fall tweed.

tweed is for fall.

north shore in the winter is raging. we took a quick peek at the waves before grabbing acai bowls on veteran's day.

(Obey top via Lulu's; Express shorts; JustFab shoes;

love & sunshine bag; bobby glam hair extensions)

you might like these:

beach whites.

summer seems to be flying by...

mini-he goes back to school on august 1st, and that'll be the end of our late nights and mid-week rendezvous. i look forward to each weekend and try to fill it with as many fun activities as possible. this weekend we're hoping to hit up a dinosaur exhibit, a [fashionable] night market, and the beach, of course!

speaking of the beach, i found my perfect cover-up from eshakti. the longer sleeves provide a bit of relief from the sun, the embroidered details give it a boho vibe, and i love how the ruffled hem moves prettily in the wind. unfortunately, the white sold out; it's available in orange here. if you want a similar white one, you can probably customize this one to have longer sleeves like the one i'm wearing.

they are currently having a summer clearance sale. plus, if you are a new customer, you get a $25 certificate that can be used in addition to the sale!

*update 7/22/14: the dress is now available in off-white here!

*this is not a sponsored post. while eshakti did send me an item to review (still working out some sizing issues), i purchased this particular dress on my own and love it.

(eshakti dress; lil coconut hawaii clutch (buy))

weekend in photos.

here's a few snaps from our 4th of july weekend.

how was yours?

did you watch any fireworks?

typical.

swimsuits + towels line the railing in between beach sessions.

morning coffee.

homemade ice cream + berries & whipped cream.

waiting for the fireworks at kawela bay. #nofilter

festive nails.

fresh picked lilikoi.

kalbi on the grill.

a week of summer essentials. UPF clothing.

summer is all about being outdoors, doing what you love, and soaking up the sunshine. but at some point, you have to cover up and protect yourself from the rays. just as sunscreens have an SPF (sun protection factor) rating, clothing has a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) rating. they have to have a rating of at least 15 in order to be labelled as sun-protective and a minimum rating of 30 in order to have the skin cancer foundation's seal of approval. UPF 30-49 is considered good protection, 50+ is excellent.

look for this seal.

your typical white tee has an average UPF of 7. once it gets wet, it drops to 3. fabric that is stretched out also loses its protection as light can seep through, so make sure to replace them as they wear out.

whatever your passion, there is something cute made just for it. here are some options for keeping you protected while still looking stylish.

swimming / surfing / paddling

j.crew geometric tiki rashguard, UPF 50

j.crew geometric tiki hipster

seea sand dollar support top, UPF 30

seea jalama bikini bottom

surfing / volleyball

billabong skinny sea legs, neoprene

athleta roca chica scallop bikini, UPF 50

athleta roca chica scallop swim shorts, UPF 50

poolside / running

tory burch tomino surf shirt & swim skirt, SPF 50

athleta sunnyside seamless rashguard tee, UPF 50+

athleta kamala petal shorts, UPF 50+

hiking / farmer's market

patagonia long-sleeved overcast shirt, UPF 30

spfaddict groovy times shirt, UPF 50+

walking / water park

athleta pacifica UPF shirt, UPF 50+

land's end aqua terra hibiscus zip-front rash guard, UPF 50

lunch or coffee with friends

mott 50 hvar boatneck dress, UPF 50

spfaddict perfect dress, UPF 50+

there's also a laundry additive, Sun Guard, that washes UPF 30 sun protection right into your every day clothing!

it's good for 20 washes.

how far do you go for sun protection?
do you wear UPF clothing?

in case you missed it:

a week of summer essentials . sunscreen

a week of summer essentials. sunscreen.

sunscreen is an integral part of my daily routine, even more so during summer months when we are outdoors more often. year after year, it's easy to get lazy and sloppy about our application, so here are a few simple reminders and myth-busters.

how much SPF should you wear?

a sunscreen with at least 15-30 SPF is recommended.

higher SPFs offer little additional benefits. they may create a false sense of security - making you think that since you aren't red or burning, you are not damaging your skin, or that it's ok to stay in the sun longer.

when should you use sunscreen?
always. sunny, rainy, or cloudy, you should always wear sunscreen.
the sun is there, doing its damage, even if you can't see or feel it.

how much sunscreen is enough?

nickel size each for face and neck. don't forget your ears!

one ounce (shot glass) for your body, more or less depending on your size.

most people apply only 1/4 of what is needed and aren't getting the full SPF protection stated on the label. if you use the same tube for the entire summer, chances are you aren't using enough! if you have left over after summer, chances are you didn't use enough!

here's an example for the products i'm currently using:


how often should you apply sunscreen?
apply sunscreen 30 minutes before exposure, then generally reapply every two hours.
reapply more often with excessive sweating or swimming.

does layering products increase SPF?
no. the product with the highest SPF is what you would get - in this case, 55.
however, it's likely you're not using enough foundation or powder to get its full SPF, so don't count on them solely.



order of products: ideally, your sunscreen should go on last. if you are wearing makeup, moisturize first, apply sunscreen second, and makeup last. give each layer ample time to soak in (3-5 mins).
mixing products: adding moisturizer (with no SPF) to a foundation with SPF 17 will dilute the foundation, and you may not get the full SPF 17 protection. make sure each product has a minimum of SPF 15 to maintain their effectiveness.

what research is showing...
sunscreen does not provide 100% protection. harmful infrared radiation can penetrate UV filters (our typical UVA/UVB sunscreens) and cause damage to the skin. try layering an antioxidant serum under your sunscreen for greater protection.

try these:

it happens.

even with our best intentions, we sometimes forget to reapply sunscreen or miss a spot and end up with a nasty burn. take cool showers and apply an after-sun care product with aloe to cool and prevent peeling.

my favorite:

do you have any sunscreen application tips?

the beach tote.

it's the freakin weekend!

i have beach, sand, and sun on my mind, so it only seems right ending the week with a casual beach outfit. my friends over at sisters marie sent me this cute beach bag. it reminds me of one i had years ago that i absolutely loved. it's both functional (holds all the beach essentials and more) and fashionable (love the colorful stripes).

the bag wanted all the attention, so i kept the outfit neutral but added oomph with visual texture (heathered tee) and physical texture (lace shorts). throw in some beachy waves, grab your sunglasses, and head to the water. see you there!

and with summer here, there are tons of makeup and beauty products to try...sunscreens, bronzers, protective hair sprays, tanning lotions, and summery nail polishes to name a few. enter the Ulta giveaway for a chance to win a $250 gift card.

what product would you like to try this summer?

(sterling silver anchor ring, the collegiate standard)

nails: wet n wild megalast in 'innocent'

(old navy tee; patty's closet shorts; billabong bag;

sole society sunglasses)

weekend in photos. summer love.

it's rare that we have a weekend completely free. someone always has a game, practice, class, or birthday party. this past weekend was one of those free weekends, so we headed to the beach house. it was the ideal summer weekend just hanging out, eating, and hitting the beach to surf, paddle, and swim several times a day. in the evenings, we'd play [with the neighborhood kids] on the street till dark, wind down by playing cards or games, and finally pop in a movie to end the night.

how's your summer so far?

carrot juice to kick off the weekend.

soaking up the last bits of sun.

sun protection essentials.

having fun letting the waves push us around.

iphone stack...plus the one i'm using to take the picture.

pork quesadillas from killer tacos.

[mini-he and me] on top of the world alligator rock! 

strawberry + coconut shave ice w/ice cream from my fave general store.

mini-she.

something i've always wanted to try for mini-he. i think i got more of a kick out of it than he did.

playing in the streets till dark...mini-he had the best time riding bicycles and scooters with the neighborhood boys. they were racing down a hill, and being the protective mom that i am, i followed along...cheering but also reminding him to use his brakes and slow down if he didn't feel comfortable. at one point, he actually shoo'd me and said under his breath, "i know, mom, go. go." i laughed to myself at the time, but thinking about it makes me sad...he's growing up!