Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Nautical pajamas for kids

I admit I am a bit PJ obsessed. I find it so interesting that people have such strong opinions on what they sleep in. My sleep shirts have to be really soft and I now only wear Jane and Bleecker shorts. I loved the pair I was sent to review so much that I stocked up when I saw them at Nordstrom Rack. H mostly wears the Hanna Andersson shorts/short sleeve pajamas now. He runs warm and living in Southern California you don't really need more than that most of the year. They are pricey but wash and dry well (no shrinking and still soft) and last for a solid year plus. I have had issues with the Old Navy pjs shrinking in the dryer but you can't beat the price for those, especially if you just need short sleeves for a couple of months. I did a round up of some fun nautical options for babies and kids.

Nautical by Nature | Nautical Pajamas for Kids


Anchor-Graphic PJ Set, Old Navy, $8

Captain awesome pj set, Old Navy, $11






Long John Pajamas in anchors, Hanna Andersson, $42

Mermaid pj set, Old Navy, $12

Whales stretchie, The Children's Place, $13

Fishy stretchie, The Children's Place, $13

Sea creature stretchie, The Children's Place, $13

Shark stretchie, The Children's Place, $13




* this post contains affiliate links

Friday, March 27, 2015

Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City recommendations wanted!

I am heading out of town next week for my vacation! As much as I enjoyed Legoland last weekend I am ready for my own trip ;) My sister and I loved Vancouver so much that we decided to head back to Canada. I am looking for any and all recommendations on restaurants and things to do/see in Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City. We will have a couple of days in each spot so I want to make sure to fit in as much as possible!

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Wet Bathing Suit Bags from Hayden Reis

I always travel with my wet bathing suit bag if there's a chance I might go swimming. I just used it on our trip to Legoland because we went from rides to the water park and then back over to Legoland. I didn't want to walk around in my wet bathing suit! I have the navy anchor beach bud bag from Hayden Reis and I was able to fit my bathing suit and my boss's inside. I also take the bag with me to the pool when I go with H. I can just throw the bathing suit bag into my tote and I don't have to worry about anything getting wet. The Hayden Reis beach bud bags are water resistant. Each bag is $34.

* this post contains affiliate links. I bought my own bag 


Nautical by Nature | Beach bud bags from Hayden Reis

Teal with pink flamingo beach bud bag | Floral tankini, J.Crew Factory, $35 | Floral bottom, J.Crew Factory, $23

Monday, March 23, 2015

Big Changes

I am writing this post from my hotel room in Carlsbad. H is asleep in the other room, wiped out after two days at Legoland. This is my second to last work trip. This may be one of the more personal posts I have written. Last week I gave my notice that I am leaving my job at the end of July (!). Such a cliche but the past month has been an emotional roller coaster. When I interviewed for this job I told them I was looking to stay with a family for three to five years. When I leave it will be almost 5.5 years! I have loved this job so much. When I walked into the interview I just knew this was the job for me. I immediately canceled a phone interview I had through an agency even though I didn't have an official offer. It really felt like fate. Deciding to leave has been the hardest decision I have made so far in my life. There have been a lot of tears and I know there will be more in the next few months!

I am so lucky that LA has one of the best resources for nannies: The Nanny Doctor, Lindsay Heller. I have known Lindsay for years and I knew I wanted to meet with her to plan my transition. I have been at my job for FIVE years this month so it was important to me to give my employers plenty of notice while also doing what is best for H. I told my employers last week because I received my first graduate school acceptance (still waiting on two schools though). With an official acceptance I knew that I would be going back to school with 100% certainty. Before giving my notice I met with Lindsay to go over everything I wanted to say with my notice but also get her perspective as a clinical psychologist and mother. I will be leaving at the end of July because my employers always take a trip back east the first week of August. The trip will be a natural buffer between my departure and kindergarten starting. I can't believe H is going to kindergarten already! That also gives me a few weeks to move (if necessary, I won't make a school decision until I hear from all three) and get situated before classes start (!).

I will continue to post on the blog whenever I can. I have two trips coming up and spring brings a lot of nautical!

Monday, March 16, 2015

Destination Nautical: Mystic, Connecticut

I have wanted to visit Mystic, Connecticut since I first saw the movie Mystic Pizza (did you know that this movie was Matt Damon's feature film debut?). Years later, while writing this blog, I received an email from the nicest couple based in Mystic (Wendy and Mike Hille of MW Coastal Goods). It sounds like such a charming seaside town!

Destination Nautical: Mystic, Connecticut

Mystic is home to:
Destination Nautical: Mystic, Connecticut

Stay:
Destination Nautical: Mystic, Connecticut

Eat:
Captain Daniel Packer Inne Restaurant and Pub | Bleu Squid | Mystic Boathouse

Friday, March 13, 2015

Life Lately

March is just flying by! March and April are going to be very busy. I have a work trip, a friend's wedding, and Insurgent comes out (WOOHOO!). The first week of April I will be heading on vacation with my sister. Last year we did the Pacific Northwest (Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland). This year we are heading back to Canada: Toronto, Quebec City, and Montreal! Any recommendations on restaurants and things to see are welcome.

Between work and grad school applications/decisions/stress I have had to limit blog posts again. I am always looking for reader submissions though! If you have a nautical outfit, room, party, whatever please share! Email me with a photo and description nauticalbynature@gmail.com

I have to share these fun nautical pants I bought from Uniqlo. They have an elastic waist AND come in a bunch of designs. I got the nautical print and polkadots. My red shoes are from Target.


Wednesday, March 11, 2015

10 Best Beach Hotels in the World

Coastal Living just published a list of what they consider to be the 10 best beach hotels in the world. Let's take a little trip around the world!

Ocean House (Reader's Choice Winner*)
Watch Hill, Rhode Island
Coastal Living 10 Best Beach Hotels in the World
"A grande dame seafront hotel on a private white-sand beach from Watch Hill's late-19th-century heyday, Ocean House underwent a $146 million restoration that put it on the world's map. The magic of Ocean House lies in its ability to retain a genuine sense of bygone grace with modern amenities."

Montage Laguna Beach (right in my own backyard!)
Laguna Beach, California
Coastal Living 10 Best Beach Hotels in the World

"With its blufftop setting that overlooks crashing surf and exquisite beaches, the Montage glows with California drama and design. Taking advantage of Craftsman elements that echo Laguna Beach's founding as an art colony in the early 1900s, all of the resort's 248 guest rooms... offer stunning ocean views and are appointed with early California artwork."

Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka'upulehu
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Coastal Living 10 Best Beach Hotels in the World
"Set on the Big Island's exclusive Kona-Kohala Coast with turquoise oceanfront, fine white sand, and black-lava landscapes, this resort casts a spell. Housed in intimate two-story bungalows, the 243 guest rooms and suites exude a nostalgic sense of Hawaii's Golden Age with expansive, open-air living spaces and island-inspired decor."

Jade Mountain
Soufrière, St. Lucia
Coastal Living 10 Best Beach Hotels in the World
"The most well-traveled guest still can't help but gasp when entering any of Jade Mountain's 29 suites to take in the view across Soufrière Bay to St. Lucia's fabled Piton peaks. Further, architect-owner Nick Troubetzkoy's design removes an entire wall so that each suite opens to a private infinity pool (five of the suites have Jacuzzis instead) and the sense of being suspended in the soft Caribbean air, hundreds of feet above the sea."

Amanyara
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Coastal Living 10 Best Beach Hotels in the World
"Amanyara's 20 villas and 38 timber-shingled pavilions are steps away from Malcolm's Beach, a half mile of soft, white sand, and the resort borders the pristine reefs of Northwest Point Marine National Park, home to some of the world's best diving. Amanyara's serene, contemporary design pairs with these natural splendors in perfect harmony."

Belmond Maroma Resort and Spa
Riviera Maya, Mexico
Coastal Living 10 Best Beach Hotels in the World
"Set among 25 acres of verdant jungle and on a beach that glows with the fine powder of pink coral, Belmond Maroma Resort and Spa is a gem on the Yucatán coast. Both luxe and low-key, Maroma's 63 whitewashed, thatched-roof bungalows and nine suites feature mahogany and leather furniture, as well as artwork, all made in the hotel's own workshop."

Cap Juluca
Maundays Bay, Anguilla
Coastal Living 10 Best Beach Hotels in the World
"Like a vision from a storybook, this village of bone-white, Greco-Moorish dwellings clusters exotically along the intimate crescent of Maundays Bay. A sophisticated and stylish hideaway surrounded by 180 lush acres with more than 60,000 flowering plants, Cap Juluca features 70 newly refurbished beachfront guest rooms and suites with louvered doors that open wide to oceanfront terraces. (Villas come with private swimming pools.)"

Dorado Beach, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve
Dorado, Puerto Rico
Coastal Living 10 Best Beach Hotels in the World
"Built on the former Laurance Rockefeller estate, this open-air enclave is surrounded by 1,400 acres of verdant vegetation crisscrossed by meandering nature trails. That said, it might be tempting never to leave one's room: Dorado Beach's 100 quietly luxurious guest rooms and 14 suites all sit directly on the beach. Dedicated butlers, a five-acre spa, and two oceanview pools add to the sense of sanctuary."

Laucala Island Resort
Laucala Island, Fiji
Coastal Living 10 Best Beach Hotels in the World
"This 3,200-acre private island features 25 villas scattered amid coconut plantations, on deserted beaches, and atop mountains. All are glamorous versions of traditional Fijian dwellings, with gardens and infinity pools lit by tiki torches. The lagoon-style swimming pool meanders amid palms, and an 18-hole golf course overlooks Seagrass Bay."

Hotel Santa Caterina
Amalfi, Italy
Coastal Living 10 Best Beach Hotels in the World
"...the allure of this late-19th-century villa that has been owned by the same family for more than four generations seems as timeless as its beauty. Immersed in the spectacular scenery and cosmopolitan lifestyle of the Amalfi Coast, Hotel Santa Caterina is surrounded by fruit orchards, olive groves, and bougainvillea. The spacious and light-filled rooms have floors in antique hand-painted majolica, marble baths with brass fixtures, and balconies with views over the Bay of Salerno or the garden."




* Coastal Living asked the magazine's nearly 1 million online followers to select the hotel from the Top 10 that they most want to visit

Monday, March 9, 2015

Nautical Rainboots


Pelican III Rain Boot, Sperry Top-Sider, $60

"Puddles II Rain Boot, Smart Bargains, $40 (sale price)

BootsiTootsi Ahoy Rain Boot, DSW, $40

Charlie Paige Nautical Rain Boots, Amazon, $55

Chooka Happy Whales Rain Boot, DSW, $50

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Thomas Paul for Uniqlo

Have you seen the very nautical Thomas Paul for Uniqlo collection? I am planning a trip to my local store today (so happy Uniqlo expanded to the west coast!). Each top is available in two colors.

Lobster hoodie, $35

Whale pullover, $35

Ship hoodie, $35

Anchor pullover, $35

Sailboat pullover, $35


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