One of my lifelong dreams has always been to visit Italy. That dream of course became more prominent after watching the Lizzie McGuire Movie, but what girl didn't want her "sing to me Paulo" moment in her tweens? This January I jetted off to Lake Como, Italy for a relaxing getaway. It was the longest yet shortest 2019, if you get what I mean, and it was time for some pasta and spa time (if you ask me!) While I know right now with the outbreak of the corona virus no one is really planning a trip to Italy or anywhere for that matter, I thought it would be nice to start sharing some travel details, because once this whole Corona virus comes to an end (hopefully ASAP!) we will all be craving a getaway!Just an FYI--we traveled to Italy in the beginning of January, and yes I hate myself for getting this post up so late, Hahaha! 

Lake Como was something out of a fairytale or something you would see on a postcard. It was just magical. It was probably the most serene place I had ever visited in my life. Since we visited in January it was cold (like the 40s). So yes this Miami-native was mucho frio. But the sun was always shining so to be honest the weather was for the most part a dream, especially during the day. This wasn't your typical European getaway. There was no extensive itinerary or site-seeing list. Our goal was simply to enjoy afternoon walks, sleep-in, eat fresh pasta, and of course take a "trip to the spa" as Sharpay Evans would say. 

We stayed at Grand Hotel Imperiale. I absolutely loved that the spa was included...I mean who wouldn't? And the view from our rooms was spectacular. My only complaint would be in the part of Lake Como we were staying in there were very few spots to eat "brunch"--meaning breakfast or lunch if you weren't up very early. Meaning if you wanted lunch at 2:00 P.M. you were out of luck. We also went during winter, which isn't their tourist season so many establishments were off for holiday. Another thing to keep in mind, is that Uber/Lyft is not available in the area so you have to rely on what is in walking distance. Unfortunately our hotel didn't offer convenient dining times (well for us at least either)...but that being said they always had the bar open where you can order toast (which included a thin amount of ham + cheese) and Caprese salad. So if that peaks your interest you are good to go! 

I always thought people were exaggerating when they said the pasta in Italy changes your life. But I can now confidently confirm that yes the pasta in Italy is life changing. There is just something about fresh pasta that is so good for the soul. It was worth every shot of insulin (which is how you all know I rate my dining experiences, Lol!) My favorite pasta dish had to be the fresh linguini topped with *warning this will make you drool* fresh truffles. YUM (I included a video below). Honestly will fly back solely for that dish. 

Now to the spa aka my new favorite nap spot. This spa was what my anxiety-free dreams are made of. It had a turkish bath complete with massage jets, a salt room, saunas, sensory showers, heated water beds, and more. You could find me every afternoon at the spa either napping or listening to a podcast or music on my Airpods (rip to my Airpods). lt was amazing. 

While Lake Como may be a summer destination, if you are looking for a relaxing getaway when it is cold...visit Lake Como! Between the Christmas marketplaces and the fresh pasta, you'll find your little slice of heaven. If you have been to Lake Como before, drop your favorite things to do there below! I love hearing from readers and sharing! I am in the process of relaunching IAP as you all know and I just want you all to know how much I LOVE your support. Whether it is subscribing, reading + commenting on posts, and/or following me on Instagram. I am ETERNALLY GRATEFUL. Ciao Bella (till next post!) 

Hi I am back! After my blogging hiatus, I've decided to return to what makes me happy, which is creating content and writing for IAP. When I created this blog, I wanted it to be more than a blog, but a place where I could not only share my passions, but also be a place everyone could come to for when they needed a break or inspiration. I hope when you read my posts you feel like you're talking to a friend! 

Now before I get to the personal part of this post, I wanted to share these photos from one of the best vacations ever in Captiva, Florida at the South Seas Island Resort! I had such a great time with my family and Eric. The beach in Captiva is beautiful and the resort was amazing. I am feeling extra grateful that I got to enjoy it twice this summer!  It really helped me relax and appreciate the people I love the most!

I have been really negative lately. I'm currently in the process of looking for a new job, after leaving my last one. I am someone who loves having a routine and loves to be busy, so being bored makes me extremely anxious. It makes me overthink and stress myself out for absolutely zero reason. I realized that I needed to stop and hit the reset button and focus on the good versus stress myself out about thinks out of my control. I am very confident in myself and I don't want to lose that. I think sometimes in life when change occurs it can freak us out and make us question even the stable parts of our lives--I mean we are human! I am happy and I have so many things in my life I am grateful for that I decided to stop being negative. 

If you've been struggling with stress too I want you to to remember all the amazing things happening in your life and focus on that! I have a lot of great content prepared and I can't wait to share it with you all...make sure to subscribe & follow me on Instagram for even more fun content! 

PS: You can shop my looks (or similar ones if they sold out below!) 

Hello friends! I have been promising you all Paris posts for a while now, so here is the first one! Eric and I love Disney, in fact we are annual passholders for Walt Disney World (in Orlando). So when we found out we were traveling to Paris, France you know we had to knock Disneyland Paris off of our Disney bucket list (Disney Bucket List- AKA go to every Disney park in the world!) So on January 1st, New Year's Day, aka our Disney World's crowd nightmare, but surprisingly it was very empty...to our surprise! 

So let me begin by saying in my opinion you can conquer both parks in one day if you get there early. Eric on the other hand would recommend that if you can you do the parks (there's two) in two days so you can ride the rides many times as you please. Pro tip: you can purchase Disneyland Paris tickets from third party sites (like here) for less than the Disneyland Paris site will charge you. We got the park hopper and bounced from park to park based on what we wanted to ride, lines, etc. Also don't forget to print your ticket because there are no magic bands or even a card option (unless you are a Disneyland Paris annual passholder). Once you are in the park, it won't feel like Walt Disney World, if that is the park you are used to visiting, the parks are not beautifully decorated or maintained like they are back home, but do not let that discourage you from your day of fun ahead! As Eric said, "it is a Six Flags disguised as a Disney park." LOL! 

Another pro tip Eric and I learned from our adventure that we share with anyone planning to go to Disneyland Paris...PACK MEALS FOR THE PARK! The food in Disneyland Paris is subpar to say the least, which I know is shocking since it is located in Paris AKA the land of good food, but the meal options are bleh and they do not server traditional Disney snacks (no Mickey ice cream or cotton candy! Or Churros- the horror!) We recommend you stop at a market prior to hitting the parks and purchase ham and cheese baguettes and beverages, because the lines for snacks are longer than the lines for rides sometimes. So if you go to Disney World for the food, this may not be the place for you! 

Our favorite part about Disneyland Paris has to be the rides! The rides are amazing!! They have incredible rollercoasters and rides that are unlike ones back home. Also, we never waited in a line exceeding 30 minutes. So if you are that person that dreads Disney World because you hate lines, this is the park for you. Our favorite ride is Space Mountain, because not only is it Star Wars-themed, but it launches you out! We rode it multiple times!! Disneyland Paris also offers more single-rider lines too, so if you are like Eric and I and do not necessarily need to be sitting next to each other, this is another bonus to your Disney experience! 

Toy Story land has many different rides versus Toy Story land in Disney World, so make sure you check them out! We personally did not ride any because they are more meant for younger kids, and one that drops you, but we did stroll around (side note: it is much smaller than Disney World's Toy Story Land and does not have Andy's Lunchbox unfortunately). A ride that surprised us was It's a Small World! We don't really ride it back in Orlando because Eric finds the theme song super repetitive and if we aren't with kids it doesn't make the list. But since I had heard amazing things about the It's a Small World in Paris, we gave it a try! It was adorable and actually really enjoyable! Since we went during the Christmas season, they didn't just play the theme song, but also played Christmas tunes (how adorable is that!?) Also, they had some of the characters dressed as the three kings' men-as well as other Christmas characters-and Christmas decorations up! 

Overall Eric and I had a magical day in Disneyland Paris! We love riding new rides and creating memories in one of the happiest places on earth, so it was definitely a fun time. I definitely do recommend packing meals and purchasing tickets for low outside of Disney (wish we could back home lowkey!) but other than that I just suggest going with an open-mind and ready to ride some exciting rides! 

I absolutely love sharing these Travel Diaries with you all and hope you love reading them! I hope these tips + tricks help you plan your trip to Disneyland Paris. Trust us, it is worth the visit! If you haven't subscribed to IAP yet, what the hell are you waiting for? I promise I won't blow up your inbox and you will be the first to hear about giveaways, sales, and fresh content. Subscribe + follow along on the gram! 

Sweatshirt: Primark (sold out, but I listed three similar above) | Jacket: GAP (sold out, but similar here & here) | 
Purse: Handmade from a shop in Amsterdam (similar here) | Joggers: Derek Heart (sold out, similar here) | 
Earrings: Taudrey (similar here) | Shoes: Adidas 

Happy 2019! I am so excited to share my adventures from Europe with you all. I spent my winter break traveling around Amsterdam and Paris. This trip was especially special for me because it was my first time in Europe. I've decided to break up my trip into different posts so I can really share everything in detail and so I don't give you all any overwhelming long post. 

Our first stop was Amsterdam and to be honest, I did not have much knowledge on Amsterdam, but it has now become one of my favorite places ever! One of the most enchanting parts of my trip was visiting a little town called Zaandijk. It was like being in a story book! It is a small town in the Netherlands where you can see the windmills (which Amsterdam is known for), see farms animals, and there is even a museum. It honestly is a magical little town. Oh and the best part is their is a chocolate factory so the whole town smells like chocolate. 

As I walked around sipping on hot wine, a must when it is 40-something degrees out, I couldn't get over the beautiful greenery and water. They had little shops--which I loved and shopped at! One even had a cheese tasting, basically my heaven. I can never turn down cheese! This was also the first place I tasted stroopwafels and they changed my life. They are basically a thin waffle with a caramel-filling. You can actually purchase some at Target (I am going to link them HERE so you can see what I mean!) 

I will be linking my outfit details below so you can shop my look. Also scroll through the rest of my images below as well. Thank you for reading my first post of the new year and I look forward to sharing more of my travel diaries with you all. Don't forget to subscribe and follow me on the gram! Wishing you all an amazing weekend! 

Top: Thermal | Jacket: GAP (similar here) | Purse: Rebecca Minkoff | Jeans: Fabulux Boutique (similar here) |
Shoes: Kendall + Kylie (mine are sold out, but I love these) | Beanie: GAP (similar here) |
Scarf: GAP (similar here) | Earrings: Taudrey (similar here)