If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you know that my family and I spent a week in Cancun just before Christmas.  Although it wasn’t the dramatic weather difference as it would have been last year coming from Canada, it was nonetheless warmer than Houston currently, and it was beautiful.  It was our first beachy vacay with the family – if you don’t count beautiful secluded mountain lake beaches – and first resort trip with our kids (second for us, having once gone to Cuba before we had kids way back when I thought I was too fat for a bikini, dummy).  It was wonderful to get away, particularly for my kids who have been contending with significant homework and my husband who has been keeping us all afloat with his long hours and hard work.  As for me, grief still hits in waves and a little sea sojourn was prescriptive.

God bless my Mexico mentors, my sister Shannon and friend Janelle, who patiently listened as I relentlessly contemplated what to pack.  I ended up overpacking, ‘natch, but wore all but one of the dresses and skipped one bathing suit because I felt it gave me a 2-foot backside, sorrynotsorry Modcloth.

Beach cover-ups and day dresses, all thrifted except the hats!
Evening dresses, all thrifted but one – the one I didn’t end up wearing interestingly enough.
Loved my thrifted bags! They were the perfect choice!

Here’s what I wore when I managed to snap a shot:

This was my travel dress – long and super comfy, like public pajamas and easy to layer with a cardi and scarf.  Saltwater sandals purchased via eBay.
First night out in a super comfy dress! Had the most amazing coffee that I shared on IG story and I’m still dreaming about!
Literally the best coffee I’ve ever had.  There was Kahlua, tequila, Triple Sec and flames.  Lots of flames.  Delicious!
$2 beach cover and $4.20 bathing suit.  I didn’t manage to snap my other covers but they were perfect and will see tons of use this summer which apparently starts in February??
This is me in my $5.60 dress and $7 sandals standing on my walk-out Cancun patio! That line of cabanas leads straight to the tumultuous ocean.
Glad I packed this cover rather than the other maternity-ish one!
Love me some big pockets.
Mother and daughter in thrifted dresses.
$1 CK dress for a dinner date with my boys.
We let the kids have room service with the 12yo in charge and had dinner all by ourselves! I scored this Anthro maxi dress for $26 off Poshmark and that alone is reason to move to the US.
Perfect resort shoes – $5 unworn teal leather BOC sandals.
For the last dinner, I wore my other Poshmark Anthro silk maxi dress that I scored for $33. I luv it.
Love the accessory possibilities!
Sometimes I inadvertently match my cocktail… #winningatlife

Outfit photos were not forefront in my mind as two of my kids and I battled a long high fever and terrible cough.  I can attest that feeding a cough does not work nor do resort margaritas despite my soldier’s effort at both.  It did dampen the experience but we still managed to go snorkeling and generally enjoyed the resort.  Of course, I also had my monthly visitor arrive just in time for snorkeling but “no worries” because I was prepared with my Diva Cup!!  Don’t know what that is?  Well, it’s a menstrual cup, ladies, and it is a great solution IF you can get the hang of it, say, BEFORE you are due to go snorkeling.  I literally worked up blood sweat and tears as I tried to get the damn thing in properly.  In the end, I whispered to it, do or die, and went on my way.

Waiting to go snorkeling at Aqua World wearing my $10 Maeve Anthro dress with pockets and $22 Salt Water Sandals, both from Poshmark!
“Surely the Diva Cup would never fail a woman chic enough to wear tan sandals with her black dress?” she thought illogically.

Thank God it did its job even though I’m not convinced it was positioned properly which led to extensive internal speculation about my body (saggy? surely not.  no.) and my, er, dexterity (how deep is deep, what the?).  I haven’t given up on the Diva Cup because “nevertheless she persisted” and I have a whole lot more bathing suit time ahead of me here in the South.

Recuperating after my Diva Cup tribulations.

I miss the ocean already and am dismayed to find pants a necessity these days in Houston.  YOU PROMISED ME NO PANTS!!  Jk, that was a wish rather than a promise.

Hope to see you again soon!

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