Mother’s Day Gift Guide

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I don’t know about you guys, but somehow every holiday seems to sneak up on me! If there is one holiday that I make darn certain to plan for its Mother’s and Father’s Day. So I’ve rounded up my top gift choices for all types of mamas to make things a bit easier when picking out your gift. To directly shop any of the items above, simply click on the item that you like!

My advice to you if you are still deciding what to get your mom, is to think about what she likes and what she might get the most use out of. Is she passionate about working out, the lord, cozy pajamas, or traveling? If you draw a blank there then ask yourself if there is something that YOU love that you think your mom must have too. Still drawing a blank? There is tons of stuff that has corny mom quotes on it that you can never go wrong with. Just remember, If it’s one thing I’ve learned from my 24 years of Mother’s Days, it’s that she’s going to like whatever you end up getting her and it’s the thought that really counts! 🙂

If you already know what you are getting your mom, I would love to hear! Any of you have special plans for what you will be doing with your mom for Mother’s Day?

Mother's Day Gift Guide | It's All Chic To Me
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Little Blue Dress

Little Blue Dress | It's All Chic To Me

Little Blue Dress | It's All Chic To Me

Little Blue Dress | It's All Chic To Me

Little Blue Dress | It's All Chic To Me

Little Blue Dress | It's All Chic To Me

Little Blue Dress | It's All Chic To Me

Little Blue Dress | It's All Chic To Me

Dress | Heels (similar) | Necklace | Sunglasses ($9) | Watch

Well I’ve officially caught a cold and I’m wallowing. I rarely get sick and frankly it’s probably a good thing because I’m so pathetic when I’m sick! Since being in the working world, I’ve learned that there really isn’t time to be under the weather. Like ain’t nobody got time for that… but that’s easier said than done right? So I’m loading up on all the cold medicine I can get my hands on and saying a prayer that this blows over fast!

I get asked questions all the time about my blogging journey and specific aspects of my “double life” all the time. I want to shed some light on 3 important questions that I get asked from time to time.

  1. Do you blog full time? Nope. Maybe one day but right now I am a Supply Analyst from 8-5, Monday through Friday and then I blog pretty much every hour that I’m not at work or sleeping. So while I don’t technically blog full time, I sometimes feel like I have 2 full time jobs by the amount of hours I put in every week between the two, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
  2. How do you keep a work/life balance? I don’t. Hence the sickness. I am over-exhausting myself by trying to put my all into everything that I do, when in reality I am probably not able to give 100% in every area of my life since I have spread myself so thin. It’s definitely a work in progress. Eventually I will get to where I have a work/life balance (or so I tell myself) as soon as I can get a grip on navigating two full time jobs. If any of you have tips on this, I am all ears!
  3. Why do you get so dressed up for work? Because I am a firm believer in “if you look good, you feel good”. Also a guilty confession: getting ready in the morning is my favorite part of the day! That might sound sad to some people but I’ve loved hair, makeup and fashion since I was little. Getting put together in the morning and looking good for the day makes me feel productive and sometimes we need that extra push to get us going, plus countless studies have shown that you are more productive when you make an effort on your appearance. So if you don’t trust me, then trust science! Dressing up is good for you!

If you liked my short little Q&A then please let me know what else you would like to hear from me. I love hearing your feedback and I am always happy to answer any questions that you might have.

*Thank you Charming Charlie for sponsoring this post. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Culotte Jumpsuit

Culotte Jumpsuit | It's All Chic To Me

Culotte Jumpsuit | It's All Chic To Me

Culotte Jumpsuit | It's All Chic To Me

Culotte Jumpsuit | It's All Chic To Me

Culotte Jumpsuit | It's All Chic To Me

Culotte Jumpsuit | It's All Chic To Me

Culotte Jumpsuit | It's All Chic To Me

Culotte Jumpsuit | It's All Chic To Me

Culotte Jumpsuit | It's All Chic To Me

Culotte Jumpsuit | It's All Chic To Me

Jumpsuit (similar) | Hat | Shoes (similar) |Sunglasses | Earrings | Necklace | Bracelet ($7) | Watch

This weekend was full of color and not just because of the amazing new Sugar & Cloth color wall that has brightened up Houston, but because there was lots going on. Well between the 2 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy that I somehow found time to watch there was lots going on, I promise. Saturday started out by celebrating my sweet friend, Dawn and her 28th birthday the best way us bloggers know how- lots of pictures, food, and more pictures of our food! Yesterday I spent the day with my sister and mama eating a delicious brunch and running errands all over Houston. To check out more of this weekend’s festivities, my Instagram and Snapchat (username: shelbiadams) are always the best source to see me in action. I’d be glad to have you follow along!

I wore this fun little jumpsuit to brunch with the girls and you probably know if you’ve been around here long enough that my constant struggle is to find something to wear that is both comfortable, yet high-fashion. It’s a daily struggle. I have found jumpsuits to be my saving grace when it comes to this struggle. They seriously are so comfortable and require very little time and effort to throw on since you are not having to pick out 2 separate pieces. This means half the time spent in your closet, right? I love how this season has jumpsuits for just about every occasion or style you can think of. Strapless, wide-legged (culottes), plunging necklines, open back, printed, high-fashion, embellished, seriously you name it. Jumpsuits can be as dressy as something to wear to prom or as casual as lounging around the house. I don’t know about you, but I want one for just about every occasion please. Jumpsuits do all the work for you, are extremely comfortable, and frankly are the easiest piece of clothing to throw on besides pajamas! I did a little digging and found some cute jumpsuits all under $100.

Besides loving this jumpsuit trend this season, chunky heels are a very close second! Goodbye “beauty is pain” and welcome your feet to pure happiness. The chunky heel is in and your feet will thank you for it! I rounded up my favorite chunky heels under $100 here.

I hope you all have a great week and let me know what you think about the jumpsuit trend! Are you loving it as much as I am? I feel like I can jump and play! Maybe that’s one of the reason’s for the name 😉

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Friday Favorites: Spring Sales

*Shop the post by clicking on the images above*


Ann Taylor– 40% off everything through Sunday (4/24).

Banana Republic– 50% off everything through Tuesday (4/26)

Gap– 35% off everything + 30% off sale items. Offer valid TODAY ONLY. CODE: STYLE

J Crew– 40% off sale items through Friday (4/29)

Loft– 50% off Spring Collection and 60% off sale items + free shipping on orders over $125. For a limited time only.

Madewell– 30% off Spring essentials through Monday (4/25). CODE: ASAP30

Old Navy– 40% off everything for cardholders and 30% off everything for non-cardholders through Saturday (4/30)

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Costa Rica Tips & Tricks

Costa Rica Tips & Tricks | It's All Chic To Me

Last week a few friends and I traveled to Costa Rica for the first time and it was by far one of my favorite places yet. The country has some of the best views I’ve ever seen, the people are very hospitable, there are abundant outdoor activities, and the living is easy. We flew into San Jose, stopped in Jaco, and stayed in Manuel Antonio. Blame it on my blogger tendencies, but along the way I made a mental note of everything that made the trip easier or more enjoyable as well as tips I wish I would have known going into the vacation.

Transportation

  • Flights– Be on the lookout for airline promotions so that you can snag the best price for airfare. Southwest Airlines had a deal running for a roundtrip ticket under $300. Can you say SOLD?!
  • Car rental vs. local bus– I can not stress enough how much I would advise you to rent a car. That being said, it does come with some hiccups. First off you HAVE to have car insurance in Costa Rica and there will be a large security deposit (like $500-$1000). No ifs, ands or buts. It is not optional and you will not be able to rent a car without purchasing insurance. Most car rental websites will not add in these costs so when you arrive to pick up your car you are slapped with a much larger bill. So be forewarned. Although we were upset about the added cost, we all agreed at the end of the trip that the car rental was our saving grace. It allowed us more flexibility to come and go as we pleased and not be on someone else’s schedule, as well as easily get to and from all of our activities and meals. Do note that depending on where in Costa Rica you are going, the roads may not be paved and pot holes are very common. We were fortunate to have paved roads everywhere that we went so it was not an issue. We were warned beforehand about the aggressive driving (which I was a bit nervous about), but if you can drive in Houston then Costa Rica is a cinche. While I am obviously pro car rental, I heard nothing but positive things about the local buses and it is definitely a cheaper alternative depending on your travel plans. Take into consideration how many places you will need to get to, how you will be able to get to each place (bus vs. taxi) and if it ends up being cheaper than a car rental. For us it was actually cheaper to rent a car because of the amount of places we would be traveling.
  • DO pay the extra money for a GPS– This is a must if you rent a car. Being the penny pinchers we are, we thought about forgoing the $12/day to have the GPS, but boy were we glad in the long run that we had it. Believe me, you will thank me later.
  • Check your credit card for discounts– A lot of credit card companies offer reward programs that have discounts on car rentals/hotels.
  • Bring a car charger– The local radio stations aren’t all that great so you will probably want to play your own music. You will most likely be using your phone for pictures and other things and having a car charger comes in handy whenever you are needing to recharge.

 Accommodations

  • Location and seasonality is key for getting the best prices– We found while looking around for places to stay that usually the northern Pacific beach towns tended to be more expensive since the majority of places to stay are resorts. The more south that you go, the more options you will start to see. You see everything from hostels to 5 star resorts and prices all over the place. Also, Costa Rica has 2 “seasons”- dry and rainy season. Dry season is from December-April and rainy season is from May-November. Going in the “shoulder months” is said to have the lowest pricing. This timeframe is March-April and October-November.
  • Rainforest vs. Beach– Why not both? Costa Rica is known for their tropical rainforests and gorgeous beaches. When choosing where you will stay take this into consideration depending on what activities you are wanting to accomplish. We chose to stay in Manuel Antonio, which is a walk away from many beaches, allowed us to go deep sea fishing as well as tour the surrounding rainforests.            Costa Rica Tips & Tricks | It's All Chic To Me

 Food/Drink

  • Eat where the locals eat– It is very true that locals make about $2/day yet most tourist towns you can expect to pay $10+/meal at any given restaurant. If you are trying to save money or just want to know where the best local food is- the best way is to ask the locals. While TripAdvisor is great for checking out rates and reviews, my advice is to first ask a local for suggestions and then narrow it down after that by using TripAdvisor.
  • Drinks are expensive– Alcohol here is not cheap. Your best bet is to buy beer from the local grocery store and buy liquor from the airport at a duty free shop. We saved money by opting to pass on drinks during dinner and instead drinking by the pool or on the beach afterwords.

Costa Rica Tips & Tricks | It's All Chic To Me

 Activities

  • There are 1000s to choose from– You name it and there is a tour for it. With hundreds of beaches, dozens of national parks, volcanoes and hundreds of activities to chose from, you must pick and choose wisely based on your trip duration, budget, and interests. Since we were only there for 3 full days, we chose to do 2 full day activities and 1 beach day. We went deep sea fishing for sport fish (caught 3 sailfish!) one day and did a zip line/water repelling tour through the rainforest the other day.
  • Don’t feel like you need to have everything planned out ahead of time– Most hotels will offer activities and tours directly through them so feel free to wait to sign up for activities until you get there. Do not feel pressured to make a decision or plan everything in advance if you are unsure of what you want to do.
  • The beaches are amazing and FREE– Take advantage of the beautiful beaches. I would definitely suggest getting up early to watch the sunrise and staying on the beach until sunset. Seriously the most breath-taking views that I have ever seen.

Costa Rica Tips & Tricks | It's All Chic To Me

Everything Else

  • Most places have wifi– There is no need to invest in a data plan since almost all tourist-accommodating places will have public wifi. You will just need to ask for the password.
  • It is ok to drink the water– Forgo buying bottled water as it is completely safe to drink the tap water.
  • Dollars are OK– The local currency is Colones but every place we went to accepted U.S. dollars or a credit card.
  • Most people/places speak English– There was really no language barrier as almost every place we went to spoke pretty decent English.
  • Don’t dress up– I would say anything more than shorts and a t-shirt and you are over dressed. Don’t bother bringing anything fancy as you will be out of place. Comfy attire is key! Learned this one the hard way.
  • Bring water shoes– Most of the beaches are pretty rocky and most activities require them. My Chacos were my best friend on the trip.

As the locals would say, Pura Vida my friends and I hope that these little tips and tricks help you out if you are planning a vacation to Costa Rica. If you have any questions about my vacation please feel free to ask me!

Costa Rica Tips & Tricks | It's All Chic To Me

Costa Rica Tips & Tricks | It's All Chic To Me

Costa Rica Tips & Tricks | It's All Chic To Me

Costa Rica Tips & Tricks | It's All Chic To Me

Kimono | Hat

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