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Tips on How to be The Best Travel Buddy

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Let’s GO!

Traveling together is one of our favorite ways to spend quality time with each other. For the past 15 years, Jess and I have been meeting each other in many different destinations. We have our rendezvous down to a tee and want to share our travel tips so you can be the best travel buddy too!

Traveling Then vs Now

So when we were just barely legal, traveling was different. We had to make sure we printed out Mapquest directions, called the hotel in advance to book our reservation, and find out by word of mouth what events were going on. Our travel interests were much different then they are today. We were all about bar hopping, dancing at the hottest clubs and wearing outfits we wouldn’t dare throw in our suticase now. These days, we like to restaurant hop, find a good brunch with the best bloody mary deals, go to concerts, do yoga, go on hikes and find some unbeatable deals at the local Farmers Market.


How to Prepare for a Buddy Trip

There are a few things you can do ahead so that you have the best trip possible.

  • Book a room with double beds. Having too much room is always better than not enough room. Plus, this gives both of you your own space to treat however you want. 
  • When picking a place to stay, look at the surrounding area and think about what you want to do on this trip. If it’s for some relaxation, maybe you want to be outside the city away from the hustle and bustle. If you don’t plan on renting a car, maybe find a hotel or AirBnb that is around lots of walkable attractions. Talk about your intention for the trip and go from there.
  • Start bookmarking places on Yelp. This way you have hella options that you were already into. When you get to your hotel or place where you’re staying, look to see how far those places are to you. You will no doubt find more places near your location once you reach your destination.
  • Plan to use Lyft or Uber. These rideshare apps allow you to split the fare which makes it really easy. And you only need to know the name or address of your destination instead of looking up directions.
  • However, if renting a car is more practical for your trip, do that! Hawaii is a perfect example of where you would want to rent a car. Having a car gives you the freedom to go and do anything you want whenever.
  • If you are traveling with other couples or in a group, make sure everyone is included in a group text so you all stay up to date on your travel plans. Make sure everyone is on the same page about where you want to stay and the things you want to do. Traveling with others can be difficult so make sure you pick travel buddies wisely!
  • We LOVE discussing our outfits before a trip. Going to the beach? Staying at a place with a pool? Make sure you both got your swimsuits! If you plan on eating a fancy restaurant one night make sure you tell each other so you both have clothing to match any event that you plan on getting into!
  • Be upfront about costs and a budget you are on. Trips can still happen and be amazing even on a budget! We always split costs if we are staying together and always make sure what we are paying for is within the other persons budget. Being thoughtful about each other’s expenses is crucial as a travel buddy!
  • We have stayed in lots of Airbnb’s on certain destination trips so we can be together instead of in seperate hotel rooms. This is a great option for certain destinations. Staying in an Airbnb allows you to go grocery shopping and cook together as well. This also saves a shit-ton of money!
  • Discuss flights with your travel buddy! Coordinate your arrival and departure times which will make meeting up and departing together easier for both of you!
  • Pinterest is also a great tool to use for places you are visiting! Especially if you are visiting abroad or a place you have never been to before! Look up tips or top favorite things to do so you will have ideas of fun things to do before you even get there!
  • Utilize Groupon to mazimize your money and fun!! There are always great deals on local events in every city!

Now go and Plan Your Next Trip!

We hope you find at least one of these tips helpful! Do you have a favorite travel buddy?! Do you have any tips of your own? Please share with us !

Bonus Tip : Don’t be a complainer. Be okay with going with the flow on a trip. Trips are supposed to be fun and not a time for complainers or debbie downers !

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5 Goals For 2019- How To Successfully Focus On The Things That Matter To You

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Setting Goals That are Achievable

Every New Year people all around the world make resolutions. But how many of those resolutions do people successfully achieve? Instead of making “resolutions” this year we are going to set goals. Goals that we know are achievable if we put in the right amount of time and commitment. The goals that we will be setting will be goals that will not only improve our lives but also bring happiness and self-love. Goals you decide to set for yourself can range from easy to difficult but they should never be unattainable. The goal is not to set yourself up for failure but to set yourself up for a challenge. A challenge to better yourself and your life. 

5 Goals for 2019

  1. Travel: Traveling is something that we both love. Traveling allows you to experience new places, cultures, things ideas, and people. Traveling can be a break from your everyday life and can become an escape for fun and the opportunity to make new memories. A lot of people associate traveling with being expensive- and yes it can be very expensive but there are ways to travel on a budget as well. You don’t need to leave the country to have a new experience ( but if you have the opportunity to do so- DO IT! ). We love picking new cities to meet in and have mini vacations exploring a new place. If you want to focus on going somewhere new, start following prices on flights and looking at hotels and start budgeting. We do this for all our trips. Once you find the flight at an unbeatable price, purchase it and the rest will begin to fall in place. Traveling can be as simple as a road trip to the mountains or as grand as hiking Mount Everest. Whatever your travel goal is, set it and start working towards it piece by piece. Together, we hope to explore new cities, swim at new beaches and indulge in a culture foreign to us.
  2. Self Care: This is a particular goal that we believe EVERYONE should make. This goal can mean so many different things which is why it is such a practical goal. For 2019, our self-care is going to consist of surrounding ourselves with positive people, maintaining our fitness routines, fueling our body with healthy food and making time for ourselves. Treat yourself to a massage more than one time a year, take more bubble baths, be okay with telling people “no” when you rather stay home and get a good nights rest. I tend to be my own worst critic and I fully intend on loving myself more this year. Self Love = Self Care. Loving yourself does not make you a narcissist or self-absorbed. Loving yourself helps make the best version of you shine through. Don’t ever let anyone tell you any different. Love yourself this new year more than you EVER have!
  3. BestieTalks: We launched BestieTalks in March 2018. Over the past 9 months, we have learned so much about ourselves and our abilities. We are excited to continue our BestieTalks journey to see what we can accomplish this year. We got cute matching planners that come with daily, weekly, and monthly goals. We have our goals set for January and we intend on achieving every single one. What we don’t achieve in one month will carry over to the next month until that goal is met. We are also attending our first BlogHer conference in a few weeks and cannot wait to network with other bloggers. Starting off the new year by attending a blogging conference is the perfect way for us to kick off a fresh new year of making BestieTalks the best it can be!  
  4. Life: Outside of BestieTalks we also have personal life goals. Jessica plans on starting the hunt for her next position that she wants to pursue within her company. She is ready to put her degree to use and take on a position with more responsibility and a role where she can learn new things. Ray is looking forward to finishing her degree and applying for different positions in her career, while also enjoying the last year in her selfish 20’s. We both hope to grow our families but that is all in its own time. Staying in touch and seeing more family is an important goal for us. Life gets crazy and people begin to get wound up in their own things but family means so much, so it’s necessary to keep them as a high priority.  
  5. Love: Love means so many things to us. Our spouse, families, pets, friends etc. but this year our goal is to spread as much love as we can to others and to ourselves. Acts of love and kindness to those we know and don’t know are so important, especially in today’s world. Love is something we plan to focus on every day this year. Reach out to that person that you have been thinking about, or pick up a thoughtful card and mail it to a family member or friend. This year we plan to focus on things and people that matter to us. Focus our attention and energy on projects/goals that we love because time goes by too quickly to waste time on things that we don’t love. This year, love is what we want to spread!

You got This!

We try to look at our goals as lifestyle changes instead of resolutions. After the hype of the new year dies off so does the excitment of resolutions. Instead, try to keep up the motivation by looking at your goals as permament changes in your life. If it’s important to you now, then it should still be important to you 6 months from now. Pick some goals and stick with them! YOU GOT THIS!

 

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Gift Guide For The Person Who Has Everything

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Gift Season

Tis the season for giving! But what do you give the person who seems to have everything? This is where we would like to help you out with our gift giving guide. 

Let the Giving Begin!

  • Subscription- A subscription is the type of gift that keeps on giving. Every year, I subscribe to a children’s magazine and have it sent to my niece’s house. I used to love receiving magazines in the mail as a kid and I wanted to keep the tradition going. Now, my nieces absolutely love getting their Highlights, Zoobooks, or National Geographic magazines in the mailbox. There is beauty box subscriptions and even yoga subscriptions! There’s pretty much a subscription box out there for everyone! Allure, Sephora, Buddhibox , etc. I was gifted the Buddhibox for my birthday and it is an amazing subscription. It comes with crystals, candles and all kinds of fabulous goodies! The Allure box is only $15 a month as well! Very affordable!
  • Cheap Hotel Stay- Providing someone with a paid hotel stay gives them an excuse to get out of town and explore another city. One to two nights is plenty as a gift. Groupon and Expedia have great hotel deals and make it easy to give this as a gift without letting the receiver know how much you spent. 
  • Nail, Massage or Day Spa Gift Card– If you know someone who loves getting their nails done or loves a good spa day then this is a great gift option! We both get our nails done religiously and trust us- a nail gift card would make someone totally happy! This could go to a male or female and they would happily pamper themselves.
  • Cookbooks or Cookware– Just about every other person out there is trying some sort of new diet or exploring alternative food options. A new Paleo, Vegan or Keto cookbook could help inspire them! Amazon is great for items like this as well. Simple but useful!
  • Pet Lover Gifts– Do you know someone who is completely obsessed with their animal?! Get creative and have a handmade portrait of them and their pet made on Etsy! There are so many cute and affordable options out there. There are vendors on Etsy who make beautiful artwork that can bring a photograph to life and make it into a piece of artwork! Just snoop your friends social media ( because you know they have their animal on there somewhere ) and send that pic over to the person you pick on Etsy and they will make you a keepsake gift to give this holiday season!
    I had this made of Neecy Girl via Etsy!Happy Gift Giving!

    Happy Gift Giving !

We hope that this quick gift guide gave you some inspiration for that person in your life who is tricky to shop for! Gifts are not about the cost but the meaning and thought behind them. These gifts are something that if given to the right person- they will be so thankful! Happy Holidays!!

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Packing Tutorial so Your Bags Fly Free this Holiday Season

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Airlines Without Free Bags

Traveling is expensive as it is. The holidays are even more expensive. Knowing which airlines allow a free carry on and knowing their policy upfront can help you save money. Spirit Airlines is one airline that offers competitively cheap flights especially during the holiday season. Spirit has a bad rap, and if you don’t know how to fly with them, it can seem like a really shitty airline to take. No free water, they will charge you to print out your boarding pass, no free peanuts, and especially no free carry on luggage. I have flown with them more than a dozen times and have perfected how to play their game. They fly almost everywhere, and when you need to save some money, they are the airline to use. I used them a few years back 3 weeks before a Chirstmas trip and saved hundreds of dollars. I’m here to tell you all the tips and tricks you will need so you won’t have to pay for luggage.

The Breakdown

This list is going to break down exactly what you need to do when flying with Spirit.

  • After buying your tickets download the Spirit mobile app. If you have access to a printer, you can print out your tickets otherwise make sure you have them on your mobile app or a copy in your email. They will accept all of these versions. DO NOT go to the airport expecting them to print out your boarding pass for free. They will charge you for that. 
  • Spirit allows a free personal bag that must not exceed dimensions of 18 x 14 x 8 inches. I found a bag on Amazon that is within Spirits policy. This bag is only $12.99, and I highly recommend that you buy it. It has saved me hundreds of dollars in bag fees. My husband and I both have one. Click here to buy. It’s $30 one way for a single bag so you can do that math and see how smart of a buy this is. 
  • I have used this bag for so many trips, and it never fails to carry everything I need. Learning how to be a minimalist traveler is a smart trick to adapt to. Bring only what you need. I spent 4 days in New York and even brought back new shoes and gifts in this same bag. You can make it work. Roll those panties and jeans up as small/tightly as you can! I promise you will be impressed by how much this bag can hold!
  • Ladies: stuff your purse into this bag when boarding your plane. I stuff my purse on top and zip it all up, and I can carry this bag on my shoulder so its an obvious “personal item.”  I have never been stopped or questioned about my bag. It always fits (even if I have to smash it in) into their displayed box they have to make sure it passes as a personal item. It fits every time so there isn’t shit they can say! If it fits then it flys! FREE!

Bonus Tip!

  • Pack an empty water bottle and some snacks. You can fill up your empty water bottle once you get through security. Spirit will not provide anything free on the plane, so bring some stuff to get you through your flight. Otherwise, you can always purchase items at the airport before you board. They offer food/drinks in flight but nothing, not even water, is free. 

The Folding Bag That Will Save You Money!

I wanted to give you a visual of this bag so you could get an idea of exactly what it is. It’s a foldable duffle bag that is extremely lightweight. It folds into itself and turns into a small square that is great for storing! When unfolding this bag, it becomes large enough that you will be able to fit everything you need for your trip! We understand that if you are flying out of the country that you might need a little bit more than this bag can carry. Raynita will be doing a packing tutorial for out of the country trips. She is a pro at getting everything she needs into a roller carry on suitcase. Be on the lookout for that! 

Foldable empty duffle bag!
I took three standard size pillows and stuffed them into the duffle to give you an idea of what it can take!
Duffle packed with the three pillows! Still extra room in there! You can get an idea of the size based on the comparison with the hairbrush. LOTS of room!
The front pouch has a zipper that you can take the entire bag and fold it into itself. When empty and folded up..this is the outcome! Pretty cool right?!

I hope you found this article helpful! I am all for saving a buck, and if it takes me flying Spirit sometimes then that’s what I’m gonna do! Now that you know what to expect and how to play their game I hope you will take this advice and save yourself some money. Traveling during the holidays is supposed to be fun and not more expensive then it needs to be! Happy traveling! For more traveling tips click here!

Did you find this useful? Please let us know!

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Cabo San Lucas Trip

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Couples Vacation

Luckily, we get to take vacations with each other a couple of times a year. This year, Cabo Mexico was our summer destination. Neither couple has been to Cabo, so this was the first experience for us all. Jess and I are so blessed that our husbands get along so well. They actually look forward to seeing each other and have a relationship on their own. It’s perfect because we want to spend as much time as possible with each other, even if that means leaving them behind. Even though we’ve been to Mexico together on a cruise, meeting in Cabo was something special because we all got a new stamp on our passport! It’s the little things that make us happy and glad we make these memories together.

Stay & Play in Cabo!

We absolutely loved our ATV tour! Such an adrenaline rush with amazing views.

Getting an AirBnB was a no-brainer for this trip. We wanted our own rooms, bathrooms, and a place to cook, while also being walking distance to the beach. That is exactly what we got and more! After booking the place, the owners of the rental were in contact with me and also put us in contact with the people that will actually be helping us throughout our stay. This was extremely helpful! We were able to set up personal transportation with drivers that waited with IPads with our names on it and vans filled with refreshing water and crisp Mexican beers. The concierge that was apart of the rental was with us the moment we got off the plane to accompany all of our needs. His name was Mr. Corona (like, for reals!) and he was the most helpful by far. He accompanied us to our AirBnB and during the ride, he informed us of EVERYTHING we need to know about Mexico, the good and the bad, and what we can do to get the most out of our time. They even took us to Walmart to stock up our rental for the week! Buying our excursions through him was smart because we got them greatly discounted. We kept in contact with him through Whats App. We were even able to book a sunset cruise the day before we left at such reasonable prices through Mr. Corona. 

Beach time in Cabo!

Beach Time

The beach was literally walking distance from where we stayed and we took complete advantage of that.  We quickly noticed that one part of the beach was way more packed than the others. During the weekend, locals were there with their families as well as tons of salesmen and women walking along the beach, haggling you to buy their merchandise. That got pretty annoying. We found an area with private reserved only seating and made that our destination every day during our beach time. Playing in the ocean brought out the inner kid in all of us. We built sand castles, swam out to the buoys, played on paddle boards and body-surfed. The four us trying to get our balance to all stand up on a paddle board at the time same time was free, fun and a memory none of will forget. Evan got stung by a jellyfish, George was scared that sharks were going to get him, Jess’s got sunburned everywhere and Ray scared Evan shitless with her Jetski driving. Beach time was a success!

Food in Cabo

The food in Cabo was just okay. We all love Mexican food and were looking forward to having super authentic food here. This trip was the marking of the end of our 30-day detox and we were all ready to splurge. Ray and Jess definitely ate their weight in chips, salsa, and guac, followed by wonderful Mexican beers. That was literally our go-to. Evan and Ray were looking forward to eating the real authentic tacos with meats such as buche, tripas, Cabeza, and more, all made with homemade tortillas. That was not the case here. These meats were super hard to find and when they did find tripas, they looked old and dry. They are happy believers in that Fresno has way better tacos then Cabo. Jess is vegan and it seemed like they didn’t know exactly what that meant. Every time we put in an order, we would explain to them no animal products at all, please. After a few days of struggling to find appealing options, we found a vegan restaurant on Yelp that was within walking distance from the beach. It was so refreshing to walk into this little vegan gem and know that everything on the menu was so safe to eat. We shared a bomb ass plate of nachos and each got a dish as well. Everything was tasty and left Jess with a smile on her face. We all enjoyed this vegan spot very much!

Quality Time

We all enjoyed Mexico but really what we enjoyed most is spending quality time together. Being at the condo, eating guac and chips, having fun in the ocean, cooking breakfast together, and just being us. We talked, laughed and made amazing memories together. Us four can have a great time together pretty much anywhere. However, it was special being in another country together. We can’t wait for our next adventure together!

Have you ever taken a couples trip? Where did you go and what did you like or dislike about your trip. Feel free to suggest a destination for us to enjoy together. 

 

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Packing Tutorial

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Packing Like A Pro

I have taken a pretty good amount of trips on airplanes and quickly felt ridiculous paying and waiting for a checked bag. Having a checked bag didn’t last long on our adventures. I became determined to fit everything in a carry-on and a personal bag for all my trips here on out. Now, I want to share my packing skills with you too so that you never have to pay for a checked bag again!

First Things First…

This suitcase has been all around the world with me and has never let me down.

The first important thing about packing is having the right suitcase. The suitcase needs to have areas for packing on both sides of it. Extra pockets are always a plus too. I found my Olympia suitcase at Ross for under $50. Having wheels and a handle is also a must for easy mobility and zooming through the airport. As you can see, I am able to put clothing in both compartments on each side. This is crucial for long trips. 

Begin Packing

When I know I have a big trip coming up, I like to start a pile of things I know I want to bring. So the week of or the week before, once things start coming out of the washer, I begin setting them aside in our guest room. This can be clothing, shoes, accessories, or anything that you know you want to bring and not forget. 

These are a few things I knew I wanted to bring for my Euro trip.

 Some Things I Always Pack

  • A bathing suit is always in my suitcase. You never know when you’re going to need one and it is always nice to check out the pool and spa at the hotel your staying at. 
  • Workout clothes are also a must. My workout usually doesn’t stop just because I’m traveling. Some hotels even have loner shoes and workout clothes you can borrow for your stay.
  • Tennis shoes are important for those days exploring the city. Plus, when you want to do something adventurous like ATV riding or ziplining, tennis shoes are required.
  • A dress that I can dress up or down is always nice to have too. You might have a nice dinner one evening but if not, you can wear it with a little cover up to make it more casual.
  • A denim button-down shirt is so versatile that it’s absolutely needed. I love pairing it with a dress or tying it around my waist with other outfits. It also works great all by itself too.
  • Belts are usually a no-brainer but it does suck when you forget one. One time my husbands’ zipper broke on a bag that he got free from a cologne purchase (those are usually cheap, believe me, I tried to tell him that) and we used a belt to keep the bag closed until we got home. Talk about multipurpose.

Now The Packing

Down to the nitty-gritty, the packing. The key to packing is rolling, rolling, rolling! Roll everything. From your underwear to your jeans, rolling them lets them take up the least amount of room possible. Don’t just do a loose roll, roll those clothes tight. For my jeans, I roll them from the top to the bottom. My socks are fully tucked into each other and then stuffed into my shoes. Now as to your packing your rolled up clothes, make sure “pack and push”, meaning put one article in the suitcase and when you put the next one in, push that previous article in there as tight as possible. Again, this will eliminate any extra space that wasn’t used before. Once you have the bottom layer in, feel free to make another layer on top of that one if needed. 

This is 2 layers of rolled clothes on one side of my suitcase.

Toiletries 

This is my bag fully packed.

My toiletry bag usually stays packed. It has a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, a shower cap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion (because you might not like the ones at the hotel). My bestie Jess got me the cutest Maid-of-honor makeup bag and its pretty big. It holds all my makeup as well as my face wash, serum, and hair supplies. I put these two bags on the opposite side of my clothes when packing. When I leaving from an American airport, I never have to take out the liquid bottles at the TSA lines. However, when traveling abroad, they have been a little more strict and I would have to put some in the see-through plastic bag. No biggie though. 

You Can Do It!

I have used this bag for a two-week trip, to travel to 4 different countries and attend a wedding, all in a carry-on. It can be done! I was even able to buy some souvenirs and some clothing that I just had to have. Just remember to use all the unused space as possible. Fold and roll everything as small as possible. Don’t worry, you will be able to iron or steam out any wrinkles and if you want to get really fancy you can use the hotel’s laundry service and get items pressed or washed. Packing shouldn’t be a hassle. Stay calm and know that you can bring a backpack as your personal item and stuff your purse in there too. Try to stay away from over packing and never bring anything you haven’t worn before because chances are that you’re not going to wear it on this trip either. 

Do you have any packing tips? What do you hate or love about packing? Share with us. 

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