With spring break and summer quickly approaching, I’m looking forward to lots of travel experiences and hopefully heading out to warmer destinations starting in a couple weeks when we are going to Hawaii! With warm weather travel comes a specific type of packing. I always bring certain items like sunscreen, hats, sandals, and dresses that can be worn more than one way, but I also make sure I bring things to keep my health in check, too. Below check out the 10 things you definitely need to bring on your next warm weather vacation.

1) A Versatile Maxi Dress

• This is my number one style item I always bring to a tropical vacation. The beauty of a maxi is it can be worn so many ways and minimizes having to bring a bunch of separates since it’s an entire outfit in itself. For day you can throw a maxi dress over your bathing suit to go to the pool or lunch, and by night it can be paired with heeled sandals for a night on the town or dancing.

2) Sunscreen

• This might seem obvious, but you have to protect your skin when you’re going to be in the sun a bunch! I religiously put sunscreen on my face under my makeup and obviously all over when I’m going to be at the beach or pool in a kini. Make sure you’re using a clean and broad spectrum sunscreen that’s also reef safe. I’m listing a few of my favorites below which are all reef safe and clean formulas!

3) A Foldable Hat

• Structured hats are annoying AF to pack and require their own luggage. The more I travel the more I hate bringing 100 bags with me and they’re expensive to check, too, so to bring a hat box just isn’t usually on my agenda. A foldable sun hat can go into your carry on and you only need one for your trip. A must have if you’re gonna be in the sun and they look chic too!

4) Comfortable Sandals

• Key word COMFORTABLE. I’ve made the mistake so many times of bringing sandals that aren’t great for walking in and they end up just taking up extra room in my luggage and not getting worn. All you need is a couple pairs of comfortable sandals for a trip to a warm weather destination and you’re good to go!

5) Sunglasses

• Again, this is obvious, right? I like to bring a pair that’s versatile and classic for traveling that will go with almost everything. A big black or tortoise option accessories basically everything, and will protect my eyes from the sun but also won’t look ridiculous if I wear them on a hike. A few of my favorite go-to pairs are in the gallery below.

6) Natural Anti-Bacterial Wipes/ Hand Sanitizer

• For the love of everything good please bring these with you and wipe down your plane, train, and uber seats. If everyone was doing this I bet so many less people would wind up with the flu and Coronavirus this season (ewwwww). I also wipe down the trays at the airport, they’re loaded with germs and bacteria! You can also get a good hand sanitizer and use a paper towel with it to wipe down things when you’re traveling. I prefer wipes because they travel well and I don’t have to worry about the fluid count with a carry-on bag.

7) Multi Vitamins + Immune Support

• Don’t forget that when you’re traveling you’re exposed to a lot of germs and that can compromise your immune system. Other than Emergen-C and some Wellness formula in case I start to feel like I’m coming down with something, I make sure I also bring my daily multi-vitamin to keep my system defenses strong from getting sick. My favorite daily vitamin for women is Ritual. I love it because I don’t have to take a million vitamins every day, just one, so it’s easy to pack and it also doesn’t taste gross (it actually tastes like mint) or make me nauseous.

8) A Belt Bag

• There’s nothing worse than having your hands tied up when you’re traveling and trying to explore. I love a belt bag that is fairly casual and durable that can be worn on hikes but also looks cute with a dress during the day at the beach. Make sure you get one that can fit your phone, chapstick, wallet, and sunglasses.

9) A Refillable Water Bottle

• A lot of hotels now are adapting a more sustainable approach and providing filtered water but not bottled. Same with some airports and restaurants. I always bring my Swell with me which keeps fluids cold (or hot) so I stay hydrated without wasting plastic or having to buy water. Sustainable and saves you money, a win-win!

10) CBD

• CBD personally helps me sleep and also stay relaxed when I’m on a plane or at the airport which can sometimes be stressful with TSA and all the strangers and everything ya know (lol). I literally won’t travel without mine. I prefer capsules or tinctures, but there’s also some great vape pens out there if you prefer. My two favorite tinctures are Lab to Beauty (lemon), and Winged CBD which is formulated specifically for women. I also really both of those brands gummies as well. I would also recommend Sagely Naturals. I like their calm and centered supplement and lotion which is infused with things like lavender in addition to the CBD. I like CBD because it makes me feel relaxed and chilled out before a flight but not high or groggy which is exactly what I need when I’m flying.

Do you have any warm weather or Spring Break travel planned soon? If so, I hope this list helps you with packing! For sure let me know if you try any of these tips out!

I’m reallyyyy looking forward to going back to Hawaii! It’s been so long since I’ve been on a proper tropical vacation. Make sure you follow along on Instagram, we’ll be posting tons of photos from our trip and can’t wait to share with you.

xx Genevieve

North and South California get all the love. I can’t believe I’ve lived my entire life in California and never really spent time in CENTRAL California. Often on long road trips back home to Palo Alto from Los Angeles I’d drive as fast as I could through this part of the state, eager to make it to either to my old home or my new one. 

Well, this trip really changed my point of view of the “middle” of California. First of all, it’s beautiful and soooo charming. I’m really glad we took the opportunity to spend a weekend here. If you’re thinking of making a trip to Central CA, here’s 5 things you should do while you’re around. 

The grand dining room at Hearst Castle

1) Visit Hearst Castle

I didn’t really know what to expect from Hearst Castle, I just knew I wanted to go check it out at least once, even if just for photos (lol). It’s really a beautiful example of architecture, and not like anything you’ll really see in the states (kinda reminded me of the Palace of Versailles or something of that caliber).

It was pretty interesting learning about the Hearst family and their part in so much of California's history. Definitely worth going at least once, and the property is HUGE and really cool for pics. They even have some leftover zoo animals from when the family had an exotic animal zoo on the property so you could spot zebras!

The tennis courts at Hearst Castle. 

2) Taste wine in Paso Robles

I didn’t realize it, but Paso Robles is giving Napa a run for it’s money. We visited Justin Vineyards while there and it was literally breathtaking. There’s one main road that you take where most of the vineyards are. Coincidentally, it’s called Vineyard Drive. Justine, where we went for the day, sits almost at the end of this winding country road. Paso Robles is known for it’s reds - Syrahs and Zinfandels do especially well in the super hot / cold climate, but they also have whites and rosé as well.

Along the same road where most of the vineyards are, there's also such well-known vineyards as Kiamie, Tablas Creek, and others. Major perk other than the vino in Paso Robles is that it’s STUNNING. You feel like you’re so far away from the city and there’s plenty of country-like photo opps to be had. 

Getting a tour of the caves at Justin Winery. So cool!

3) Hang out on the beach

Paso Robles and the other towns that are inland from the coast are especially hot in the summer so you can head to the beach where it’s usually 20 degrees cooler (or even more). There’s lots of surfing and long stretches of sand where we stayed in Cambria, and def stick around for the sunset because they're really pretty here. 

4) Drive Up (or down) Highway 1

The "1" is the highway that will take you basically all the way from LA to SF along the coast, if you let it. If you don’t have much time but want to take in the sights, this is the perfect way to see some of the sights and grab some pics in a time crunch. Be aware though that due to heavy rain and mudslides last year taking a mile of the coast into the Pacific Ocean, it is partially closed right now.  Right below Big Sur, above the San Simeon area it stops, so if you’re trying to go all the way through from Southern to Northern CA, you’ll have to go around and cut over to 101 in order to do so. The 1 is close at the base of Big Sur which is a total bummer, but they did re-open Bixby bridge so you can get there to see it if you’re coming from Northern CA. 

5) Do some hiking

Admittedly, we didn’t get to do a lot of this due to enjoying 1-4 a little *too* much this time around, but there’s some really great hikes in the area that our hotel reception at Ocean Point Ranch told us about. There’s even a path that goes all along the beach you can walk up and down which is especially pretty at golden hour. Not really a “hike” but a great walk/ run path either way. Some other hiking areas that were recommended to us were

Dubai is such a magical place. Traveling to the Middle East for the first time, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but it seriously exceeded my expectations. Whatever it is you could possibly want to do in Dubai, you can. There's everything from jetskiing, to camel riding, to fountain shows. I was taken to Dubai by one of my favorite lingerie and loungewear companies, Nudwear, and it was such an incredible experience. Below find some photos from the trip and a few pointers for things to do if you're thinking of going to Dubai soon!

3 Things to Do in Dubai

1) A Desert Safari

• A desert safari is a must do in Dubai. It was one of my favorite things we did the whole trip! I loved seeing the exotic animals and spending the day in the desert. Highlights were seeing the endangered Oryx and wild camels - they're everywhere! The company we used was called Platinum Heritage, and I'd highly recommend their service.

2) The Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall

• The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world, and the Dubai Mall just might be the biggest mall ever! Anything you could possible want to buy you can find here. Spend a day shopping your heart out for Hermes and Louis Vuitton before heading to the 148th observation deck at the Burj Khalifa, was such a cool experience! (Did you catch it on my IG stories?!)

3) Stay at Nikki Beach Resort and Spa, Dubai

• I absolutely LOVED staying at Nikki Beach. I woke up every morning feeling like I was in the Caribbean. Everything from their spa to their breakfast was top notch, not to mention they have a private beach that makes you feel like you're in the Caribbean when you're there! If you don't have the pleasure of staying there, at least make a trip for a day by the pool or dinner.

The water in Dubai is 80 degrees and turquoise blue. If I didn't know better, I could have been easily tricked into thinking I was in the Caribbean on some of the beaches there. Bikini by Nudwear

The lobby at Nikki Beach Dubai is clean and, bright with neutrals and natural light. It also smells amazing! The whole hotel is filled with aromatherapy.

Having no fun at all on the patio of my suite. Pro tip: wine is expensive in Dubai!

Thank you SO much to Nudwear and Nikki Beach for bring me to Dubai for the incredible opportunity! I am so beyond grateful. It was an experience I'll never forget, I hope I get another chance to come back soon!