What We Wore + Ate: Cabo Part I

This year for spring break we went to Cabo with the fam! It was a great time and so much fun now that Luca is a little older. Last year we took the same trip, but Luca couldn't walk yet and was still breast feeding so it was a lot of work! This year he was running around on the sand, dunking his toes in the pool and getting haggled to buy some little Mexican trinkets on the beach! Not only did I get a much needed tan, but I got to do one of my favorite things- eat lots and lots of Mexican food! A few of my favorite places include Las Cascadas, The Office, The Hacienda, Mi Casa, & Edith's. At each places I like to check out all their serving dishes and glassware as well! It's just so beautiful! I want it all! 

What I'm Wearing at Las Cascadas:

Black Dress (Similar Here & Here)

Celine Sunglasses

Gap Hawaiian Shirt (Similar Here)

At Las Cascadas you sit on the beach in the sand (just be careful not to flip your seat over in the sand! So easy to do! I think we have all done it atleast once or twice at this point! Definitely makes for a good story and laugh! haha) My favorite thing to order at Las Cascadas is their tortilla soup! It's killer! One of the best. I ended up doing a Tortilla soup tasting at each place we went and this one was definitely in the top 3. Their food is so fresh and delicious! Also, you can't leave without ordering their Mexican Coffee at the end! It's quite the show and tastes so yummy! 

What I'm Wearing at The Office:

Off the Shoulder Top (Similar Here & Here)

White Jeans

The Office is just a good time with great food! It's on the beach as well and it has a fun ambiance as well as awesome Mexican food! I prefer to sit in a little off the water so our dinner doesn't get interrupted with people selling sombreros or sarongs! I save that for during the day. We always have to make a stop at The Office, and their store across the way is amazing too- I bought some great crosses there! 

What I'm Wearing at The Hacienda:

Dress (Similar Here & Here)

The Hacienda is a hotel at the end of the beach (close to the Marina) and they also have a great setting up on the rocks with lights hanging outside. The hotel is stunning, and just walking around the grounds makes you envious for your own Mexican villa! I'd say the margaritas there are beyond killer! So delish and so many options which I love! The food is outstanding at The Hacienda (I ordered the Shrimp and it was to die for!) but the dessert, oh man! We ordered the churros and it was out of this world! 

Mi Casa's Day of the Dead Figurines. 

Mi Casa is another fun place to eat with the family! Luca loved the "balloon guy" and the little birds that read your fortunes! The store inside Mi Casa is another great place to pick up authentic Mexican items- I got a gorgeous candle holder, some more crosses, and some stuffed animals for Luca. Mi Casa is definitely at the top of our list! 

Edith's Patio.

Edith's is another spot we never miss out on! They have amazing meat options and they are well known for their Caesar salad that they make right at the table! Luca loved watching it and it kept him incredibly entertained! Let's just say I want to make Edith's restaurant into my back yard! It's so romantic and beautiful, I just love eating under the stars and lanterns! Another fun show they put on at the table are the bananas fosters for dessert! (My all-time favorite dessert!) You will not be disappointed visiting any of these places to eat! 

Gift Guide: The Jet Setter

Relax Eye Mask | Leopard Jewelry Portfolio | Leather Passport Case | DVF World Travel Adaptor | Cosmetic Case | Smythson Textured Leather Notebook | Theory Cashmere Eye Mask & Blanket Set | Luggage Tag | Deep Sleep Pillow Spray | Jonathan Adler Travel Neck Pillow | Quilted Leather iPhone Case | Leopard Travel Laundry Bags

Happy Monday! Christmas is definitely in the air! We spent the weekend getting our Christmas Trees and doing a little decorating. We all definitely got a kick out of our old ornaments- so many memories! I just can't get enough of the Holidays. It's my favorite time of year by far, especially now that we have our little one- everything we do is a first and he just stares at everything with wide eyes! So magical.

I have compiled a great jet setter gift guide above. We all have that friend or relative that is always on the go. Traveling from one place to the next, almost non-stop. These items are perfect for that individual who has been bitten by the travel bug! I hope you all have an amazing Monday and I also hope you've been watching your favorite Christmas movies- they always put a smile on my face just like I'm sure they do for you! xo, Alida

Travel: Paris

Eiffel Tower at night. 

At the summit of the Eiffel Tower. 

The Louvre. 

The Stunning Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. 

The Gardens at the Palace of Versailles. 

The Famous Cafe De Flore.

The view outside of our hotel room window. Saint Sulpice Church & the Eiffel Tower. 

The streets of Paris- beautiful. 

Laduree! 

The Love Lock Bridge. 

 Our third stop on our European trip was to Paris. I had been before when I was about 5 years old, but I had no memory of it at all. It was better than I ever thought it could be. It was stunning, romantic, and had so much old world charm- I fell in love with the city. My husband and I got lucky with pretty chilly weather, because it kept a lot of people off the streets and made the city feel like we had it all to ourselves. Our first night in this romantic city, we decided to go to a classic french dinner and then go straight to the Eiffel Tower. That was the best thing we could have done. The view from the top of the Eiffel Tower was the perfect way to begin our 5 day stay. Seeing the city from that point of view was breathtaking. They even served champagne at the top and when the light show went off (which happens every hour for 5 minutes) it felt almost magical.

My husband and I would spend hours walking the streets of Paris and getting lost. It never got old and we'd always stumble upon amazing bakeries, adorable little shops, and gorgeous gardens/buildings. Paris is so tiny that you really can walk everywhere. The location of our hotel probably helped with that. We stayed at Hotel Recamier in St. Germain- it used to be a 2 star and now it is completely remodeled to a 4 star. It is a small boutique hotel with stunning views and a superb location. It was actually decorated by the person who designed the Chanel suite at the Ritz Hotel in Paris. Our hotel even recommended some of the best restaurants to eat at- one in particular that we were huge fans of was Chez Fernand. Great atmosphere and amazing food! I tried escargot for the first time there and it was to die for.

 Right in the heart of St. Germain were the famous Cafe's. We went to both Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots- delicious coffee and the perfect place for people watching. We of course made time to go to the Louvre and to walk around all the gorgeous gardens where we'd usually eat something we'd picked up and just sit by a fountain. Walking along the Seine river was another crazy romantic thing we did. We were just walking along the river and all of a sudden some teenage boys who were playing music under a bridge with their phones and a blue tooth turned on some classic french music- it was like we were in a movie. Does it get more romantic than that? I don't think so. We walked to all the different parts of paris, including the Marais part of town. This was a hip, artsy area that had amazing boutiques and scrumptious falafels. I still crave the one I had! Besides all the amazing designer shopping available to do in Paris, the baked goods were a must buy on my list. I'm pretty sure we visited Laduree a total of 5 times while we were there. The macaroons were to die for and the vanilla eclaire-there are no words for how tasty it was.

We decided one day to leave the city to go visit the Palace of Versailles and Marie Antoinette's Hamlet. It was breathtaking, and I don't think I've ever seen such ornate ceilings in my life! The gardens were pristine and we were able to choose from about 3 different restaurants to eat at throughout the day. If you've never been, I would highly suggest seeing Versailles- it's just magnificent. On our final night in Paris, we went to the Love Lock Bridge to put our own lock on the bridge. I can't wait to go back to Paris and see it! It definitely was the icing on top of our romantic sundae. All in all, Paris was the cleanest, most manicured, romantic place I've ever visited. I will no doubt be going back again! Have you ever been to Paris? Where did you like to shop, eat, and visit while there?

Travel: London

In front of the London Bridge. 

Covent Garden.

Hyde Park. 

The London Eye. 

Palace of Westminster- view from the London Eye. 

Trafalgar Square.

St Paul's Cathedral.

A beautiful sunset in London. 

What I'm Wearing: London Bridge- Scarf (bought in Ireland)- Jimmy Hourihan | Coat (bought in London)- Reiss | Bag- Celine | Pants- Rag & Bone

After Ireland, our next stop on our whirlwind European excursion was to beautiful London. My hubby and I were so lucky to be able to stay at my Uncle's guest flat in Covent Garden. It was the perfect location, with the best shopping, food, and bars. I literally don't think it could have gotten any better! It was so much fun staying in a flat rather than a hotel because we were able to go to the grocery store, cook our own meals, and interact with the city in a completely different way. We did try to cook a lot, having a kitchen and all, but we did end up having dinner one night at probably one of the best restaraunts I've ever been to- Balthazar. If you're ever in London, and want an exceptional french brasserie type fair, this is definitely the place to go. It was fantastic and for such an expensive city, it was more affordable than other restaraunts we had gone to. I do have to say I had a lot of fun walking around and getting lost in London, especially when we somehow arrived at Harrods, otherwise known as Mecca. Ok, my husband didn't know where we were going, but I definitely did. Harrods was just as gorgeous and glamorous as I'd expected, and so so so so huge! We even got lost on the Home Furnishings floor. Of course, it wasn't the worst place to get lost in. It was definitely a place I had to visit, and I'm so glad we did!

London was stunning, and I especially loved that we got to continue doing tea time there. We had afternoon tea at The Savoy and it was so chic and elegant. The servers were on top of refilling our tea while using the gorgeous strainers of course. And the all you can eat sandwiches and sweets really hit the spot after all the walking through the numerous parks in London. It literally took us almost a whole day to walk through Hyde Park. It was one of the biggest parks I'd ever walked through and there was so much to look at! I loved how old yet new this magical city was. London is definitely a growing, modern town, but all the historic buildings and monuments hiding throughout brought some romance to the city as well. One of the best things we did in London was going up in the London Eye. We were able to see London for miles and miles and we also got to point out places we had been to. We went right at sunset which was the perfect time because the city was almost glowing! It was very romantic. The Eye was the perfect way to end our amazing time in London.

Travel: Ireland

First Day in Dublin. 

The Temple Bar. Live Irish music plus the hubby made sure we drank some Guinness beer!

Tea Time at The Merrion Hotel Dublin. I loved all the beautiful tea sets. Tea time is now an integral part of our day now. 

The Irish Setters at Castlemartyr Resort Cork.  We even got to take them for a walk. 

St. Patrick's Cathedral.  

Flying Hawks at Ashford Castle.

What I'm wearing: First Day- Scarf- Matta | Sweater- Vince | Bag- Celine. Flying Hawks- Top- Michael Stars | Coat- J. Crew (no longer available, similar here)

Just a couple of weeks ago my husband and I were flying home from a month long vacation through Europe. Despite the 11-hour flight there and back-It had to have been the best trip of my life-hands down! Not only did I get to see places that I had dreamt about, but I also got to experience different cultures, people, and food with the love of my life. I was also pretty excited to do some uh-mazing shopping while abroad. I never get tired of looking at all of the incredible pictures-that’s why I thought I would share them for my first post-starting with Ireland.

In one month, my husband and I visited Ireland, London, Paris, Portofino, Monaco, Venice, Florence and Rome. We walked our butts off and saw so many beautiful monuments, museums, churches, stores, restaurants and castles. Every day was a new adventure!

Out of everywhere we went-Ireland had to be in the top 3 of my favorites! I didn’t really think twice about Ireland before visiting because it was my husband’s pick for our trip. But once we got there-I understood why he wanted us to go so badly. The people were all so nice, although hard to understand at times, and the food was spectacular! I highly recommend going to Fishy Fishy (yes, that's the name) in Kinsale. Not to mention seeing a castle every few miles wasn’t too bad either. Just writing about Ireland makes me want to go back-- like yesterday! One catch for visiting Ireland-the driving. My husband was such a trooper! He drove on the wrong side of the car, on the wrong side of the road, while using a stick shift to top it all off. I still can’t believe we returned our rental without a scratch. I guess it helps that my hubby drives off-road racecars in Baja, but still it was quite an experience! Flying the hawk and owl at Ashford Castle has got to be one of the most memorable things we did while in Ireland. I was actually really nervous to do it-but it was so much fun! I'm really glad I did it. All in all, Ireland definitely helped me cross off numerous items on my bucket list!