The Best Costa Rica Airbnb's (under $200!)

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is spend hours on the internet looking at vacation rentals. (no, for real. I think it's actually a hobby of mine at this point.) I spent so much time browsing that I had a legit Airbnb nightmare last night.. we got there and the bed was missing, the sink was full of dishes, the pool had no water in it.. just a straight up nightmare, y'all. (Ha! I only wish I was kidding.)

I know that for some of you, vacation planning and rental searching is your own personal version of hell. Amirite? Don't worry, I'll happily share the fruits of my labor with you.

Costa Rica is a dream. Wild jungle animals meet miles of beaches, cute little towns, active volcanoes, and friendly people. It's not the place to go for an all inclusive vacation- it's the place to go for an adventure.

I've rounded up some of my favorites that meet most, if not all, of the things on my list. (and they're all backed up by excellent reviews- which I feel is super important when it comes to renting a house in a foreign country)

Costa Rican Airbnb wish list: 

• Private house with a view

• Swimming pool

• Kitchen or kitchenette

• less than $200 a night

• Danny wants wifi.. not at the top of my list but I'll admit it definitely makes life easier

Of note: these first 3 options don't have AC, but the reviews all say there is enough of a breeze that this isn't a problem at all. This was our experience as well when we stayed at Mango Valley (pictured at the bottom).

As if staying in a freaking awesome treehouse wasn't amazing enough, "guests enjoy free 24 hour access to the 12 natural hot and cool springs pools of various temperatures and rainforest trails." And um, hi.. it's only $129 a night. 

Private two bedroom villa with everything a family needs on vacation and a shared pool with 3 other villas. Walking distance to Samara beach. $148

"Spectacular volcano and lake views from every room" and a spacious balcony. Sign me up. $118

So I definitely think a tad rustic is the way to go in Costa Rica, but I couldn't resist including a few beautiful modern houses as well. 

This amazing pool with an absolutely killer view pretty much seals the deal for me. (Open air shower, AC, and modern furnishings aren't so bad either.) $150 -and it sleeps 4 people comfortably with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, so split between two couples this house is a sweet deal.

Infinity pool with an ocean view. AC and comfortable amenities as well as 2 bedrooms. $172

Honorable mention. Very simple cottages overlook the gorgeous Mango Valley, this place is an underrated gem. We stayed here one night because it's 25 minutes from SJO airport and we had an early flight the next morning- although I wouldn't recommend staying here for your entire trip, you can't beat this gorgeous little pool for $67 near the airport.

Now for the hard part. Will you stay somewhere with views of the valley or steps from the beach? Maybe a little of both? Life is full of tough decisions, isn't it ;) Hope I made it a little easier for you, though. Pura Vida.

12 trips in 12 months and the Southwest Companion Pass

I'm sitting here editing pics from our Tulum trip and thinking about how we're always getting questions on how we travel so much, mostly from our fam.. hey fam. 😘  Questions like how are we able to leave work all the time? How do we afford it? 

So I'll start by saying that we don't have kids yet, I work from home, and Danny's job allows him to be somewhat flexible with his vacation days. We also plan pretty short trips- typically we'll leave on a Thursday and come back Monday. Basically we're young and free, so #whynot. It has felt pretty crazy at times, and I've caught myself really missing my couch and my house. But we have made some amazing memories and I know we'll look back on this busy time of life  and be so glad that we did it.

A huge factor is our Southwest Companion Pass. Companion Pass = your companion flies free with you every single time you fly. No joke. It's amazing. This article sums it up really well, but basically if you have the SW credit card and you reach 110,000 points in one calendar year- then you get the companion pass for the remainder of that year plus the ENTIRE next year. 

(So for example. When we went to Belize, flights were $450. Once I bought my ticket, I just added Danny on as a companion and his ticket was totally free, minus fees. It's not like standby where you might get on and might not. Your companion has their own confirmation number and their own legit ticket- every time you fly.)

It really is amazing and the timing of it could not have come at a more perfect time for us. When we were in the process of getting the pass we didn't even know that Danny was about to start working in Seattle at least 6 times a year for two years. The pass allowed me to be able to go with him, (even when he had to book a super last minute, expensive flight) take my sewing machine, and work from Seattle flying free every time. 

As far as other expenses go, we try to keep it cheap and travel within a reasonable budget. We stay in affordable AirBnB's which usually have a kitchen for cooking some of our own meals. We choose our activities carefully and don't spend tons of money on private excursions and guides. 

Typically we rent a car so we can drive ourselves, which usually ends up being cheaper anyways, not to mention gives us total freedom. Driving around the country side in Costa Rica with the radio playing local Spanish tunes and stopping in little grocery stores has been one of my favorite travel memories yet. Driving yourself in a foreign country is a super unique experience and I think you'd enjoy the adventure if you tried it!

So why all these Caribbean beach trips? Since a big reason for our travel is the Southwest companion pass we're obviously flying to Southwest destinations. They've recently started adding several international flights to the Caribbean, so while we have our pass the most expensive flights are our top priority. With all of the work trips and vacations we've been on I would say we've easily saved at least $4,000 in 2017 alone. Plus we've grown to love the beach and it's hard to convince me to go anywhere but there these days. 

All of that being said, Southwest has a 60,000 point bonus available right now, which is the highest I've ever seen. If you're interested in getting the card or companion pass this is the best time to sign up and snag all of those amazing points. Here's the link to apply. And if you have any questions feel free to ask me! 

Feel Good Friday

Things I'm loving right now.

WATCHING: You guys have to check out Little Big World on youtube (or Amazon Prime!). I stumbled on it today and it's amazing. Basically it's a series of time-lapses taken all over the world and edited with a tilt shift lens, which makes everything look miniature and adorable! Each episode is less than 3 minutes, so it's super fun and easy to watch.

PLANNING: Our trip to the Bahamas! We're staying on Long Island in March. If you have any tips for the Out Islands send them my way ;) If you're interested, you can follow along with my planning on my pinterest board.

LOVING: Design Love Fest's interior.

EATING: I got a juicer for Christmas so I've been doing a lot of experimenting. I like to keep track of the combinations I've used so I might post them here from time to time. Because I mean, those COLORS. So gorgeous right? Y'all have any fave juice recipes? 

WEARING: It's been unusually warm in OK for February. I've basically been living in a tank top with a light sweater and it's been bliss.

INSPIRING: I just stumbled on Charlotte Love's instagram and OMG it's fantastic.

WANTING: This burrito ring from bando.

LISTENING TO: Feel good indie pop girl, Frankie Cosmos. We're taking a quick trip to Chicago to see her and Real Estate in May. SO PUMPED. Check her out here.

Go Here: San Pedro, Belize

Belize is definitely the most island-y place we've ever been to, so of course it's one of my favorites!

We stayed on Ambergris Caye in San Pedro, and basically everywhere you turn, you can see the ocean. The best way to get around is with a golf cart or a bike (which was my favorite thing about the trip) and the snorkeling is unBELIZEable.. sorry, I had to throw that in at least once. ;)

The people are incredibly nice and the seafood is fresh and delicious. Possibly the only downfall of the entire trip was that the mosquitoes were THICK. To be fair, we were there right after a major hurricane and everything was very wet. But definitely bring your bug spray (wipes if you're carry on only people like us).

We stayed at small boutique hotel and loved it. It's super affordable, we had our own small kitchen, and the best part was that it was close enough to the Barrier Reef that we could kayak out (with the free kayaks) and snorkel on our own. It was the best snorkeling we've ever done! Try one of these Airbnbs: a caribbean tiny house with a private dock, make a beach bonfire at this super cute rental, or stay at this new boutique if you’re looking for a small hotel with a restaurant, pool, and bar all on site.

Ambergris Caye is a small island but certainly has no shortage of things to do or restaurants to try!

-Dive is amazing

-Bike down through town to nearly the tip of the island. Then after you've worked up a sweat stop at Coconut Cafe on your way back to the cabanas. They have a pool and super affordable prices, so you can cool off while you sip on an ice cold Belkin. Bliss. 

-Marbucks for a great latte.

-Doc'ks has amazing lobster, my husband actually says this was the best meal of his entire life. Go on Sundays when they grill out on the beach. 

-Blu resort. Great view, food, and beach to hang out on.

-Stop at Wild Mangos for a "panty rippa" cocktail 

-Papuseria Salvadoreno was probably my favorite, ridiculously cheap and authentic.

-Truck Stop is a really fun, hipster friendly food truck park serving up belizean food and ice cream. If you're there on the weekends they have Sunday Funday with corn hole tournaments and food specials.

-check out Pako's tiki bar beach spot for happy hour

-Estells beach breakfast fry jacks! Another one of my favorite meals and I loved sitting right on the beach

Other tips:

-Flying on an island hopper plane from the main airport in Belize to Ambergris Caye was seriously a breeze. I was freaked out at first but it was a smooth flight and the views were amazing! You won't regret it.

-Liquor really is cheaper at airport, so buy some when you land and take it back to your cabana for some homemade mango smoothies. 

-Hol Chan reef is so beautiful and a great excursion. Our hotel recommended Coral Divers, they picked us up right at our dock and our guide Ruben swam with us all afternoon. I can't say enough good things about them.

-Manatees! This was my absolute favorite part of the whole trip. We called Coral Divers again on our last day to take us out to look for wild manatee. It was one of the craziest moments we've ever experienced and worth every penny. Once our boat driver spotted one, we got in the water and swam around him for nearly an hour, careful not to get too close. Just watching him glide around was seriously magic.

Here's a link to the pinterest board I made before our trip. There's a lot of stuff we didn't try ourselves, so if you're looking for more ideas it's a great place to start. One of my favorite parts about traveling is the planning process- so let me know if you have any specific Belize questions and I'd love to help you if I can.

I'll have guides coming for Puerto Rico and Mexico City in the next few weeks so be sure and check back!

Go Here: San Diego travel guide Part 1

A few months ago Danny and I went to San Diego and it was a short week full of lots of beautiful sunshine. When people say that SD has perfect weather, that is no lie- every minute was amazing! A few highlights were the San Diego Zoo and kayaking next to the sea lions, but the sunsets and rock formations by the ocean are what captured my heart!

I've put together a rough guide with some tips, things to do, and LOTS of pictures. Hope you like it! :)

First of all, San Diego is more spread out than we realized and the public transportation isn't super reliable. We ended up renting a car (which we've never done on any of our previous vacations) and I would highly recommend it. We stayed in North Park, which is a great area with lots of restaurants and shops in walking distance, and ended up driving to the beach almost every night to watch the sunset. It was about 25 minutes to the beach because of the traffic. I didn't expect it to take that long from our house, but I had no idea how many surfers would be flocking to the beach on a daily basis. Surf or die. I respect that.

The first thing we did when we arrived was check into our SUPA cute Airbnb, then hit the nearest beach for a quick walk and our first San Diego fish tacos.

Be sure to get happy hour tiki drinks  at Rare Form and catch a Padres game from the rooftop patio.

Our first morning we got up early for a stroll through the adorable North Park houses and ended up at WowWowWaffle for breakfast. We spent a solid 6 hours or so at the zoo because it's insanely big (and surprisingly expensive) but totally worth it. You get free trolley and Sky Tram rides with your zoo admission, so be sure to get there early to beat the lines and take advantage of the free transportation- you'll definitely need it ;)

We ended our zoo day with some Port Pizza and Sunset Cliffs. The view here really is something you'll want to see. When the sun sets, the rocks go from tan to vibrant yellow/orange/red/beautiful. Take some food and drinks and go hang out here for awhile, it's a busy spot with plenty of people watching to go with the beautiful scenery. 

The next day we spent a lot of time in La Jolla! (Which is pronounced la-hoya, we quickly found out) We went kayaking in hopes of getting to go inside cave formations, but it was too wavy and dangerous. I got a little seasick but I still enjoyed it! We grabbed some tacos at the Taco Stand afterwards (get the coconut palletas!) and watched the sea lions for a long time. It's so fun to get up close and personal with them, watching them jump in and out of the water and riding the waves just like the surfers :) Be careful and don't get too close, they'll bark at you!

We weren't going to go to Coronado Island because we had heard it was a little touristy and not really worth the drive, but I totally disagree! It was such a pretty place, very clean and family friendly. We were only there for long enough to enjoy the sunset, but I'm glad we got to see Hotel del Coronado and dip our toes in the beautiful white sand.

(above): The wooden sampler tray from Fall Brewing that I'm obsessed with. And a mango michelada from Tacos Perla, OMG.

:: Some key things/places that I think you would totally enjoy :: 

• Get a cold coffee chiller at Caffe Calabria.. SO delicious. I wanted one every day.
• Tiki drinks and a Padres game at Rare Form (probably the cutest bar I've ever been to). Slightly pricey so go during happy hour.
• Spend at least half a day at the San Diego Zoo. The hippo pool and polar bear exhibit were great, I could have sat there and watched the hippos swim for hours!
• WowWowWaffle for breakfast. Get the avocado and bacon crumble!
• Go see the sea lions in La Jolla. You definitely won't regret it.
•  End one of your nights (or every night!) on Sunset Cliffs. It was one of my favorite places.

Also, if you're a Pinterest freak like I am and you spend hours and hours of internet research before vacations.. then I have a treat for you. My San Diego board is FULL and ready for you. You can thank me later ;) 

Coming up later this week, part two. (my favorite part!)

Go Here: Miami, FL Travel Guide

I'll admit it.. When my husband and I booked our Valentine's getaway to Miami, I had semi-low expectations. I just wanted to go somewhere.. anywhere.. warmer. I was picturing a super dirty disco city with half naked crazy people everywhere. Maybe, just maybe, I'd find quiet beach corner where I could sit and enjoy a cold margarita with a good book in my hands (like Mindy's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? <which was excellent, btw>). In my head, the best I could hope for was a sunny, trashy good time.

I was wrong. Aside from the disco part (no joke, you can see the disco lights from the plane), Miami is beautiful, clean, inspiring, and so much more.  We loved every single second of it, so I've put together a trip guide for all you other fellow skeptics out there. 

Three and a Half Day Guide to Miami:

DAY ONE 

This is your day to explore Miami Beach by foot and take pictures of all the Art Deco you can find! Soak it in, get inspired, and take some of that bright pastel and crisp typography home with you.

Have brunch at A la Folie. It sits on Española Way, which is a charming little street modeled after romantic Mediterranean villages found in France and Spain. We got the madame croquet, an almond croissant, and $4 latte bowls. You read that correctly.. BOWLS OF DELICIOUS COFFEE for just $4. Great value for your morning caffeine fix.

After brunch.. walk down Ocean Drive. This is where you'll see tons and tons of that inspiring Art Deco I was talking about. There are 960 super cute historic buildings in Miami's Art Deco district, and Ocean Drive sports some of the best of em. 

Cross the street to the east and walk through Lummus Park. Here you'll find swaying palm trees, volleyball courts, and shirtless too-tan dudes doing pushups. The majority of your most essential and memorable Miami people-watching will be found here, so take your time. 

After your afternoon walk.. Go back to your room, put your swim suit on, grab a bottle of wine (or, if you want to embrace your inner Miami spirit, maybe grab a carton of some cheap Bacardi coconut rum from the nearest convenient store like we did), and head to the beach to catch some rays and relax until the sun goes down. The water is beautiful and refreshingly cool, a perfect compliment to that bright Miami sunshine.

Finish day one.. with dinner at Burger and Beer Joint. We ended up here because we were craving burgers + it was open late. The burgers were good, but the true star here is the side offering: A giant portobello mushroom fried up and sliced into wedges like french fries. My mouth is watering just typing this. They are oh-so-good.

DAY TWO

Scooter day!

First things first.. Rent a scooter. This really is a must do. Miami is the first place we've been to where we've been able to rent mopeds without a motorcycle license and it was SO much fun. Like, I can't even tell you how much fun we had. (Though I will say, I was pretttyy scared at first. And rightfully so. We almost fell over twice in our practice ride around the block.. In fact, I'll use this as an opportunity to caution you: BE CAREFUL. And don't decline the helmets, obviously.)

Scoot on over.. to News Cafe on Ocean Drive for breakfast. The food wasn't that great, but it's an iconic place and it's by the beach on scenic Ocean Drive, so that's enough for me. Also, little fact for the trivia enthusiasts out there: It's where Gianni Versace had his last meal before he was murdered in front of his house shortly after.. Not sure if he had a meal actually, but he definitely bought some magazines! Anyhow..

Go over the Venetian Causeway to Wynwood Art District. It's a beautiful ride, and Wynwood is a perfect place to acquaint yourself with the Miami hipster scene (if that's the sort of thing you're into).

Once you're in Wynwood.. park by Panther coffee, grab a latte, and walk north on 2nd. Along the way you'll run into several interesting galleries and tons of amazing street art. Be sure to keep an eye out for the Wynwood Walls on 26th(ish) St. Some 30 artists came from around the world to create this unique little street art Mecca. 

After you've wandered around long enough.. to work up an appetite, hop back on your scooter and take it to Enriqueta's Cafe for an amazing Cuban meal, another essential Miami experience. We ordered cafe con leche (which is basically a latte, but a little sweeter and a little more delicious), soupa de pollo, chicken empanadas, and a classic Cuban sandwich. ALL of it was incredibly delicious + eating here seems like something Anthony Bourdain would do, which is a nice legitimizing feeling.

Enjoy the long ride back to South Pointe Park.. to watch the sunset. There are several well-respected seafood restaurants on the water here, but we were still full from stuffing our faces at lunch so we just had drinks and sat on the rocks by the water. 

Cruise down Ocean Drive..  to see the neon lights and all of the wild craziness that is South Beach after dark.

Walk down Lincoln Road Mall.. This wasn't our favorite thing, but I suppose it's worth it if you want to be apart of the hustle and bustle and shop at the biggest Forever21 you've ever seen ;)

DAY THREE 

After two full days of Miami exploration, it's time for a day trip. (+ some more quality beach time, of course.)

Cry.. because you have to return your beloved moped in the morning. (or keep it a day longer! Hooray!)

Have yourself an amazing breakfast.. at Las Olas. Side note: the Cuban restaurants were a little intimidating at first because the menus are entirely in Spanish, and they're all pretty frantic with customers at the same time. Eventually we discovered that you simply can't go wrong with an order of huevos y papas, a couple of Cuban sandwiches, and as many refills of cafe con leche as they will allow. Also empanadas! I still have dreams about this chicken empanada from Las Olas.

Spend the rest of your morning/early afternoon.. at the beach! Pack drinks and towels, because I'll just go ahead and tell you that if you want to lay on one of those cute pink beach chairs under a striped umbrella, you'll have to pay $20. Yikes!

For your day trip, go gator huntin'! Trust me on this one. We took an airboat tour through the Everglades and I was blown away by how cool it was. Our tour guide was the coolest, too legit backwoods guy with gator-bite scars and missing toes who seemed to have come straight outta the woods from Deliverance. Definitely an authentic and unforgettable experience.

Have the nicest dinner of the trip.. at Joe's Stone Crab. Put your name in early and enjoy a stroll around South Pointe Park. We didn't get our name in early enough so we opted to sit on their "appetizer patio" and share appetizers and enjoy some fancy cocktails, which were SO good. Go ahead and splurge on at least one cocktail, you won't regret it. #worthit #treatyoself

DAY FOUR 

Rent bikes.. at one of the hundreds of CitiBike locations along the beach line. You can pay with a card. It charges at an hourly rate. It's easy, it's cheap, it's fun..do it.

Have yourself yet another amazing Cuban breakfast at Tropical Beach Cafe. 

We only had 6 short hours on day 4 before we had to catch our plane home, so we made the most of our last day in the sun but I'm listing some things below that we would've done, if we would've had more time.

EXTRAS

Things to note for our next Miami visit, which is hopefully soon.

-Eat more Cuban food! When we go back, we will ONLY eat Cuban food. It is so delicious and authentic and nearly impossible to find in Oklahoma City, so yeah.... I'll have a million Cuban sandwiches and cafe con leches to go, please.

-Rent scooters for TWO whole days. It was way too fun to only have for one day.

-Go to Coral Gables for brunch and take a cruise through the neighborhoods. We've heard good things about their food and overall cuteness.

-Explore Little Havana. 

-The water was so much bluer than I had imagined and the weather is literally perfect in February. Seriously.. perfection! We stayed in a cute neighborhood somewhat near the beach, but I'll probably start watching for a good deal on a boutique hotel to pop up that's right by the water on South Beach, because that would be dreamy.

-Stay an extra day/ never leave! Seriously. Never leave.