Amazon Picks: Vacation/Travel Edition

We’ve all been through it – the last minute scramble to make sure you have everything you need for vacation. In my last blog post, I shared some pictures and a recap of a long weekend trip my husband and I took recently to Minnesota. Between work and…well, life…I found myself days away from the trip, missing some items that I needed and some items that I wanted. Amazon came through for me in a pinch, and today I wanted to share some of my Amazon picks for vacation/travel.

1. Tempt Me Retro Halter Bikini

Starting with the least likely item I thought I would successfully find on Amazon: a bikini! I actually did make an effort to plan ahead and try to find a bikini before the trip, but since our trip was in September, swimsuit season was pretty much over. We went to several stores in the mall, but the racks were already being filled with knits, sweaters, and all that good stuff for fall.

I decided to take a shot in the dark and browse Amazon, but I felt almost silly for trying. There was slim to no chance I was going to find something I liked, and something that would fit. Lo and behold I stumbled across this retro style halter bikini and I immediately stopped scrolling. A few things about this swimsuit that initially caught my eye: its retro-inspired style, the high-waist bottoms (I’ve always wanted to try them!), and the polka dots (I have a concerning obsession with polka dots). Skimming through the reviews, I saw positive reviews from people who were about the same size as me, who had bought sizes XS or S. So it felt pretty promising that size XXS would fit.

We were leaving on a Friday. I placed my order the Wednesday before, and it arrived the next day on Thursday! To top it off, I loved the bikini! It fit beautifully. For reference, I’m 4’11”, with a 24″ waist and 28DDD bust. The bottoms were a perfect fit. If I had to nitpick, there’s a seam along the bottom of the cups that should fit under the bust and flush against the torso.

On me, the seam comes up on my bust a bit, because the cups are probably technically too small. Honestly though, you can’t tell, so it didn’t bother me too much.

2. Sam Edelman Bay Classic Slide Sandal

I’ve been on the hunt for white slide sandals for years – something simple and slim. I have a pair of white Birkenstock knock-offs from Target, but sometimes they can be too bulky-looking for some outfits. I had been eyeing the white Bay sandals from Sam Edelman for a while, but I couldn’t justify spending $100 on them, when I already had the Birkenstocks. Call it an impulse buy for vacation, but the Saturday before the trip, I thought “screw it! I’m buying them!”

I bought my usual size 4, and they fit like a glove. I had built a repertoire of outfits that needed white sandals, but didn’t look right with the Birkenstocks, and they looked so good with the slim Bay sandals! The only thing I can’t speak to is the comfort. We didn’t do much walking in Minnesota, and whenever we did walk, I wore sneakers.

3. VASCHY Backpack

On our trip to Universal Studios in 2019, I brought a carry-on suitcase and a large Michael Kors tote bag on the plane. Although they fit everything I needed, I remember thinking, “I would be a lot more comfortable if I was carrying a backpack.” So for this trip I really wanted to buy a backpack, but I wanted to buy something that would be good for travel, and good with all my outfits.

To be completely honest, I glossed over this backpack at first. There wasn’t anything wrong with it. I just had my heart set on a Saffiano leather backpack from Kate Spade for the longest time. Their Staci dome backpack happened to be on sale, and for days I contemplated which colorway to get. Ultimately, I decided not to get the Kate Spade backpack. I couldn’t decide on a colorway that would suit all my outfits, and I didn’t want to risk the straps not being adjustable to a short enough length since it was final sale. Plus, I wasn’t sure it was going to come in time; and if it did and the bag wasn’t big enough or the straps were too long, I wouldn’t have time to find another backpack for the trip.

I decided to loop back through the options on Amazon, and I kept coming back to the gray version of the VASCHY backpack. My husband actually has the black version and he likes it, so I decided to get it. At the very least, we could be twins and it would be cute.

Turns out, I actually really liked this backpack. It was a really decent size for travel, and the gray color worked surprisingly well with all the outfits I had planned. It was also a decent size on me – I didn’t feel like it overwhelmed my petite frame at all.

So that rounds up all my last-minute purchases for our trip to Minnesota – all purchased within a week before we had to leave. Gotta love Amazon shipping speed! I hope you enjoyed seeing my Amazon picks for vacation/travel. I know it’s past peak vacationing season, but if you’re traveling in the off-season, hopefully you’ll find this post interesting/helpful!

. . . .

Thanks for reading!