Sunshine and warmer temperatures sounded like the antidote to 12 months of hustle and surviving a lot of big changes in our family, and we were right. The unexpected hit of the pandemic, coupled with working from home and homeschooling in a 724 square foot apartment, birthing a new baby accidentally in said apartment, signing a book contract, and Stephen changing jobs 3 times, plus moving out to the suburbs, was about all we could handle. 2020 was just showing off. Stephen and I hopped on a direct flight to Miami, to stay in the laid back village of Coconut Grove.

We left Saturday morning, with our 9 month old in tow, and arrived Saturday afternoon to a welcome a 60 degree warmer change of pace. The goal of the trip: get as much relaxation as possible, be close to healthy food options, and be in a walkable area. We chose Coconut Grove because it ticked every box. Though it’s not right on the ocean, the views of Biscayne Bay were truly amazing. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton (a first for us) and felt enveloped in beauty from the moment we walked into the lobby.

Here’s a peek at the highlights of each day:

Day one

• Arrival at the Ritz Carlton Coconut Grove.

• Watched the sunset on Biscayne Bay.

• Walked to grass-fed burgers at Lokal.

• Ate incredible paletas for dessert at Morelia. My favorite was the pineapple mint, which had no added sugar and was also dairy free, and Stephen loved the passion fruit. The night life in Coconut Grove was lively and full of families pushing strollers, older couples dressed to the nines, and young adults on dates.

day two

• Got to pray in a cozy hotel robe and slippers on our balcony as the sun came up with a super strong (my favorite) Nespresso coffee.

• Took an Uber downtown for Holy Mass at Gesu Church. We went to Mass in Spanish (Stephen is fluent and I’m rusty), and loved how friendly the parish community was. The church was breathtaking.

• We walked to the downtown Whole Foods to grab food and snacks for an outdoor brunch. I got a small package of smoked sockeye salmon, a Culina vanilla yogurt, and a nitrogen cold brew coffee. Stephen grabbed a charcuterie plate, fresh avocado, and cold brew coffee too.

• We took an Uber to the Art Deco district in South Beach, and got to see the ocean, sand, and a amazing buildings from the 1920s boom. We ate our lunch under a tree while the baby napped in the stroller, which sadly did not roll in the sand so we could dip our toes in. There’s always next time! Then we walked up to the Versace mansion and took a few self-timer shots for fun.

• We left South Beach and headed back to the hotel pool for some relaxation with a side of ice cold seltzer with fresh mint. One of my favorite things is watching babies fall in love with swimming, and our littlest guy had the best time.

• After getting freshened up, we walked to the village of Coconut Grove looking for dinner on Valentine’s Day after our other option fell through. We loved the reviews of Sapore di Mare, and they had a few tables free as soon as we got there around 6pm (they don’t take reservations). Leave it to us to find an Italian place run by an Italian! The food was outrageously good, and the service was excellent. We started with the prosciutto and burrata appetizer (Stephen’s first burrata) and both had the whole filet of sole dinner with roasted vegetables. They de-boned the fish at the table, and the flavor was unreal. For dessert, we walked back for more pineapple paletas at Morelia.

• Our hotel learned of the reason for our trip (a past-due couple getaway) and left heart-printed chocolate covered strawberries in our room. It was the sweetest surprise.

Day three

• We woke up early to catch the sunrise on our balcony again, which had a view of the architectural stunners of the Grove at Grand Bay.

• Then we went for coffee and breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien. They are reliable with organic food options, which is perfect for me. I had 3 sides: berries, bacon, and avocado with my coffee. Stephen had the eggs and avocado toast.

• We walked down toward Peacock Park and took in more water views on the closeby dock. The balmy air was so good, and truthfully I was enjoying the volume that returned to my hair from the humidity.

• We walked back to our hotel and realized we had a little more time to kill before heading to the airport. We had the choice between poolside at the hotel or visiting the Vizcaya Gardens. Both of us wanted to check out just one more place— and went for the experience of beauty at Vizcaya. It felt like a piece of Italy in South Florida! So magical, and full of stories and history. I cannot wait to go back and take in even more of the gardens and historic mansion.

For the first time ever, I did not overpack! Here’s what I wore in Miami.

Day 1:

On the plane: Black lace tank, black jeans, black suede belt, black leather booties, oversized white button down, and puffer coat.Upon arrival: I took off the button down, swapped the boots for sandals, and went out for dinner!

Day 2:

I wore a long sleeve denim shirtdress with leather gladiator tied sandals to Mass, and rolled up my sleeves at the beach. I’ve been loving this brown corduroy pouch from Merit to carry my essentials. I would have worn my Hermoza bathing suit underneath had I planned a bit better. I changed into my swimsuit and (amazon) cover-up for the pool, then into my long sleeve polka-dot dress from Boden for dinner, paired with some funky acrylic sandals.

Day 3:

I threw on a white Uniqlo t-shirt and wide leg Anine Bing jeans for breakfast and our trip to Vizcaya. Then I changed into Spanx faux leather leggings with a black turtleneck tunic with booties and a camel puffer coat for the airplane ride home.