Happy Monday, everyone! Wow, the world has been crazy the past couple of weeks, with COVID-19 on the minds of everyone throughout the world. I have been working 10 hours, 7 days a week on the response and today is my first day off. I want you all to know that whether you are sick, your loved one is sick, you lost your job, you had a major life event cancelled, or are just feeling overwhelmed and scared, I am here for you. This isn’t something we can all take lightly and we must all do our part to protect those around us who need us the most right now. I will be working from home for the foreseeable future and my husband and I are staying home, only leaving to get groceries once a week and walking our dog around the neighborhood.
With that, I want to keep as much normalcy with my blog and continue to share my daily finds, deals, and what I am up to. On my day off today, I rounded up all of my favorite shoes for spring and many of them are on sale!
Happy Tuesday, everyone! I can’t believe Valentine’s Day is next Friday – even though January felt like it was six decades long. I have never been one to go out for Valentine’s Day and Charlie and I have always ordered Thai food for take out, poured a glass of wine at home, and watched a movie together, which is more our style. Since we are no longer in Flagstaff and don’t have our favorite Thai restaurant around the corner, we will create a new tradition together. So whether you are going out for date night or staying in, there is an outfit choice for you (yes, including cute pajama sets). I included all price points with many affordable options
I’m back with more wedding content for you all! So many of you had asked me questions regarding our wedding and as I explained in my previous wedding blog post, life was a whirlwind right after our wedding and I didn’t get around to sharing details until now. I received questions regarding our wedding weekend itinerary and the events leading up to our big day.
Wednesday before the wedding:
I took Wednesday off before the wedding and I wasn’t going to at first, but I am SO glad I did. It was so nice having the day to myself before all of our family and friends came into town so I could run errands and spend time processing such an exciting life event before I didn’t have time alone. I highly recommend taking an extra day off of work before your wedding to run errands, pack, and just spend time reflecting. I also got a spray tan on Wednesday because I didn’t want to get a spray tan too close to my wedding day. I wanted a tan, but wanted it to look very natural so I am glad I did it on Wednesday. My best friend and maid of honor came into town with her boyfriend that night and it was so nice for Charlie and I to spend time alone with them before everyone else arrived. We went to dinner with just the four of us and then Makena and I worked on a few last minute projects together. It was so special spending time with just my maid of honor leading up to the wedding and they are moments I will forever cherish.
Thursday before the wedding:
On Thursday morning, we packed everything up and left Flagstaff to head to Sedona (where the wedding was located). It’s about a 30 minute drive to Sedona from Flagsstaff. I had a mini facial schedule in Sedona at noon, which was also so nice and relaxing before everyone arrived. I had my eyebrows touched up and a hydrating facial at Sedona Day Spa to make sure my skin was glowing. I highly recommend getting a facial trial before your wedding week to ensure you know what your face can handle. Nobody wants a red, irritated face the day of their wedding! My mini facial was so relaxing and it was another opportunity to relax and slow down for a minute before everyone arrived. After my facial, we went to check into our rooms at Poco Diablo Resort. Everyone started showing up at that point and it was SO fun to see everyone as they checked in and made their way to their rooms. It was such a surreal feeling knowing that our friends and family had traveled so far to celebrate us and our wedding! My in laws so kindly made all of the welcome boxes (pictured above), which looked amazing, and spent so much of Wednesday and Thursday putting them together. They did a southwest theme since our wedding was in Arizona and I thought they all turned out so cute. We did a very casual dinner on Thursday night and ordered pizza from Oregano’s so everyone could finish last minute projects (aka I had to write my vows and letter to Charlie). We had a late night cocktail hour at TC’s Bar & Grill, which is located at Poco Diablo Resort and it was so fun to spend time with people as they arrived! I turned in pretty early to ensure I got enough sleep, but my cousin stayed in my room with me on Wednesday night and we had SO much fun together. We did face masks and stayed up way too late laughing and reminiscing.
The day before the wedding:
On Friday morning, we delivered some of the welcome boxes (pictured above) to our guests, which was so special. All of the bridesmaids and myself then met in my room for mimosas before heading to the nail salon. We got our nails done at CK Nails in Sedona. If you are going to do a nail outing with your bridal party, I definitely recommend making a reservation well in advance. We all got manicures and pedicures together and it was such a fun outing! The guys all played golf while we were getting our nails done and it was so fun to spend time with our wedding party before the big day. Afterwards, we went to the pool to relax and get some sun! That lasted for about ten minutes for me because I was getting pulled in a million different directions to help with set up. We then all got ready for our rehearsal dinner at Miley’s Cafe, which is about 15 minutes from Poco Diablo Resort. Our rehearsal dinner was very casual and we went to one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Sedona, where Charlie and I both worked at together while we were dating. After dinner, we all went to Decanter Tasting Room, which is right next to Miley’s Cafe, and all celebrated together. They had a live band and it was so fun having everyone together to celebrate before our big day! My mom stayed in my room with me and helped me get the bridesmaid gifts ready and sat with me as I perfected my vows and letter to Charlie. It was so special having my mom stay with me the night before my wedding day. I was so excited, I could hardly sleep and she calmed my nerves, which was a plus!
Our wedding day:
We woke up bright and early for the big day to start getting our hair and makeup done with breakfast and mimosas. The morning went by so incredibly fast! After everyone was ready, we took pictures, went straight to the ceremony to the cocktail party then to the reception. I shared a full blog post with all of the details from our wedding day here!
The day after our wedding:
We didn’t leave for our honeymoon until a week later, which I explained more in detail in my honeymoon post here. We slept in the day after our wedding and just relived all of the moments from the night before together while drinking mimosas. It was so relaxing not stressing about rushing to leave for our honeymoon and we were able to spend time with friends and family more, which was so nice. We went on a hike and lunch with Charlie’s family then went to dinner with my family and extended family. We then stayed at the resort for one more night to relax and enjoy more time with family. Our room was decorated with some of our ceremony decor, flowers, and gifts and it was so nice to just soak in the moments a little longer. I also returned to work that Tuesday to the prettiest flowers and decorations from my coworkers, which was so thoughtful!
I hope you all enjoyed reading about our wedding weekend itinerary and I hope this helps the brides out there who are currently planning for their big day!
After moving to Phoenix a couple of months ago, our apartment is starting to finally feel like “home.” I have been working on each room one by one and have found some amazing deals along the way! We have been slowly buying furniture after having random pieces leftover from college that we finally got rid of. I’m also trying not to have clutter in this apartment and am going with a very minimalist look. Our last couple of apartments have looked so cluttered and I want this apartment to feel homey, de-cluttered, light, and airy. I hope you all love it as much as I do! Stay tuned for when I share more rooms.
I finally got around to writing this blog post about our amazing honeymoon in Maui! I apologize for the delay, it has been a whirlwind since our wedding, I will get into more details about the many life events that have occurred since our wedding day in a future post! But for now, I am sharing all of the details from our week in Maui and I can’t wait to relive it because I’m already ready to go back.
We chose Maui because we originally wanted to go to a Sandals resort in the Caribbean, but realized that the end of September is during hurricane season and did not want to take any chances. I am SO happy we chose to go to Maui instead because it was so easy to travel to, we felt so safe, and were able to go out and explore the entire island.
We also waited a week to go on our honeymoon to attend our friend’s wedding the weekend after ours. I highly recommend waiting a week or two before going on your honeymoon. Even though you are on a high and SO excited from the wedding, it’s worth it to wait. We were SO exhausted after our weekend of wedding events and took Monday off of work to just lay in bed and soak everything in from the wedding. I can’t imagine waking up early the day after our wedding to travel for 8 hours after staying up late. I also had stuff everywhere, which I didn’t realize until the next day. I swear I had one item in every single person’s room and had to go around and collect all of my items. It was so nice to just spend time cleaning up, packing, opening our gifts, and spending extra time with family and friends before they left.
So anyways, we left the following Sunday (September 22nd) and took a nonstop flight from Phoenix to Maui. We flew first class to Maui (thanks to my amazing in-laws), our flight was so relaxing, and entailed so many amazing perks!
We boarded the plane to mimosas and a pineapple/coconut nut mixture, an amazing lunch, sundaes & wine, snacks, sparkling water, and Casper pillows and blankets.
Once we landed, we went and picked up our rental car and we got a four door Jeep, which I highly recommend if you’re going to Hawaii! It was so convenient for going to the beach and the Road to Hana. We took the top off everywhere we went and it was so nice!
We checked in to the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea for the first half of our honeymoon and it was beyond incredible from the moment we stepped foot on property. The staff was so accommodating, they had a bottle of champagne waiting for us in our room upon check-in, and the room was amazing! This resort is truly the nicest resort I have ever stayed at and the staff are all truly focused on providing amazing service to each guest!
We went to Monkeypod for dinner since it was less than a mile from the resort. The Four Seasons has a car service that takes you to and from Wailea Village, which is so convenient if you’re going out to dinner off property. I got the famous Mai Tai, along with the fresh caught fish tacos and it was delicious. After dinner, we went for a walk on the beach to watch the sunset and it was the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen!
Shop my looks from day one:
Day 2:
We both woke up at 4 am because of the time change and we were SO excited to explore! We went to breakfast at Duo Steak & Seafood, which is located at the Four Seasons and our breakfast, along with the service was amazing! Our food was so yummy and the coffee was incredible! We sat outside by the pool and had beautiful views of the ocean. After breakfast, we went to reserve our cabana overlooking the ocean- pro tip: the Four Seasons has complimentary cabanas by the pool and overlooking the ocean, but they are on a first come, first served basis so be sure to pick yours out early! We tipped the pool server to watch our towels and bag while we ate breakfast so we could reserve it as early as possible.
We went for a beautiful walk along the ocean and watched the surfers and the waves hit the peninsula, it was so relaxing! Pro tip: there is a paved pathway that runs from the resorts to beautiful condos to a point where you can see dolphins, sea turtles, whales, surfers, etc. and it’s the perfect place to take a walk or go for a run! You can hop on the pathway from the Four Seasons and we loved walking it everyday.
We basically relaxed by the pool and in the ocean for the entire day, which was so relaxing after traveling. We had lunch by the pool and split a lobster roll, along with pork nachos, and local beer. The nachos were SO yummy! We also got SO sunburned (well at least I sure did) on the first day so be sure to apply plenty of sunscreen because the Hawaiian sun is NO joke!
We went to Ferraro’s Bar E Ristorante located at the Four Seasons and it was the most amazing pasta dish I have ever eaten! I ordered the Torchietti Pasta and Kona Lobster and it was unreal. The lobster and pasta were so fresh and the vodka sauce was made to perfection, I didn’t want it to end! They also brought us a complimentary desert for our honeymoon, which was so kind of them to do! The service was incredible and you cannot beat the views. Pro tip: make a reservation for sunset, you won’t regret it!
Shop my looks from day two:
Day 3:
Day 3:
We of course woke up super early again so we decided to order breakfast in bed and eat on our patio to enjoy the beautiful views. I ordered blueberry pancakes with turkey bacon and Charlie ordered a breakfast burrito. It was so relaxing watching the sunrise and eating our yummy breakfast together!
After breakfast, we reserved our cabana for the day then went to our outrigger canoe reservation, which the Four Seasons provides to guests complimentary (make sure you book in advance)! We learned how to outrigger canoe and also got to snorkel during the tour. The guides were so knowledgeable, friendly, and made the experience so fun. We did the 7 am tour and the water was so calm and clear, which was perfect for snorkeling!
We then went back to our cabana and this time, spent the day at the Serenity pool, which as you can see from the pictures, has incredible views! The Serenity Pool was our favorite because it has a swim up bar, beautiful views, and was an adults only pool.
We took a little lunch break and wanted to explore outside of the resort and go for a drive. We went to Kihei and found Coconut’s Fish Cafe and the food was incredible! We split coconut shrimp as an appetizer than each got an order of the fish tacos. The fish was so incredibly fresh and all of the ingredients and toppings they add to the fish tacos were so flavorful and delicious! I can’t recommend this place enough, plus it was very affordable, especially for being in Maui.
For the evening, we walked to the Grand Wailea, which is next door to the Four Seasons (so convenient) for a luau. It was so nice being able to walk next door instead of driving across the island for the show. My parents bought us our luau and got us premium seats, which I highly recommend, otherwise you might sit way in the back and not even be able to see the show. I also recommend getting there as early as possible to reserve your seats because the premium tables are reserved, but you still have to choose your actual table and seats and everything filled up so fast. We got there early, put a couple of things on our seats to hold them and walked around the Grand Wailea property, which was so beautiful! Pro tip: depending on the time of year you go, bring a hair tie and wear something lightweight. I’m from Arizona and very used to heat, but I’m not joking, I started getting heat sickness because it was SO hot and humid, I was legit dripping sweat. I had maybe two sips of my drink because I was so hot and could only drink water. So definitely keep that in mind! We both loved all of the traditional Hawaiian food, the hula dancing, the Hawaiian story telling, and atmosphere of the luau.
Shop my looks from day three:
Day 4:
We woke up bright and early the next morning to head to our catamaran reservation. We drove to the marina, which was only about 15 minutes from the Four Seasons and found our group. We booked our tour with Trilogy since I had sailed with them previously and had such a wonderful experience. They provide the most incredible service and fed us the most incredible cinnamon rolls and coffee for breakfast and chicken, rice, and salad for lunch, along with complimentary drinks! We first went to Molokini to snorkel and the reef was absolutely breathtaking. We saw the most beautiful fish and the most vibrantly colored coral I had ever seen. We then went to Turtle Bay to see the sea turtles, which were also amazing. They were so majestic and beautiful in the water, such an incredible experience! The staff were all so knowledgeable, attentive, and truly made our experience unforgettable. I love how our tour was a smaller, more intimate group since there are many massive group tours available on the island. Pro tip: Book your tour in advance since it is a smaller tour group, spots fill up fast!
After our Molokini tour, we went back to the Four Seasons to pack our bags and we then made our way over to the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, which is less than a mile from the Four Seasons and was such a convenient move. We wanted to stay at two different resorts for our honeymoon because while researching resorts online before booking our honeymoon, we fell in love with both the Four Seasons and the Andaz. Both resorts are incredible and have such different vibes to them. The Andaz has multiple layers of pools, which we loved and had a very secluded beach on property and we took full advantage of swimming in the ocean and lounging on the beach while we were there. The rooms were very minimalist and felt like we were staying in a jungle, which was so fun!
After we got settled, we drove over to Lahaina to visit our friends who were in Maui the same time as us for their honeymoon! It was so fun meeting up with them while we were there and a memory we will never forget. We went to Lahaina Fish Co. for dinner and were given the best table in the restaurant. We had the most beautiful view of the ocean and it was so relaxing to listen to the waves crash while we ate. For dinner I got the Lanai Mule to drink and the mac nut crusted mahimahi, which was delicious! After dinner, we went to the famous Ululani’s for shaved ice. I got the Sunset Beach shaved ice and I loved the flavor. Definitely a must have while visiting Maui!
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Day 5:
On day five, we were FINALLY adjusted to the time change and able to sleep in, it was amazing! We enjoyed coffee in the room then made our way to the famous Cinnamon Roll Place in Kihei (5 minute drive from Andaz). So many people recommended it so we had to try it and it did not disappoint! We wanted a yummy, quick breakfast before hitting the road for the day to do the Road to Hana. This was my favorite day of the trip because it was just Charlie and I on our own exploring new places together. We didn’t really have a plan, we kind of just stopped where we wanted and it was so fun! As I mentioned earlier in the post, if you are able to, I highly recommend renting a Jeep or 4X4 vehicle if you are planning on doing the Road to Hana. Pro tip: some areas can be muddy and it was just nice to drive with the tops off to enjoy the fresh air.
Our first stop was at Jaws Country Store in Haiku, HI. It was the cutest little store and we wanted to buy a map with the designated stops along the Road to Hana. I definitely recommend getting a map since there is not cell phone service for most of the drive. The map also helped with which mile markers we wanted to stop at to sight see.
Our second stop was to Twin Falls where we parked and got to hike around a beautiful park area. We hiked to a couple of different waterfalls, swam in the freezing cold pools and explored the bamboo forests! I definitely recommend stopping at Twin Falls, it was SO beautiful and easy to get to.
We then made our way to the bamboo forest and Honomanu Bay (the black sand beach). The bamboo forest was beautiful, I could have stayed all day just looking at all of the bamboo. We then walked over to the beach and honestly took a few pictures then left. The beach is very rocky and I wouldn’t recommend swimming there. It was also very windy and the water was rough, definitely not the kind of relaxing beach conditions we were looking for. It’s definitely beautiful though and the black sand is worth seeing!
We then stopped at the Halfway to Hana food stand to get the famous banana bread, which was SO good! They also have shaved ice, ice cream, and other food options. We just got the yummy banana bread and kept on going to our next stop!
We then pulled over at Pua’a Kaa State Park to cool off and swim at the waterfalls. We had the waterfalls to ourselves and it was so fun to swim and relax in such a beautiful location. The water was FREEZING though so be prepared and definitely bring towels with you when you go!
We then FINALLY made it to Hana! Just to warn you all, if you plan on going to Hana, plan for being gone the entire day, especially if you are wanting to stop and sight see like we did. The speed limits are very slow, it can get very crowded and the road is long and winding. Pro tip: leave early! The later you go, the more traffic you will encounter on the road and the more people you will encounter during your stops. We ate lunch at Hana Farms and it was delicious! I got a fish taco plate with a fresh, sparkling mango juice. They have so many different food options and everything looked amazing. I highly recommend the fish tacos. Another pro tip: I also highly recommend bringing towels, sunscreen, a hat, clothes and shoes to hike in, a swimsuit, sunglasses, snacks, water, and anything else you may need for a day on the road.
We were so exhausted after all of the driving and exploring so we made our way back to Andaz to relax. We stopped on our way home to get fresh coconuts and the coconut water was amazing! The cut them on the side of the road for people as they pull up and it was the cutest little stand. The stand we went to was in front of the Twin Falls park entrance.
We were so exhausted after going to and from Hana so right when we got back to Andaz, we put our swimsuits on and went to lay by the pool and watch the sunset. It was so relaxing to just lay there and watch the sun go down, I almost fell asleep!
We went back to the room and got ready for a late dinner. We were so over being in the car that we wanted to eat on property so we opted for Morimoto Maui at Andaz. We split a california roll, a shrimp tempura roll, and the ishi yaki buri bop, which they cook in a hot stone bowl at your table. The hot stone bowl was AMAZING, but wasn’t a big fan of the sushi. If you go, I definitely recommend getting one of the entrees and not the sushi. The views of the ocean are breathtaking from the restaurant, definitely try to go around sunset, if possible. We went to Mokapu Market before heading back to our room for the night to get gelato and it was delicious. If you ever stay at Andaz, I highly recommend getting gelato there because it did not disappoint.
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Day 6:
We slept in then walked to brunch at Ka’ana Kitchen at Andaz. The brunch was such a beautiful spread and they had a juice bar, which I am always a huge fan of! I always love drinking fresh juice while on vacation, especially since I’m usually overeating and not eating as healthy as I usually do when I’m not on vacation. The brunch spread was amazing and included many traditional Hawaiian food items, which I always enjoy trying. I got an assortment of different foods to try and everything was delicious! We also had a beautiful view of the ocean from the patio we were on, which was so relaxing.
We then packed a beach bag and went to the private beach at Andaz. They provide complimentary cushioned lounge chairs and umbrellas so we lounged on the beach and listened to the waves crash for the day. We also took advantage of the complimentary boogie board rentals and played in the ocean, which was SO fun! The waves were huge and yes, I did get taken out by one and it was terrifying haha.
View from our table!
After our wonderful and relaxing beach day, we got ready for our 3 pm reservation at Mama’s Fish House. We drove about 25 minutes to Paia, HI, where Mama’s Fish House is located and checked in for our reservation. We were seated at the most intimate table with stunning views (scroll up to see the picture of our view)! It was seriously incredible and we didn’t even request it. You can’t request tables with a view at Mama’s Fish House so I was beyond shocked when we were seated at that table. They had a personalized card on our table for our honeymoon, which was such a thoughtful touch and I loved all of the beautiful decor. The restaurant was filled with beautiful fresh flowers and amazing Hawaiian decor. We both ordered Mai Tais to drink because when else do you order a Mai Tai other than when you’re in Hawaii?! We wanted the true experience and they are known for their Mai Tais so we both got one and they were delicious! We also ordered the Macademia Nut Crab Cakes and they melted in our mouths, they were seriously amazing. For our entrees, I got Mama’s Stuffed Fish and Charlie got the Ahi, Mahi-Mahi and Kanpachi Panang Curry and both were unreal. I’m not just saying this, but my meal was the best dish I have ever consumed. I didn’t want it to ever end because it was SO good. Their dishes are on the pricier side, but well worth it for the incredible dishes and amazing atmosphere. After dinner, our waitress brought us cool towels and pineapple slices to cleanse our palettes. She was so attentive and provided us incredible service! Mama’s Fish House is definitely my number one restaurant recommendation for all of Maui. Pro tip: make a reservation months in advance! I made our reservation two months before our honeymoon and there were two 3pm reservations available for the entire week we were there. I was bummed at first that we couldn’t go around dinner time, but ended up loving going earlier since it was still light out and we could take in the incredible scenery. After dinner, we walked down to the beach and saw the most beautiful turtle on the beach, which was so special.
Since we had an early dinner reservation, we were able to make it back to Andaz to watch the sunset while relaxing in the pool. I didn’t filter either of these pictures, what you see is what you get in Hawaii and no filter is needed! All of the sunsets were breathtaking and made me want to soak in the moments forever.
After enjoying the sunset at the pool, we went to grab a drink and dessert at Ka’ana Kitchen and they gave us both complimentary champagne and dessert, it was so sweet of them! We split the Coconut Sundae and the Caramelized White Chocolate Cheesecake, both were delicious! It was the perfect way to end our last night at Andaz.
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Day 7:
We checked out of Andaz, went to Starbucks for coffee and breakfast sandwiches, then hit the road to Haleakala! We drove to the top and it honestly felt like we were on top of the world, it was absolutely breathtaking. Before the clouds rolled in, we could see other islands from the top and the view of Maui was surreal. We learned so much about Maui history while we were there. I definitely recommend stopping by the visitors center while you were there. They were all so kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. Pro tip: bring a jacket with you (I clearly did not) and I was FREEZING, hence why we didn’t stay long. It was below forty degrees at the top and as you can imagine, it was also very windy. We also heard from countless people that doing a sunrise tour at Haleakala is the most incredible experience ever and people couldn’t recommend it enough. We obviously didn’t do it, but when we go back, we will definitely do it!
Since we had already checked out of Andaz and didn’t stay at Haleakala very long, we went to do more site seeing at Iao Valley State Park. We of course had to go back to Coconut’s one more time for lunch since Charlie was obsessed with their food and I loved it too so I definitely wasn’t opposed to going again. It was overcast and raining on and off so we opted not to swim in the creeks, but we did hike around a little and it was beautiful. We hiked to Iao Needle and it was so beautiful. The entire park is plush green and definitely a must see!
We STILL had time to kill before our flight so we drove back over to Lahaina to buy a couple of souvenirs and little snacks to bring home. We also went to the famous Lahaina Banyan Tree to see it and take a picture in front of it. My parents also went to Maui for their honeymoon and my dad took a picture of my mom in front of the same tree so I wanted to do the same for the memory!
We concluded our trip with a Hawaiian BBQ sunset dinner at Aloha Mixed Plate. We split the Roasted Beet Salad as an appetizer than each got the Aloha Mixed Plate for our entrees. Both dishes were SO delicious and I highly recommend eating there while you are in Lahaina. We wanted one last delicious meal before flying home. We had a 10:30 pm overnight flight back to Phoenix and wanted to soak up every last minute before our flight. We had the most incredible time in Maui, Hawaii and loved every minute of it!
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Here is a condensed list of my Maui recommendations:
