[MAJOR EDIT] Why I'm going to Japan Instead of the UK

** SPOILER ALERT! This blog post was written BEFORE we decided on our quick trip to England for a very special and exciting wedding! So oops, I actually did visit the UK before Japan. I will have a blog post coming SOON with all the details on this exciting UK trip and why we felt it was the perfect time to go. ** 

One of the biggest questions I get asked when I talk about my next big international trip is “JAPAN? Why are you going there? I thought you wanted to go to the UK?” 

And there’s a few reasons as to why I opted for visiting Japan over the UK. OH - and if you weren’t aware, I’m planning a huge trip to Japan in March/April 2024 for Cherry Blossom Season! If you’re not following me on Youtube Channel or Instagram you definitely should click and follow NOW so you can see all the exciting posts I make on this incredible journey abroad!

Now to answer the questions as to why I’m going to Japan VS the other destination that is dear to my heart - it's simply because the time is right for one over the other. For Japan we need dedicated sitters and the time we carved out for the Cherry Blossom trip we will have that much needed help available. Also this trip to Japan will have the greatest time difference and therefore, the greatest amount of jetlag. We deep down know a UK trip IS in the future - but it's something that will only be a 5-6 hour difference in time VS 14 hours. 

Another thing to point out is the UK is a trip we would feel super comfortable taking Holly with us if needed. In Japan it'll be a big culture change and something we feel we should experience first without the pressure of a 5 year old (not to mention a 5 year old experiencing a 14 hour time difference!). We plan to take Holly to Japan because there's many theme parks we know she will love, but we personally feel we should visit there first to see if we'll be able to handle her well with the amount of differences (trains, food, language etc). I’ve heard amazing things about traveling to Japan and feel after our trip we will be planning a future Japan trip to bring Holly along as well. 

I know some of my friends and family will question about food - I'm not a big fish eater and I try to avoid fishy foods. Luckily, Japan is a VERY diverse place with everything from Italian restaurants, Mexican restaurants, American cuisine, and even fast food brands that are world wide - not to mention there convenient stores are top notch for food options! So no worries on if I’ll survive - there’s countless food options available and I do actually plan to try traditional Japanese dinners while abroad! And just like any other major country, they also have 'American' specialty stores that sell American brands. I'm very excited to see the differences in foods and try a few new things too. 

Another question thats going to pop up more and more especially after Bryce's trip to Japan in September - "if we're shopping for property". The best answer I could give today is - yes and no. We have considered it due to the prices of some of the countryside homes in Japan are SUPER affordable and we love the idea of having a spot for us to stay at in future trips. We also considered getting smaller style apartments near a major city that we can use as a possible rental. There's no laws against US residents buying property (as long as you pay your taxes) so we'll see! I think for people who follow my Instagram page and recently heard my interest in Japanese traditional property was concerned if we were planning to move - which I can't rule that out either. 

But circling back to the UK, we do plan to go there... In fact I'm currently in the early stages of planning that vacation itinerary out right now! I also plan to create a blog post on how I create my vacation itineraries and my personal tips for anyone who is wanting to plan a destination with a packed schedule! 

If you have any questions about my future trip to Japan please let me know on my blog post or over on my socials linked below! 

Places to Visit: Bellingrath Gardens

Recently Bryce, Holly and I went on a small day trip to the Bellingrath Gardens in Mobile, Alabama. Let me tell you, this is truly a hidden gem. On 65 acres of land with tons of different and very unique gardens to walk through (something beautiful is blooming all year), a gorgeous home that you can tour to see the countless porcelain collection Mrs. Bellingrath collected, and even visit the small chapel right next door. Don’t forget to have lunch at the Cafe! 
I don’t want to give away all the information of this house but there’s many features that was built for this house that made it "ahead of its time". Also many of the people who still works here met Mr. Bellingrath before he passed away (so they have lots of information about the family and what they enjoyed doing). There’s a large collection of Coke-A-Cola memorabilia since Mr. Bellingrath was one of the first to bottle Coke-A-Cola (this is where a majority of his wealth came from).
Best of all, the Gardens play host to beautiful Christmas lights if you’re in the area during the winter months. Below you’ll see some photos we snapped during our tour.
I definitely recommend visiting this hidden gem if you’re a fan of architecture, history, and the magic a secret garden can bring.
 - Brittney 

Packing Tips

Packing for a trip can be a struggle. I always seem to over pack the things I don’t need and unpack the items I needed more of. My challenge now is packing for Bryce and I + a baby who needs extra items like toys, a pack and play, and special items to help the her sleep. Here’s some tips on packing that I use on keeping weight of luggage low and enough space for souvenirs. 

1.Travel size it all!
I’m big on travel size items. These items you’ll use up during your trip so you can recycle them as you leave. Items I get in travel size is: shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, shower wash, facial wash/wipes, lotion, hair spray, sunscreen, baby care products. PS: You can always contact the Hotel/Resort to see what items they have for guests! Many carry complimentary high quality products for guest to use during their stay and have a shop within the resort with items you may have forgotten to bring!

2. Items you can buy at a drug store just wait till you get to the destination.
When it comes to Holly’s items I figure out what I could get at a Walgreens or CVS. Diapers, wipes, and formula. For Bryce and I, its the items we need more of or items we’re concerned will leak in our suitcases. EXTRA TIP: don't visit the Walgreens or CVS next door to the hotel. Most likely the prices will be high. Go to one in a more residential area to get the travel size items at an affordable price.

3. Pack clothing, shoes and jewelry that is versatile.
Bryce is HUGE on packing basics (most men are right?) And I’m learning that versatile items can be trendy (with accessories or small alterations). Pack items that you can make more than one look and stick to neutral colors cause those can layer and mix well with one another. Below is an example of a clothing piece with multiple uses: White V-neck tee can be dressed down, dressed up, and even worn as a cover up top at the pool. 

4. Try on your looks before packing.
This tip is good to see how the outfit fits, feels, etc. This can also help you see what pieces you can wear multiple times so you’re not over packing.

5. Check the weather channel to make sure the weather is going to be suitable for what you pack. And have a game plan on if you need to bring a simple layering jacket.

6. Keep shoes to a minimum.
I try to only pack 3 pairs in all. A good pair of walking shoes, a pair of dress shoes, and then a fun pair. If I have to pack a 4th it’s a super light weight (like a pair of sandals for the pool).

7. Scan Pinterest for some folding hacks on getting the most in your luggage. I always roll my clothes. This helps tops keep from wrinkles and takes less space!

8. If traveling on a plane weigh your stuff and see what items can be placed in a carry on bag. I always put extra things in my carry on or things that can’t get lost/damaged.

9. If traveling by car, use tote bags instead of big bulky suitcases. This will make the trip up to your hotel room easy too. I use my Lilly Pulitzer tote bags as a beach bag too.

10. Items I recommend packing extra of: underwear, (if you have a baby) baby outfits, socks, earring backs, extra pair of contacts/glasses, medicines, and tech chargers. These items are used a lot (plus no one wants to pay room service to wash socks!) OR items that if lost will be more costly to replace. 

Prevent Sun Burns & Treatment Tips

Sun burns are the worst. Living in an area like Destin I see ALL THE TIME vacationers entering restaurants and their sunburns are ruby red (ouchhh!!). I get asked by vacationers "how do locals prevent burns?" (some joke that we must be immune to the sun) which the funny thing is, we are (sort of). Today I'll give you the tips on how the Floridians keep from burning so you can enjoy your summer vacations without burns!

How to prevent sun burns from a Floridian:
1. Wear SPF.
This IS the most important. SPF doesn’t mean having that chalky white sunscreen on your nose! SPF's in lots of beauty products + many sunscreen products are invisible & non greasy. My favorite sunscreen to use is Banana Boat Sport Performance in the “cool zone”. This sunscreen has a cooling sensation that feels amazing especially in the hot sun.

2. Hats are trendy.
Straw hats, floppy sunhat, sports ball cap, or even tie a scarf around your head to prevent scalp sunburns. If you can’t get a hat on try to at least sunscreen your scalp.

3. Invest in a nice pair of sunglasses.
Your Ray-Ban shades do more than protect eyes from the sun. Your shades also protect the sensitive skin around your eyes and eyelids. Cheap shades are great for the time being, but if you're living in an area with a lot of sun invest in a nice pair with good UV protection and polarized.

4. Purchase clothes that have UPF!
UPF is the best. I have so many pieces of clothing and swimwear that has UPF. (If you're not sure what UPF means its Ultraviolet Protection Factor.  Example: UPF 50 allows just 1/50th of the sun's UV radiation to reach the skin. Higher the UPF the greater the protection!

5. Find some shade.
Find a shade tree, a beach umbrella, shaded gazebo, etc. When eating outside at a beachside restaurant make sure the waiter opens an umbrella for you.

6. Plan to be inside during the hottest part of the day.
Biggest thing that the locals do is stay indoors when its the hottest outdoors. From 11-2:30/3pm I’m almost always inside. My beach trips + pool side chills always happen early in the morning or later in the afternoon. I promise you, you'll never find a local out on the beach at 1pm on a Saturday! 

What to do if you have a sunburn?
1. Aloe.
The first thing you do is run to the nearest store and buy a container of that green Aloe gel. If you use this every few hours for a day or two your burn will disappear! MAJOR TIP: put the Aloe in the fridge. The coolness will help with that ‘heat’ feeling from the burn.

2. Stay out of the sun.
Once you get a sunburn stay out of the sun. If you continue to expose it to the sun it'll (obviously) keep getting worse and you could get sun poisoning. My mother got sun poisoning and was admitted into the ER cause of it. Sun poisoning is VERY serious and harmful to your body.

3. Tight clothes, no go.
Don’t wear anything tight or that rubs the sunburn. Your skin needs to breathe and heal. When we’ve had sunburns we end up trading in our strappy dresses for a boyfriend fit cotton tees.

4. No products that’ll make your skin irritated.
Bathbombs, perfumes, some makeup products, even chlorine pools. Avoid exposing the burn to anything that’ll irritate. 

5. Don't itch the sunburn.
The worst is when your sunburn starts to itch. As tempting it might be... DON'T itch it. I've seen friends who ended up with scars from itching a burn. Continue applying Aloe gel or a lotion without fragrance to get moisture into your skin.

6. Drink water.
I have no idea why, but when I get a sunburn I feel like I need more water in my body. The water helps with removing toxins but also putting moisture back into your skin too.

My Favorite Sunscreen!!! The cooling sensation feels amazing in the hot sun. Also non greasy & comes in SPF 30 & 50!

My go-to product if I get a sunburn. Apply generous amount every 3-4 hours and your sunburn will be gone in no time!

All About Daytona Beach, Florida (And Orlando!)

Now that I’m home from Daytona Beach I wanted to give a run down on where we stayed, what we did, where we ate, and more. If anyone is traveling to Daytona or Orlando this post will be beneficial!! Our trip had off and on rain so we had to juggle our outdoor activities around the weather.

Where we Stayed
Bryce selected the Hilton Oceanfront Resort as our resting place. This Resort has 2 large pools (hot tubs & children pools too), beautiful courtyard, private access to the beach, and footsteps away from all the fun (Across the street was the Convention Center. Next to the South Tower is the pier + pier park with tons of fun rides. Next to the North Tower is a 3 story shopping and restaurants). Our stay included daily bike or scooter rentals, boogie board rentals, discounts on eating at the restaurants + bars, and valet parking. All the rooms have oceanfront views which are AMAZING. The busboys and valet car service team were really kind as well. Every night we saw fireworks from our balcony.

Room keys and post card of Resort!

This is a view of our bedroom area. We decided on just getting a king size bed and opting out on getting a crib for Holly. Our bed was large enough to have her sleep in the middle between us. The room had a lot of natural light from the balcony and the room itself was really quiet! (which is surprisingly because the resort was completely booked!)

The inside of our bathroom.

The collection of toiletries the Resort provided.

What we did
Our trip was quite busy. In fact my in laws were upset we didn’t text much but we were nonstop moving. I unplugged from most social media was so excited to make memories with my family.

- Disney Springs. Seriously Disney Springs was a blast. We were a bit worried because all the parking decks were full but we found this one parking lot that was right across the street from the Coca-Cola Store. (The lot was near the Team Disney parking lot. It was quicker and less stressful walking across the bridge and was very lit! I highly recommend parking there). We visited A LOT of the shops and I’m seriously saving up my money for our next trip out there cause I fell in love with American Thread’s and Shore.

- Daytona Speedway.

- Orlando International Premium Outlet. This outlet was amazing. Literally any store you want is there (Also a Victoria’s Secret outlet!!!).
- Volusa Mall at Daytona.
- Tanger Outlet at Daytona Beach. We really liked how clean and new this outlet was. The shop associates were really friendly too.
- Hilton Resort Pools.
- Convention Center at Daytona Beach.

Daytona Beach Views

Disney Springs at night. I seriously enjoyed walking out in this area. There was TONS of fun shops to go into, many amazing restaurants and bars. I'm really impressed with all the upgrades and how lively the area was!

What we ate.
Food wise I noticed we skipped meals a lot. But when we ate we dined like kings.

- Planet Hollywood at Disney Springs. If you dine here you MUST get the Chicken Crunch! It’s on the appetizer menu and seriously the BEST.
- Disney Candy Cauldron at Disney Springs. We had candy apples here!
- Hilton Breakfast "Hyde Park".
- Hilton Beachside Bar "The Blind Turtle". (They had some amazing drink specials and the bartenders brought the drinks to you while you chilled in the pool).
- The Black Sheep at Daytona Beach.
- Cheddars at Daytona Beach. (Get the Honey Butter Croissants!)

Bryce’s competition.
On Friday morning Bryce went to see what time his matches were and texted saying he plays both Friday and Saturday at 2pm. So both days I went to the pool from 11-2 to 3pm. The first day he played the #1 player which sadly, he lost. We grabbed food when he returned and then he went back to check out some of the sponsors and play in some small ‘fun’ matches to get noticed. Day 2 he actually went through a few rounds (whooo!). He met a lot of big high dollar players and seen previews + played demos of games that will be released down the road. It was actually a really cool experience for him and the area seemed really excited to have this media attention. I had no idea some of these video game players make 6 figures playing in game matches! 

How was traveling with a baby?
Traveling with Holly had its ups and downs. We packed items we thought she would need but surprisingly she didn’t. We reserved half of our trunk space for her swing but she barely sat in it. Also her bath toys was something she didn’t care for. Her favorites was the pool float, her foam play mat, and her play piano. I brought about 10 toys and it was more than enough. Her stroller is a Bravo Chicco and it was super handy to move her around in and very lightweight (it’s also air travel friendly!!). Sleeping wise she slept between Bryce and I because the King size bed was more than enough room. She did really good in the restaurants too. She loved Planet Hollywood because of the bright lights and fun upbeat Disney songs. We were worried with it being peak season at Disney and the massive amounts of people/crowds she would be upset. The only times she was fussy was when we were stuck in the Resort room from the storms. But overall it wasn’t a bad experience! 

Trip to Daytona Beach Florida!

Hello darlings! I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to this week. I must touch base on my next summer trip; a weekend at Daytona Beach, Florida! I’ve traveled all over Florida but this is one of the few spots I’ve never been. The reason for this trip is my Fiancé/Husband (we’ll be married at the end of September but we’ve been together so long its like we’re already Hubby/Wifey) ANYWAYS, we’re traveling for the CEO Fighting Game Championship that my Fiancé is taking part in. Kinda geeky/nerdy, but for him it’s good for his Twitch following and he could win some amazing cash prizes + the ability to be noticed for sponsorship opportunities. 

The best part is we'll be staying at a Oceanfront Hilton Resort. Holly and I plan to relax by the pool while Dad is doing his thing. We’re not flying which has its pros and cons. And any down time I plan to get some great swim + style shots for the blog. 

We’re considering visiting: Kennedy Space Center, Disney (depending on how the CEO goes), Daytona Lagoon, Daytona Boardwalk, Downtown Disney, and hit up a few shops too.
I’ll make a blog post all about the weekend trip to Daytona and places we visited, how our resort was, foods we ate, etc.

If anyone has been to Daytona and have recommendations drop a comment! 

-Pompandpalms