An Anniversary trip to Ocho Rios

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I'm still in Jamaica relaxing for a few days with the family after celebrating my cousin's wedding yesterday. K and I visited Jamaica back in 2012 for another destination wedding in Negril and now we're in Montego Bay so I've been looking forward to seeing a different part of the island.

My good friend and fellow blogger, Kate from Green Fashionista so generously offered to share the highlights from her wedding anniversary trip to Jamaica. They happened to visit around the same time we were there in 2012 but they stayed in Ocho Rios which is a part of the Jamaica I've yet to visit.

 

Kate and her hubby spent 4 nights at the Sunset Jamaica Grande in Ocho Rios, which they chose because it's a beachfront all-inclusive resort with some beautiful pools and waterslides.
 

The swim-up bar is always a favorite when it comes to all-inclusive resorts and Kate said they immediately got in the pool when they arrived and could just feel the stress melt away.



Their days were spent lounging in the cabanas by the pool, sipping on cocktails, and enjoying the pool and waterslides.

Sounds like the perfect vacation to me and that's exactly what we've been doing.



They enjoyed some Bob Marley cocktails poolside which look delish.

I just love the view from their hotel room and it gives you a nice glimpse of Ocho Rios' coast.

Thank you Kate for sharing the highlights of your anniversary trip to Jamaica!

If you're interested in exploring more about Jamaica, you can read Kate's full Ocho Rios trip recap and my trip to the 7-mile long beach in Negril.

Hope this week treats you well!

                                                                                 

The Royal Wedding

hello hello martinis and bikinis readers!! i am so excited to take over emily's blog today! i am lauren and i blog over at lot 48!! at my blog, you can find incredibly random things, from jobs i would hate and a 'you are beautiful' linkup to promote self love and healthy positive self image! you will not find recipes (well, rarely) DIY projects, fitness, or fashion posts.  not my jam.  i just like to have fun and write about things that will hopefully make you smile. 

with the anticipation of princess kate having her second baby, i wanted to talk tell you the story of me attending the royal wedding!! 

i was on a study abroad in london and a junior in college.  i was on the brink of turning 21 and had been in london for 3 days. the second (or first, i don't remember) day we were in london, we went to westminster abbey and there was a bunch of paparazzi because i guess there was a rehearsal going on for the wedding!! and we saw harry, but not the couple coming out of the abbey (or church?). 

we were all soooooo excited that we were in london for the wedding!! we could imagine anything better!! we felt so lucky that we picked 2011 to go on a study abroad! i felt like a dream had come true.  some girls decided to make the crazy decision to camp out all night long on the grounds of buckingham palace.  they wanted to see all the commotion in the morning and hopefully get a glimpse of kate.  but in order to get close enough to see her, they knew they had to go the night before.  i think there were 8 of them that went and sat on the gross across from the huge statue/fountain.  it was quite the adventure for them!!  they stayed up all night watching movies on their ipad and talking to drunk men and made a few friends, that we later hung out with in brighton beach.  

but i wanted my sleep!! so i opted to go across the street from our flat to kensington gardens to watch the wedding on huge screens with the rest of london.  

it was PACKED.  

haha i was so young!! i was a baby!! i miss london so much, even to this day.  i was very excited to be there, as you can see. 

it was a very surreal moment to watch the royal wedding, knowing that the wedding was happening in the double digits away from me, and that i was watching it with the brits.  it was amazing and so special.  it literally was a dream come true. 

i LOVE her wedding dress, don't you?  my wedding dress kind of looked like it.  i'm kind of obsessed with her.  my mom and my sisters are too.  and my grandma. the other day i was visiting my grandma and she said "i hope someone calls me when kate has her baby and tells me the sex." she was so concerned about it.  hahaha.  my mom's side of the family is extremely english.  my great grandmother was fully english, had tea at 4 pm every day, had the accent and my grandma and my mom were raised with english pride and english manners.  after living in london, i understood my mom so much better. :) 

what is a english wedding without hats?? it was a royal and very special occasion after all!!  as we walked to the park, we passed a car that had people in it that were clearly guests of the wedding.  they had the coolest hats i have ever seen.  

not everyone wore hats, but everyone was decked out in some way!! 

and some were even dressed as brides!! 

{i'm the one in the middle!!}

going to the royal wedding was one of the best experiences of my life.  i loved every second of my time in london and miss it every day.  i am aching to go back, and i am sure i will someday.  my husband lived there for 2 years, so it's calling both our names.  

don't forget to stop by the blog or follow me on bloglovin | instagram | twitter | pinterest

thanks for reading! xoxo

Not a Morning Person

Happy Thursday everyone!

You can find me over at Just Add Glitter today guest posting about what's like to be a non-morning person.

Are you a morning person?

I'm curious to know how different people deal with early mornings and waking up at the crack of dawn.

Staying Fit in Vacation Mode

Hey guys!  It’s Michelle from It’s the New Twenty, guest posting for my girl Emily while she’s off in the Dominican sippin’ martinis in her bikinis! ;)  (See what I did there?)  I know we’re all super jealous but hopefully you too have some summer vacation time penciled in these next few months.  And we’ve all been working so hard for our summer bods, I thought it’d be the perfect time to talk about staying fit while in paradise….

You did it!  You worked so hard for that bikini body and are looking great as you embark on that long anticipated vacation, only to have those abs fall to flab as you lounge by the pool all day slurping milkshakes and Miller Lites.  Oh vacation, where all good workout regimens come to die.  I know some of you are probably lucky enough to stay somewhere with a gym or don’t mind paying the ridiculous gym fees for tourists, but I am not one of those.  I’ve had to find alternative, budget-friendly ways to keep my progress from diminishing while still enjoying my vacations to the fullest.

I run every day.  I am by no means a runner and probably can count on one hand the number of days I will run outside during the year, but vacation is a different story.  I love running on vacation because it requires no extra equipment and it’s a great way to get out and see the sights.  I usually stick to the streets or boardwalk, but if you’re really brave you can try it in the sand.  And because I’m constantly looking around at everything and everyone, the time passes much more quickly and before I know it, I’ve gone a couple of miles!  Just be sure to do it early in the morning or in the evening so you don’t pass out from heat!

I go back to the old school Jane Fonda style floor exercises.  No, I’m probably not going to build a lot of muscle this way, but activating all of the muscle groups should keep me from losing much for a week or so until I get back to normal routines.  Plus, it’s fun and beneficial to switch up your exercises, so between this and running, I’m certainly doing that! 

I pack bags of veggies and fruits because absolutely refuse to pass up on any vacation goodies, meals, or cocktails.  I consider it part of the experience.  Vacation without ice cream, crab cakes, and orange crushes are just plain stupid in my opinion.  Therefore, if I pack my bag of cucumbers or broccoli florets to whip out for afternoon snacks, I don’t feel half as bad about the delicious trash I will surely consume later.  Keep me nutritionally balanced, or as much as I can be in vaca mode!

I drink water!  This should go without saying, but between sitting in the sun all day and the alcoholic beverages, it’s easy to get dehydrated.  Keeping a water bottle handy and forcing myself to sip from it keeps my body going through the duration of the trip.  Somebody please remind me of this piece of advice as I embark on my bachelorette party this weekend….

I get plenty of rest.  Understandably, every vacation is different and if you’re headed for Vegas, well, good luck.  But for the typical beach goer, you should be able to use this time sleep when you are tired.  Don’t try to stay up late if your eyelids are falling and don’t pressure yourself to get out of bed until you absolutely feel like it.  For me, this may or may not be more like 7 a.m. (yes, I’m a weirdo), but it feels like sleeping in to me!

I hope these tips can help you stay happy and healthy all summer long!  Come stop by my blog and say hello; I’ve got lots of exciting stuff going on!

Blue Avenue Boutique by Jordon

Hope everyone had a great weekend!
I have the lovely lady behind the blog Love Always, Nancy J guest posting for me today! Seriously, Jordon is one of nicest bloggers I've come across and I love her new online boutique. I'm excited to wear my new coral dress while I'm in Punta Cana for a friend's wedding.

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Hey y'all!

My name is Jordon and ramble over at Love Always, Nancy J.

Emily is gallivanting around the Dominican and I am sitting here dreaming of day drinking on the beach. Can you tell I am a little bitter?

Anways,

I am a newlywed that hails from Nashville, TN and a firm believer that hair poofing should be considered an artform.

My husband is the man referred to as T and being married is the funnest adventure I have ever been on..

I recently opened an online women's boutique called, Blue Avenue.

This has been my labor of love and baby for a few months now. 

The store has been an absolute dream and I love seeing all my girls in their fabulous new Blue Avenue pieces!

Today only all Martinis & Bikini's followers will recieve 15% OFF their Blue Avenue purchase!

Use the code BIKINI at checkout and shop away my loves!

Website| Facebook| Instagram
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 Head over to my blog and say hello!

Guest Post: Hey it's OK! by Krystal

Happy Friday 13th! I actually love this day because I was born on the 13th so I've always believed it's a lucky day for me.  

I have a special lady taking over my blog today. Krystal is witty, pretty and her sense of humor will surely give you a good ab workout so hop over to her blog and show some love. I'll let her take it from here...

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Hello readers of Martinis and Bikinis! I'm Krystal and I blog over at The Kay Times. I'm so excited to be guest posting for Emily while she's away on vaca (Jealous! Seriously she takes the best vacations). I've been reading Emily's blog even before I started my own and I was hooked and shocked from the moment I read that she was from Trinidad, which is where I'm from. The fact that she has one of the catchiest blog names and is one of the nicest bloggers out there doesn't hurt either!

It's no secret around my blog that I read celebrity magazines. A lot. If any of you have ever read Glamour Magazine, you would probably already know that they have a satirical column that I love called "Hey it's Ok!" I love reading them (most are hilarious) so I recreated my own!

... to have your breakfast at 12 noon because you didn't have a second to sit and eat breakfast because you got to work late because of traffic. Again.

... to eat dessert for dinner on that same day because healthy eating on that day was already shot to hell and because well who needs an excuse for dessert.

... to decide to stay home on a weekend because watching house hunters and reading seem more appealing than getting all dressed and made up for another night out ... Also, those trashy reality TV shows on the DVR aren't going to watch themselves #I'mold.

... to be counting down until Scandal is in season again ... or any Fall TV shows for that matter because Summer TV sucks. Big time.

... to laugh to yourself when that girl who is all dolled up (with a full face of makeup ... fake lashes included) at the gym trips and almost bites it while trying to do a glamorous and sexy run on the treadmill ... it might be ok to laugh out loud too. I wont judge.

... to sit out the gym for the day because you're tired. Or lazy. Or annoyed by girls like the one above.

... to leave your car unwashed for three weeks ... even if you car is navy blue and every speck of dirt shows up. Hey it'll rain eventually!

... to call on your mum every single time you have a problem. Even at 28.

... to save baby names in the notepad app on your phone although you are newly single and have zero babies ... or maybe this is just creepy? #babyfever

... to shop online like its your job and buy things that you absolutely do not need because of one word: SALE!

... to turn off the phone, TV, and all other electronic devices and instead enjoy and appreciate the things and people around you ... or take a nap.

... to be yourself no matter what. Remember, "Those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Also, in the words of Dr. Seuss:

Once again thank you Emily for having me!!

Punta Cana Recap by Kate

Today I'm excited to have Kate guest posting while I'm on my way to the Dominican Republic for a friend's wedding. It also happens to be our wedding anniversary so the husband and I will be celebrating in style in the tropics.  Kate offered to share her trip to the DR so I'm excited to have her be the host today!

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I can't begin to explain how jealous I am that Emily is on a beach enjoying endless frozen drinks in Punta Cana. I've been all over the world, and my trip to Punta Cana last year was hands down my favorite vacation ever. Such a beautiful and amazing place!

We stayed at the Majestic Colonial which was magical. I felt like we got so much more at this resort than any other resort we've stayed at.We upgraded to a club room which honestly wasn't that much more expensive especially for all the extras it includes. Club rooms are on the adults only side of the resort which is new and has 2 adults only pools with swim up bars and day beds to lounge on. There's also an adults only beach with it's own beach bar and servers who come out to your palapa. Perfection! We had a jacuzzi tub in the room which our butler (yes I said butler!) drew a bubble bath for us at night. We also had 4 liquor bottles and a bottle of champagne in our room free of charge, access to the club lounge which was always stocked with hot and cold food, more booze, water bottles, an espresso machine, free wifi, pretty much the works! Staying on the club side also meant private check in and check out where we were greeted with a freshly popped bottle of champagne and were escorted by our butler to our room. Amazing doesn't even describe the whole experience.

Champagne was the theme at the resort it felt like. We had mimosas every morning at breakfast and were greeted with a glass every night before being seated at dinner. And as soon as you looked like you were half way done, they came by to refill your glass. We enjoyed dinner in the hibachi restaurant, the French restaurant, and the steakhouse. I was blown away at how delicious the food was at an all-inclusive.

I can't wait to see Emily's recap of her fabulous vacation. I'm sure I'll find myself back in the D.R. before I know it!

If you'd like to read more about my travels, hop on over and visit my little corner of the internet Green Fashionista. My travel tab now features our recent trip to Spain, France, and Portugal. And next up on the agenda is an end of the summer trip to Chicago with Emily and K... can't wait to eat our way through another fabulous city with great friends.

Meet Rebekah + Amazon Giveaway

Happy hump day lovelies! 

I have a special lady posting for me today while I'm in San Francisco for work. Rebekah lives in one of my favorite cities and has some exciting travel adventures lined up so feel free to stop by her blog and share the love! 

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Hi everyone! I'm Rebekah from Blue Giraffes and Concrete Jungles, a lifestyle blog about myself and my crazy adventures in NYC! Emily has been so kind to let me takeover today and I wanted you all to get to know me and my blog better:

I'm so excited to also be sponsoring a great giveaway- a $25 Amazon gift card! I don't know about the rest of you but to me Amazon is the bees knees. I order half of my life from there, between new books for my kindle, household supplies and shoes. Basically any and everything is available.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you can all come over and say Hello! I'm looking forward to getting to know each and everyone of you now.... 

Green Fashionista's New Year's Eve Celebrations

Can you believe 2013 has already come to an end? I definitely can't but it's been a great year and I'm excited to see what 2014 will bring...

As you might already know, I'm traveling for the holidays and spending NYE tonight with friends from back home so the awesome Kate @ Green Fashionista is entertaining today. Kate knows how to have a good time so enjoy her NYE celebrations over the years!

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Who else is just a tad bit jealous that Emily is ringing in the New Year in Trinidad & Tobago? I mean don't get me wrong, living life in Florida now is much more fabulous than growing up in Connecticut, but come on... girlfriend is in the Caribbean! So, I'll be filling in for her today, and you can find me over at Green Fashionista rambling about my recent purchases, house projects, recipes, and weekend escapades.

While Emily is ringing in the New Year soaking up the sun and partying on the beach, I'll be walking down the street to our neighbor's house for their fabulous NYE party. Last year, they had a dj, full bar (with a bartender!), and I dropped it like it was hot in the soul train line.

In college, my girls and I would dress up in our sluttiest finest sparkles and head out downtown to leave a trail of glitter and champagne bottles. Unfortunately, I can't relive NYE's of years past as I wasn't much of a picture taker until around the time I started dating my husband and it's been hit or miss ever since due to illnesses that liked to strike right around this time of year.

2008 - Sadly, our first NYE together was spent on the couch since he had mono, and we missed out on our friend's party. I was the good girlfriend who nursed him back to health and stayed home to be with him.

2009 - We rented a party bus with friends and we went up to Mohegan Sun to ring in 2010.

2010 - our first NYE in Florida, and I was recovering from labyrinthitis so needless to say I wasn't up to ringing in 2011. Another NYE on the couch....

2011 - we went to a club downtown with friends and reserved a VIP table with bottle service. It was supposed to be an amazing night, but way more people were invited than originally planned and it was chaos trying to get a seat or a drink. From that point on, I was all set with the downtown/club thing on NYE. I must be getting old...

2012 - We were mad men and tried to juggle 2 parties... we went to our friend's masquerade party where Emily and K were also ringing in the new year, but left before midnight to make it back home to ring in 2013 at our neighbor's house.

DJ? - Check

Bartender for fully stocked bar? - Check and check

Soul train line to end all soul train lines? - Check

Not having to worry about driving home or others on the road after midnight? - CHECK!

Can't wait to see what ringing in 2014 brings... Happy New Year!

Don't forget to come see me over at Green Fashionista and you can keep up with my NYE Shenanigans by following me on Twitter and Instagram.

NYE Party Ideas by Love Always, Nancy J

I have the lovely Jordan entertaining for me today while I'm in Trinidad & Tobago for the holidays. Jordan recently got married and I've loved following her journey from wedding planning into the newlywed life.
 I'll let her take it from here...
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Hey y'all! My name is Jordon and I am the lady spilling out my guts over at Love Always, Nancy J.
I am so excited to be guest posting for Emily while she is away!
Isn't she a doll?

We are hosting our annual NYE party this year and while I am excited, this party also skyrockets my anxiety.

 Two years ago someone dumped a bottle of champagne on my kitchen floor and last year someone tackled my mini Christmas tree.Needless to say, I have really great friends.

Every year I find all these fascinating ideas on Pinterest and I never bring them to life.

This year will likely end with the same sad story, but a girl can dream, right?

Here are some of my favorites!

Is it obvious I love all things gold and black?

Those may or may not have been our wedding colors ;)..

I hope everyone has the best of New Year's and Make sure to stop by and say hello!!

Realities of Brandi: New Year's Eve Outfit Ideas

I have the beautiful Brandi taking over for me today while I'm boarding the plane to Trinidad in the Caribbean to visit my family and party with friends for NYE. Brandi and I have lots of things in common including the love for wine and dressing in style.

I'll let Brandi take it from here :)
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Hi y'all! I'm Brandi & I blog over at Realities of Brandi. When the lovely Emily asked if I'd be interested in taking over her piece of the internet for a day to do a guest post, of course I said yesss. I love reading Emily's blog & I can honestly say I am a big fan of hers. She's super fun & lives in Florida, the Sunshine State (I loveee beaches) ... Oh how I wish Texas was closer!

Now onto this little post of mine...

I recently became obsessed with Polyvore & this is actually my first collage, woohoo. So I am very pleased to share with all of Emily's readers.

Like most ladies, I n-e-v-e-r know what I want to wear for New Years Eve. It all depends on the party I know, but I am such a girl of comfort. I like to feel good in the outfit I am wearing & cannot stand being in anything too tight or heels that are killing my toesies. I picked 3 GO TO outfits: a dress, skirt, & casual denim.

1// A LBD. You can NEVER go wrong with a little black dress. So simple, yet classy. I LOVE tights, they are perfect for a chilly night & to hide my pale legs. 

2// Sequin skirt. Any bling whatsoever just screams New Years Eve, am I right? I really like the color nude, it goes great with fair or tan skin & looks great on both brunettes & blondes. Gorgeous accessories completely make an outfit, & Kendra Scott jewelry can dress up anything I've learned.

3// A blazer with casual denim. This look is actually my most fave. Like I said, I live for comfort. No matter what dinner party or fancy get together you are at, if you feel good & confident about yourself you can completely rock this outfit & look stunning!

Which outfit is your fave?

Happy NYE to all of you lovely ladies :-)

A Year of 30th Birthday Celebrations

Hi everyone!
I'm off road-tripping to Savannah for the weekend to celebrate my 30th birthday so my good friend Kate is entertaining for me today :-)
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Hey there! My name is Kate and you can find me over on my little corner of the internet at Green Fashionista where I blog about everything from fashion, travel, home decor, recipes, and of course my weekend shenanigans which are usually shenanigans indeed. I'm so happy to be taking over for Emily while she's off celebrating her big birthday with K. 

A lot of us in our group of friends hit the big 3-0 this year and we all celebrated in style from house parties to cruises to the Bahamas. And to round out the 30th b-days this year, we saved the best for last.... Emily who was one of my first friends here in Florida. I'm so thankful for our growing friendship, and love that she joined the wonderful world of blogging last year.

On my birthday, one of our friends "kidnapped me" and took me to the spa where I was treated a wonderful massage gifted to me by Emily and the girls. We then went to lunch and had a martini or two while H got the house ready for my party.

My big pretty pink cake!

Lots of shots were had.....

And just because Emily went away for her big b-day weekend, I hope she knows she's not getting away with all of us celebrating her ;-)

Wishing Emily the BEST birthday ever! Can't wait to celebrate with you soon! Hoping you're enjoying plenty of birthday drinks and cake this weekend.