February 25, 2020

10 TRAVEL MUST HAVES

Sharing 10 of my travel must haves today. Some for the plane & others for the hotel. 


1. Luggage- this is an obvious one. Every time we travel, we try to only use carry on size luggage so we can keep it with us. Gives me peace of mind & also allows us to get in and out of the airport a lot quicker.

2. Backpack - my personal carry on item is almost always my backpack. It allows me to be hands free but also holds a ton of stuff.

3. Laundry Bag - This is something I have started doing recently and it's been a game changer. We do it one of 2 days; either I bring a plastic bag to hold laundry OR when packing to go home, I split up Jody & my suitcases and I use one for clean clothes that need to be put away and fill the other with dirty clothes. When we get home, I just dump the separated dirty clothes right into the laundry hamper.

4. Blanket Scarf - whether we are traveling somewhere warm or cold, I travel with an oversized scarf to keep me warm on the plane. I also wrap it up into a ball and use as a pillow on the flights.

5. Books - entertainment for the flight and the trip. I love having a good book with me when I travel.

6. Snacks - I load up on snacks for the plane & hotel. There is almost always the offer of a snack, but I like having my own options as well for when I get hungry.

7. Coloring Books - A standard book or movie is great for the plane but sometimes I want something even more mindless to do. Adult coloring books have been a go-to activity on my last couple of flights. It's entertaining but doesn't take a lot of brain power.

8. Sound Machine - At home, we sleep with a sound machine and it has been a game changer in helping me fall asleep. We've been bringing it with us when we travel and I love the piece of home that it feels like I have with me.

9. Sneakers - I almost always wear my chunkiest pair of shoes on the plane to avoid using up space in my suitcase, usually that means I'm wearing a pair of sneakers. Sneakers are also comfortable for walking through the airport or wearing on long travel days.

10. Lysol Wipes - AH, planes are SOOO dirty so yup, I'm that gal who's wiping down everything within reach on the airplane before takeoff. I either bring a travel size pack of wipes or just throw a few in a plastic bag.

What are your travel must haves?

XO
Michelle Paige

March 05, 2019

SPRING BREAK STYLE PICKS

We are headed on vacation next week & I can't wait for warm weather, beach days & summer clothes! Shop some of my picks below!

February 18, 2019

SKI WEEKEND ESSENTIALS

Coat: Marisa c/o Happy Goat Lucky (Get 30% off with code NTT30) / Boots & Boot Socks: Hunter


Jody & I went skiing last weekend! It was only my second time skiing ever & I was really nervous to fall, but we stayed on the bunny hill and I only fell once! I even got pretty good at turning; now I just need to nail stopping & I'll feel much more comfortable. We also went tubing & I found that to be SO fun!  Check out some photos from our trip & shop my ski weekend essential below!

XO
Michelle Paige

August 09, 2018

MY BACHELORETTE WEEKEND ITINERARY

Our wedding is only a couple of days away but today I'm reliving my bachelorette weekend & sharing our itinerary for our weekend in East Hampton/Montauk!







FRIDAY: Everyone arrived Friday night & we decorated the house (my family owns a house out east on Long Island & they were lucky enough to let me use it for the weekend so we didn't have to find a hotel or AirBnB to stay at), we unpacked & had a game night! We played games like What do you Meme & Never Have I Ever, ate cake, drank wine & took lots of silly photos! It was nice to relax after a long drive & games worked as great ice breakers for the gals who had never met before!





Sunnies via Amazon (under $10) | Towels via Etsy 

SATURDAY: We had thought about visiting a winery (Channing's Daughters or Duck Walk Vineyards for those interested) on Saturday morning but the weather was so beautiful we decided to hit the beach for the day! My friends dressed in black while I wore a white bikini & we spent the day playing beach games, taking photos & tanning. For the beach, I gifted everyone with an adorable striped towel & heart sunglasses! 
 For lunch, we ordered sandwiches from Luigi's Italian Deli and ate on the beach. They made it super easy to place & pick up an order.

For dinner, we ate at Swallow East. It's a cute little spot on the water in Montauk that serves small plates that are perfect for sharing. I spoke with the manager prior to our visit & he was SO accommodating for our large table; he helped me choose a great menu & we actually over ordered because the food just kept coming & by the end, we were stuffed! I recommend the asparagus fries & the fish tacos - yum!

(Other restaurants we considered: Harvest at Fort Pond, Grey Lady, Moby's)

 We finished the night out in Montauk at Sloppy Tuna. It's definitely has more of a college bar type of vibe with lots of sweaty people drinking & dancing (just being honest). I don't think I would make a habit of visiting this place on the norm but it was SO much fun for my Bachelorette weekend with all of my girlfriends. We had so much fun laughing, taking photos & dancing together! 
I wore the most obnoxious full sequin t-shirt dress and I have to say, it was my favorite outfit of the weekend! It also got us lots of attention that we were there for a celebration which was fun!
(Bars we also considered: The Surf Lodge, Ruschmeyers)





SUNDAY: Sunday morning we started with brunch at Wolffer Kitchen in Amagansett. Maybe I just love brunch food, but this was my favorite meal of the entire weekend. The Wolffer Kitchen restaurant is owned by the same company who own Wolffer Vineyard, so they have a huge selection of drinks & ciders. I opted for some fresh squeezed OJ though :) I have a feeling nothing on the menu is bad, but I would recommend the lobster roll, the french toast or the eggs benedict. All 3 were delish & yes, I ate parts of 3 meals!



After brunch, we decided to do some shopping in Amagansett Square & in East Hampton. We walked into stores like Tory Burch, J Crew, Obligato & Jimmy Choo! I actually bought my wedding shoes during our trip to one of the stores ;) It was a fun way to spend the afternoon & see some different parts of East Hampton.

For dinner on Sunday, we went to an Italian restaurant called Serafina in East Hampton! I had eaten here before with my family, but it was fun to go back with my friends. The food was delicious and again, at the end of the meal, we were stuffed! I recommend the bruschetta & the lobster ravioli (they are shaped like hearts!)

WHAT TO KNOW:

On Saturday night, we didn't have too much trouble getting to Montauk via Uber but when we wanted to get home, Uber prices were surging and it took us a while to find a taxi that 1. could fit all of us & 2. was willing to leave town to take us back to our house.

Venmo was key during the weekend. We didn't have to split checks or cause any sort of confusion when we went out. One person would pay the bill & the others would simply Venmo the money to that person. I highly recommend it for a large group!

Reservations are key! If you plan to go out to eat with a large group, I highly recommend making reservations. I can't think of a single restaurant that would have taken us as walk in's since we were a group of 10. If you're a large group like we were, or celebrating an occasion, I recommend calling and speaking to a manager ahead of arriving. Everyone I spoke to was so accommodating which was great!


Overall, it was such a fun weekend & while 10 people sounds like a lot, everyone got along so well & I think the relaxed itinerary worked to our advantage!


XO
Michelle Paige

PS. Shout out to my sister for all her hard work planning the weekend & my friends for all the goodies brought with them and the fun surprises they planned!

May 16, 2018

TRAVEL GUIDE: THE VERANDAH, ANTIGUA

Today I'm reviewing our resort, The Verandah from our vacation to Antigua. Let me start by saying, if you have plans to visit Antigua, STAY HERE. We had a wonderful time, there was so much to do, the food was delicious & the sun was shining everyday (I know this doesn't have to do with the actual resort, but it's the truth!). 

Rooms: The entire resort was so tropical, so well kept & every corner was beautiful! We stayed in a waterfront suite & the view was everything you thought it would be. We loved waking up, opening the curtains & seeing the beautiful views. The rooms themselves were HUGE. Our bathroom could fit a dance party & consisted of a huge bathtub & 2 sinks which was great for my sister & I to get ready at the same time. We also had 2 beds, a seating area with a pullout couch, chairs & coffee table & a small kitchen. The closet was nice & large to hang all of our clothes. The decor in the room was 'island-ish.' Not the most high tech or updated, but cheerful & in theme with the resort. 

Shop: Dress

Activities: The activities at the resort were endless! It is a family friendly resort & there were a LOT of kids around, but the activities really cater to all ages. (One afternoon, my mom and I found my dad & sister playing flip cup! haha). We didn't really feel the need to leave the resort at all since there so many activity options on premise. We did everything from karaoke & trivia to a sailboat ride, kayaking & peddle boating.  The best part was that every activity that the resort offered was included! Sometimes at all inclusive resorts you still have to pay a rental fee for water sports, but not here! It was so great to be able to grab a kayak or paddle board for a bit & then return it whenever you felt like it. 


Shop: Cover Up c/o Vera Bradley

Food: The hotel had a buffet restaurant & 2 other restaurants as well as a few beach bars. We ate at the buffet every morning for breakfast & they had a huge selection. For lunch we switched off eating at the buffet & eating at the beach bar - I loved that the beach bars offered nachos all day long & they had the BEST burgers. For dinner, the buffet restaurant offered themed nights (southern, italian, asian, etc). We ate there a few times & also ate at one of the resort restaurants, Nicole's twice. There was another restaurant at the resort, but we didn't eat there, since none of us were too crazy about the menu. If I had to nitpick about things about the resort, I would say they could use ONE more restaurant, however, keep reading below because the Verandah does have a sister resort that you can visit.


Shop: Bag c/o Vera Bradley


Shop: Top | Shorts

Good to Know about Antigua/Verandah Resort:

- When we arrived, we were easily able to grab a taxi from the airport. The trip was around 20 minutes & we got to see a lot of land, little towns & more open land. It was a really beautiful & easy trip to the resort.

- I mentioned the range of activities above, but have to give a special shout out to the ocean floats at the resort. They had huge trampoline like floats tethered to the ocean floor that people lounged on at all hours of the day. Our family LOVED hanging out on these floats. I'm not sure why more resorts haven't thought of this idea!!

- The fancy restaurant at our hotel, Nicole's (that I mentioned above) does have a $35 per person fee. The food was SO delicious though & the service was so attentive that it was worth the fee in my opinion. My family agreed since we ate there twice during our trip!

- Also mentioned above was that the Verandah has a sister resort. The resort is called the Pineapple & they are right across the street from each other. Pineapple is adults only & while we didn't spend much time at this resort, we did go over for dinner one night. We ate at Pineapple Grill & it was delicious! It was a nice option to be able to make reservations at the other resort & definitely something I would recommend taking advantage of.

- One thing that we read about before we arrived but weren't really aware of was that the resort requires quite a bit of walking.


Shop: Sweater | Shorts


Shop: Swimsuit


Have you visited Antigua or do you have plans to visit? I would love to hear about your experience!


XO
Michelle Paige

March 30, 2018

ONE PIECES UNDER $100 TO SNAG BEFORE SUMMER

Taking you back to Antigua with me to share my favorite swimsuit that I wore during our trip! This one piece was my favorite because it was so comfortable, flattering & affordable! Read on for more one piece styles that are affordable & flattering, just in time for summer!

Swimsuit: Aerie (under $50) | Sunglasses: Ray Ban

XO
Michelle Paige


Click though to shop swimsuits under $100:

March 23, 2018

MATCHING SET IN ANTIGUA

Sharing another outfit that I wore during our vacation. I shared this set on Instagram earlier this week, but it's too cute not to document on the blog.  [ I didn't wear the flower all night but I couldn't resist grabbing it for a few of these photos ;) ]

Top: Moon River ($50) | Shorts: Moon River ($50) | Shoes: Schutz (similar) | Bag: Francesca's 

J & I are going to the NYPD vs FDNY hockey game this weekend. Apparently it's a big rivalry so I'm hoping it will be a great game! We also have dinner with friends & a brunch with family. AND we have some prep to do for a wedding next weekend & last but not least, my wedding dress is supposed to come in, so I am going to pick it up!

 What are you up to this weekend? Have any fun plans?

XO

Michelle Paige

March 21, 2018

SHOP: VACATION STYLE

If you follow along on Instagram, then you know that we spent the last week in Antigua! Today I'm sharing a few items that I purchased for my trip... 

Shop them by scrolling through the widget below!

XO 
Michelle Paige

March 19, 2018

OFF THE SHOULDER MIDI DRESS

We've been in Antigua for the last few days & it's been really great so far! Everyday has been relaxing & full of sun, ocean activities & food. I'll be doing a full review on the resort we stayed at in the coming weeks but for now I wanted to share this outfit that I wore to dinner.

 I snagged this midi dress right before our trip & was so pleased when it arrived. The fit is true to size & is so flattering! This same dress also comes in a floral print & is available for under $50.

Dress: Amuse Society (under $50) 

XO
Michelle Paige

Last week we loved Ada from Elegance & Mommyhood and Ashley from Le Stylo Rouge.

An InLinkz Link-up

February 28, 2018

TRAVEL GUIDE: A WEEKEND IN BOSTON

Gosh, this post is SO overdue, but I figure better late than never.
We visited Boston back in December & I never got around to creating a mini travel guide about our trip. 

What We Did:

TD Garden - Rangers/Bruins Game: Our main reason for the trip was our yearly Rangers hockey away game. Jody & I love to travel to one away game per season and with our schedules being so crazy this year, we decided to go somewhere relatively close. We drove up to Boston for the weekend & arrived just in time for a late afternoon game. I loved how spirited the arena was; there were bears everywhere & all the seats were yellow!! The game itself was lots of fun & the Rangers won which always makes these trips better! I was surprised by how many Rangers fans surrounded us. It seemed like every row in the arena had a couple of Blueshirts.

Quincy Market: The next morning, we didn't really have a plan so we just decided to make our way towards Quincy Market & walk around. We walked around the downtown area a bit & stopped into a bunch of shops along the way. The middle of the square had Christmas music playing and the largest Christmas tree in the northeast area. It was so festive!

Also visit: Boston Aquarium. Jody & I visited Boston a few years ago when we first started dating and visited the aquarium while we were in town the first time. It's a really fun afternoon activity for all ages. They have a huge fish tank right in the middle of the building that you can walk 360 degrees around to check out all of the different fish & wildlife.

Where We Stayed: 

The Boxer in Boston. When planning our weekend, we knew we wanted a hotel right in the heart of downtown & within walking distance of the hockey arena, TD Garden. We chose boutique hotel, The Boxer and really enjoyed our stay. Most would say the rooms are cozy...they are small. But the room was enough space for a weekend stay. If you are bringing a lot of stuff or plan to visit for an extended time, I might recommend a suite. The staff was SO helpful & friendly. The location was great - about a 5 minute walk from the arena and 10 minute walk from Quincy Market. They do offer valet parking, but we chose to park in one of the nearby garages since it was cheaper and it worked out just fine. 

Where We Ate:

TD Garden: We arrived on Saturday afternoon just in time for the NY Rangers vs. Boston Bruins game, so we thought we would eat dinner at the game. The game had typical arena food (we had chicken tenders & fries) - except for these HUGE pizza slices! I wish we had seen it earlier & gotten one. It was literally like a flatbread sliced horizontally so that it was a super long slice. 

Causeway Bar & Grill: Post game, we decided we were still hungry and walked across the street from the arena. Obviously there are a ton of restaurants and bars near the arena, so it was by chance that we chose this one, but the food ended up being really good! The place has 2 large bars & casual seating if you want to sit and have a meal. We opted to share the chili and a french dip sandwich. I have to say, the sandwich was one of the best I've ever had! I think it had to do with the bread being the perfect crispness. 

Finch: This restaurant is actually part of The Boxer & they serve breakfast, lunch & dinner! We ate breakfast here and it was DELICIOUS! Jody got the best egg sandwich I've ever tasted & I loved my waffles with berries. The food was simple but elevated and did I mention it was delicious?? If we had more time in town, I definitely would have tried the lunch & dinner menus at the restaurant.

Mike's Pastry: One of the activities that Jody wanted to do was visit Mike's Pastry. This bakery is known for their cannoli's so while in town, we had to stop by and try one out for ourselves. We tried a classic cannoli and an Oreo cannoli. The Oreo was good, but there's nothing like a really good classic cannoli. That would be the one I would recommend!

Union Oyster House: AFTER visiting Mike's Pastry, we decided it was time for lunch ha! Jody wanted to try some authentic New England Clam Chowder & our hotel had recommended this restaurant for lunch!  We sat on their bar side which was a smaller menu but had a large enough selection for us to enjoy lunch. We shared a clam chowder (which did live up to our standards) and a lobster roll. 

During our trip, we also visited family which was nice to be able to squeeze in since we had a limited amount of time. A weekend is probably not enough time to really see the entire city of Boston, but we had a great trip & it's close enough to NY that we definitely plan to visit again soon!

XO
Michelle Paige