Here are this week’s WEEKEND LINKS! I love putting these lists together soo much 🌸
I listened to THIS PODCASTwhile at the gym this morning and absolutely loved it. Darling parents, incredible company and I loved so many of their philosophies about life.
If you’ve ever wanted a Mason Pearson brush, you HAVE to check outTHIS BRUSH! It has made my hair so smooth and I genuinely love it soo much.
Here are a couple of Easter dresses I’ve found and loved.
Due to so many recommendations from you guys, we just started watching THIS SHOW this weekend.
I started THIS BOOK this week and already love it so much. Although I don’t feel too tired right now (surprisingly?!)… hormone work is so fascinating to me and I’m really enjoying it.
If you are looking for a cookie recipe to try making… try making THESE! They are unreal and perfect for Easter!
If you still need ideas for Easter, I have lots of ideas ON THIS BLOG POST! I think Easter baskets are SO fun to put together!
This is NOT new news but I am loving THIS SONG right now. Call me 16, but give me all the J Biebs.
I am still loving all of my Foundation Goods home decor right now! Especially their Easter decor! Don’t forget you can use OLIVIA10 for 10% off right now! See THIS POSTfor more details.
I am already thinking up of Mother’s Day presents and THESE TEA TOWELS are at the tip-top of my list! Don’t forget you can get 15% off always with OLIVIABETH15!
That’s all for now! I hope you guys are having the best weekend. Will is at a bachelor party tonight for one of his best friends and I’m at home with freshly popped buttered popcorn, a Diet Coke, a Cadbury cookie and MIGHT start Downton Abbey. Should I?! Do any of you love it?
You know my love for Birdie’s runs deep! I did my first collaboration with Birdie’s back in 2019 because, to be honest, I wanted to see what all of the hype was about… were they really as amazing as everyone claimed them to be?!
Well, the answer is YES!
Quickly after I tried on my first pair, I was hooked. I have loved every pair I’ve owned ever since and today they launch NEW SANDALS!!! They are perfect for the warmer weather right around the corner.
The Robin sandals come in four color-ways – Camel, Mini Cheetah, Black, and Permission. It is taking everything in me to not buy every single pair! I can’t wait to hear which one is your favorite.
I wore them all weekend on my girls’ trip to St. George and they really are a dream. They pair so well with so many different outfits and I cannot wait to wear them all spring and summer long!
Be sure to snag a pair today before they sell out! You’ll love them.
Over the years, I have tried my hardest to get you guys discount codes to brands that I love and use daily! Here is the list of codes below. If I ever get any more, I will add them here!
If you click on the image to the side of the text, it will take you to the site to shop and most codes should be automatically applied at checkout 👇🏼
The other day I was asked for my address by a girl who follows me on social media. Although I hardly ever give my address out to anyone I don’t personally know, I looked at her profile and at our past direct messages throughout the years, etc., and felt comfortable sharing it with her.
A couple of days later, I returned home after running some errands to the most thoughtful, generous, and kind surprise package on my porch from her. I was floored. I was honestly speechless and felt completely shaken to my core. I immediately ran downstairs to show Will and started crying at the thoughtfulness. This gift came with no strings attached and a simple message that said “I felt like you needed this, thanks for being a light in this sometimes scary world”.
In that moment, I was quickly reminded of the kindness that is still all around! We constantly hear about the bad and the scary but good people are EVERYWHERE. We just need to focus on the good and strive to be that kind of human each and every day.
For the remainder of the night, all I could think about was how I could pay it forward to someone else… I was inspired to find ways to serve others and be as thoughtful as she was.
After thinking this through, I really want to start a Pay it Forward Challenge that we can all participate in for the next month.
Here is how it will work:
I want you to each Pay it Forward however you want. A couple of ideas are below. Once you do, I want you to fill out the form that I will link below.
You can fill it out however many times you’d like to! I am so eager to see all of acts we do collectively and the impact it has on others.
Inside of the form, I have a section asking if you shared it on your Story. The point of sharing it on your Story is not to tag me so I can get more followers or brag about the nice things you’re doing (that isn’t what this is about!) … it’s so you can hopefully encourage others to do the same and inspire them to pay it forward in their own lives!
After you share, I want you to write down the number of views your Story received so we can add it all up at the end and see our reach!
At the end of the month, I hope we will all be inspired to keep paying it forward whenever we get the chance.
I will also be choosing someone who fills out the form to send a “favorite things” package to with all of my absolute favorite things! The box will be around $250.
Obviously, the gift is not the important part of this exercise, the giving is! But I do think a little incentive will hope the goodness spread more and more and more!
Let’s do this!!! Can’t wait to see all of the amazing things you guys do.
We had the absolute best time in Maui and loved seeing and eating at places we had never been to before! I hadn’t been to Maui in over 10 years and I can already say I CANNOT wait to go back.
My cute friend Brynn goes to Maui every year so I texted her before we left and she sent me so many ideas of places she loved!
I will also list Hana restaurants separately below where I discuss Hana.
Where we ate
Gazebo at Napili Shores – get the fried rice & macadamia nut pancakes with the whipped cream and coconut syrup
The Fish Market in Kahana – fresh poké and the shrimp burrito was my favorite thing I tried!
Paia Fish Market – we ate here on our way home from Hana and it was so good! Their french fries were amazing. Get the quesadilla!
Uliani’s Shave Ice – maybe the most popular place on the island to get shaved ice!
Duke’s – Duke’s was actually on the property where we stayed (Honua Kai). It is right on the beach and so beautiful with great seafood. It is definitely a splurge but a great experience.
Honua Kai – if you stay at Honua Kai, while you’re at the pool order the nachos and lava flows! (we obviously did virgin lava flows..:)
Other places we didn’t get around to trying but can’t wait to one day!
• Leoda’s, just past Lahaina – all their food is yummy. If they have the Brussel sprouts get them (when we went in December the menu was smaller because of covid, but it could be different now)!!! Get the mini pies too – banana creme, key lime and the apple are my fave • Merrimans at Kapalua Bay – this is a little fancier, but so yummy and the prettiest view • Frida’s in Lahaina – fun Mexican place with pretty views! • Star Noodle in Lahaina • Kimo’s in Lahaina • Sansei (sushi !) in Kapalua • Mama Fish House – a splurge and on the other side of the island just past Kihei but honestly my favorite restaurant in the whole world. Incredible menu and views and experience! If you can get a reservation during the day it’s fun to be there when you can see out to the ocean • Hali’imaile General Store – on the other side of the island but a fun place to go on the way to the airport or if you want to do something less “touristy”. So delicious but a little nicer than kimo’s / star noodle / fridas • The Plantation House – on Kapalua Golf Course and just has the prettiest views. Get a reservation! We always like to go sundays after church • Monkey Pod – in Whalers Village on Kaanapali. A little porch just because it’s in a touristy area but I like it best out of the three restaurants there in whalers (the other two are hula grill and leilani’s…don’t die over either of those. Again, just super touristy and overpriced for not great food)
What we did!
Overall, we laid pretty low and didn’t do too much while on our trip. However, we did do a snorkel cruise one day (we went with Four Winds!) and loved it. They take you out to a little island to snorkel and cook lunch for you.
And then last minute decided to do Hana and I am SO SO glad we did it. A highlight of the trip for sure!
HANA
My recommendations for Hana would be to not take kids if possible (long day!) and to rent a Jeep! We rented one just for the day from a car rental place right next to our hotel and it was a BLAST taking the top off and cruising down the roads in Hana.
I would leave early, grab some fresh Banana bread along the way, grab a giant cookie at Hana Farms and plan on eating lunch in Hana. We ate at AE’s Thai Kitchen but I heard Troy’s and Braddah Hut’s were really good too. Supposedly Troy’s is only open a couple of days of the week because on the other days he is hunting and fishing for the food he serves at the restaurant!
The best part of the trip for me (personally) was the black sand beach (Waiʻānapanapa State Park) and the hike (Pipiwai trail to Waimoku falls) at the end!
You now need reservations to go to the black sand beach (make them here) but it is well worth it. Seriously so stunning and fun to see.
If you can see that little white towel on the rock up there👆🏼 underneath the staircase, you can enter a little cave right there that’s SO beautiful. Obviously, watch the tide but it’s super pretty to go inside.
And then the HIKE! (Pipiwai trail to Waimoku falls) Oh my goodness. The highlight of the trip! Bring waterproof shoes and be sure to get there no later than 2:30 PM because they close the parking lot at 5 PM and charge you if you’re late! It’s $30 to park but like I said, SOOO worth it.
That is where we turned around and drove the rest of the way back. We did stop at one swimming pond which was Ching’s Pond and was super beautiful.
If you’re wondering where any outfits are from, they’re all linked here!
Hope that helps! Let me know if anyone has any questions!
(quick suggestion for COVID testing too, make two appointments if you do Walgreens! One for 72 hours before your last leg, and one the next day… some appointment places are soo strict if you spelt anything wrong or got a birthday wrong, etc. so I think it’s better to be safe and book two! We all booked two and 3 people had to use their 2nd appointment! They fill up soo fast too so book your first appointment 4 days before around 5pm)
(clicking on any image above will take you directly to the retailers site!)
Easter is one of my favorite holidays… and although gifts are the least important part of the entire holiday, I will admit, I do enjoy putting together little baskets for my kids. I usually like to get a swimsuit since Spring is coming, a couple of books (always one religious one), one toy, and then OF COURSE a little chocolate 😉
If you’re still looking for ideas, I hope this list helps you! There are so many cute things out there right now… Happy shopping!
Happy weekend everyone! Here are some things I am loving right now.
First off is our LUCKY CHIP COOKIE! We are so excited we are doing this collaboration again and guess what…. THEY SHIP NATIONWIDE!! If you want to try the cookie before March is over, you can order HERE!
I am currently listening to THIS BOOK right now and although it’s slow, I am eager to finish it. I love everything from this author.
I couldn’t put THIS BOOK down in Hawaii though! There is some language but I really enjoyed it.
I also read THIS BOOK in Hawaii and it was a super interesting read.
Speaking of reading, I really am enjoying reading with a Kindle so much! I read with THIS ONE (stole Wills lol) but I want THIS ONE since it has adjustable warm light.
Don’t forget that everything I read and buy is linked on MY AMAZON STOREFRONT! Including my garbage can so many of you loved this week hahaha! Who knew we loved garbage cans so much?
Okay, hiii did we know THESE SHORTS have pockets now?! I am excited to try them out! Even on THE LEGGINGS too!
I finally have a discount code for Tim Coulson’s course again! Use OLIVIA for 30% off HERE. And don’t forget my photography q&a blog post is HERE.
You will be so proud… I am cleansing my face for the first time ever! I am using THIS ONE at night and really love it. I’ll post the other things I’m using now and loving HERE.
Follow me there because I post a lot of things there that I don’t even post on IG!
Oh man… this post has been a long time coming! I have been asked NUMEROUS times over the years what camera I use and what I use to edit my photos so I am going to put all of it out right here.
I have had a DSLR for over 7 years now and have definitely learned a lot since first dabbling into photography (once again, I’m NOT a professional!)
I started out with a Canon Rebeland still recommend that for anyone starting out! After shooting for a while, I quickly learned that your lens is what makes the biggest difference. I wouldn’t suggest buying a kit with your camera… it usually comes with a lens that isn’t too great. Buy the camera body by itself and invest in a better lens. THIS LENSis a great one for starting out! I used this combo for years taking pictures for my blog and for Utah Grubs and it was perfect for me to get started.
After a couple of years with a Rebel, I upgraded to THIS ONE and I absolutely loved it! I also invested in THIS 35mm LENS to go with it and feel like it was been the perfect combo for me the past couple of years. The lens makes a huuuge difference!
Fast forward to today, and I am so beyond thrilled with THIS CAMERA! I asked Tim Coulson what would be a great camera to use and he suggested I go mirrorless and I am OBSESSED. I currently use THIS LENS with it the most (and the Sigma lens from above too!) and am so thrilled. I feel like I am finally taking the pictures I’ve always dreamed of taking! 😭 (and I know I still have a lot of work to do)
With all of that being said, even when I had DSLR cameras, I will admit I took almost EVERY SINGLE picture on ‘no flash’ because I just didn’t feel comfortable with all of the other settings on my camera. I had no clue how to use Manual and every time I tried I felt like it was super blurry and out of focus.
I was somewhat satisfied with my photos but KNEW there was so much more I could be doing.
Then, I came across Tim Coulson’s course The Nurseryand took it last spring and I FINALLY feel comfortable taking photos on Manual! I am so proud of myself!
Tim does SUCH an incredible job breaking down the complex features of the Manual setting on your camera and walks you through how to take great pictures. I took soo many notes on my laptop when I took his course and STILL look back on my notes maybe once a month to refresh my memory!
I love that you only pay once and can access the course forever.
He is launching a new course soon (which will be about double the price!) but wanted to offer you guys one last chance to grab The Nurseryat a discounted price!
Between now and next Friday, use the code OLIVIA for 30% off!!! This is a huge discount and I hope you all take advantage of it.
As far as EDITING my pictures go, I’m almost embarrassed assed to admit that I edit ALL of my photos on VSCO on my iPhone… all of them! I have looked into Lightroom and other applications like that but I prefer the quickness, convenience, and aesthetic that comes from VSCO.
If you like Lightroom, you need to check out my friend Mandi’s filters HERE. They are so beautiful!
My tip: the key to getting a great edited photo is shooting your photo in a way that requires very minimal editing!
I try to only add a little bit of a filter and maybe fix the exposure but besides that, I usually am always pleased with my photos with hardly any filter at all…
My favorite “recipe” to do on VSCO is using the E1 & E2 filters and for black and white photos I use any of the “X” series filters.
This is all I do:
I just add one of those filters I mentioned above, bring the exposure up a tiny bit, adjust the temperature if needed and save it! That’s IT! I’m not even kidding! But once again, most of my photos are shot in a way that require very minimal editing by getting the settings right.
Anyways, I hope that answers your questions! If you have any more feel free to comment below and let me know.
And don’t forget to use the code OLIVIA to get 30% off of Tim’s course! You will not regret it.
Oh, Hawaii! I miss it all already and am so happy we were able to go all together! My dad gifted us the hotel stay for Christmas and loved going out with all of my family and spending a week together.
I will do a post in the next couple days containing the logistics of traveling to Hawaii right now (the negative COVID testing before leaving, what we saw while we were there, what we ate of course!) but due to my high volume of DM’s right now, I felt this might need to be first haha! Here are the outfits I took and wore in Hawaii!
I love this entire boat look. J.Crew has so many incredible cover-ups you need to look at right now!
I love this exercise dress so much! If you do the Road to Hana, wear waterproof shoes FOR SURE! These Teva’s were not the best option, for sure. I wish I would’ve worn THESE ONES instead!
Not sure what I did in live pre-Kindle.
This dress is so beautiful and flowy but you will need a slip underneath! I linked one above. Don’t forget to use the code OLIVIA15 at checkout before March 31st!
This swim cover up was for sure my favorite out of all of them. I love the ruffle detailing!
If you do Road to Hana, wear clothes you could easily swim or get rained on! It rained so randomly but also got chilly sometimes so bring a sweater.
Okay wait… I take it back! This cover up might actually be my favorite!
I’m wearing the 6″ Align’s in this. Hands down the shorts I wear the most right now!
Prison Mike is here ready to paaartttay!!! Sorry, Will. But I love the bandana look!
This length of sock is my favorite to run in these days!
The Lilac Align Tank is hands down my favorite to wear these days. These are actually the Diamond Dye shorts.
My daughter loved the beach so much! Love these two suits she has. (her specific pattern may be sold out but the fit is the same)
This suit!!! The bikini version has my heart too. I also linked some similar hat options at different price points. This one is the brand Ecote from Urban Outfitters 6 years ago.
Can you handle how cute this crown is?! The pareo is India Armory.
To start, I really don’t feel like you can do Disney World “wrong”. I think Disney deliberately does such a good job of making sure everyone has a good experience and making everything feel magical and special even in a pandemic. It still felt like the happiest place on earth to us!
Here are some guidelines and answers to frequently asked questions to help you set expectations for your trip. I’ll also include some of our trip highlights!
What kind of precautions were they taking while being open during COVID?
Lots of measures were taken to ensure cleanliness and social distancing. Upon entrance into each park there were mandatory temperature checks. Lines for park entry, rides, buses, food, etc. had tape markers every six feet and cast members were vigilant about making sure you stayed behind your line marker.
Plexiglass was put in the winding areas of the line where a different party may be next to you. There was also plexiglass on some of the rides (like the safari in Animal Kingdom) separating rows. Many of the rides were socially distanced so there would be a row or two left empty between parties, which did make some lines longer but since each party was spaced out lines felt like they were constantly moving which was nice. Eating and drinking was not permitted while in line.
There were designated eating and drinking areas, they asked if you were snacking or drinking on the go that you step off to the side to do so. Also in dining areas there were multiple tables blocked off so different parties would be spaced out, and cast members were quickly cleaning off and sanitizing tables between people. All of the food and treat buying was done with contactless payment (order on the Disney World app and pick it up) and plexiglass was used in all cases.
The buses to get between parks and back to our hotel were separated by party with plexiglass up and stickers blocking off certain seats, none of the buses felt full at all.
Rides were sanitized every 15-30 minutes and there were hand sanitizing stations before and after every ride as well as throughout the line and park, also portable hand washing stations were every where.
I would recommend packing a PhoneSoap to sanitize your things throughout the trip! Use code OLIVIABETH for aa discount!
Masks, and how strict they were with my daughter’s mask?
You have to wear a mask at ALL TIMES, the only time we took our masks off were for eating or drinking. All pictures must be taken with masks on, there are cast members throughout the park who enforce that masks are being properly worn (especially in the popular photo spots). Bring multiple masks for you and your kids, Florida weather is hot and humid (also the occasional insane downpour) so it was nice to be able to switch to a clean, dry mask mid-day.
As far as my daughter was concerned, she had to have her mask on when entering/exiting the park and when she was getting on a ride but outside of those times they weren’t super strict about her having it on.
Here are some of our favorite masks we took:
Where did you stay?
Since we went out a little early, we stayed at the JW Mariott Bonnet Creek for two days and then moved over to the Disney Caribbean Beach Resort with Will’s family.
My suggestion: I would HIGHLY suggest staying at a resort with Skyliner access. Especially if you have young kids! To get into the parks, you can ride the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios and/or Epcot so easily and take the bus to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. The bus wait times are much longer and they only take people at half capacity so it almost takes twice as long to get there vs. the Skyliner.
The Caribbean Beach, Riviera, Pop Century & Art of Animation Resorts all have Skyliner access!
What parks did you do?
We did all the parks, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. We did have park hoppers for all of the days (three days total) so we usually did half day in one park and then ended in another.
If you have more time, I might suggest splitting up the park days if you can! I think it would’ve been really nice to have a break/pool day between it all to rest and nap the kids more. By the end, we were all pretty exhausted and our poor son was beyond tired!
We were pretty much going non-stop and didn’t take breaks to naps so when the kids were ready we just laid the seats down in the stroller, pulled down the shade, turned the sound machine on our phones, and walked laps until they were asleep!
You definitely need to just go with the flow. If you are at a resort with Skyliner access maybe nap them at the hotel for a smoother day. Kids are resilient! Don’t be too stressed if they don’t get the same quality of naps they get at home.
What stroller did you take?
We took The Twin+ from Zoe Strollers, we were told by all of you that it is the best umbrella stroller and it truly is so amazing. We can’t say enough good things about it!
It is so compact when folded, drives great and is great quality. I remember being so shocked when I put a question box up and SO many of you commented that this was the BEST umbrella stroller and now I understand the hype! We’ve loved it even for mall trips, etc.
I would also recommend bringing a baby carrier! We have THIS ONE and love it. It was perfect for when my son was feeling restless in the stroller.
What outfits did you wear?
Bring arain jacketFOR SURE! You are going to want to bring the best walking shoes you own because Disney World is HUGE compared to Disneyland and requires a lot of walking every day. Also smart to bring a good spare pair of shoes in case of rain (not fun walking around with soaking wet shoes and socks for the rest of the day). My feet also get super hot when I walk a lot so I had these flip flops andthese Birkenstocks to change into throughout the day and highly recommend it!
Also, if you are looking for the BEST no-show sock ever, try these cushioned ones. Trust me! You’ll never go back to another pair.
Never needed a sweater, just short sleeve shirts and jean shorts or pants is what I wore every day!
Here are the links to what I wore. I also included similar short choices at the end since mine are Madewell last year!
Where were your favorite places to eat?
We love snacking as we go, ate lots of churros, Mickey pretzels, and frozen lemonade.
We brought TONS and tons of our Thrive Life Snackies and it was the best to have healthy treats while we waiting in lines or when we got “hangry”. Dried strawberries, bananas, coconut, and raspberries were our favorites.
Our top favorite restaurant was Via Napoli in Epcot, the best pizza and salad!! We LOVE the house salad and usually get a margherita and pepperoni pizza. Also in Epcot it’s fun to grab little bites from places all over the “world”, we had some great fish & chips from the London village and an incredible Mickey-shaped macaron from the French bakery.
We had some great BBQ in Animal Kingdom at Flame Tree Barbecue, we recommend the pulled-pork sandwich or the rib and chicken dinner plate.
We lucked out on our one rainy day to have lunch inside the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, we didn’t have reservations but really wanted to get out of the rain so we were the first people there before they opened and they got us in! You sit in cars with a funny sci-fi movie playing in the background. They had a great BBQ burger that came with an onion ring and fried banana pepper on top!
Our last meal was from Sleepy Hollow in Magic Kingdom, they had some delicious corn dogs and chicken and waffles!
Side note – one night we ordered Chipotle on UberEats and ate it in the courtyard of our hotel which was fun and delicious too.
Did you travel with your own pack n’ plays and car seats?
We did travel with our own car seats but the hotel had rollaway cribs for the kids.
Note: if you stay at a Disney resort, (double-check) but they should have a bus that will take you to and from the airport so you will NOT need car seats while there! Traveling with car seats adds a whole other level of chaos, I swear…
Of COURSE, we brought our SlumberPods (can’t travel without them)!! Use code OLIVIABETH for a discount always!
Okay, I think that’s it! I know that’s a lot of information so let me know if you have any questions and enjoy your trip if you go!
Man, it’s been a while since my last Weekend Links! I want to be better at it because I really do enjoy putting these together so much so hold me accountable!
I hope you are all having the best weekend. I loved having absolutely nothing on the calendar scheduled for today. I went to the gym, dropped some donations off, made breakfast, cleaned the house, had a couple friends over and then went to dinner with my fam downtown SLC! Couldn’t ask for a better day 🥰
I started listening to THIS BOOK(thanks to a lot of your suggestions) and am enjoying it so far!
I also started reading THIS BOOKon my Kindle(ps how great is a Kindle?! I have been loving it! And I love not having to buy more paper books!) but anyways this book has me on the edge of my seat! I can’t wait to see how it ends.
You know the Cabana sunglasses I always wear and love?! They just launched a new cream tortoise pink color and I love it so so much! They really are my favorite sunglasses.
Like I said on my Stories this week, I feel like Lululemon kind of struggles when it comes to their patterns (see here 🥴) but I feel like they nailed this one! They have it right now in SHORTS and LEGGINGS!
x
If you’re anything like me and have been searching for the SCUBA HALF ZIP to come back in your size, THIS JACKET is a major lookalike! Target also has one HERE for only $20!!
I feel like I’ve already talked about THIS PODCAST a million times but when I reflect on the week prior, it really is always my favorite that I listened to. The episode this week was a great one! I loved what they talked about in terms of balance.
