Hey, hey Thursday! You guys, I am SO encouraged and blessed by your comments from yesterday! So many of you reached out to me about your own colonoscopy experiences and/or how you made that appointment yesterday to do your “hard thing”. I am just super, super blessed that this year, we’re all working together and supporting each other to take better care of ourselves. Yesterday went really well for me, and it was super simple (once I got over the fasting/prep part), but needless to say, I am so happy to be on this side of things 🙂 .
Are you ladies ready for PART TWO of our SPRING BREAK RECAP?! Spoiler alert, it kicks off with a PROMO CODE thanks to my friends at Colleen Rothschild!
If you missed PART ONE, then make sure you go back and read that one too. In that post, we head to San Juan, Puerto Rico on day one and then on day two, we boarded the Norwegian Viva!
Ready, set, here we go starting with…
…thanks to the amazing Colleen Rothschild for collaborating with me today, my sweet readers can receive 20% off sitewide with my code SHAY20!
(This cannot be stacked on pre-discounted bundles.)
You know I never take a trip without these two sets from Colleen Rothschild for both my skin and my hair…
…I brought both my QUENCH & SHINE TRAVEL HAIR ESSENTIALS KIT as well as…
…my DISCOVERY COLLECTION for my skincare needs. Not only are both sets PERFECT for trips (they include everything you will need!), but they’re also both really, really great to try if you’re new to either Colleen Rothschild’s haircare or skincare products.
If you are new, you guys…THESE ARE THE ONLY SKINCARE AND HAIRCARE PRODUCTS MY MOM AND I USE. I truly, truly love them both and think they’ve totally changed the texture, hydration, and health of my skin are hair…and right now, with code SHAY20 you can try them for 20% off!
Just to recap:
#1: RADIANT CLEANSING BALM is always the #1 product I recommend. I take my makeup off and wash my face with this every single day. You know how sometimes when you wash your face, your skin feels tight right after? This does the complete opposite. Not only does it remove even the most stubborn waterproof eye makeup, but it leaves your skin more hydrated and moisturized without feeling heavy or greasy. After years of using this, I cannot imagine using anything else to cleanse my skin and remove my makeup.
#2: VITAMIN C NOURISHING CREAM is an amazing part of my routine! I first started using this as my nighttime moisturizer this spring and am already on my third jar. It’s so hydrating and moisturizing and leaves my skin feeling really great the next morning. Speaking of Vitamin C…
#3: VITAMIN C BRIGHTENING SERUM is another super affective part of my routine. I apply just a bit of this to my face and neck every morning before my daytime moisturizer.
#4: RETINOL SUPREME EYE SERUM is one of the products I’ve been using since Day #1…since 2019! I originally bought this because my mom told me this was one of her staple products…and now, it’s mine too. I like to apply a thin layer under my eyes both morning and night as part of my skincare routine.
#5: AGE RENEWAL SUPER SERUM is my evening serum that I apply after I cleanse and before I moisturize. It truly is a “super” serum packing quite a punch with more than 20 ingredients to fight the six signs of aging (texture, dehydration, elasticity, fine lines, radiance and tone). I’ve used it for YEARS and truly think it’s made a huge difference with my skin. If you only try one of these products right now, I would say this is the BIGGEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK! This serum is basically like six serums in one and right now with promo code SHAY20, you get it for 20% off. My mom and I both use this as part of our daily routine.
#6: SHEER RENEWAL CREAM has been my daily go-to moisturizer since 2019. I wear this every single day regardless if I’m going out, staying in, wearing makeup or not. It’s light, not heavy, not greasy and yet super hydrating and easy to wear under SPF and makeup.
My cabin shower was all set with my QUENCH & SHINE TRAVEL HAIR ESSENTIALS KIT for our cruise!
Speaking of which, it’s time to recap two of our MOST EPIC DAYS!
Part TWO of our Southern Caribbean Cruise begins with…
We woke up after our first night on board the Norwegian Viva in GORGEOUS Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.
You guys, these next two days were PERFECTION (well, minus one hiccup…)!
We woke up on morning #1 aboard our ship and took an elevator selfie…the lights made it look like we had sparkles all around us. We had our swimsuits on and were ready to grab some breakfast…
…with a VIEW! This is legit me just taking a photo (unedited) out the big window next to our table at breakfast in the buffet area. Tortola, you are beautiful!!
After breakfast, we hopped off the ship…
…snapped a pic in front of the Viva and needed to grab a car to head to the ferry. We had a very specific time to meet the ferry or else we would have missed our entire day. This photo right here should be labeled “the calm before the storm”. About 30 seconds after taking this pic on this glorious day, Andrew looked at me and said “You grabbed your wallet, right?”, and I said “No, didn’t you grab yours?” and he said “Nope”. You guys, we had about THREE MINUTES for one of us to literally run back to the ship, go through security, take the elevator to the 13th deck, get into our cabin, grab a wallet and then go back down to deck 4, go back through security and RUN to the car at the end of the pier and outside the terminal or else we would have missed our ferry. Who is the “runner” in the family that did all of this? Yours truly. In flip flops. Bahahaha! As my sweaty, out of breath, flip floppin’ self sprinted towards the car with seconds to spare, I could hear Andrew and my kids cheering good old mom on from inside the van. Needless to say, even we have “those moments” on vacations.
We had about a 30 minute VERY scenic drive over the mountains from one side of the island to the other in order to get to…
…the ferry with about five minutes to spare 😉 . FYI, you can find all the outfit deets here: HAT//COVERUP//NECKLACE//MADES’ SWIMSUIT.
Off we go to Scrub Island for the day!
You guys, we parked ourselves on this remote little island and had the BEST day!
The water was beautiful, the food was delicious, we just had the best day soaking up the sun and the sand.
My kiddos paddle boarded, swam, built sandcastles…we loved you, Scrub Island!
After a ferry and van ride back that late afternoon, we showered, cleaned up and then…
…after I took this picture with Andrew, all of the Shull girls wanted a picture with Dad…
Stop it right there. When did she get so GROWN?!
Our littlest love needed a pic…
…and Miss Ashby did too 🙂 . We all kind of like him.
Awwww! One nice family photo before dinner. I feel so blessed that these are my people.
The next morning…
…I did my quiet time in our cabin (one of my favorite places to study God’s Word is near the ocean!) before…
…we headed out for our private boat day in Saint Maarten!
Okay, I hate to play favorites on this vacation because truly, every single day was SO FANTASTIC, but at the end of the trip, we said that this day tied with one other day for our favorite. You guys, I think the Shulls are becoming “boat people”. What? What? We’re at least “people who enjoy other people’s boats with a side of Dramamine” people. We were so excited to explore Saint Maarten, and we had a wonderful boat captain and crew to show us around.
Off we go for a fun day on the water around Saint Maarten!
One of our first stops was this little island here where we could get out and swim, play, see the big sea turtles…it was so much fun!
Loving our boat life!
It was a full day of playing!
Sometimes, I’m “good influencer” who takes a bunch of pics and other times “I’m normal mom who is so busy having fun that the last thing I think about is my phone”. We spent about 8 hours on the water. We went completely around Saint Maarten stopping and swimming at various different points. One of my favorite parts was that they had made us lunch reservations at this place that 100% reminded me of the movie Captain Ron. We pulled up, they dropped anchor and said we needed to swim to lunch. This outdoor lunch place was PACKED with everyone doing the exact same thing. It was the first time I ever rolled up to a host stand to give them my name for a lunch reservation soaking wet in a bikini and barefoot, but I just legit swam there…and it was a blast. Needless to say, no pics because I swam there 😉 . It was truly, truly just a wonderful day and the perfect way to celebrate our 20th anniversary. We do something fun the following day (blog post to come) on our actual anniversary, but we planned this day in particular as our “celebration” as we knew Saint Maarten would deliver…and it did!
That’s it! That wraps up our first two ports of call on the Viva!
Don’t forget, MY TRAVEL AGENCY WANTS TO SEND YOU TOO! We would love to help you with your next vacation! Reach out to us today!
And one last reminder…
…thanks to the amazing Colleen Rothschild for collaborating with me today and giving my sweet readers 20% off sitewide with my code SHAY20!
If you have any specific questions about which hair or skincare products my mom and I love, please feel free to comment and ask! If you’re looking for the biggest bang for your buck today for skin, I would say the AGE RENEWAL SUPER SERUM is probably it (although the RADIANT CLEANSING BALM is my #1 favorite skincare product of all time!). If you’ve never used her hair care products before, you will LOVE them! I would start with the QUENCH & SHINE TRAVEL HAIR ESSENTIALS KIT.
Happy Thursday! I will see you all back here tomorrow! xx
Elspeth says
Looks like so much fun!
Thanks for sharing!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Emily Miller says
What was the picture from at scrub island with the water slide? We want to do this exact trip and I emailed your travel agency!
Mix and Match Mama says
That was their pool area and bar! We would LOVE to help you too!
Chelsi Shultz says
Your vacations look like SO much fun! Cruising is my husband and I’s favorite vacation, so relaxing and no time pressing thing except what to eat next!
I was wondering about the skincare, it’s quite pricey, but I have a feeling it works! Can the serum be worn without a moisturizer or is it recommended to use a moisturizer over it?
Thank you for your tips and tricks!
Mix and Match Mama says
I personally think you’d want to top it with a moisturizer for the hydration. The serum is amazing because a little really goes a long way. I probably only go through two a year, and I use it daily.
Rita says
What wonderful memories you are making. I can’t get over the colour of the water, dreamy.
Mix and Match Mama says
I agree! The water was just beautiful at every stop!
Jessica says
Did you have trouble finding gluten free food on the cruise?
Mix and Match Mama says
Not at all!
Kara says
My favorite part about your vacation re-caps is how much fun/adventure you fill the days with! It looks like a perfect trip so far! When we do our first family cruise, I will be reaching out to your office to get help planning a trip like this! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Mix and Match Mama says
We would LOVE to help you!!
Jamie says
Your dinner outfit is so cute!!!! Would you share it?!
Mix and Match Mama says
Thank you! It’s from last year. I bought it at Ramy Brooke 🙂 .
Monica Beth says
Boat People! Yes! We are boat people…just a warning…you will soon be wearing a “Boat Hair, Don’t Care” hat! Trust me, once you declare yourself boat people, there is. O turning back…I’ve been on or near a lake my whole life and am looking out my window right now at our lake and wanting it to be just a snitch warmer so I can be ON my boat! Your summer on Nantucket is going to be much more adventurous this year! 🚤
Nikki says
Do you book excursions through the ship or did you book them on your own?
Mix and Match Mama says
I personally almost always book mine independently of the cruise line, but we have a lot of clients who love the ones directly through each line.
Nikki says
Thanks! I have done both but I do get a bit nervous when booking independently bc I don’t want to miss the ship if anything goes awry.
Sheaffer says
I never go anywhere without my CR travel kits!!!
Allison says
There is nothing better than getting dropped off in a dingy in the Caribbean and swimming the rest of the way to shore to eat and drink!! Loving this vacay!
Kathy says
Hi Shay! Your trip looks amazing. Do you have a link to Kensington’s white dress? Its adorable! Thank you!
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s from Altar’d State 🙂
Katie Babb says
This day looked like the best day from when i was following along on instagram! The water looked almost fake!
Coty says
black and white swimsuit top, please send the link – it is adorable
Mix and Match Mama says
Here you go! https://shopstyle.it/l/b9qJk
Bridget says
What was the name of the place you swam to for lunch? Sounds super fun!
Mix and Match Mama says
I *think* it was on Pinel Island (something like that).
Erika Slaughter says
GIRLLLL….you need a boat! What are you waiting on?!
Deborah Leland says
Hi Shay, I always love your travel posts. We are boat people (have a small boat on Narragansett Bay, RI) however once I can’t see land I get really sea sick. Do you ever feel sick on the cruise ships? I am terrified of planning a cruise thinking I will be sick the entire time however I love all the places you go on a cruise and love the idea of it. I would love to know your tricks to not feeling sick on a cruise ship.
Mix and Match Mama says
I do not get sea sick on cruise ships. In fact, no one in my little family ever has (but we have on normal boats). I do not think you would even get the least bit queasy on a cruise.
K.K. says
Love it!! Swam to lunch… That sounds AWESOME. 🙂 Is it summer yet?!
Mix and Match Mama says
IS IT?! I’m so ready!!
S Gerald says
Could you share the name of the boat rental in St. Marteen? I would love to check it out. Thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
That’s one of the vendors we LOVE to use at our travel agency! We would love to help you with it too!
Darcy says
Loving K’s hair! My daughter taking her pic in to stylist for cut and color update today- I’m tempted to as well to be honest
Joanne says
We haven’t been back to St. Maarten since our honeymoon but after seeing several other Caribbean islands it’s still one of my all time favorites.
Mix and Match Mama says
We cannot wait to go back and just stay on that island for several days at a time!
Amanda says
I just started Colleen Rothschild hair care & skin care products almost a month ago & I LOVE them!! I don’t know why I waited so long to follow your recommendations!! 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
Yay!!!! It’s truly amazing, right?! I am so happy you decided to try it too!
Annie Dixon says
How does this cruise ship compare to Disney? I’ve only ever done Disney and my friends have done other cruises where they say they have to buy like a soda package and make reservations for shows, etc. ahead of time. I love the ease of a Disney cruise where you just show up and make your onboard plans as you go, and everything is basically included other than alcohol.
Mix and Match Mama says
They are similar in a lot of ways but different as well. I love both and neither are better/worse…just different. One big things is that with NCL, you have “anytime dining” which is nice and allows for a lot of flexibility versus the traditional dining times and dining rooms that DCL offers. The size of certain vessels range dramatically as is what’s on board (casino vs no casino). They both have impeccable service, attention to detail, excellent food…so I don’t think you could go wrong either way, and our family certainly loves both!
Shirley says
This cruise looks AH-MAZING!!! I somehow missed yesterday’s post but I wanted to say quick: everyone PLEASE get routine colonoscopies. I had put my first one off for 3 years & finally broke down & did it. (This was 2020 & I have no history of any colon issues in my extended family). Without giving TMI, I ended up at the Mayo Clinic with the most advanced GI specialist surgeon to remove a GIANT flat, pre-cancerous polyp. My doctor said if I had waited 3-6 more months, I would have had colon cancer. My super-star surgeon at Mayo removed the entire offending polyp in a 3 1/2 hour procedure & after almost four years, I’m doing perfectly fine. Everyone, please get regular colonoscopies!! You never know what’s going on inside your body! On a funny note, my husband told me going in that the colonoscopy would be uneventful & we’ve joked afterward that I will never trust his judgment on medical issues again! I’m thankful yours went well, Shay.
Mix and Match Mama says
WOW!!!! I am so happy you had that colonoscopy! Goodness, I’m glad you were proactive about it. Thank you for sharing this important message with us!
Tina says
K’s white dress?
Mix and Match Mama says
It’s from Altar’d State!
Alison says
This ship/cruise is now on my list! I’ll definitely be connecting with your team at some point to make it happen for my family. 😉 And my favorite line of this post: We’re at least “people who enjoy other people’s boats with a side of Dramamine” people. Thanks for the laugh!
Lauren says
This trip looks like a blast! Question: do you get a professional spray tan before a trip to ensure you haven’t missed a spot while doing your own? I feel like bikinis leave little room for error– hah! Or do you still use the tanning wipes/drops?
Mix and Match Mama says
I did get a professional spray tan before a trip like this. I’m pretty good at self-tanning, but I’m not “that” good 😉 .
Rachel Kazmier says
Had my first colonoscopy over Thanksgiving break! Agree, the prep is the worst part!
Denise says
Nothing beats the Caribbean! We are doing the Eastern Caribbean for Christmas this year! Love your trip reports!
Kacy M says
Super Mom!!
Daniellem02 says
Wondering about what percentage of passengers on the ship were kids? I joined a fb group for this ship because we are considering it and a lot of people said it’s not a ship for kids. Also, were your kids the only ones in Haven? We are family of 5 and that 2 bed is super appealing…thanks!
Mix and Match Mama says
I couldn’t give you an exact percentage, but I certainly think that the best way to determine whether kids are on board ships (in my professional opinion) is not the “ship” as much as it is the itinerary and time of year. Certain itineraries lend themselves to kids while others more towards senior adults. This itinerary and week very much had a family feel. There were many, many families in the Haven and my kids all “made friends” by the pool/out and about while we were cruising.
daniellem02 says
Thank you!
Jennifer says
Looks like a great trip! I would love for you to share what your boys use in terms of packing. My 16 year old is going on a trip to Greece in the spring with his school. I know he needs a new suitcase (he has the packing cubes you’e been recommending for years) and I would love your recommendations for a teen boy/mens carryon bag, toiletry bag, and whatever else I’m not thinking of!
Mix and Match Mama says
They use packing cubes and then this for their toiletries: https://shopstyle.it/l/b9y3L
Ann Marie says
Looks like we were in Tortolla at the same time? We were on the Virgin Cruise line, Valiant Lady and arrived in Tortolla on March 10th!
Mix and Match Mama says
I saw your ship!! Wasn’t it a beautiful day?!
Jill says
Do you have a link to your red dinner dress??
Mix and Match Mama says
That’s an oldie but goodie from Ramy Brooke!