Kauai Recap

Aloha and welcome to paradise!

Kauai, aka the “Garden Island,” truly lives up to it’s name. There was so much surrounding beauty, I’d hardly seen anything like it. Laid back vibes, tropical landscapes, amazing cuisine…it was like walking on a dream (que song). This family vacation was uber special: we celebrated not only two birthdays but most importantly, we witnessed my sister walk down the aisle!

We stayed at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa. This resort was top notch in every way!  For starters, the ocean view as soon as you enter into the lobby, is effing majestic.

It is literally, a window (view) to the sea, talk about a “Grand” entrance!

How do you describe 50 acres of meticulously maintained beauty, manicured landscapes, and 360 views of Hawaiian paradise?!

Well, as you walk down into the courtyard, there are like 10 river like pools that wind into grottos, waterfalls, and lagoons. We floated from one pool to the next during the day, at soaked in the jacuzzis at night. Not to mention, the lagoon was feet away from the ocean!

On our second day in Kauai, my family had the great idea (sarcasm) to bike the island. I thought, “Oh well, this doesn’t seem too bad (WRONG). This will be pretty rad!”

Bruhhhh. This damn ride made me question my entire existence. I legit asked myself, “could I actually die from exhaustion, right now?” The terrain was insane, there were crazy inclines, and such unpredictable weather BUT you know what? I would suffer through it all over again, just to see all of the surrounding beauty! We navigated through the neighboring towns, beaches, greenery…and it was absolutely breathtaking. One of the coolest spots we hit was the Spouting Horn: With each wave, water shoots upward when it is forced through this opening, like lava would.

View from Balcony

Dinner at one of the yummiest restaurants I’d ever ate at: Tidepools – serving Hawaii cuisine in open-air thatch huts along the lagoon.

Biking throughout the resort

Baby Pineapples!

Rico, (1/2) residential Parrots at the resort

Endless Piña Coladas by the Lagoon

Wedding day!

As the days grew closer, my sister was (to my surprise) extremely calm. Everything went exactly as planned, the morning of the wedding. The wedding party understood their roles, the decorations were set, and vows were written. As she and I were getting ready, I couldn’t help but to think of the moment, right before she walked down the aisle, where I  would be assisting her with her dress and train. I mean, isn’t that like a rite of passage between sisters?!

WELLLL. We laugh about it now, but that moment did not go as imagined. We had barely finished her make up, and when we checked the time, we had 5 minutes to get down to the ceremony. We quickly changed (her without even checking how she looked) and literally ran through the entire resort in efforts of arriving on time. She had her train bunched up in her hand, and booked it. I could hardly keep up with her in my 5 inch heels. She was yelling throughout the lobby, “excuse me, excuse me, out of my way, I can’t be late for my own wedding!!” The stares we got were hilarious… someone even yelled out, “RUNAWAY BRIDE!!” Sweating and all, we had about 4.5 seconds to regroup and then walk down the aisle. I wish I had this on video! By far, the funniest moment of my life!

Luckily, the ceremony and reception went perfectly! Open bar, tons of laughs, and THE best lighting for selfies!

The fab bride

Sibs

FAMILY ❤

Mr & Mrs!

 Helicopter Tour over the Island!

A couple of weeks before we arrived, my family and I booked our tour through Blue Hawaiian Helicopters for ~$220 per person. If you are planning to head to any of the islands, I would suggest booking in advance and in a larger group (ours was 6) so that you can have your own private tour. This 1 hour tour, takes you over the “Jurassic Park Falls,” through the Waimea Canyon, the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” and right along the Na Pali Coast. Each heli ride is equipped with multiple microphones so you and your pilot can communicate throughout the ride. I think the most surreal moments were when our pilot circled around the various hidden water falls! This tour was hands down the coolest activity I have ever done!

Breakfast with a view!

Dinner Views

This family trip was for real, a trip of a lifetime! I am so grateful I was able to experience true bliss with them ❤ Xoxo

How to Pack for Hawaii /Shopping Haul

Screaming of excitement because your girl is going to Kauai! For the past year, I have been day-dreaming of sipping on Piña Coladas under the tropical sun. This will be my first time in Hawaii, so you knowwwwww, I have to bring a new wardrobe with me!

Since our trip is so jam packed, I have compiled a list of items I plan on putting together, as a way of prepping my outfits. My style is typically minimalistic and simple but I’m alllll for showing some skin. I like neutral tones with the occasional pop of color. But for this trip, I decided to brighten it up! I’m not huge into patterns but I’m a sucker for floral print!

Dinner Date:

Halter Wrap Dress- ANGL

Red V-Neck Dress- H&M

Maxi Dress – Lea

Beach Day:

White Bikini Set – H&M (Btw, can I have her abs?!)

Bralette Bikini Top – Forever 21

Tropical Print Bikini Bottom – H&M

Bardot Bikini – Asos.com

Floral Print Bikini Bottom- H&M

Day Out: 

Halter Crop Top – Lea

High-Rise Culotte Jeans – Zara

Button Front Corduroy Mini Skirt- Macy’s

Floral Maxi – TJ Maxx

Night Out: 

Choker Neck Faux Suede Bodycon Dress – Charlotte Russe

Bodycon Midi Dress – Lea

Accessories:

Round Sunnies – H&M

3- Pack Choker – H&M

Boho Breaded Bracelets – Tilly’s

Sandals- Target

I love getting style inspo from anywhere I can! So hopefully these items give you some too, for your next trip! Xoxo

Spinach & Feta Turkey Burgers

For this week’s meal prep, I wanted to keep it healthy but still somehow give into my cravings. Since we are in the thick of Summer, I’ve had this hunger for burgers (and for me… Summer = grilling).

Sooooo, I decided to try out : Spinach & Feta Turkey Burgers with Greek yogurt avocado spread.

And let me just say: THIS MEAL IS SO YUMMY and most importantly, EASY!

What you’ll need:

• 1 package of Ground Turkey Breast (1-2 LBS)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 5 ounces of Feta
• Half box of spinach (8 oz), squeezed dry
• 1 Avocado (optional)
• 3 TBS Greek Yogurt (optional)
• Mustard (optional for spread)
• Whole wheat Lavish bread or burger buns (optional)

Directions:

1.  Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add in spinach and toss with tongs until wilted. To avoid sogginess, roll up cooked spinach in a dishtowel and wring out the excess water.
2. In a large mixing bowl, crack and beat in two eggs, add feta, cooked spinach, and turkey, until well combined. Form into 8-10 patties.
3. Cook on preheated grill or stovetop until no longer pink in the center, 10-20 minutes,
4. Toast your bread or bun. I prefer Lavish Bread because of the longer shelf life, higher protein, and hearty crunch.
5.  Slap on your spread!

Voilà!

The blend of zest this meal offers, is unreal! The patties turn out super juicy and flavorful! If you’re up for a ridiculously easy dish, and I MEAN as easssyyyy as mixing, forming, and tossing your patties on the grill…then this recipe is for you. This meal is definitely Mediterranean inspired, so I like to add a Greek Salad on the side!

Trust me, this is a household favorite….and yeah, sure… I only cook for myself, but you get the gist! Enjoy!

 

DIY Wine and Cheese Date

Not too long ago, my girlfriends and I headed to our local winery in hopes of unwinding over a few glasses of wine. Turns out, everyone else in LA had the same exact idea! There was a wait of over 2 hours long with a minimum purchase of two bottles per group. This seemed pretty ridiculous to us so we decided to create our own picnic by the beach.

We stopped by Trader Joe’s and picked up a ton of finger foods and of course, WINE.

What we bought:

Cheese: Brie, Blueberry Goat Cheese, Cheddar, and Gouda

Fresh Fruit: Strawberries & Grapes

Carbs: Crackers, Pita Chips, & a Baguette

Meats: Calabrese Salami & Italian Dry Salami

Sweets: Chocolate Almonds

Wine: Red (Merlot) & White (Pinot Grigio)

[Previously to heading out, we packed our own cutting board, utensils, napkins, cups, and plates]

We drove around until we found the ultimate spot to set-up shop.

We parked our car in a turnout road which overlooked the surrounding mountains and ocean. It was literally an ideal place for taking photos plus we were also able to get away from all the crowds. We opened the doors, blasted some music, and feasted!

This was the perfect alternative to wine and cheese tasting, at a fraction of the cost. If you’re indecisive on what to do with your weekends, I hope this date idea comes in handy!

*Malibu, CA*

Trip to Joshua Tree National Park

Indeed, an Instagrammer’s dream, this vast land is made up of a mix of Joshua trees and dramatic rock formations. This oasis of sorts, transports you into what (in my mind) would look like another dimension. There is this eerie feeling to this colossal landscape. It is peaceful, it is lonely, it is unbothered by the city chaos we are surrounded by.

Visiting all 59 U.S. national parks is for sure an item I’d love to check off of my world travel bucket list. So far, I have been fortunate enough to explore Yellowstone, drive through Zion and camp in Yosemite. For the longest time, I had been wanting to take a trip to Joshua Tree, especially considering how close it is to Los Angeles.

This past weekend, my bestie and I were feeling mentally worn out from the week and felt this getaway would be the perfect remedy (& we were right).  Expected highs were 114°– 117 ° so we planned on arriving mid-afternoon to try to beat the heat. But boy, were we wrong here, we arrived at 3pm and it was still 115°! Luckily, we had a full cooler stocked with water, foot-long subs, superb air conditioning, and tons of snacks to keep us fueled. There is an entrance fee of $25 but for some reason there was not an attendant on duty so everyone enjoyed their stay fo’ free (yaas).

We made our first stop at the visitor center (Black Rock Campground) to get assistance in mapping out the certain landmarks we wanted to hit along our drive. This seemingly endless span of land offers a plethora of routes and pullouts you can choose from. But if you plan to make this a day trip, I’d suggest confining your sightseeing to the main park roads.

Due to the extremely high/dry temperature, we decided to take a more scenic route vs hiking our way through. I did bring my pup but I would only suggest this if you are planning a scenic visit (at least in these temps).

Start at the North Entrance (Twentynine Palms). This area reminded me of Radiator Springs shown in Disney’s “Cars.” Again, untouched and beautifully lonely. Only about 15 minutes into our visit, a Coyote approached our car. So, do travel with caution.

As the sun set, we took some beautiful shots.

We decided to set-up shop at the east side of the park for stargazing. We opened the hatch of our truck and laid out. Slowly but surely, a crowd of people began to form with their telescopes and professional cameras. Little did we know, it was prime season for Milky Way viewing. We met some awesome people and together watched the sky light up. By 9-10pm the sky was litttttt. I had never seen so many stars at once in my life…it was magical. Our friendly neighbors agreed with me in that out of all the national parks we have visited, Joshua Tree offered the best celestial show.

Whether you are looking for a weekend escape or a quick turn-around trip, 10/10 would recommend Joshua Tree. Get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and become one with mother nature and her starlight.