The Reeds at Shelter Haven Travel Review

We recently took a trip to Stone Harbor, New Jersey for a mini getaway earlier this month. With COVID rates going up and down and vacations being canceled it’s been hard to pin point where exactly where to go. Originally we had planned a trip to Newport, Rhode Island, however, due to the long drive and also the same timing of hurricane Isaias rolling through it didn’t make sense for us to make that trip. But long story short I was SO happy we canceled that trip and instead headed to Stone Harbor which had more of a resort like feel!

So a little bit about Stone Harbor. Stone Harbor is one of those beautiful small beach towns which is not too far from Philadelphia and yet you still feel like you were transported to a resort. The Reeds at Shelter Haven check off all our boxes and we decided to head there for a long weekend. We had been here before for dinner and cocktails so we were happy to come back! When we arrived we self-parked (due to COVID there is no valet) and then headed to check in. Once we were checked in, we headed up to our room which was nice, bright and airy. The hotel had also left us a nice welcome gift along with some yummy cookies. All the finishes in the room were nicely done and we loved having the balcony. Each night there was turndown service (if you wanted it).

Things to do in Stone Harbor:

Some of the amenities The Reeds at Shelter Haven has which I love include:

Salt SPA
Bay Activities
Beach *Includes beach service
Pool *Reservations required

Other activities to do while in Stone Harbor would be to rent a boat, rent bikes and of course - go shopping!

Where to eat in Stone Harbor:

There are multiple restaurants on site at The Reeds which making things convenient. Even if you want to grab coffee or ice cream there are shops right outside so the location of the hotel is honestly amazing. The restaurants are all doing outdoor dining except for Sax at the Reeds which is currently closed:

Water Star Grille *Outdoor and beautiful (pictured above and below)
Buckets
Pizza Pub
Bayside BBQ
Sax at the Reeds

There are also a handful of other restaurants around Stone Harbor and some of my favorites include:
Jay’s on Third
Fred’s Tavern
The Watering Hull
Quahog’s
Springer’s Homemade Ice Cream

What I wore in Stone Harbor

Although Stone Harbor has a really chill vibe, I still wanted to get dressed up! I included the links to the outfits I wore below since I had so many messages regarding them! Also, all outfits are also linked on the “Shop Instagram” tab.

Coverup: Melissa Odabash / Beachbag: Banana Republic
Sandals: Steve Madden / Sunglasses: QUAY

Dress: ASOS / Sandals: Steve Madden / Bag: Chanel

Dress: Express (Similar) / Sandals: Steve Madden / Bag: Chanel

We had an amazing time and can’t wait to come back next year!

The Essential Paris Travel Itinerary

A few week ago I got back from the best trip to Paris with my hubby! This was my first time to Paris so we wanted to do a combination of not only sight seeing but shopping, eating and drinking our way through Paris and feeling like a total Parisian! It was totally magical and beautiful I would definitely go back some day! I’ve been getting a lot of questions about where we stayed, what we packed, where we ate/drank and what we saw so I’m covering all the details in today’s post!

 Where to Stay

 After hours and hours of research we decided to stay in the 6th arrondissement (area) which is known as Saint Germain. Paris is divided into a total of 20 arrondissements starting from the center and going outward. The things we liked about the 6th were a combination of the numerous cafés, restaurants, bars (we were literally a minute walking distance from the famous Cafe de Flore and Laduree) and shopping. Think old world glamour and history. Other popular arrondissements to stay are the 1st (The Louvre), 4th (Le Marais), 7th (Eiffel Tower) and 8th (Champs-Elysees). Hotels in the smaller numbered arrondissements will be on the pricer side but you can’t beat the location! We were honestly walking distance to everything and if not, we were in between two metro stations which was so easy to use!

As discussed a little bit above, we stayed in the 6th arrondissement. We stayed at the cutest boutique hotel called Hotel Madison. The rooms are on the smaller size but that’s pretty standard for Paris. The room was soo cozy and had these pretty lights on the ceiling like little stars and our room had two bathrooms which made getting ready so much easier. The hotel was also close to two metro stops and we actually walked a lot – I loved walking around the city there are so many charming places to explore and things to see!

Additionally, getting around Paris was pretty easy. From the airport to the hotel we took a taxi (there are also Uber’s available). The taxi has a fixed rate of $50-$55 euros depending on if you are staying at the Left or Right bank. Also, we did use the Metro a couple of times especially when we went from our hotel to the Eiffel tower. Of course there are taxis and Uber’s if you feel more comfortable with that. And lastly, if you’re up for the challenge, the city also has scooters!

Sweater: H&M / Leggings: Zella
OTK Boots: Sam Edelman / Earrings: ASOS

What to Pack

The weather when we went (towards the end of October and into the first weekend of November) was chilly so I wore a jacket each day. The weather overall was pretty cloudy and rainy so if you are going in the later months of the year make sure to bundle up! The best thing to do (and what I did) was to wear layers! I mostly wore a jacket and under it warm sweaters with jeans and boots. Paris does get a reasonable amount of rain throughout the year so make sure to pack an umbrella as well and shoes that will stay dry!

Sweater: H&M (Similar) / Jeans: Frame
OTK Boots: Sam Edelman / Purse: Saint Laurent

What to See and Do

Eiffel Tower
Seine River Cruise
Louvre
Notre Dame
Sainte-Chapelle
Versailles
Arc de Triomphe
Tuileries Garden
Hop On/Off Bus Tours

 One piece of valuable advice I have for any of these places that you need a ticket to get into (i.e. Eiffel Tower, Louvre, etc.) book your ticket ahead of time! I can’t even begin to tell you how long the lines were for people waiting without a ticket. When you’re on vacation you don’t want to have to worry about that and wasting time waiting hours in line! It’s hard to cram in everything, personally for us we bought tickets to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at sunset and also tickets for the Louvre. Next time we go we both said we would love to check out the Musee D’Orsay There’s honestly not enough time to see everything!

Another good tip if you are thinking of doing the Hop On/Off Bus Tours, Eiffel Tower then it may be worth getting the Paris Pass. It’s basically a tourist pass that gets you into more than 50 museums and attractions throughout Paris (in some cases, you get to skip the long ticket lines). It also gives you unlimited rides on the Paris public transportation network. I would price out all the options and see if getting this is worth it.

Sweater: Club Monaco / Skirt: Zara (Similar)
Boots: Sam Edelman / Purse: Saint Laurent

Top Places to Eat

Balagan
Cafe de Flore
Cafe de l’Homme
Ferdi
Girafe
Hotel Costes
L’Avenue
La Fontaine De Mars
Le Cinq (at the Four Seasons)
L’Arpege (Vegetarian - one of the World’s Best Restaurants)
Pink Mamma
Thierry Marx (at the Mandarin Hotel)
Laduree (for Macaroons)
Pierre Hermes (Bakery)

Any of the cafes were wonderful! For breakfast we kept things super simple with a croissant and cappuccino’s (I’m still dreaming about those wonderful, buttery croissant’s… yummm…)

 Where to Get Cocktails

Bar Hemingway - (at the Ritz) Pricey but worth it! Cocktails are $30 euros each
Bisou
Harry’s New York Bar
Hotel Costes
L’Avenue
Le Bristol
Little Red Door
Prescription
Septime La Cave
The Hoxton

Shopping

The best shopping for luxury items is in the Champs-Elysées Avenue. Literally any high end store you can think of is there! My number one tip for getting into Chanel, LV, Dior, Hermes, etc is to get there EARLY since a lot of the designers have their flagship stores in Paris. If you go when the store opens you have a better chance of finding what you want and taking your time looking! I’ve walked by these stores and around 4-5PM there are literally lines wrapping down the block just to get in.

 Another important thing, if you do purchase any luxury items, is to get your receipt stamped. You need to notify the sales person that you would like to collect the VAT tax. They will then take a copy of your passport and give you a receipt (sometimes the sales person will just do all the paperwork which is what happened at the Chanel store in Barcelona). Once you get to the airport you need to locate customs and once you come back to the US you need to declare all goods.

I tried to cover everything but as always if I missed anything feel free to comment below or send me an email!

The Ultimate 7 Day Barcelona Itinerary

I am so excited to share with you all my highly requested Barcelona, Spain itinerary! There are so many things to see and do, I could never get bored of this beautiful city! So get ready to have an unforgettable 7 days in Barcelona!

Day 1 – Arrival Day

Our flight from Philadelphia to Barcelona left the evening before and we landed in Barcelona in the morning. Once we arrived at the Barcelona airport, it was easy to maneuver around the airport and to catch a taxi from the airport to the city. I personally think taxi is easier especially if you have a lot of luggage but there are also the train and bus options available. This website does a great job in explaining explains the different options.

For this trip we opted to stay in a long term stay apartment right in Las Ramblas (across the famous La Boqueria market). I booked a studio which had a nice sized kitchen, laundry and also a cute balcony. The owner was also able to accommodate our early check in request which was awesome. When we arrived we stocked up on any food/water/essentials we may need since our studio had a kitchen. We then rested up and headed to a free 2.5 hour tour through the Gothic Quarter that starts off in Placa Reial which I booked in advance through Runner Bean tours which I highly recommend. It also gave us a good way to get to know the area that we were staying in.

After the walking tour we had worked up an appetite so we headed to our first place for tapas, an amazing restaurant called Canete. We had the most amazing meal – Olives, Tomato Bread, Ham, Spicy Meatballs, Beef Tartare, Aged beef steak with foie and truffle sauce and a Whole Fish with roasted vegetables! My mouth is literally watering just thinking about it!

After dinner, if you’re up for it, head to Boadas to the oldest cocktail bar for cocktails! 

Day 2 – La Sagrada Familia, Casa Milo and Casa Batllo

We grabbed sandwiches and fresh juice from the Boqueria Market for breakfast and then headed to one of the most famous sites in Barcelona, La Sagrada Familia. If you do get a chance to spend some time at the Boqueria Market, I highly recommend grabbing a seat at one of the counters and ordering tapas! One of the most magnificent sights I have seen, La Sagrada Familia started construction in 1882 and will be finished in 2026 under Antoni Gaudí’s vision. Make sure to make your reservations and buy tickets in advance, as the line can get pretty long. I had reserved a guided tour for 10:00AM which was well worth the price.

Afterwards, we strolled through many different streets and grabbed a quick tapas lunch on the way to Casa Milo (La Pedrera). One thing I love about Barcelona is there are no shortage of cafe’s - it’s so relaxing to just sit outside and sip on an espresso!

Finally we made it to our 3:30PM reservation for the Casa Milo (La Pedrera) Audio Tour. The architecture was stunning!

Afterwards, we walked to Casa Batllo to see another one of Gaudi’s masterpieces from the outside. Casa Batllo is situated right on Passeig de Gràcia which is home to the most AMAZING high end shopping (think Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Hermes) along with stores such as Zara, Mango, H&M, etc. After shopping, we had worked up an appetite and headed to El Nacional for dinner which I highly recommend. It’s like having 5 different restaurants under one roof!

Day 3 – Park Guell

Another one of Gaudi’s masterpieces, Park Guell, located in the Gràcia district of Barcelona, is another must-see place on the list. Eusebi Güell commissioned Gaudi to design the park which was built between 1900 and 1914 and officially opened as a public park in 1926.  A ticket is required to visit part of the park which is considered to be the most vulnerable part, and in order to protect it, regulations were established to control the number of people entering. The restricted area is where Gaudi’s works are located.

I was able to buy tickets in advance for noon at Park Guell as you need a ticket in order to get into the restricted area of the park.

Afterward Park Guell, we found a tapas place for a nice light luncheon and headed back to Passeig de Gràcia for some more shopping. In the evening we wanted to change things up and headed to Frankie Gallo Cha Cha Cha for dinner which is one of the best pizza places in Barcelona.  After dinner we checked out the world famous Paradiso for cocktails (named one of the worlds 50 best bars!).

Day 4 - Day Trip to Tibidado

After a few days of seeing Gaudi’s work we wanted to change things up and caught the T2A bus from the Plaza Catalunya bus stop straight to Tibidado. Tibidado is huge hill overlooking Barcelona and is the tallest hill in the Serra de Collserola. Tibidado has the most amazing views of Barcelona city and the coastline.  The summit of the hill is occupied by the Sagrat Cor Church and then head to Tibidado Amusement Park to unleash your inner child.

Day 5 – Barceloneta Beach

It’s time to take a day off from all the sightseeing! We headed to Barceloneta beach for a nice relaxing day. After the beach we headed to one of the oldest restaurants in Barcelona, Siete Puertas (which means 7 Doors) for their paella. The paella was amazing... it’s no wonder this restaurant has been around for so many years!

Day 6 – Day trip to Calella

Early in the morning we caught the R1 Train from Plaza Catalunya to the small town of Calella, seaside city on the Costa del Maresme which is 35 miles northeast of Barcelona. We have family that live in Calella and it was so nice to see them after so many years! We had lunch at my cousin’s amazing restaurant, The Taj, which is Indian cuisine and I highly recommend it!

Other awesome day trips would be Girona or Figueres. You can’t go wrong with any of the beautiful small beach towns!

In the evening after we got back we explored the small streets of El Born district and checked out Dr Stravinsky and El Born for some amazing cocktails!

Day 7 – Last Day

The last day finish up any sightseeing you haven’t done yet so we walked to Arc de triumph and then took food with us to eat at Citadel Park. On the way back we wrapped up any last minute shopping and went to Cerveceria Catalana for dinner. I just had to have one last tapas meal!

Gold Sandals for a Weekend at the Beach

Romper: Express / Gold Slides: JustFab
Earrings: Aldo (Only $10)

Last weekend we drove down to Ocean City, Maryland and had the most amazing time! I went with my husband, brother, and my brother’s fiancé. We rented a lovely two bedroom condo using OC Vacations and I would highly recommend them! Our condo was spacious, clean, 2 bedrooms and 2 full baths. The condo was also walking distance to the beach and the community has a nice pool. I just love being at the beach and at the beach is where I feel like I can be the most casual! (Can’t you tell by my crazy beach hair?!) I love this long sleeve dot print romper and it’s such a fun print and color! I also wanted to talk about these amazing gold flats from JustFab. They are the Bea Slide Sandal and they just add a little something to your outfit and just elevates the whole look!

JustFab is the leading fashion-subscription e-commerce site and lifestyle brand via an engaging and personalized shopping experience. It all beings by taking a 60 second fun style quiz. Afterwards, members receive a personalized selection of new styles on the first of each month in their private online boutique. JustFab offers shoes, handbags, jewelry and a full collection of clothing. Additionally, if you become a VIP member you get even more exclusive benefits such as member-only pricing on all full-priced styles, exclusive JustFab faves and access to private sales and special collections!

Thank you to JustFab for sponsoring today's post.

The Ultimate Bahamas Vacation Itinerary

I received so many questions on where we stayed and what we did while we were in Nassau, Bahamas about a week ago. We spent a total of 5 days and 4 nights in Nassau, Bahamas and overall, we had a good time.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed at the Melia All Inclusive on Cable Beach in Nassau, Bahamas and unfortunately, I wasn’t too thrilled with my experience.  I had read a ton of negative reviews on Trip Advisor so I was well-prepared and pretty much knew what to expect. We were traveling with a group of about 20 friends some of who have children and an all inclusive made the only sense for our group. Despite having upgraded to the “Level” service we still left feeling disappointed. On a positive note, I would say that the breakfast was very good as well as lunch. We also upgraded to the “Level” service so we had top shelf alcohol and also had priority reservations to dinner. The beach area at Melia was absolutely beautiful and the service on the “Level” side of the beach was great as well.

 If I was going with a smaller group or with my husband, I would stay at the Baha Mar property which is literally next door to the Melia and is an amazingly beautiful property. Baha Mar has really good restaurants, bars, rooftop lounge and a club and it’s no surprised that we ended up at Baha Mar each night. It’s overall just really chic and trendy. I would also recommend staying at Atlantis on Paradise Island and there are also a couple of adults only all inclusive resorts such as Sandals Royal Bahamian and Warwick Paradise Island. If you can spurge I would recommend the Four Seasons!

 TRANSPORATION

For transportation we booked private vans from the airport to the resort. It’s honestly such a quick drive and took about 20 minutes or so to the Melia. I would recommend doing that since it was not too expensive. Another option is to take a cab which is safe in the Bahamas. One of the things I did like was that the resort was close to the airport. Another thing that I do like about the Bahamas is that it is a quick short flight from Philadelphia – not even 3 hours!

Coverup: Surf Gypsy / Swimwear: Kenneth Cole
Sunglasses: Ray Ban Aviator / Woven Tote: H&M

FOOD

We ate mostly at our resort but here are places I do recommend:

• Cleo at Baha Mar

• The Swimming Pig at Baha Mar

• Conch Shack at Baha Mar

• Café Madeleine at Baha Mar

• Twin Brothers at Fish Fry area

• Daquiri Shack

 SPA

We did a girls day at the ESPA at Baha Mar one of the days.  They were able to accommodate our large party which was great. It’s honestly one of the most beautiful spaces I’ve seen. Everything is so tastefully done and the service was outstanding. I had a 45 minute Swedish massage and it was amazing!

THINGS TO DO 

My top thing to do is to be on the beach since the Bahamas has some of the clearest waters I’ve ever seen with pristine white sandy beaches. There are also a handful of exersions to try such as kayak, paddle boarding, snorkeling, parasailing and jet-skiing. There is also shopping in the center of town which we went too and the Straw Market. If you do get a chance make sure to spend a day at the Atlantis at Paradise Island (also has a waterpark). Take a trip to Exuma Island to swim with the pigs or if you are more on the adventurous side go to Queen’s Staircase. For nightlife I would highly recommend the rooftop bar called Skybar at Baha Mar and the Baha Mar also has a club called Bond and similarly, the Atlantis has a club called Aura. If you are feeling lucky try your luck at the Baha Mar Casino (seriously has a “Vegas feel”).

WHAT TO WEAR

Resort wear, in my opinion is the best way to go for an island vacation. For daytime I lived in swimsuits and cute cover-ups and in the evenings I was able to get dressed up each night. I linked all of my outfits below!

Coverup: Surf Gypsy / Swimwear: Kenneth Cole
Sunglasses: Ray Ban Aviator / Woven Tote: H&M

Dress: L’Atiste (Similar) / Handbag: Straw Tote (Similar)
Sandals: Greece Slides / Necklace: Initial Necklace
Earrings: Stud Earrings / Watch: Movado

Romper: BB Dakota / Wedge Sandal
Handbag: Saint Laurent

Dress: Rails (wearing the Rails Sansa dress but this dress is Similar)
Swimwear: Kenneth Cole
Flip Flops: Tory Burch / Handbag: H&M