Greetings from bucolic Rochester, NY, on the shores of Lake (ahem) Ontario! I’m running a conference here through Wednesday for one of my favorite clients. The conference has had 100% of my attention these past couple of weeks, so I haven’t gotten much writing done. Therefore, I’m using this issue to highlight a few things you may or may not have missed: a piece from my Beach Stories archive, my new Society Picks tab, where I curate my top finds for your next escape, and the Substacks keeping my inbox interesting.

The Saltwater Cure

In March of 2023, a conference I planned and ran lost an attendee. She perished when the Airbnb where she was staying burned to the ground. After the stress and work of running a multi-day international conference, and the added weight of navigating the circumstances around the death of an attendee, I needed to get away. I sought the healing properties of the sea.

When we were younger, people who got sick would go bathe in the sea — it was said to cure a multitude of maladies, even the common cold. When I wrap up an intense conference, or an intense year of conferences, I always schedule a trip to the sea, to let the ocean wash over and restore me.

For me, a beach trip isn’t always about going on an adventure. Sometimes, it’s a space to decompress. A natural antidote to a high-pressure line of work.

That March, my refuge was Puerto Rico. I write about the trip, and other beach escapes, in the Beach Stories tab on my Substack.

Have you ever needed a trip just to recover from a stressful event? Tell me about it in the comments.

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Society Picks

Speaking of things that make decompressing easier: I’ve added a product edit to The Hammock Society. It’s called Society Picks. This is where I curate my travel essentials. The 10/10 recommend items I personally pack for every beach getaway, so you won’t have to dig through my posts to find them.

Here are the first three entries.

Hands-Free Luxury

A friend thinks I started the crossbody phone case trend because she’d never seen anyone carrying one before she saw me. Shhh, don’t tell her, but I actually saw it on a celebrity first. Bandolier crossbody phone cases elevate even the t-shirt and shorts I wear to the beach.

The Coolest Sun-Protective Hats

For years, I watched people wear hats into the ocean and wondered why. Then I started noticing premature wrinkles on my face in my 30s, and I understood. Now I wear the Bluestone Sunshields Shorty Lux on the sand and the Softest Visor in the water. Late to the idea, but I’m never going back.

A Flip-Free Hammock to Put the World on Pause

When my great-nephew was ten, he suggested I rename The Hammock Society The Fallen Society, because of my penchant for falling out of hammocks. After a net hammock flung me like a rag doll, I thought I was done with hammocks for good. But on a trip to Costa Rica, I tried the St. Lucia Hammock by Yellow Leaf, and hammocks have since been redeemed in my eyes. The St. Lucia is soft, handwoven, and, most importantly, is designed not to flip or fling you.

What I’m Reading Around Substack

Since reviving the newsletter this year, I’ve spent time diving into the Substack ecosystem. I originally hoped to find Hammock Society-adjacent reads, but I’ve realized The Hammock Society occupies a niche all its own. While I haven’t found another publication quite like it yet, I have found plenty of great Substacks on all kinds of topics. Here are four I read to the end, and recommend:

Mimi’s Substack

Mimi’s Substack

The HERO

It’s so easy to hear terms swirled around and feel disconnected from them until you aren’t. Most recently for me it’s been, “the sandwich generation…

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2 months ago · 20 likes · 6 comments · Mimi

Mimi writes about style, beauty, home, and life, mixing recommendations and personal reflections. Her voice feels like a lifestyle blog that has room for both pretty things and the complicated parts of daily life.

• The post that hooked me: “The HERO: an ode to the sandwich generation” — Being the primary caregiver of my nonagenarian mother, I immediately related to Mimi.

Nom

Nom

The Serum I Didn't Know I Was Waiting For

I've tried more serums than I can count. A decade in beauty will do that to you — bottles pile up, half of them abandoned after two uses, most of them forgotten by the following season. So when I say COSRX's The Niacinamide 15 is the best serum I've ever used, I don't say it lightly…

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a month ago · 8 likes · 2 comments · Nom

Nom writes about beauty and lifestyle, with a personal, everyday approach to the small things that make life feel a little better. Her Substack describes the move from her blog to a space for beauty and lifestyle writing.

• The post that hooked me: “The Serum I Didn’t Know I Was Waiting For” — I bought it immediately.

Extracurricular

Extracurricular

Final File_32

August was a lazy month, so much so that I looked up, realized it was September and essentially went back to sleep, hence the later-than-usual newsletter. After a couple months of being very outside I slowed way down and spent most of the month milling around my apartment doing home projects I’ve been putting off for the better part of a year. I got a n…

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a month ago · 58 likes · 13 comments · Tembe Denton-Hurst

Tembe Denton-Hurst’s Extracurricular is a books and culture newsletter. She brings an author and critic’s eye to what she’s reading and the ideas, people, and culture around it.

• The post that hooked me: “Final File_32: August in review” — I love Tembe’s taste. I already bought the IKEA lamp she mentions in this post and have a bag from another post sitting in my cart.

The World of Too Much

The World of Too Much

I PUT MY SEXY IN A MUSEUM

I think I accidentally retired my sexy…

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13 days ago · 36 likes · 11 comments · Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks’s The World of Too Much is a new, personality-led newsletter about fashion, beauty, business, food, creativity, and reinvention. She imagines it as a world readers can explore, with essays, stories, memories, and lessons.

• A post to check out: “I Put My Sexy in a Museum” — I subscribed because it’s Tyra! I also love her self-deprecating humor. She’s a businesswoman, and I think I can learn a thing or two from her. For example, all her headlines are written in CAPS. Other Substacks I subscribe to can get lost in my inbox. Hers doesn’t. She may be onto something.

Do you read, write, or recommend any Substacks? Drop the links below. Bonus points if they’re Hammock Society-adjacent.

LILY CHROME CROSSBODY PHONE CASE - $158

I’ve been using Bandolier crossbody phone cases for so long that a friend told me she thinks I started the crossbody phone case trend. She’d never seen anyone carrying one before she saw me. Shhh, don’t tell her, but I actually saw it on a celebrity first.

Here’s what I wrote on The Hammock Society blog about the first one I bought, back in 2020:

The Nicole Pebble Leather Crossbody by Bandolier has been my best purchase this summer. It is liberating, like the Knomo London weekend card case I bought eons ago. There are many crossbody bags out there for phones. I looked at quite a few before deciding on the Nicole by Bandolier. The pebbled leather is supple and comfortable, and the gold hardware gives it a bit of a luxe feel. It elevates every outfit, even the t-shirt and shorts I wear to the beach.

I still use that Nicole. Six years later. They don’t even make it anymore.

I’ve never lost my phone while using the crossbody chain. The one time I switched to the wristlet, guess what? I dropped my phone in an Uber. Luckily, the driver was kind enough to return it and didn’t even charge me a fee.

I’m now eyeing this Lily Chrome Set (pictured above) for when I upgrade my phone.

I’ve tried several crossbody phone holders over the years, but I always come back to Bandolier. 10/10 highly recommend!

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ST. LUCIA HAMMOCK · $229

When I started The Hammock Society blog back in 2020, my great-nephew, who was ten at the time, suggested, with absolutely no humorous intent, that I should rename it The Fallen Society. He was referring to my penchant for falling out of hammocks.

The last time I dared to swing in a net hammock, one of my toes got caught in the netting as I tried to dismount, and that thing flung me like a rag doll. But I was lucky. Hammocks sends roughly 3,000 people to the ER each year. So hear me when I say this: if you love hammocks like I do, learn how to get in and out safely.

My favorite is the St. Lucia hammock from Yellow Leaf Hammocks. I had the pleasure of swinging in one at a vacation rental in Costa Rica, and it has been high on my list ever since. It’s soft, handwoven and designed not to flip or wobble, especially appealing to someone with my history. I can’t wait to hang one in my own backyard one day.

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Last week was my birthday week, so I took a break from creating new content. Instead, I’m sharing a video and post from the archives. I wrote this after a milestone birthday trip to Clearwater Beach and Caladesi Island in 2021, so some details may have changed. Check the Caladesi Island State Park website for current access and conditions.

This year, I’ll be celebrating with my niece in Aruba at the end of the month. She doesn’t know it yet, but this is “our” birthday trip.

I knew I wanted to spend my birthday at the beach, but I didn’t decide on Clearwater Beach, Florida, until about a week beforehand. It meant I wouldn’t have to contend with COVID-19 testing hoopla, and it put me close to Caladesi Island State Park, one of the few untouched islands along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Miles of pristine white sand and an uncrowded sea with gentle, lapping waves. The world was emerging from a pandemic, I had left my full-time job, and I was entering a new decade of life. It seemed like the ideal place to spend my birthday reflecting on this new milestone and planning for the year ahead.

After breakfast on Friday, my birthday, I made a playlist of my favorite Neo-Soul artists, heavy on Jill Scott, packed a lunch and bottled water, and set out for Caladesi Island with one of my sisters. At the time, I’d read that you could walk there from Clearwater Beach, but since we didn’t know the route, we felt safer taking an Uber to Honeymoon Island and catching the ferry.

The ferry ride took about 15 minutes. Along the way, I snapped photos of the mangroves and a flock of white pelicans. No dolphins, though. I had hoped to see a few.

When we got off the ferry, we went straight to the beach. Our time on the island was limited, so as much as I would have liked to explore the nature trails, I had to save them for another visit. We rented chairs and an umbrella and set about learning the Stingray Shuffle, which is really a thing. I spent the first hour or so walking along the shore, collecting seashells and building up the courage to shuffle into the water.

When I finally went in, I stayed close to shore, thinking it would help me avoid a stingray encounter. Then a helpful beachgoer informed me that the stingrays often return to the shore when they think the coast is clear. So much for that plan.

I suppose I should have read Myrtle Scharrer Betz’s memoir, Yesteryear I Lived in Paradise, about her childhood on Caladesi Island. There was a well-read copy in the nightstand drawer of my room at the Sandpearl Resort. Her stories of growing up on the island might have prepared me better for my day there.

However, in the end, Caladesi was exactly what I needed for my birthday. I got the sun, sand, sea and time to reflect that I had come for.

I also got plenty of mosquito bites and ant stings, despite not going on the nature trails, but I didn’t get stung by a stingray.

Happy Birthday to me!

I learned pretty early that sticking to three colors creates a world of combinations. It’s the whole premise behind a capsule wardrobe, although I didn’t intentionally set out to create one. It happened because I needed to pack quickly and often with very little forethought. That approach has trickled into my vacation wardrobe as well: black, white, navy and denim, with whatever little additional color added coming from my swimsuit and accessories.

For years, I’ve thought about adding more color. Then I start thinking about coordinating everything and give up. Recently, I saw a social media post where a fashion influencer talked about using the Wada Sanzo Colors App, based on the book, A Dictionary of Color Combinations, to combine colors in unexpected ways in her wardrobe. So influenced, I downloaded the app and bought the color seasons right away. I learned from it that I already have a good sense of color coordination, but I still didn’t know what to buy to incorporate the colors into my existing wardrobe.

Then I stumbled upon the Substack of Tibi creator Amy Smilovic and her article about “color math” and the Tibi Color Wheel.

What is the Tibi Color Wheel?

The basic idea is that colors fall into four rings depending on the mood they bring to an outfit.

• Ring 1: Black. Strong and harsh.

• Ring 2: Classic neutrals. Brown, grey, tan and navy. Predictable, sharp and describable.

• Ring 3: The no-name colors that function as neutrals. Caramel, pecan, sage. The colors where we can all look at the same thing and come up with a different name.

• Ring 4: Saturated colors, both brights and pastels. Baby yellow, lavender, magenta, cobalt.

Then you combine the rings to create a mood.

• 1 + 2 is dependable.

• 1 + 4 is bold, sometimes to the point of harsh.

• 2 + 4 is classic with the volume turned up.

So how do I move from a lifetime of 1 + 2 to something closer to 2 + 4?

Digging into more of Amy Smilovic’s content, I found another way she talks about color that made even more sense to me. Instead of four rings, think about three categories.

• Neutrals are your foundation. For me, that’s black, white, denim and a little beige tossed in with a raffia bag or hat.

• Without Fail Colors are the colors you know look good on you and make you feel like yourself every time you wear them. Mine is wine. The color, not the drink, although…A Ralph Lauren salesman once stood me in front of a mirror and showed me how good I look in orange. I now own half a dozen orange sweaters, but orange still doesn’t feel like me.

• In-and-Out Colors are the colors you love for a season. For me, that’s red in the winter, and blue in all shades all summer long.

So how does that translate into my beach wardrobe?

Applying Color Math to the Packing List

Tibi’s packing advice to pack “ingredients,” not predetermined outfits appealed to me because it showed me how to incorporate color into my existing capsule. I don’t have to build an entirely new, perfectly color-coordinated wardrobe, which I had dreaded. I can keep the neutral foundation I already own and add color, going forward, one “ingredient” at a time.

So for my upcoming Aruba trip, I don’t have to buy a new beach wardrobe. I can’t afford to, and honestly, I wouldn’t want to. What I have checks the comfortable, confident and happy boxes. But if I had to change one thing, it would be this BCBG dress I bought to wear with those Alaia dupe sandals to my niece’s birthday dinner.

I could buy something like this Simon Miller dress instead.

Here’s a nice red one. I like this dress because I could wear it again throughout the holiday season at home.

This one is already in my cart. I couldn’t resist the price, and it’s probably the best example of what I’m trying to achieve. But, I’m not sure it’s the most flattering cut for my body type, so it may stay in the cart.

Doesn’t this dress look like what that Project Runway contestant was trying to do when he put Liris Crosse in that dress that made her cry? Maybe this was the vision.

This shirt, this skirt. I will be tracking these for a sale. I like the skirt in black and white too.

Or, hear me out, I could keep the BCBG dress, add a pair of red kitten heels and call it a day. The W.S. Color App scanner suggested accenting it with red, so maybe changing my shoes is all I need to do. I already have a pair in mind that’s been sitting in my Amazon cart for ages.

Shortly after I wrote this post, I got a text from my niece: “Birthday dinner guests wear white or champagne!” So, that’s going to be a hunt for another day.

After exploring color wheels, color apps and ring theories all week, I have a better idea of how to add color to my wardrobe. The Wada Sanzo app showed me combinations beyond the basics, and Tibi showed me how to bring those colors into the capsule I already pack, one “ingredient” at a time. Now I feel a little more confident about how to add more color to my travel wardrobe, and I can’t wait to go shopping for future trips.

Speaking of future trips…

If my post last week about learning Spanish inspired you, boy, do I have a treat for you. I stumbled upon this Substack newsletter, Beach Bi-Weekly. I clicked on it because of the name thinking it was about the beach, but it’s just a play on the author’s last name. But once inside, I saw a post titled “Learning Spanish.” That got my attention. There is no shortage of resources for learning Spanish, but this one makes me want to book a one-way ticket to Argentina.

Your turn: Which combinations of Color Math or color categories do you use most often? Let’s discuss in the comments!

SOFTEST VISOR · $30

For years, I wondered why people wore hats into the ocean. Well, when I started seeing pre-mature wrinkles on my face in my 30s, I understood pretty quickly.

I can’t undo the sun damage from all those years of not protecting my face, but I can stop adding to it. So, in addition to sunscreen, I never head to the beach without a sun-protective hat. Both of mine are from Bluestone Sunshields, a brand I use and highly recommend. I wear the Shorty Lux on the sand and the Softest Visor in the water.

And yes, I actually swim in it. When my face is in the water, I flip it backward, the way guys wear their baseball caps. No more post-beach-vacation skin regrets for this gal.

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One of the plans I made when I left Aruba last December was to learn Spanish. I planned to return one day, possibly for an extended stay. While I was there, I met a young woman at Passions who spent her winters in Aruba, and she wasn’t a wealthy heiress. She was a digital nomad, about the same age as my niece. I asked for her realtor’s business card because I would genuinely like to do that one day.

Aruba is a Dutch island, but it has a large Venezuelan immigrant population, and outside of hospitality, there are plenty of Spanish speakers who don’t speak English. So I thought it would be good to seriously learn Spanish.

But first I had to figure out which Spanish. Venezuelan Spanish? Puerto Rican Spanish? Mexican Spanish? Honduran Spanish? Castilian Spanish? Spanglish? The possibilities are endless.

I knew I didn’t want to make the same mistake I made on my first trip to Portugal. I practiced the little Portuguese I had learned for the trip on a taxi driver, who smiled and said, in perfect English, “That’s Brazilian Portuguese.”

I settled on Latin American Spanish because there’s a greater chance my next beach vacation will be Panama or Belize rather than Tenerife. IYKYK.

I’ve been using Mango Languages. You can get a free membership through your library, and my library is part of the program, so I signed up. So far, what I’m really liking about Mango is that it gives you the phonetic pronunciations of the words, but it feels like I’m back in 10th grade Spanish class.

So, I’m also using Language Transfer, which I discovered on SoundCloud. Language Transfer teaches you to actually think your way through a language instead of memorizing a bunch of vocabulary and grammar rules. And it’s free! So I’ve been listening to it at the gym.

That and Bad Bunny. “Perreo, baby… hasta abajo, baby.”

Recently, I saw someone on social media recommend Destinos, a 52-episode telenovela from the ’90s that was actually created to teach Spanish as you watch. I was having a lazy Sunday last weekend, so I put it on and had the best nap ever. Not sure I learned any Spanish, but I’ll try again this Sunday.

I’ve also been thinking I should invest in a pair of the Apple AirPods with Live Translation. I was once seated next to a guy on a flight who spent a good 20 minutes explaining why his AirPods Pro were better than my Bose over-the-ear noise-canceling headphones.

Only one of us ended up crawling around the airplane floor mid-flight looking for an earbud, though, so I didn’t make the switch. But for Live Translation? I may get a pair. I’m thinking that hearing the language translated in real time might help me learn faster and better too.

I don’t know if I’ll ever have the opportunity to live part of the year in Aruba, but if I do, you bet I’ll be hablando español like a native Venezuelan.

A Well-Traveled Towel

Speaking of things that translate well from travel into daily life. See what I did there?

I’ve heard it said that “the testament of a really good beach towel is whether it has a life beyond the beach.”

One of my sisters gave me a Fouta towel for Christmas 11 years ago. It’s light and packs down to nothing. It’s also quick-drying, and I can wear it as a sarong. I’ve used this towel at the beach, at the community pool, and at home too. These days, it’s draped over the ottoman end of my sectional to protect it against dirty feet because, well, it’s raggedy. I need a new towel.

The one my sister gave me is from a Balinese designer who no longer sells retail, and I can’t even find them to buy anywhere.

This Mayde NOOSA Towel is the closest match I’ve found. Except mine is a vibrant print similar to this Zara scarf.

I didn’t find the towel on the Zara website, but I did find this linen-blend scarf for my upcoming Aruba trip. It has already arrived, and the ivory background is more of a warm beige, but all the colors work nicely with my existing wardrobe. I could probably wear it as a sarong, but I definitely couldn’t use it as a towel.

The towel I found that I think would be the best replacement is this Robbie Fouta Towel from the Sézane x Inoui Editions collaboration. At $105, it probably is a good investment considering I’ll hopefully use it for years to come, but I’ve been struggling to pull the lever. I keep thinking I can find something similar for less than half that price. In the meantime, they’re selling out before my eyes.

The Songs That Take Me Back

I’ve been playing Naomi Sharon’s “I Know” on repeat lately. I’ve already added my favorites from her album No Sleep in Paradise to my beach soundtrack for my upcoming trip. Last trip, I had Freetown Collective’s “Kaya” and “Take Me Home” on heavy rotation. When I play them now, I’m back in Aruba. That’s why I make a playlist for every trip. Long after the vacation is over, the music can take me right back. I have a feeling “I Know” will become the core memory for this one.

Your turn: What’s something from your vacation that turned out to have a life beyond the beach?

There’s a slight chill in the air these mornings, which means it’s time to start thinking about Christmas vacation. Every year, I try to go someplace warm and sunny for Christmas break, because the only white Christmas I’m interested in is a white sand beach.

But this year, I’m going to Aruba in October to celebrate with my niece, so my bank account is saying, “Honey, you better make that October trip count as Christmas vacation.”

And most days, I have to agree. Still, that hasn’t stopped me from looking.

Last year, I managed to squeeze out a last minute, high-value points trip, so naturally I started looking around to see if I could pull off something similar this year. That’s how I discovered that several all-inclusive resorts in Tenerife participate in IHG One Rewards and were still accepting award bookings over the holidays.

And just like that, I was planning Christmas in the Canary Islands.

When I plan a beach vacation, my goal is always to be ten toes deep in hot sand, so a destination selling “winter sun” wouldn’t normally get a second look from me unless it was doing something wonderful for my budget.

Tenerife averages around 72°F in December, well below my preferred beach-vacation temperature of 80 degrees, air and water. But it gets plenty of sunshine, and a quick search turned up enough interesting non-beach activities that I started thinking it might actually work. I even booked my hotel right away because I didn’t want to risk the award nights disappearing while I made up my mind.

The Game Plan

I would check into a Star Prestige Sea View room at the Iberostar Selection Sábila in Costa Adeje, on the south side of the island, which is generally sunnier in December. It’s near Fañabé Beach, the oceanfront promenade and local shops, and it’s adults-only. The rooms are bright, modern and, thankfully carpet-free, because my dust allergy does not always agree with hotel carpeting. Star Prestige also means a room on one of the higher floors, along with access to the rooftop infinity pool and loungers.

I’d plan to spend plenty of time at the hotel, on the promenade, hanging out near the ocean, and getting in a spa treatment or two. I’d also plan a couple of day trips.

I’d like to see Los Gigantes and spend the day on one of the neighboring black-sand beaches. I’d spend an afternoon in La Orotava tasting volcanic wines, then take a drive through Masca, a tiny village tucked into a volcanic valley surrounded by ravines and palm trees. One evening, I’d head up to Mount Teide National Park for sunset and stay after dark for some can’t-miss stargazing.

And since I’d be there over Christmas, I’d also make time for a concert or wander through La Orotava and La Laguna to see the holiday markets, nativity scenes and Christmas lights.

The Reality Check

Winter sun sounds wonderfully seductive until you remember that winter sun is still, in fact, winter.

Scroll back up for a second and notice that I said I planned to hang out near the ocean, not in it. In December, Tenerife’s seas can be rough, the undertow can be dangerous, and the wind makes getting out of the water flat-out cold.

And if that wasn’t enough, I found this influencer’s Instagram video from Tenerife last December. Her itinerary was similar to mine, and what really stood out to me was that in almost every scene she’s wearing a winter coat. My beach-vacation wardrobe is built around swimsuits and shorts. And shorts, I learned, are apparently something only tourists wear in Tenerife in December.

Then I started looking for Christmas-specific things to do and discovered that the holiday atmosphere is a little more understated than I had hoped. Tenerife has lighted streets, holiday events, and a local crafts market, but it doesn’t have the big Christmas markets or the holiday energy of some other European destinations. None of that sounds bad. It just doesn’t sound all that great either.

The Verdict

Tenerife sounds breathtakingly lovely, and I can’t wait to visit. But I’d probably enjoy the wine, the mountains, the villages and the dramatic coastline a lot more in the summer months, when I can enjoy the ocean too.

So my bank account’s argument that I should stay home this Christmas is getting increasingly difficult to ignore. Tenerife isn’t off the table yet though. Almost serendipitously, TAP Air Portugal had a sale to Europe last week, and I came very close to buying the airfare. But instead I’ve decided to hold out for a “suite” deal somewhere hot.

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In My Tenerife Beach Bag

A December beach vacation in Tenerife requires a few things that are not currently on my beach packing list.

A festive dress. Okay, every Christmas beach vacation needs one. I’m adding this one because it just screams party in Spain to me.

Trail walking shoes: I never jumped on the Salomon bandwagon, but Tenerife may be the trip that finally gets me hitched. I just love this colorway.

A transitional jacket. I like this jacket. This is along the lines of the type of jacket I would want to wear while I’m there, and I’d bring a packable jacket too. Like this bright red Nellie puffer, that I love, in case I need something lighter and more hike friendly.

Fleece lined or Knit Leggings. This is starting to feel more après-ski than après-sun, but everything I’ve read about Tenerife in December tells me I’d be perfectly comfortable in a pair of Varley knit leggings.

While scrolling Reddit recently, I came across a thread on resort wardrobe aesthetics. One user described her aspiration as ‘bored heiress,’ and then shared a capsule wardrobe so good I immediately bookmarked it. It wasn’t just the formula I admired, it was how effortlessly she had nailed her aesthetic.

We all buy clothes for the women we imagine we’ll become on vacation. For years, I packed long, flowing kaftans and wide-legged palazzo pants for the beach, only to end up feeling less like a social siren and more like Maude.

Then one afternoon at the beach, I saw a woman wearing a pair of white chino shorts and a navy-blue button-down, open just enough to reveal her bikini top. In a sea of colorful kaftans and crochet cover-ups, she stood out. Her dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, her hands were tucked into her pockets and she had an easy laugh. She looked comfortable, confident and completely at home in what she was wearing, and I wanted to be her.

After that day, I stopped shopping for the woman I thought I would become on vacation and started buying beachwear and swimwear that made me feel comfortable and confident, so I could be myself, just at the beach. I call my aesthetic The Unbothered Regular.

For me, that means less loud, high-drama, main-character dressing and more clothes that are comfortable, easy and can take me through an entire vacation day. I want to move from the the pool, to the beach, to the bar, and into town without needing three or four wardrobe changes.

That is the woman I’m shopping for now.

Naming her changed the way I shop. I can see a fire dress and instantly recognize that it belongs to someone else’s vacation. A dramatic hat? Maybe. A crochet thong bikini set? Absolutely not. An interesting sandal? A structured tote? Now we’re talking.

Before buying anything for vacation, I ask myself three questions:

1. Would I wear this at home? No? Then the cost-per-wear must be super low.

2. Can I actually move through a full day in it? If I don’t have a planned special event, it’s staying in the store.

3. Does pulling this off require me to become a completely different person? No? Then it’s coming home with me.

Do you have a resort wardrobe aesthetic? What is it? And how do you shop for her? I would love to hear it.

My Unbothered Picks

I’ve written about my beach wardrobe formula before, so rather than give you another formula piece, here are a few things I’ve already bought, along with a few I’m shopping for my upcoming trip.

I was looking for a pair of vintage-y black shorts under $40, which is harder than it sounds. Or at least, harder than it should be. I decided to shop Macy’s because Delta was offering 7 miles per $1 spent, which turned out to be a very good decision. All Levi’s are on sale at Macy’s this week, so I bought a pair of Women’s 501 Button Fly High-Rise in Hit Escape (pictured above), and I also picked up this pair for less than $18. I love end-of-season sales!

I read somewhere that if you need a belt, you should size down in your pants. Maybe. But what if you just like belts? I really like this faux-croc leather belt from Mango. I just wish it came with a silver buckle too.

Here’s a cute cotton crochet cover-up from Soma Swim. I like the Coconut, but the black maxi version is nice too if you want something a little more dramatic.

I love the back on this swimsuit. I love the front too, but the back is what sold me.

I also like this pool pareo. It comes in black and white, but I prefer the black. There’s a longer version I’ve been eyeing too. I’ve been watching both for a sale. I found the short one on eBay for $40, but I’m still holding out for a price in the twenties.

I finally bought these balloon pants after waiting for them to go on sale. I probably could have held out a little longer, but I didn’t want to risk my size selling out. I’m also keeping an eye on this pair by Sanctuary. They look like they’d be perfect for travel.

In November 2020, at the height of the pandemic and completely stir-crazy, I booked a trip to Cancun, Mexico, because Mexico was open and it was cheap. I started at the Mahekal Beach Resort and Spa in Playa del Carmen, which I booked because of the hammocks. Each room came with two.

I was one of only a handful of guests at the resort, which meant I had most of the amenities almost entirely to myself. There was also a full-service spa at my disposal, so naturally, I booked a couple of treatments. One of them was a pedicure. It would be my last professional pedicure.

When I returned home the following week, I discovered that eight out of my ten toenails had a fungus. I’m not blaming the spa or the pedicure, because who knows where I picked it up. After checking out of Mahekal, I went to Holbox, Mexico, and spent two nights at another resort I’ll have to tell you about someday.

Wherever it came from, one thing is certain: I would spend the next five and a half years fighting it.

I saw a podiatrist. I got the pills, the creams, the serums, the foot soaks. I spent hours on Reddit, where someone suggested using bleach. Yes, bleach. I found a Harvard article that recommended soaking your feet in Listerine and using Lamisil, so I tried that too. And every time I thought I had gotten rid of the fungus, and relaxed my efforts, it came roaring back.

Then one day on Reddit, I came across a post where someone recommended ozonated hemp oil. So far, it’s the only thing that has actually worked and kept the fungus at bay.

My preferred brand is Pur O3, which also makes a toe and nail support oil. This was the first ozonated hemp oil I tried. I’ve since bought cheaper versions on Amazon that work just as well and smell just as bad. Be warned. It stinks!

These days, I do my own pedicures, and it shows. A woman stared at my feet so hard when I was in Aruba last December that I felt like a self-conscious, awkward 14-year-old.

I’ve now come to appreciate closed-toe sandals, and I am in love with the current fishnet and mesh shoe trend. They provide just the right amount of camouflage for exposed toes with questionable pedicures.

The OG, Alaia Black Fishnet Mules are my dream pair of this style, but the price, for me, is a nightmare. I found a dupe on Amazon that almost feels too good to be true. I bought it immediately, and now I’m waiting for the ponies to arrive with it. Shipping is literally 30 days! I’ll report back when they get here. We’ll see if this was a score or a $40 lesson learned, like that bag I bought from a questionable online vendor some years ago that never arrived.

UPDATE: My sandals are here! They’re super comfortable and definitely not the same quality as the Alaïa mules, but considering I bought them for Aruba and may never wear them again, I’m perfectly fine with what I paid.

When I saw the Nola Mule Slide by Sam Edelman earlier this summer, I bought them in black and gold. Sam Edelman has never done me wrong. Do you have a brand like that? The one you can order in a pinch without worrying about whether they will fit, be comfortable, or look good on your feet?

I also bought these, in white, from Nine West for my upcoming Aruba trip. Can we say, beach day slay? I can wear these on the sand without fear, because I only paid $35 for them (marked down from $85).

I’ve also recently unlocked a love for sneakers. When I arrived at the airport for our trip to Lisbon wearing a pair of orthopedic Vionic sneakers, my friend, Sharon, made sure our first stop in Lisbon was Colombo Mall. There I bought a pair of Adidas Sambas OG in the Cloud White colorway.

Adidas really “ate” with these, as the cool kids say. I’ve seen these shoes on feet all over the world.

More recently, I bought a pair of vintage Superstars (pictured above). I thought they’d go great with a billowy black linen dress I also recently purchased. It’s a really nice chunky shoe that looks great with a full skirted dress, but not on me, so back they went.

I replaced them with the Silver Metallic Samba OG . These I’ve been wanting ever since I spotted them on the feet of a very well-put-together woman in an elevator at an Atlanta hotel.

So, nearly six years after my last professional pedicure in Playa del Carmen, I still haven’t had another one. And I miss them so badly. But the anxiety I get when I walk into a salon and see those little basins. I’d rather walk around with bad, home done pedicures and get stared at like a creature from the deep.

And because I’m clearly still shopping for my upcoming Aruba trip: what shoes are you loving right now? Especially if they’re cute, comfortable and capable of hiding a bad pedicure without looking like that’s the goal.

Links encouraged.

Scrolling through Hulu one day, I stumbled upon If It’s Tuesday, It’s Murder, a Spanish-language mystery-comedy set in Lisbon, Portugal. I highly recommend it if you like cozy murder mysteries and don’t mind the English dubbing because, whew, those voices. Think Only Murders in the Building but without all the cussing. And it’s set in Lisbon — my most loved European city.

But the real reason I watched the show is that, in the preview, the opening scene featured a yellow carry-on. So, yes, I basically started watching this show to get a closer look at a suitcase the same color as Lisbon’s Tram 28. If this isn’t the most perfect tourism advertisement, I don’t know what is.

I paused the show, took a screenshot of the bag and figured I’d find it with a quick Google Lens search. Well, yeah, more fool me. I went down so many rabbit holes of Spanish brands, Portuguese brands, American brands. And let me tell you, there are a lot of yellow suitcases out there. Just not this one. I couldn’t find it anywhere. I even briefly considered creating an LLM agent to assist with the search.

But then I pulled back and asked myself, why do I want this bag so badly?

I was reminded of a poem I read many years ago. I’m sorry to say I don’t remember the name of the poem or the poet, but there’s a line that has stayed with me: “‘Who had wanted release from her own life?’ And heard her name like the driving rain.”

My life has been so decidedly not fun these past couple of years that somehow I’ve convinced myself a yellow suitcase would change it. And, frankly, I’m willing to gamble on that.

This golden yellow carry-on suitcase by the Australian brand Globite is my top pick aesthetically. It’s the closest I’ve found to the suitcase in the show, but I do prefer luggage with a pocket for a laptop and smaller electronics, so I don’t have to carry a laptop bag as my personal item. I’d much rather carry a tote, like the Tory Burch Racer Tote in tan, which is a pretty good Goyard dupe.

The American Tourister Bon Air Dlx was my second runner-up, but I couldn’t find this color for sale stateside. And after looking at it more closely, it does feel a little old-fashioned. My other picks, the American Tourister Air Move Carry On in Sunset Yellow and the Ricardo Cambria Hardside Carry-On Spinner in Mango Tango, felt like good compromises, but neither one was exactly happy-inducing.

So, I ended up purchasing the B|Y by Bric’s Expandable Carry-On with Pocket in Mango. It’s such a departure from my all-black Antler and Away luggage sets, but It does make me happy even if it isn’t life changing.

What’s making you happy today? Comment below.

Christmas night. The presents unwrapped. The food and desserts devoured. I sat down to rewatch season one of Death In Paradise while searching for flights to Aruba. I wanted to book four nights between Christmas and New Year’s, but it was high season and airfare from New York was four figures.

Someone on Meta Threads suggested searching for seven nights instead. “Then change your return flight once you’re there. It’ll be cheaper overall.” It was, and I got a $9 refund too. Thank you, stranger on the internet!

I also booked four nights at the Voco Surfside Hotel by IHG using points. The hotel—formerly Talk of the Town—had reopened just two days earlier, so I landed a freshly renovated room for pennies.

Voco is a four-minute drive from the airport and directly across from Surfside Beach, which happens to be my least favorite beach in Aruba. I would have preferred a four-star beachfront hotel on Palm or Eagle Beach with chair-side service, but nightly rates started at $500, with the most expensive coming in at $6,000 a night.

Booking a non-resort hotel made me aware, daily, of how much things actually cost. I’ve returned from beach trips in the past and added everything up afterward, always surprised by the total. This time, the math was unavoidable.

More importantly, it forced me out of one place and into many. I met far more people than I would have if I’d stayed at a resort the entire time. I had long, unfiltered conversations with strangers about marriage, children, aging parents, and the general feeling that the world as we know it is ending.

I also had plenty of conversations about beaches, hotels, excursions, restaurants, and TikTok recommendations.

I chose a different beach every day. On my last trip to Aruba in 2021, I stayed at the RIU on Palm Beach and never left the property. This time, without having resort amenities or a swimmable beach nearby, I decided to explore as much of the island’s beaches as possible during my stay.

There’s no Uber or Lyft in Aruba, and most taxis are cash only. I recommend withdrawing at least $500 before leaving the U.S.; island ATMs charge $5–$10 per withdrawal. Buy a bus pass if you are on the bus line. Taxis are expensive. Better yet, rent a car. It’s about $350 for the week, and especially during the holidays, when buses run less frequently and taxis are scarce, it’s worth it. Traffic is manageable, parking is plentiful and free, and the autonomy can’t be beat.

Because my hotel wasn’t in the main hotel area, I walked about twelve minutes each morning to the nearest bus stop and back again at night. This is how I discovered The West Deck Restaurant, where I had an excellent fish dinner one evening, with a side of Johnny cakes to go.

When I mentioned how I was getting around Aruba to my sister, she said she’d rather I go broke paying for taxis but stay safe.

I never felt unsafe.

The only “incident” I encountered was a car full of young men pulling alongside me to get my attention, quickly realizing I was old enough to be their grandmother, and driving off.

On my first full day, I went to a popular local hangout, Arashi Beach. The seabed at Arashi was too rocky for me. After the fifth time hitting my toe on a rock, I packed up and headed to Eagle Beach.

The next day, at Palm Beach near Moomba Beach Bar, I intended to rent a chair and umbrella, but three cruise ships were in port and they were out of rentals. In retrospect, it worked out. The water had too much sargassum for my liking, so I packed up and went to Eagle Beach.

See a pattern? No matter where I started my day, I ended up at Eagle Beach.

It had the clearest water and the most breathing room, people-wise. I had early dinners two evenings at the Tik Tok recommended Passions on the Beach on Eagle Beach. The staff at Amsterdam Manor across the street were gracious and accommodating. They let me use their restroom both evenings because the bathroom situation at Passions was… not it.

One afternoon, while on Eagle Beach, I walked to Super Food, the island’s massive grocery store that locals and visitors alike swear by. I planned to stock up on water and snacks, but the checkout lines were too long to justify the savings.

Instead, I joined the line outside at the Oliebollen tent. Oliebollen are Dutch holiday doughnuts traditionally eaten around New Year’s. I tried both versions, with and without raisins. The plain one tasted like a funnel cake.

Later that night, I mentioned this to an Aruban man at the bar across from my hotel. I told him “I tried Oliebollen today.” He nodded and said, “That’s something the Dutch eat for the holidays.”

Dear reader, he was Dutch.

Second to Eagle Beach for me was Mangel Halto. It was quieter, calmer, and far enough removed from the holiday crowds that it didn’t feel like a tourist trap.

I went there on New Year’s Day. I didn’t make any resolutions this year. My last post in this newsletter was January 2024, and I’ve since learned that resolutions don’t work for me. Instead, I reflected on the year that had passed and did a spiritual check-in with God. Then I went for a dip.

Afterward, I packed up and returned, yes, again, to Eagle Beach.

I skipped Passions that night because it was my last night on the island. I booked a sunset cruise and ended the evening with dinner at Smokey Joe’s in Palm Beach. Having a really good meal on the last night of a trip cannot be overstated. I will fondly recall that grilled mahi-mahi with red beans and rice, and hot pepper sauce, for a long while.

Things I would do differently next time:

• Stay on Eagle Beach.

• Rent a car.

• Visit San Nicolas and Baby Beach.

• Eat at O’Neils in San Nicolas. I was told that their rice and peas, jerk chicken and oxtails are worth the trip.

• Visit more local spots so I can have more conversations with locals.

• Learn Spanish. It was very hard communicating with some of the locals and any hospitality staff who were not working the front desk or restaurants.

• Go to a resort spa. I did manage to squeeze in a massage at Spa Citro Eagle Beach. It was less expensive but also less enjoyable. The room was freezing cold. To the point that I wished I had socks. And the massage was just okay.

Lucky me, I get to do it all again this October when I return to Aruba to celebrate my niece’s milestone birthday. Have you ever been to Aruba? What did I miss that I should try next time, and please don’t say Flamingo Island.

Ayo!

THE HAMMOCK SOCIETY TRAVEL TIP

Book a trip to Aruba. From NYC, JetBlue is the way to go. I don’t know if the tip I got from a stranger on Meta Threads would work every time, but I’m really glad it worked this time.

Fortunately, my family decided to revive our annual Secret Santa gift exchange for the adults, which meant I only had to buy one present for an adult. So, I gifted the sibling, whose name I pulled, a SodaStream Terra Sparkling Water Maker so they can enjoy seltzer water whenever they want (which is often). As for me, I was thrilled to receive the Tatcha Prime & Glow Trio from my holiday wish list. It’s going to be a shiny year!

🛍️ Latest Shopping: Swimsuits

Friends. True friends are hard to find. The ones that would tap you gently on your shoulder and tell you to turn your pantyhose inside out to avoid the swishing sound your thighs make as you walk. They also know when to withhold criticism to protect your joy, like when you wore a vintage Body Glove swimsuit on vacation, and they told you that you looked like a young Kris Jenner. But, as they get older, they may become forgetful and one day fondly recall said trip by saying, “Remember that time you wore that vintage Body Glove swimsuit, and asked me how you looked? and I said, ‘Like Bruce Jenner trying on his wife’s clothes?’”

As much as I love going to the beach, I dread shopping for swimsuits. My sister recently pointed out that I have been vacationing in the same swimsuit for almost eight years now (hey, when you find the one, you stick with it). It took me several bad shopping experiences to figure out which swimsuit styles flatter my body shape. I also discovered through many try-on sessions the materials and designs that accentuate my best features and downplay my less favorable ones (recycled plastic is a big no-no). While mirrors are helpful, pictures are even better for seeing how you look in a swimsuit. It’s better to take a picture of yourself in the privacy of your own home to see how you truly look in the suit, rather than finding out from the pictures your friends tag you in on social media.

For me, ‘the one’ is a one-piece swimsuit with the following features:

1. Ruching or a tummy-minimizing pattern.

2. Good cup support (because I can’t pull off braless wonder as well as I did in my 20s).

3. Draws attention to my assets (my back and legs).

4. And timeless (because I plan to wear it forever).

This means that as crazy as I am about the popcorn swimsuits at Hunza G, Bond-Eye, and Mara Hoffman, if I want to avoid the fitting room blues, I need to shop Tory Burch, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Cupshe, La Blanca, and Tommy Bahama. And my friends can tell me the truth when I ask: “How do I look?”

(Yes, I have had a conversation with my friend about getting her memory checked, but she recalls it differently).

👙 8 Steps to Resetting Your Swimsuit Body

1. Eat nothing between meals.

2. Eat nothing after 3 pm.

3. Eat no free fats.

4. Eat no form of animal products.

5. Eat more raw food.

6. Eat fewer varieties at each meal (3-4).

7. Eat no concentrated (refined) foods.

8. Exercise moderately after each meal.

It’s January, and although we may deny it, we all make New Year's resolutions. I personally don’t see any harm in setting goals for the new year. This year, I have two; to permanently change my eating habits and adopt a plant-based diet.

Back in January 2020, I came across the above-listed eight steps in this article on the Uchee Pines Institute website, which explains how to lower your body’s recognized set point for weight and cholesterol. Intrigued, I decided to give it a try. By March of that year, I had successfully lost 13 pounds, and I may have lost 13 more, had the city not gone into lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. One morning, I walked into the kitchen and saw a bunch of overripe bananas on the counter, and decided to make banana bread. And thus endeth the journey to lower my set point.

However, despite how terribly I’ve eaten since then, I’ve only regained eight pounds. So this January, I’m restarting this plan with the hope of sticking with it until I get to my true set point. I want to make another goal of updating my progress here, but don’t hold me to it.

If your New Year resolutions include losing weight or getting healthy overall, check out the Counseling Sheets on the Uchee Pines website. So much good information!

📚 What I’m Reading

I got into British cozy murder mysteries last year. Thanks to Acorn and Britbox! Currently, I’m reading The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. According to the back cover:

The investigations of four elderly – and mostly amateur – sleuths as they put their skills together to solve crimes and bring justice to the Cooper Chase Retirement Village and beyond.

Think Aurora Teagarden Mysteries, but with Septuagenarians. This is the kind of book I want to take to read at the beach. Nothing too soul-stirring or emotional. It’s also the kind of book I want to read in January (it’s just as enjoyable, read from under a Sherpa blanket on a snowy evening).

I found the canvas bag I want to take on my next beach vacation, and I found it while randomly scrolling through the Instagram account of a Spanish influencer. It gives the Little Liffner Stripe Tote look for less, and it’s canvas like the A.P.C. Diane Canvas Tote that I’ve been eyeing on Gilt. Unfortunately, it’s no longer available on the brand’s website, so I ordered it from an online shop that I am now a little wary about and I’m really glad I used PayPal for this transaction. It remains to be seen whether I receive this bag. If it arrives, I’ll share the link, so bookmark this post for an update.

When I wasn’t stalking Spanish influencers on Instagram, I was filling my Amazon cart with nearly every product recommended by Dr. Julian Sass, sunscreen specialist and Head of Research and Development at 4.5.6. Skin.

I stumbled upon Julian’s website this week on my never-ending quest for sunscreen for Melanin-rich skin. Julian has personally tested hundreds of sunscreens and created an SPF database on his website Skin by Scamander14. What got me excited was that he and I share the same skin phototype (Fitzpatrick Scale 5/6). So I’ve decided to try some of his favorite products and will report on my experience after my next beach trip. Julian’s recommendations, however, are not exclusive to Melanin-rich skin. You can check them out here.

🛍️ Latest Shopping

I once read a feature on a now-defunct blog about a photographer who packed only white gauzy mini-dresses for her beach trips. She wore them over her swimsuits as cover-ups, for apres-sun drinks, and in the evenings for dinner. She referred to them as her “angel dresses.” Even though I read this article many years ago, it has always stayed with me as the epitome of effortless beach chic.

I’m a strong believer in having a wardrobe formula when packing for a beach vacation - it makes packing a breeze! It also makes spontaneous trips more achievable. I’m already aware of what I’m going to be putting in my suitcase - the items of clothing that’ll enable me to dress for function and for my own enjoyment.

My go-to beach outfit formula is denim shorts paired with a tank top or tee that doubles as a swimsuit cover-up. Flip-flops or slides for walking on hot sand and a wide-brim hat or visor to protect my face from the sun. I like to keep my clothes simple so I can experiment with different shoes and accessories.

Right now, on my wishlist are the Rianna Palm Straw Hat (pictured top) and the Harper Hand-Woven Striped Brim Hat (pictured above), both from Brunna.co.

I also like this oversized woven hand fan, but it probably won’t fit in my carry-on.

For evenings, I pack slip dresses (as they take up no room at all in my luggage and don’t require ironing). However, sometimes I’ll pack a billowy dress if I really like it and don’t mind spending the 15-20 minutes needed to get the wrinkles out. Take the Monty Cotton Bubble Dress pictured above for example (See similar at Modern Citizen). I used to pair my dresses with heeled sandals or mules. Lately, though, I’ve been leaving the sandals at home in favor of flip-flops. Long live the trend!

Finally, I like to add a third piece (to use a fashion term) to elevate my basics. Usually, it’s a pair of printed dress shorts or palazzos. Sometimes it’s a white button-down or a convertible sarong. My whole goal when planning my beach wardrobe is for it to be effortless and chic, and I’ve found a formula that works.

Do you have a formula for looking effortlessly chic on your beach vacation? Please share in the comments.

🎁 In Case You Missed It

The 2023 Hammock Society Holiday Gift Guide is here! Share it with everyone who is shopping for you this holiday season!

SHOP THE GUIDE

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – holiday gift guide season!

I’ve checked out every gift guide that has landed in my inbox and mailbox this month, and the beach-lover categories are pretty disappointing - except for this Salt Marsh Rose Candle from DS & Durga. This is worthy of a bookmark.

So, I’ve put together a list of my favorite things (like Oprah, but without the hype). These are the items in my beach bag that bring me comfort and joy, as well as the bag itself. Consider this the list to forward to everyone who might be shopping for you this year!

If you have your own recommendations, please leave them in the comments.

An Upgraded Lip Balm

• Rouge Hermes Refillable Lip Care Balm ($75) - This is something no one buys for themselves. The clear one is the best.

• Pat McGrath Lip Fetish Sheer Colour Balm ($39) - Just as nice as the Hermes, but without the chic orange bag.

• Glossier Balm Dotcom’s “beachy and untinted” Coconut ($14) - I wore this lip balm all summer and loved it. Make it a set!

The Glow-Up

• Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist ($22-$49) - This was the product I didn’t know I needed until a friend sprayed some on my face last summer. Now, it’s my go-to for a perfect dewy glow. I recommend The Holiday Value Set.

Ice-Cold Beverage Bliss

• Corkcicle Gray Malin Canteen ($31.96) - The Corkcicle Canteen keeps a full bottle of wine (or water) ice-cold for 25 hours. Personalize it!

Sun Protection

• Bluestone Sunshields - Shorty Lux ($60) - A few years ago, a dermatologist recommended these to me. Although the Full Lux is not my preference because it attracts too much attention (to my liking anyway), I highly recommend the Shorty Lux. Additionally, there is a visor option that’s almost half the price of the Alo Yoga Visor.

Beach-Ready Tech Accessories

• XouXou Silicone iPhone Necklace and Airpods Case ($39-$78) - My Bandolier Crossbody iPhone Case has been one of my most favored purchases to date. I use it every day, and I highly recommend it as a gift. Lately, I have been eyeing the XouXou Silicone iPhone Necklaces and Airpods cases (I’m partial to the Baby Blue and Gold combo) for use specifically when I travel to the beach.

Ultimate Comfort

• Crocs Classic Clogs ($50) - I didn’t have much of an opinion on Crocs until my mother received a pair of them as a gift last Christmas. They were too big for her feet. Perfectly sized for mine, and I haven’t taken them off since. If I didn’t already own a few pairs of APL Lusso Slides, I would be packing these on my next beach vacation.

A Covetable Beach Towel or Blanket

• Cabo Mexican Blanket ($37) - Ever since I saw that photo of Selena Gomez, I’ve been wanting this blanket in Rustic Green (ahem!).

• Baina Roman Pool Towel ($110) - For aesthetic beach-goers - it’s generated a lot of knock-offs, because let’s face it, everyone wants one! Make it a set, or pair it with other items from the “For Days by the Ocean” collection to make a practical yet luxurious gift.

A Good Beach Read

• Waterproof Kindle Paperwhite ($139) - I’m still not quite ready to switch to an e-reader, but the waterproof Kindle Paperwhite is certainly tempting me. Pair it with a Kindle Unlimited Subscription and a book sleeve ($21) for a thoughtful gift.

A Non-basic Beach Bag

• Little Liffner Stripe Tote White ($295) - I like a beach bag that I can use throughout my whole vacation - beach days, sightseeing, city explorations, and back to the beach again. This bag fits the bill. It goes with everything in my beach wardrobe, and it’s super chic!

If you are feeling generous, sharing this newsletter with someone who would appreciate it would be the best gift that I could receive. Wishing you all a very happy holiday shopping season!

Share THE HAMMOCK SOCIETY

I’m in the market for a big canvas tote or weekender bag to use as a carry-on travel bag - something that says “I’m headed to the beach” without shouting it.

Right now I’m eyeing the Catalina Deluxe Tote from Lo & Sons. It’s almost the perfect carry-on slash beach bag. It has a trolley sleeve, a laptop sleeve, an adjustable crossbody strap, two inner pockets, a key clip, a drop bottom for sandals (or wet swimsuits) - and it’s on sale! But, I feel like it’s unfinished. Maybe it needs an “Old Celine” monogram. I can’t quite put my finger on it.

BUY: Lo & Sons: Catalina Deluxe Tote ($143.50)

This one from Moment would make a nice workcation tote. It reminds me of the Lands End 5-Pocket Canvas Tote, but it doesn’t scream ‘New England Seaside’.

BUY: Moment MTW Tote Bag ($89.99)

Speaking of… I’ve had the J.Crew Weekender Montauk Tote on my list of favorites for ages. Even though it doesn’t fit the criteria, I’m still adding it here because it’s a nice canvas travel bag, and it’s on sale.

BUY: J.Crew Weekender Montauk Tote ($119.00)

This one is from the Australian brand July fills the void left by the Moment tote. It’s a little bigger, with a zipped pocket and a trolley sleeve. It also comes in black canvas. If I can’t find a similar bag with a drop bottom, I’ll probably buy this one.

BUY: July Large Everyday Tote Bag ($145.00)

I also love this pricey one from Toteme. It looks a lot like that Loewe bag! But, alas, she does not take expensive designer bags to the seaside.

🛍️ THIS WEEK’S PICKS

The Zara Home Travel Bags Collection by Saint Lazare had my eye for a while - some of the items are now on sale, so I was tempted to fill my cart but had to pause and ask myself, "Do I really need this?"

SHOP: Zara Home Vacaciones Supplies and Accessories Collection

I decided I really wanted this red emergency bag for my meds and first aid items. This reminded me of a question a friend asked last year: “Why do you pack a first aid kit?” Here’s why: A few weeks ago, I was dining with my sister at the rooftop restaurant Terraza on Hallandale Beach, FL. I was enjoying a strip steak with homemade smoked chimichurri and truffle fries when suddenly, I had difficulty swallowing. I almost choked, twice. I didn’t panic. I knew it was an allergy attack. I’m allergic to shellfish and some other stuff. I immediately reached into my first aid kit and took a Zyrtec. I had stronger meds and an Epi-pen if it wasn’t enough, but luckily, it was. We enjoyed the rest of the evening and skipped the trip to the ER.

Here are the items I carry in my first aid kit:

• Allergy medications (over-the-counter and prescribed)

• Cold medications

• Nasal Spray

• Zinc

• An assortment of adhesive bandages

• Astringent wipes

• Over-the-counter pain medicine

• Over-the-counter diarrhea medicine

• Antacid and charcoal caps

• Aloe Vera

• Bug Bite

• Powdered IV Multiplier or Pediasure Packets

• Other samples I get from my allergist

📚 WHAT I’M READING

I’ve been reading a bunch of Substacks lately, mainly ones authored by women with writing styles that I can relate to. I’ve subscribed to a few of them and plugged them into my Recommendations section. Drop me a line if there’s a Substack you think I should check out.

• Earl Earl by Laurel Pantin

• Hi Everyone with Hillary Kerr

• Things Worth Knowing with Farrah Storr

🏖️ WISH YOU WERE HERE

Me, post-allergy attack - Hallandale Beach, Florida.

I truly appreciate all of you who are subscribed to this newsletter! It has been an educational journey transitioning from a blog to a newsletter. One of the important lessons I learned was that I cannot maintain a strict, weekly, or bi-weekly schedule. I want to make sure I’m delivering the best content to you, so I have decided to send out this newsletter on an occasional basis. If I’m uncovering great sales or travel deals, I’ll send it out more often. Otherwise, I’ll only send it when I’m pleased with the content I have to share.

Please bear with me as I sort everything out, and feel free to provide feedback.

Last issue, I asked for Bleisure fashion hacks in the comments. I did not receive any online comments. I did get asked by one of my sisters “What’s Bleisure?”, and one of my colleagues giggled as she pointed out that the dress code clearly states “No flip-flops.”

I had also promised to let you in on what I had packed for this trip in this edition. Unfortunately, due to a forecast of a 60-70% chance of rain over the days of the trip, I decided not to pack any beachwear, apart from one swimsuit. To my surprise, it turned out to be gloriously sunny with temperatures reaching 88+ degrees Fahrenheit each day.

Lamenting about this to a colleague, she said that I’d read the forecast all wrong. That in Florida, a 60-70% chance of rain, means a 60-70% chance of rain for 15 minutes. So now we know!

🛍️ THIS WEEK’S PICKS

For years I did not wear sunscreen to the beach, relying on my built-in SPF 13 melanin. But when I started to notice pre-mature wrinkles in my early 30s, I realized I had to wear it, even though it made me look like the muse for Scream. Oil-based, water-based, it didn’t matter, they all left a ghastly white cast. Tomorrow’s children of color will never know what we went through! Finally, brands have started to look into what melanin-rich people need in sunscreen, and now there are so many choices that I got overwhelmed shopping for one.

I ended up purchasing a tiny (1 oz) bottle of Mele’s No Shade Sunscreen Oil online at Target. I had hoped to review it after my trip. Unfortunately, what arrived was a 5 oz bottle of Mele’s Refresh Toner. So, I ended up using my Aveeno SPF 30 Protect + Hydrate Sunscreen on my trip. It leaves a cast, but it’s less obvious if you cover it with makeup.

🏖️ WISH YOU WERE HERE

Last week, I went to the Diplomat Resort for a Bleisure trip. Three days of business, two days of leisure. It ended up being only one day of leisure because I missed my outbound flight and ended up losing a day.

I could not wait to return to the Diplomat after spending three blissful days there in June of 2021.

CONTINUE READING

In June of 2021, while still more-or-less in the middle of a global pandemic, I spent three blissful days at the Diplomat Beach Resort & Spa. Last week, I checked in again for a work meeting.

Back in 2021, I blogged about my stay. I started my recap with this paragraph:

“This is a very nice resort,” my Uber driver said as he pulled up to the Diplomat’s Porte-cochere. But, as I hauled my bags up the stairs after waiting in vain for a bellhop, I wasn’t inclined to believe him. When I entered the spacious lobby, though, my hope was rekindled. I had to pause for a moment to take it all in.

When I arrived at the Diplomat last week, I again waited in vain for a bellhop. They just don’t exist at this property. After lugging my bags up the stairs, I stood once again in awe of the beautiful lobby. I learned during my stay that the palm trees will be removed and replaced by a variety of tropical plants when the property undergoes renovations in the next year. I will miss them, so I’ve posted the above photo of the lobby for posterity.

This time around, I got a room with a balcony. It truly made a difference. Even though the room was smaller, was missing robes and slippers, and had obvious signs of wear and tear, I was delighted to have it. However, I spent the majority of my short stay in a meeting room on the 33rd floor. The room had sunrise and sunset balconies, and views as far as the eye could see. Yet, it was designed so that they weren’t distracting. It was a productive meeting, but on that first day, I was looking forward to lunch.

When I visited in 2021, the only restaurant that was open was the beachfront casual-dining restaurant Playa. During my stay last week, every restaurant was open. I was spoiled for choice. Unfortunately, I chose Playa. I was thrilled to see that the three Mahi-Mahi Fish Tacos were still on the menu. My mouth watered as I ordered them, remembering the fresh, crisp, tasty treat that I had eaten for two days straight back then (photo left). However, what I received (photo right) was the opposite of tasty. I guess the saying is true: you can’t go home again. Fortunately, the other restaurants on the property had plenty of delicious culinary delights, so I could create new memories. One, in particular, was a key lime pie from Counterpoint Cafe that was worth the calories.

On the morning of my only leisure day, I awoke to a beautiful sunrise. I was so happy that I had packed a swimsuit. In less than an hour, I was on the beach jumping waves like a kid again. And quoting a friend I made on the same beach back in 2021, “I came here for this!”

THE HAMMOCK SOCIETY TRAVEL TIP

The Diplomat is within walking distance of a Walmart Supercenter. If you’re staying for more than two days, make that your first stop to save on water and snacks.

I’m headed to the beach later this month. To one of my favorite beach destinations, Hollywood, Florida, and one of my favorite beach resorts, The Diplomat Beach Resort. This time around, however, it’s not just for fun; I will be there for work too. Specifically, three days of work and two days of leisure. So I dug out this packing list from Town and Country, which has been a favorite go-to of mine when packing for Bleisure trips. However, when I laid out my clothes, I realized that neither my work clothes nor my beach clothes fit the “smart casual” dress code of the program. What could I do? I certainly didn’t want to shop for a whole new wardrobe. I decided then to take a tip from the fashion pages and pair my business casual work outfits with flip-flops. Ideally, a pair of Beach Rubber Flip-Flops from The Row if I’m going to pull off NYC Fashionista. Instead, I opted for the more budget-friendly Slim Square Toe Flip-Flops from Havaianas.

🛍️ THIS WEEK’S PICKS

✈️ BOOK YOUR BEACH

Travel To Cuba on Delta Airlines for $241.00 Round Trip if booked for travel from Miami to Havana between September 27th and October 3rd. Book Here!

💭 CURATE WITH ME

What is your favorite beach Bleisure fashion hack?

Reply in the comments!

I’ll share them in the next issue, along with what I’m packing for my trip.

Did you know Amazon has a luxury division? Me, either! I only found out about this from one of the many Prime Day sales emails I received last week. What I found more interesting in those emails though was this $27 straw handbag by Ayliss, which was promoted by both Vogue and another high-end women’s fashion magazine. Intrigued, I was, but I ended up buying this now-sold-out linen knit tote bag from Onia Swim (pictured). I got it in black since I already own beach bags in a variety of colors, and I felt that black was a color that I could use in the city as well.

🛍️ THIS WEEK’S PICKS

I’ve been tracking the price of the Scholl x ISSIMO Pescura sandals since I first learned about the collaboration. I haven’t had any luck finding them on sale yet, though. However, I can still get the look with either the original version, which sells for $120, at Nordstrom, or I can go for the low-cost-per-wear option at Macy’s, which is currently on sale for $27. But, I really like the black heel. I think it would pair well with a floaty black summer dress like this Everlane Poplin Caftan or this convertible bandeau dress from ME+EM. Normally I don’t wear black to the beach because white looks better against my complexion after a day in the sun. However, I’m willing to make an exception if it will make me look like I’m on an Italian holiday.

✈️ BOOK YOUR BEACH

Airfare Spot has been featuring a lot of *summer* and *late-summer* sales. Here are the ones that caught my attention:

• Non-stop flights to the Bahamas from NYC - $216 r/t

• AA non-stop flights to Los Cabos, Mexico from Dallas - $295 r/t

• Discounted flights to Los Cabos, Mexico from NYC - $307 r/t

• Non-stop flights to Cancun from LA - $266 r/t

See all the deals here.

🏖️ WISH YOU WERE HERE

When I visited Playa del Carmen, Mexico in November 2020, I stayed at Mahekal Beach Resort. It is ideally located on the beach and within walking distance of Mamitas Beach Club and Quinta Avenida—the two places where I spent most of my time during my brief visit. I booked Mahekal because of the bungalow-style accommodations and because every bungalow comes with two hammocks. In the middle of a global pandemic, it provided much-needed respite, and it sits on one of the best beaches in the area.

BOOK YOUR STAY

🤑 MONEY-SAVING TRAVEL TIP

This one from Recomendo has been hiding in my bookmarks since 2019! I can’t believe I forgot about this. All those Euros and Bahamian coins cluttering up my junk drawer could’ve been extra hot skim milk cappuccinos, and a slice, or two, of lemon cake. Well, I’m heading to Canada next week so I will take advantage of this tip and report back. Hope I don’t forget again.

Here’s a tip I haven’t tried yet, but it sounds like a great idea. When you’re leaving a foreign country and still have some of the local currency, take it to a Starbucks and load it onto a gift card. You can use the card later in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Mexico, and the Republic of Ireland. — MF