This colorful one-piece from Aerie was the first one I whipped out for our beach day in Nassau, Bahamas. I love its bright colors, the criss-cross back, the boatneck neckline, and the ruffles! Unfortunately I can't find it online, but I am loving the print on this one too!

Would you believe me if I told you this bikini only cost me $11? Well, believe it! Its from SheIn.com and I absolutely love it! There's another SheIn purchase coming up next so let's talk about the site a little more. 

When I first found the website, I was flabbergasted by the amazing prices! I looked at hundreds of their swimsuits and read each review. By doing this I learned that the pieces run small. I'm usually a 0 or S but ordered these in M. This printed top required minimal alteration of the back strap because it was a little too big but otherwise it fit perfectly. I used this bikini both days we were at sea, even went down the slides in it, and it held up! No transparency issues either! I would definitely buy from the website again following these recommendations: read the reviews before buying for adequate sizing information, look for reviews that have photos, have in mind that they take 3-4 weeks to arrive and may need minimal alteration.

This is the other SheIn.com bikini I purchased for the trip. I wore this one for our day in Grand Cayman and loved it! Since the knot is adjustable, I could make it fit better than when it first arrived. The top is very sturdy and I could even lower the straps to take a more strapless tan and it stayed up magnificently. The bottoms are very cheeky, so have this in mind when purchasing! The jungle print one above had more coverage. Its unfortunately sold out in this color, but its equally as gorgeous in this periwinkle blue color!

Last but not least is the one I wore in Miami for the rooftop pool at our hotel, Atton Brickell Miami. This was my husband's favorite! Its the perfect one-piece suit! It has a low back, a cheeky bottom, some side boob action, and I love the slogan! 

You guys are going to kill me but I can't find this one either (here it is in blue without the slogan). But I'll do you one better. Here's another slogan one-piece, same style and same brand, but 100 times more amazing. Its slogan says "Survivor" and 100% of sales benefits Darkness to Light a nonprofit organization which empowers adults to prevent child sexual abuse. I'd say this one is much better, wouldn't you agree?

Which was your favorite? Let me know below!

Con amor, 

María Eugenia

SHOP THESE & MORE HERE!

¡Hola! Today's post was chosen by you! I asked on my Instagram stories what you would like to see this Friday and it was a tie between styling a basic white tee and a get to know me Q&A, so here we are! I'll be answering questions sent in to me on Instagram and sharing a couple of photos of me styling a basic white tee. Enjoy!

1. What countries have you visited? Which has been your favorite?

I've visited mainland USA, Canada, Mexico, Aruba, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Spain, France,  and United Kingdom. My favorite would have to be Mexico just because of the memories. My husband and I spent our honeymoon in Playa Mujeres and they were some of the best days of my life.

2. What's your best way to kill anxiety when you know its there? And what advice can you give about your marriage? Not just for good things, but for the situations that life brings.

I don't think there's a way to study medicine without ever suffering from anxiety at some point or another. I've tried countless of practices to combat anxiety: breathing exercises, taking a shower, aromatherapy, etc. While they all do work for me in a way, my favorite way to beat anxiety is to RUN. I stop what I'm doing, head to the gym, jump on the treadmill, and RUN. Exercise releases endorphins, hormones that make you happy and reduce stress. After a good run I feel ready to begin tackling any obstacle again.

My husband and I have been together for 5 years, married for the last 2. During this time we've been through quite a lot: the stress of medical school, being apart for months at a time while I studied for board exams, becoming a stepparent, the beginnings of his surgery residency, and so much more. There are many things I think go into having a good marriage but I think the two most important things are patience and forgiveness. Be patient as you continue to learn about one another. My mother has always told me: "You never stop getting to know someone". That's because you'll never know  exactly what's on their minds and everyone is constantly changing and growing. Learn to forgive because no marriage can last a hundred years if it holds on to grudges. Grudges not only destroy your marriage, they destroy your own happiness.

3. Marriage! How did you meet your hubby, proposal, wedding photos!?

Funny enough I met my husband for the first time when he crashed my 21st birthday party tagging along with some friends we had in common! He was quite smitten with me, I was not. Years passed and we never spoke until I saw him on the first day of medical school orientation! He had changed so much and I was quite intrigued! He basically decided for both of us that we were going to end up together. One thing led to another and here we are!

When he was going to propose, I admit, I kind of knew it was coming! I just know him so well, I knew something was up! He invited me to dinner on a Monday after a test (I was a third year medical student). I got all dressed up, did my nails (very important for ring photos!), and he picked me up. On the way to the restaurant he said he had forgotten his wallet so we had to go by his apartment. I kept insisting that it was no big deal, that I could pay, but he was adamant that we go pick it up. I waited in the car before getting a text from him to meet him upstairs. When I reach the apartment door, he's waiting for me outside. He opens the door and the entryway is filled with roses and candles. He had prepared a special meal for us. After, he got on one knee, gave a speech about our love, and asked me to marry him. I was so excited I didn't even look at the ring until I stopped crying! The first person we called was our daughter, who was ecstatic! It was perfect.

4. What to do you do besides blogging? 

I finished my doctorate degree in medicine and am waiting to start a surgery residency program while studying for my last board exam. My current professional goal is to become a general surgeon.

5. What motivated you to start a blog? What have been your favorite collabs and why?

I'd been wanting to start a blog since college but instead dedicated myself to studying, getting into medical school, then surviving medical school. I finally felt comfortable enough at the end of my third year that, with the insistence of friends and family, I went for it! I needed a hobby and what better than a corner of the internet where I can share all my other passions: fashion, beauty, travels, and now health too!

My favorite collaborations I've done so far have been the interview for The Golden Cactus' series: Bosses & Bloggers and the video for International Women's Day prepared by Ruthie Fonseca along with other gorgeous Puerto Rican bloggers. I felt honored since the second I was approached to do the interview and the video for women was really empowering. Read the interview here and check out the video here!

6. What quality do you think makes a great doctor?

This is a tough and great question. I think many qualities make up a great doctor but if I had to choose one it would be humility. A doctor should be humble enough to know that he/she never stops learning, to recognize when he/she is wrong, to recognize when to send a patient to another colleague, to know that their purpose is to serve others.

7. What are your best styling tips, especially for layering?

My #1 styling tip is to dress however which way makes YOU happy. Don't get to hung up on following trends. You shouldn't adjust your style to any trend, you can however adjust any trend to fit YOUR style! 

Layering is a complicated thing when you live on a tropical island like I do because layers mean heat. That being said, I do love layering pieces anyway! I do this by choosing lightweight layers such as thin cardigans, denim jackets, breathable blazers, etc.

8. When you go shopping, do you have a budget or do you just take advantage of sales/discounts and buy what you like?

I'm more of a "follow the sales" kind of girl. I rarely buy things at normal prices, unless its a great price! Because of this, I tend to do more online shopping where I can find more coupon codes. I also use sites like Shoptagr where you can follow item prices and they notify you when its on sale!

9. What's the best and worse fashion trend of all time in your opinion?

Best: The little black dress, timeless!

Worse: Harem pants!

10. Do you plan your weekly outfits beforehand or do you roll with your mood in the morning?

I usually take out the clothes I want to wear the next day the night before but if I wake up in a different kind of mood, I roll with it!

11. How do you keep yourself motivated?

I focus on my goal and have my father's words on repeat: "Never give up". I'm passionate about all my goals in life: being a good wife and partner, being a good stepparent, keeping up this blog, and becoming a surgeon so that in itself keeps me motivated.

Top/Camisa: Old Navy (similar) Skirt/Falda: Forever 21 (love this mustard one!) Shoes/Zapatos: Steve Madden Bag/Cartera: Zara

Con amor,

María Eugenia

On the right side, you can see what a weekly spread looks like. I keep it very minimal separating the days each 5th dot and drawing a line across (I use a ruler for straight lines). At the bottom I include an area to put in a quote that I feel goes most with how I felt during that week and a section for tasks that I have to include in next week's spread.

My key is simple: 

And that's it! Simple! Preparing this takes me roughly 20-30mins and preparing each week's spread takes me less than 10mins. There are a couple of mistakes in the above photo but I left them because, as I mentioned above, I also keep this journal as a practice in accepting imperfections.

Do you keep a bullet journal or do you prefer a normal agenda? If you do keep a bullet journal, where do you get your inspiration from? Let me know below!

Con amor,

María Eugenia

¡Hola! So we actually went to Old San Juan (OSJ) to take photos at Calle Fortaleza where the sky is filled with gorgeous pink kites in honor of Women's International Day but, just our luck, the street was closed for the day (insert face slap emoji here). OSJ still has so much more to offer! We wandered the streets and came across these gorgeously colored homes, perfect for our photo session! We spent some time checking out books in Librería Laberinto, ate dinner at our favorite pizza place, Pirilo Pizza Rustica, and finished with delicious ice cream at Himalaya.  

For days at Old San Juan I love wearing outfits that are nice and fresh because it can get very hot! On that note, it can also be very windy, so dresses/skirts that are too flowy can get swept up and before you know it the world knows what brand of panties you buy. This dress was juuust right. Since I knew we weren't going to be walking around too much, I was more than okay in these low heels. If I knew I was going to be all out touristing in OSJ, I would prefer to wear tenis shoes, even with this same dress. Gingham is a perfect spring/summer pattern and I've left more affordable gingham print options below.

I topped off the look with  this Gucci-inspired bag (a steal for $25 at my local TJ Maxx!) my classic boater hat, my round RayBans, and this perfect coral lipstick from CoverGirl. Come spring/summer, all my coral makeup comes out and this was the perfect addition to my collection. Its ultra lightweight yet pigmented and long lasting. I didn't touch up once, not even after pizza!

What is your favorite lipstick of the moment? Let me know below!

Con amor,

María Eugenia

SHOP MORE GINGHAM

• Youtube
• Wired Autocomplete Interviews: Once you start watching one you can't stop! Too hard to even pick a favorite but here's a good one:

• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Another dark black hole of the internet, once I start watching one of his videos on Charades, Pictionary, or Password I'm gone for the day.