simplyxclassic - a life and style blog

September 19, 2017

Hawaii’s Most Instagrammable Hotel – The Laylow Hotel

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By now you should know how much my family and I love traveling to Oahu (see post here and here). Earlier this month we went back and this time we stayed at the Laylow Hotel which just reopened earlier this March after completing their renovation. You guys– This Hotel is so awesome and VERY insta-worthy!!!

Location Location Location

The Laylow Hotel is located in the center of Wakiki near the main shopping and dinner venues– it was wonderfully convenient! We had the best shopping around us with the International Marketplace being right next door, numerous restaurants to choose from, starbucks and jamba juice on one side of the hotel and a car rental place on the other side of the hotel. Oh and of course the most famous Marukame Udon is right across the street from the hotel front. If you can forego the beachfront ocean view, The Laylow real estate is A+

Service With A Warm Smile

My husband and I tend to stay at a lot of hotels so we often forget small details but we always remember how the staff made us feel. The Laylow staff was amazing– the entire team was very gracious, warm and genuinely polite. All of my questions were met with a welcoming smile and a sincere attitude to help and serve. Starting from the front desk team to the Valet gentlemen– everyone was hospitable and gave the best local recommendations for our stay.

Eye Candy Spots

One of the biggest reasons why I wanted to stay at The Laylow Hotel was because every spot of the Hotel is instagram worthy. Even the wallpaper inside the elevator made for a great backdrop for a selfie. My personal favorite was the iconic beautiful leaf wall in our bedroom which immediately gave the room a calming tropical feel. The Pool has cabanas (upon reservastions) and chaise chairs inside and outside the pool. Rylie and I both loved the ceiling swings in the lobby area which were perfect for sipping my chai tea lattes each morning.

If you’re planning a trip to Oahu anytime soon, I definitely recommend The Laylow Hotel. I’m very excited to stay here again in the future– especially after they open their retail floor.

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simply x classic was a welcomed guest at The Laylow

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September 5, 2017

Vacation Notice: Be Right Back

Out of the Office

Be back soon…
(follow my Instagram to see what I’m up to)

August 30, 2017

What To Pack For Hawaii

My family and I are heading to Oahu next week and I couldn’t be more excited!
This will be our 5th time visiting the Island so I wanted to share some items we always pack for our trip.

Snorkeling Gear

We used to always rent a set of snorkel gear at the beach but we thought it was about time to buy our own. They’re not that expensive– in fact renting them day to day costs more. Plus, I like knowing i’m the only one putting my mouth on the mouth piece.

Toddler Goggles & Floatie

Rylie doesn’t know how to swim yet so she definitely needs help in the ocean. We love this floatie. It’s perfect for little beginners just learning to swim.

Toddler Carrier

We stopped traveling with our stroller after Rylie started walking– strollers aren’t very convenient in Hawaii anyway. We found that this hiking carrier is a lot easier for us to transfer Rylie around when we’re shopping in Waikiki or getting from the car to the beach.

Personal Fan

Though the weather in Hawaii is perfect and always beautiful, I find that sometimes I need my own personal wind during the hotter months. What I love most about this fan is that it charges by USB.

Waterproof Phone Case Lanyard

This is an absolute must! I get really paranoid about leaving my wallet and phone on the beach when we’re all playing in the water so my husband and I have these to store our phone, cash and cards. They are 100% waterproof. We just put them around our neck and don’t even worry about them when we’re in the water.

Heart Floatie

So this is more for myself to enjoy. This floatie also comes in pink. Don’t worry about blowing them up. You can take them to any ABC store and they will inflate it for you for $1

Waterproof Bag

This is something new for us. After years of packing all of our plastic bags to store our wet bathing suits after beach time, I decided to get a waterproof bag to reuse since plastic bags aren’t free anymore.

Sound Machine

I’m a light sleeper and hotels have thin walls. This sound machine is a must for me. I always take this with me everywhere I go. I’ve had it for years and it does an excellent job of drowning out noise.

Breakfast Muffins & Snacks

My daughter wakes up around 6am.. My husband and I like to sleep in til 7. SO…. We always pack these muffins for her to eat in the morning by herself while she plays on her iPad– this allows us to sleep in a little longer.
I also bring these peanut butter crackers to keep in my bag in case of emergencies. I can’t tell you how many times we have left the beach starving. These crackers are the perfect snacks for us to have in the car while on the way to the restaurant.

August 23, 2017

Currently Loving: Volition Beauty Products

Lately I’ve been loving Volition Beauty products and the brand.

Why I LOVE Volition Beauty

Volition Beauty is the first beauty brand that offers high-quality products that was co-created from a community of everyday women. Each product idea came from a community member (real people like you and me) asking real beauty problems they wanted solutions to. What I appreciate about Volition Beauty is that they really do listen to the community– your voice, your concerns, your skin matters to them. Volition Beauty wants to solve all of your beauty problems.

Top 5

You can purchase Volition Beauty’s Top 5 Products on Sephora.com and in select @sephora stores this September.

Turmeric Brightening Polish
Turmeric is so good for brightening your skin. This polish will help exfoliate dead skin cells to leave your skin refreshed, brighter, softer and smoother. The innovator of this polish wanted to introduce and share her cultures beauty ritual with the world.

Detoxifying Slit Gelee Mask
This mask will help draw out all of the impurities and toxins from your skin without causing dryness. The innovator of this product wanted a mask that would not only detoxify your skin but moisturize as well.

Oil Control Mattifying Mist
Finally a mist that will bring life back into your tired skin without making your face look oily! This mist will hydrate your skin while absorbing all of the oils on your face leaving you with a matte finish.

Oceanene Youth-Boost Gel
This gel is feather-light, quick absorbing and will keep your skin moisturized. Say goodbye to dryness and dullness as this gel will help brighten and plump up your skin. Oh and the best part is that it is free from heavy perfume fragrances.

Helix AM/PM Eye Gel
The eye gel is perfect for day and night. It helps blur visible fine lines and wrinkles. It will help de-puff to promote healthy looking skin around the eyes. The innovator wanted to create an eye cream that could work well under her eye make up during the day time and hydrate and renew the eye area for the nighttime.

GOOD FOR ALL

Volition Beauty is formulated to be hypo-allergenic and non-comedogenic. Every product is free from sulfates, phthalates, paragons, nitrates, formaldehyde, BHA and BTA. Volition Beauty is also cruelty free!

If you’re searching for a new skincare line, give them a try. My current favorite product is the Turmeric Brightening Polish. I love how it effectively cleans my skin while leaving it soft, smooth and bright. If you decide to get them from @sephora make sure to tag them on your instagram @VolitionBeauty and use hashtag #MyOwnVolition

This post is sponsored by Volition Beauty. As always my opinions are my own.

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August 15, 2017

Sunsational Swim School – Teaching Kids To Swim

Rylie has been getting swim lessons from Sunsational Swim School.

Sunsational swim school is the way to go!

Rylie is super scared of the water. Bath times are difficult (can I get a amen from any of the other mom’s out there). She is scared of water being poured on her head and water getting in her eyes, nose and ears– it’s tragic and she screams bloody murder every time we bathe her.

Why We Chose Sunsational Swim School

Sunsational Swim School is a nationwide website mobile swim school that matches you to a certified swim instructor among their 2000+ professionals in their database hand picked, vetted and background checked professional coaches. They’ll provide lessons to kids as early as 6 months old! It’s so easy to sign up! All I needed to do was complete a quick survey and then I was immediately matched to an experienced instructor in our area. We were matched with Gabby and she is wonderful. She is so gentle, patient and encouraging with Rylie. The best part about the matching system is that they hand select the instructor that best suits your needs AND the instructor will come to you and provide lessons in your community pool. I LOVE that!

The Outcome

I didn’t have high-expecations for Rylie– I know she’s won’t be joining the summer olympics team any time soon. My only goal for these lessons were for Rylie to be comfortable with water. We’re mid-way through our program and I can already tell that Rylie is less and less scared. She can now stick her face in the water and blow bubbles. We’re still working on her holding her breath but at least she’s willing to try which is a HUGE improvement. Rylie can also crawl from one end of the pool to the other and can even climb out by herself. I really appreciate how Gabby is willing to go at Rylie’s comfort pace but will gently push and encourage her to try new things. If you’re in the market for a swim instructor, I highly recommend checking our Sunsational Swim School!

Have you guys tried swim lessons before?

August 14, 2017

Back To School Denim with Old Navy

Let’s Go Back To School!

Back To School is just around the corner!

Today I’m sharing our favorite denim jeans that are perfect for back to school. Old Navy is our one stop shop for everyday deals for everyday fashion and their denim line is hands-down the best in the market. They have almost every cut and style you could ask for and they’re so comfortable which is key to finding a good pair of jeans. I love the Rockstars— have you tried them? They have extra stretch that flatters all shapes and sizes. Oh and they feel like leggings! I’m wearing these in the pictures above but I also own this, this and this!

Rylie is not big on wearing jeans but she loves these Ballerina Skinny Jeans because they’re so soft and stretchy. As I mom, I really like the elastic waistband and I appreciate that the waistline is adjustable. This way I can buy a bigger size for Rylie to grow into.

If you follow me on social media then you probably already know that Rylie and I had the opportunity to participate in a Photo Shoot for Old Navy back in June. It was such a cool experience and I couldn’t have been more honored to participate. Old Navy has always been a favorite brand to shop for myself and my entire family. I love their prices and monthly deals but most of all I real like that their clothes are in style and comfortable!

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