to bathing suit. I even wear it under jeans as seen here, or with a summer skirt because I think it can double as a sexy top. Crochet one pieces come in so many different colors and styles and if you’re trying to conceal your tummy or your hips, and even if you’re busty, I think this style flatters everyone. I refer to this bathing suit as my ‘mommy cover-up’ but it’s actually the best version of a one-piece that I’ve ever put on. It’s sexy but not offensive. And even if it were, if people don’t like it, tell them to close their eyes.

THE SIDE-CUTOUT ONE PIECE / COVER UP

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I just purchased this suit for our trip to Azul Beach trip when we did our wedding site visit because I wanted as many options for the beach and pool that I could possibly pack! I fell in love with this style because it’s got an open back, a higher neckline, deep side cut outs, and it comes attached to it’s own mesh cover up. This felt stunning on, I felt sexy yet modest . . . though I did have to keep tugging at the sides as to not have a nip slip, but hey, all’s fair when you’re on vacation. This style is perfect for concealing just about anything, for us bustier ladies though, be cautious of your lady bits when you’re in the pool LOL

So these are my favorite styles for us ladies, whether you’re a momma like me or if you just want a little more coverage in some areas, I think these bathing suits will make you feel beautiful, sexy, and fierce!

Rock it baby!

Are there any particular styles that you like that weren’t featured in today’s article? Do you like a high-waisted bikini even if you aren’t trying to conceal anything? What’s your style?! Do tell!

 

 

HOW TO SITE VISIT FOR A DESTINATION WEDDING – BRIDE GUIDE

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The ONE YEAR countdown has begun! Planning is in full force over here, and this Saturday Joe, Corinne, and I head to Azul Beach for our very FIRST ever site visit! Cheers for our destination wedding! So today as part of my Bride Guide, I wanted to share with you some things I learned about destination weddings, site visits, and one of the destinations we decided on!

Ever since we decided on a destination wedding, we knew it would require travel for our guests and lots of planning. We wanted to give our loved ones a year to plan and prep, so accommodations, flights, food, and transportation were all on our “lets try and make this a doable thing for people”. I’m also keeping in mind that this is our dream wedding and a ‘tour’ wedding- so there will be two ceremonies, both very small and intimate.

Some things to do and ask when looking for your perfect destination:

  • what time of year do you want your wedding and what’s your dream destination
  • schedule site visits in that location with various hotels and venues so that you can actually see what that property looks like and have options. They can do a lot of things with a fish eye lens and photoshop!
  • do you have a guest list? If not, create one so you have a general idea of how many people are coming and how many rooms/accommodations you will require and what dinner plans will be
  • how’s the weather in the location at the time you plan on having your wedding there? Research other people’s experiences and do lots of fact checking on your venue from people who’ve been there. This is huge.
  • do you have a budget? This can be a deciding factor when it comes to destinations, you’ll know right away what’s realistic and what isn’t. Oh you mean I CAN’T get married in Iceland?! mkkayy
  • ask for wedding packages and rates before making a decision so you know what’s included in said price and what you’ll be paying extra for

Having gone through the list of questions to ask venues, doing a ton of location dreaming, and hours of researching, we decided that we want to get married in Mexico! Near Tulum in a breathtaking, beachy, dreamy kind of intimate ceremony!

Wowzer, I did a lot of googling, emailing, and phone conversations to narrow our search down. Joe and I went over timing, budget, guest list, and what we want, and we finally locked in a potential location! We’re all set to site visit this weekend at … drum roll please … Azul Beach by Karisma Hotels and Resorts! And THIS will be the view from our room!!!


I have to tell ya, this was NOT an easy decision, literally every property in Tulum and Playa Del Carmen is stunning and we wanted to be able to visit them all! But after getting all of the answers we needed in terms of wedding packages, what’s included, AND that this is an all-inclusive hotel, we were all in.

We actually get to see one of the beautiful ceremonial package in person this weekend which includes our wedding colors (earth tones, blushy pastels, and pops of color) <— sounds like every color imaginable right? lol but it also comes with a bouquet, welcoming drinks, dinner reception, and dancing among other things! I’m sure we’ll have more questions once we get there and sit down with our coordinator, but I’m just so excited to see it!

Karisma offers a bridal dress rehearsal where you get to see your wedding package choice and try the food that will be served at your wedding! Ummm can we say cake?!?!?! That’s another thing, when you ask for your package pricing, see what extras (though a wedding cake to me is a must) it comes with and what it doesn’t. You don’t want to get there and realize there is no DJ and no cake.

Literally all I want my guests to remember is the drinks, the dancing, and the love <333 The food and the location will be amazing but really, who remembers how pretty the napkins were or how extravagant the centerpieces were? No, people will be so happy to be celebrating your special day with you that it won’t matter to them if they have metallic gold-flaked napkins or paper mache ones!

Even though this is a trip for us to see the venue in person, experience the food and service before our big day, and see our set up come to life . . . it’s also a VACATION! I cannot wait to be horse bike riding and swimming in a cenote at El Dorado Royale! It’s a property also by Karisma and a location close to where we’ll be staying. So you can expect a full vlog video up on my channel when we get back because, ‘go-pro footage or it didn’t happen’ 😀 Follow us along on Instagram with #KarismaExperience and #LomasTravel!!!

Wedding planning can be overwhelming, I know I’m overwhelmed by every detail that comes with it. There are things I didn’t even think about before, I mean there should be a book about it! But also I have to remember that this isn’t stressful- I’m planning the best day ever with the love of my life, so why stress. I hope this helps you if you’re planning a destination wedding any time soon or know  someone who is!

Do you have any other tips for me or other brides to be?! Please share <333

 

 

 

BRIDE GUIDE: TOP 5 WEDDING PLAN TIPS!

by with 7 Comments bachelorette partybridalDIYget the lookgift ideasinspirationlifestyleparty planningpersonalspecial occassionstips and trickswedding planning

I’m so excited to share this series with you and I’m also creating videos for it on my YouTube channel! Welcome to the Bride Guide, from yours truly! Because, those that can’t do, teach and I’ll be the first to admit that I suck at planning! Like really I’d rather have someone else just tell me where to be and when ha! Realistically though I’m a control FREAK so I’m giving you my tips and tricks to staying bright and breathing and never turning into the huffing puffing bridezilla, from the control freak in me to the control freak in you!

So the part of wedding planning that I found to be the most stress inducing (ahem the entire ‘planning’ part of it duh) has become the most fun to do … once I relied on other sources to do it for me of course! Today I’m sharing with you my bride guide to planning your big day with ease, featuring some of the sites I’m currently using to prep, plan, style, and SAVE with my top 5 wedding planning tips!


1. Create a site– a landing page for guests and a place to get information surrounding your wedding. If I have a ton of questions I can’t imagine the questions my guests would have and creating a site for this puts it onto one place- the who, the where, the what, the when, the hows! You’ve probably heard of Martha Stewart weddings and The Knot, and I love checking in on those sites to see if I’m on track with the planning ‘time line’ (oh yeah, there’s a freaking time line to follow! No pressure!), but I’m using RileyGrey.com for my actual wedding site and reception hub. It feels daunting but it’s super user friendly and if I can navigate it, your tortoise probably can too! You design the page, you fill in the information, create your own personalized link, and boom, you’re like a pro baby!

2. Set a date and pick a location– I feel like these two go hand in hand because if you plan on a destination wedding *raises hands and feet* than timing becomes crucial depending on time of year, weather conditions, and travel. Also, when you set a date the next natural thing to do is pick your location which takes away 99.9% of stress, at least for me it did. I’m living and breathing by THIS blog by JetFete which caters to destination wedding planning, and helps you narrow down your options, sift through all the possibilities, and goes through every question you may have lingering when it comes to planning a wedding away from home.

3. Food, flowers, and such– choosing a vendor that offers prime location, handles decorating for you, and provides food AND beverage service is like a dream come true! But lets face it, most vendors aren’t all inclusive, thus you’re left to fend for yourself. I got your back though, CaratsAndCake is a site that allows you to shop your vendors ACCORDING TO LOCATION (whoa! and hence pick your location first) with the help of other brides who’ve already had their weddings and link you out to each of the services they used. Genius right?!?!?! So you go through the albums, it features photos from their wedding and the links to their vendors from food, to their dress, to decorations and flowers! These links are located at the bottom of the post which takes you to a page with other work the company has done, and from there you can contact the vendor directly.
G E N I U S

4. Take photos and send Save The Dates!– taking lovey dovey pictures are the fun part! You get to look all kissy and fishy faced with the love of your life … in front of strangers, and hold poses that seem awkward but look sexy! Then you send those to your family and friends as Save The Dates and RSVP cards 😀 Postable is like oxygen to me right now because it gathers the mailing address and contact information from all of your guests and puts them into one place for you. So when you’re ready to mail out your invitations simply upload or export that information to your stationary person or print them off yourself and you’re set! It’s a free service and you create a personalized link which you then email your guests with. It takes them to the landing page where they fill out their information and it goes directly to you, never shared (that was a big deal for me). You could use this for holidays, special occasions, and birthdays since you update the list yourself throughout the year.

5. Register and receive– gifts! The super duper fun funners part! Well it’s all fun but I mean c’mon, wahooo gifts!!! Sites like The Knot, Honey Fund, and others also allow your nearest and dearest to either purchase a gift from your registry or contribute to your honeymoon. Since I will both register for gifts AND ask for honeymoon perks, I’m using NewlyWish. With group gifting options and a low cash fund fee, it was just the way to go for us. I also never know what I need or want- I want it all, but this site helps you skim through products and add them to your list with a click of a button . . . ummm yes please!

So I realllllly hope this post helped you if you’re planning a wedding, helping someone else plan theirs, or will be planning in the future! There are so many resources out there like Etsy and Pinterest that give you a plethora of options when it comes to story boards and sharing ideas, and gift giving! However these are the sites I’m currently using to organize my thoughts and plans for my own wedding and I wanted to share them with you before things start to get cray lol.

There are some key things left out of this article like dress shopping and timelines, which will be woven in between all of this, but these were the items that I needed to check off my list in order to settle the nerves and be able to function and get shit done in my life so there ya go! And cheers to you <333

Are there any sites or companies you use for planning a wedding or special occasion? 

 

 

BRIDE GUIDE: BEST BRIDE TO-BE GIFTS!!!

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I’M GETTING MARRIED!!! *can you hear the excitement in that text scream?!* As you know, Joe and I got engaged in December and we’re getting married next summer ahhh! And man has this summer has been THE summer of engagements!

All of my best girl friends are getting engaged and it’s been the happiest, most beautifully emotional past couple of months for all of us! So after the initial screeching and screaming, and jumping up and down, I immediately go on the prowl for the perfect gift for my friend during her most special time!

So I wanted to share with you what I’ve found to be the best bride to be gifts and my go-to places for special items! Ahem not only are these my favorite gifts for ‘her’, but they’ve also been gifted to me and I speak from experience when I say IN LOVE!

 

Screen shot 2016-07-18 at 9.42.40 AM

Kate Spade ‘Mrs’ necklace – a gorgeous, feminine, and dainty piece that will make her feel like the most special bride to be … a MRS!

Kendra Scott’s pendant necklace – these pieces come in necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. You can customize each piece and they’re stunningly sparkly! The chain is delicate and drops just in line with the collar bone. Our group of girlfriends traditionally get one of these beauties each time someone gets engaged and our girl Bailey just joined the ‘I do’ club <333

For all things hand-made and personal I turn to Etsy! You can create one of a kind pieces, put together gifts that are timeless and meaningful in a different way. I love finding that ‘something blue’ item to gift and this bracelet is stunning! If you follow me on Instagram (and pictured above) than you’ve seen the Etsy necklace that has Joe, Corrine, and my signatures all carved out of rose gold! Talk about special and unique! You can’t go wrong with any gift you give someone you care about and these are just some of my most coveted online destinations.

No matter what you decide to give the bride to be, it will be special to them because it came from you. Congratulations to all of my brides and bride-to-be’s out there, I can’t wait to share more of my wedding prep/ tips and tricks with you!

What’s your favorite gift to give someone special???

 

 

 

HOW TO PARENT THE INTERNET

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Whoa that’s a bit ambitious I know! But I like it! I have to say, with the ever latest and not-so-greatest entertainment buzz about the Biebers and Kardashians of the world, as a mom and fellow consumer of social media- I HATE everything about it. All the bub bub and mind numbing content that’s out there unfortunately I have to admit, that I get a kick out of sometimes! Guilty! Sometimes I just scroll through to scroll without thinking or drawing thoughts of anything in particular about … anything in particular. So I decided I would figure out how to parent the internet. Well try to anyway in that I’ll just talk about it. All of it. Social media, raising a teenage daughter in the age of photoshop and waist trainers, first time stories, and last time choices.

The series will live on my YouTube channel (pssst Subscribe if you haven’t already so you don’t miss out on any of my ramblings) and will kick to some content here for you on my blog. A place for me to detail some things in my life, lessons I’m teaching my daughter Corrine, and lessons I’m continuing to learn myself. I’ve kind of grown fond of the idea that I can alternate between trending entertainment news and my own real-life news that touches on things from my current wedding planning (or lack there of), to all the ‘things you’ll need to know about shaving your legs for the first time’. A conversation between the internets and I, youngster or fellow parent, about the woes and wins in life. And I’m SO DAMN EXCITED about this!

The first video in the series is here and it’s an introduction to my weird and awkward ways of bringing up things like sex and teen parenting, and how to talk about them in a normal-person type of way. Normal-person, to be used lightly.

To break up the awkwardness of each episode, whether it’s my eye roll at the Kardashians or my embarrassing story about stuffing my bra in HIGH SCHOOL, I will throw in my own relatable real life stories. And pictures.

So here are some baby pictures of my Corriney to start off the series- a chat about teen parenting and how babies are an amazing gift … when you’re ready for them <333

Corrine and I when she was only a few months old, and 16 year old Chola me! Oh that lipliner!

Corrine is 2 and I’m 18, the day I got my very first tattoo! One that my mom picked out and paid for … a rose with a butterfly on it of course. Hey, it was the 90’s!

A side by side of Corrine when she was a baby and when she was 16. Can we just hit reset?

Ahh my baby at her High School graduation! She was 17 … and I … well we won’t talk about that.

This doll face angel princess is 18 here, this is from her 18th birthday! A day of French food, old movies, and good food with people we love!

A collage of the good ol’ days! Elmo is still a thing!

Corrine was 2 and I was 18. I also wanted to be J-Lo here, and also, I still do!

And us today. My rock, my heart and soul, holding me up when I’m not holding her up. We lean most of the time <3 This was taken at Gracias Madre on my 35th birthday. Man, I feel so much more comfortable in my own skin and vibrant today then I ever did at 25 dammit! Something I’ll also talk about in this series.

So please share with me some topics you’d like to see me cover! Some days Corrine or Joe (or both) will be joining me for the conversation so give us some things to chat about with you!

MY TRUTHS ABOUT GETTING MARRIED

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Let me preface this with ‘my’ truths, ha, thought I should put that out there! So I recently wrote an article about the conscious choices we make in regards to what we do and don’t share publicly about our lives. Much of our audience has watched Joe and my relationship grow, but from a distance as we’ve been very private about it. Well on Christmas Eve Joe proposed to me in front of his entire family and I ugly cried through it y’all. It’s been 5 1/2 years and I think we’re finally ready to open up about our future plans, why we haven’t been so open until now, and what we think about sharing your life with the internet.

People are either all for marriage or all opposed, or so I’ve been hearing, and today I’ll explore both sides of it. Personally however, I was somewhere in the middle, yes leaning more towards the “if you’re a bird I’m a bird” mentality, I mean I’m a hopeful romantic. But I’m also the girl who’s been married before so I’ve got issues with marriage whether you see them or not. When I was 18 I married Corrine’s father. That didn’t last forever and I’m a “make it work no matter what, marriage is forever” kind of person, so that was ouchy. After the dust settled though, I knew that eventually I did want to get married again. If the right man came along and changed my mind about this forever business I’d do it, besides, I’m a hopeful romantic remember? Regardless of my feelings, I also didn’t want us to feel pressured into getting married just because it was the ‘next step to take’, even IF I’ve wanted to marry Joe since our 1st date! *more on that soon*

So many people get married for the wrong reasons. You reach a certain age or you date someone for a certain amount of time, and all the sudden everyone and their mother wants to know when are you finally going to tie the knot- especially your own mother. Don’t get me wrong, marriage can be AMAZING, but the pressure to do so is not so amazing.

Here’s the ‘opposed’ side of me. There are people who get married because they think they have to, it’s all that’s left to do… shit or get off the pot kind of thing, or the ‘oh crap we’re pregnant’ kind of deal. There are also those kinds of people who marry for opportunity and those situations are too heated for me to touch on in just one post, so I’ll save it. Then there’s those who do it because they want that huge wedding that is for everyone ELSE except for them. So firstly, shout outs to all my happy couples out there wed or not wed, and secondly, through all the BS and past mistakes I’ve made myself, I wanted to get married because I’d finally found my person, who is my life partner, best teammate, biggest cheerleader, and ride-or-die best friend when we have it all or nothing left. You sure do learn a lot when you get it wrong the first time. If you can’t be best friends with your partner, what do you have after the buzz from the wedding planning and honey mooning settles off?

With my first marriage I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I needed to grow up (a crap ton), that I was co-dependent (a crap ton), and that I had ZERO clue about who I was or what I wanted outside of this other person (#baggage). Mind you, I had a little human looking up to me for life coping skills, all the while- I myself was trying to learn how to navigate through life.

Here’s the ‘all for’ marriage side of me. Today looking to the future, I can confidently say (17 years later whew) that I love the person I’ve become, I love the man I’m with, and I love how healthy our relationship is. No relationship is perfect, but I think we work because I’m the hot head and he’s the calm and logical one. I’m the loud mouth and he’s there to shut me up when I irrationally roid out. I can get down with marrying that! Also, when he’s having a crap day I can be the rock for him too, and lastly, (and this is a big one) we’re not allowed to go crazy at the same time! Rock Paper Scissors for that if you have to! Life is too short to fight and it’s also too short to be with someone you really don’t like as a person.

So if I could share with you one thing about being in a relationship; not just being engaged or getting married, but being in a healthy relationship- it’s that the only person you can control is you. No one will ever change just because you want them to, and when you aren’t a whole person (we all have baggage don’t we now) you can’t expect someone else to fill that void. Marriage is a big deal and it should be the happiest of moments, not a forced or uncertain one. Lets be real though, I’ve been putting the pressure on Joe for like 5 years! When ya know ya just know!

This post somehow turned into a self-help for the emotionally-unavailable/ rant on love, but the point is that your relationship and your kind of love, is nobody else’s to judge or weigh in on. So you do you and don’t let marriage posts (like this- oh it’s about to get lovey) or FaceBook updates, make you feel like you aren’t a cool kid or hurried into doing something that you aren’t ready for. Also the point of this post was to share with you that we’re ready to share! The pressure of having a big wedding is big (I write these for me too), but we’re going to do it our way and I can’t wait to show you!

We’ll be answering questions on my YouTube channel about our wedding plans soon! I’ll also be creating posts for you here along the way in reference to my DIY happenings, or mishaps you be the judge, and posting my tips on how to stay sane because planning a wedding can be a BIT overwhelming! So until then, here are some photos we had taken while we were in Yosemite last weekend. Pre-engagement photos if you will, that we did spontaneously with our new friend Karl who just so happens to be an uber talented photographer! Thank you Karl for hiking up hills with us during the blizzard! Ha! You guys can check out his work here and give him a follow on Instagram!

Just before the moment pictured above, I fell into a 3 foot pile of snow and then jumped out of it to have that photo taken <3

Awww, just a couple of love birds in a snow storm. That is the metaphor for our life!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this rant of mine about love and my thoughts on marriage and unity. My heart is full and I feel content in my life for the first time in my life, and I’ve been here before, in this marriage place. So if you’re going through hell, keep on moving. *thank you dear country song for that one*

Boy oh boy is writing therapeutic!

SO, is marriage something you’re for or against? If you’re currently married, what’s one secret you can share with other couples? If you’re neutral on the subject, what do you think the hubbub is all about, this whole woohoo we’re getting marries stuff! I got all deep about the pressure of it all, so lets hear it!

I’ll see you later this week with my first wedding “Pinterest DIY-not” post! Oh Lordy, here we go! Wheeeee!!! PS if you’re a bird I’m a bird. Whew that was a wordy one.