Carry On to Beach Bag

Although I have learned countless important lessons from my dad, one of the more useful things he has taught me is how to be a light packer when it comes to flying. If we are going anywhere in a car I am the definition of an overpacker, however the moment a plane becomes part of a travel plan you can bet your bottom dollar I will not be checking a bag. My dad travels all the time for work and is constantly on and off of planes, so he has no time to tolerate waiting at baggage claim or dealing with lost luggage. Like him, I am not the most patient person you will ever meet and thus I have learned to love carry ons. Really though, if I could pack for two weeks in Europe with a carry on suitcase and a tote bag, anything is possible. 

Now onto the actual topic of this post, transitioning your carryon tote to a beach bag. With summer just around the corner I am sure a lot of people have plans to go to the beach. Even if you live on the water, these tips could easily work if you plan on having your beach bag double as an over night bag. It is silly to bring two totes with you when flying, so I highly suggest bringing a durable tote that can quickly turn into your beach bag once you arrive at your destination (the L.L. Bean Boat & Tote is my favorite). If you feel as though you will need something in addition to your wallet once you arrive, pack a small cross body bag in your suitcase and you will be all set. When I camp out at the beach for the day, my essentials are fairly similar to those things I would want with me on a flight: a good book, head phones, and portable charger, water, etc. When you arrive at the beach, swap out your laptop and passport for a beach towel and some sunscreen and you're ready to go! I promise this easy packing tip will help you pack lighter and make your traveling experiences painless!

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Book Review: Big Little Lies

Over vacation I made an effort to read a few books for pleasure, one of which being Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. During the school year I rarely have time to sit down and read and I always forget how much I truly enjoy it when I have a good book. Because it was just made into a series on HBO with Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, and Shailene Woodley I had heard of the book and decided to pick up a copy before leaving for my trip. The book is around 500 pages and I read it in a day and a half. Needless to say, I absolutely loved it and already have one of my friends hooked. 

So you're probably thinking what's this book about? Big Little Lies is a mystery novel/thriller. The book focuses on three mothers in a small seaside town in Australia, each struggling with different personal challenges. On the night of a large fundraiser at their children's elementary school, there is a murder and the book works its way up to the night of the crime. The story exposes the pressing issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, bullying, divorce, and the struggles of being a single parent. Initially the story seems to just depict the daily lives of the mothers and their children, however as the plot progresses you will encounter a plethora of plot twists and will not being able to put it down!

After finishing the book, I watched the series and was not disappointed. Although there are quite a few differences between the plot of the book and the series, the acting and cast are phenomenal and I would definitely recommend it! Have you read Big Little Lies? 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Eleuthera Photo Recap

View of Harbour Island from the boat ride over 

The Glass Window Bridge- the narrowest place on earth where the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea meet

The Queen's Baths 

Yachts on Harbour Island 

Our private 2 mile beach on the Atlantic side 

Today I am sharing my final post about my time in Eleuthera over spring break. Although some of the days were a bit breezy, it was sunny and in the 80s everyday, making for picture perfect beach days. My family stayed at Buttonwood Reserve in Eleuthera and loved it. There are 8 units, all with ocean views, a private 2 mile beach, a pool, golf carts, paddle boards, and kayaks. The only one downside to this was that it was located about 15-20 minutes from Governor's Harbour which is where we ate dinner most nights. 

Although we did spend most of our stay at the beach, we took a boat over to Harbour Island for the day. We wondered around the quaint little island, went to the beach, and enjoyed lunch at Sip Sip. The island reminds me of a combination of Nantucket and Seaside, Florida and I would highly recommend checking it out if you visit Eleuthera. Unlike many of the islands, Eleuthera is not extremely built up and does not have a ton of resorts. Despite this, there are a bunch of delicious restaurants, our favorites being Tippy's, the 1648 Bar & Grille, and the Buccaneer Club. Overall our time in Eleuthera was the perfect escape from April in New England and I am missing the warm weather already! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! This week has been going by super fast and I can't believe that vacation is quickly coming to an end. Even though the "vacation" part of my break has come to an end, I have been keeping busy and home and am going to visit a friend at college on Saturday! I have less than a month left of senior year once we go back to school on Monday and know that life is about to get very busy, so I am excited to enjoy a few more days of relaxation. 

One: John Mayer Concert

Two weeks ago (missed last week's Friday Favorites post) Julianna and I headed into Boston for the John Mayer concert. We bought tickets the day the tour was announced and were counting down the days for months. We went into the night with extremely high expectation and it did not disappoint! He played for well over two hours and the set list was the perfect variety of songs from his new and previous albums.  

Two: Burberry Beauty Line

Burberry sent me a few of their new lip products to try and I love them! I am not super into makeup and usually keep things rather minimalistic, however the lightest shade is very natural looking. The product is hydrating, stays on for a long time, and comes in a variety of shades.  

Three: Vacation

This past week I have been on Spring break and have been enjoying every moment of it. My family flew down to Eleuthera on Thursday morning and had a wonderful time soaking up the sun and exploring the island. Look for a full recap of the trip on the blog next week!

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea 

Spring Florals

dress | sandals | necklace c/o (use code PREPPY15 for 15% off)

Happy Spring! My family and I just returned from a wonderful vacation in Eleuthera, an island in the Bahamas. Because of Good Friday, we were lucky enough to have an extra long spring break. With four days of vacation left at home, I am so excited to finally have some much needed time to get back into a blogging routine before finishing my last month of high school. 

Eleuthera is not an island dominated by tourism, so most of our dinners out were fairly casual. That being said, this dress was hands down by favorite purchase for this trip. The material is light weight and flowy and does not wrinkle in your suitcase, making it perfect for the islands. Last year I styled this dress, which is almost the same just in a fun red color. The sizing was a bit off between the two years and I highly recommend sizing down. I have a US 4 in the red one and a US 2 petite in the floral one. With graduation party season just around the corner, I know I will be getting a lot of wear out of this dress! 

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea