Living in South Florida means I’ve seen my fair share of beach-goers. The beaches down here are filled with beautiful people with beautiful bodies and perfect tans. However, they aren’t always filled with people who are easy on the eyes. Nor is every beach day an episode of Baywatch. As summer approaches, more and more people are heading off to the beach to catch some rays and waves — which mean you’re going to do a lot of people watching. For better or worse.

Here are the 10 people you’ll definitely see at the beach this summer.

This post brought to you by Express. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m getting a little tired of this whole “April Showers” thing. Monday was supposed to be 70 (a huge deal for anyone living in New England), but what happened instead? Rain! Again! I’m ready for those sun shiny days, filled with beach cook outs and margaritas.

OK, so, truth be told, I’m not totally ready. I’ve been so scared of whatever is going on under my clothes that I haven’t ventured out for my yearly swimsuit shop-a-thon. I just haven’t been ready to face my thighs under those unforgiving fluorescent dressing room lights. And it turns out, it’s a good thing I waited, because had I nabbed my summer 2011 swimsuits back in February like I normally do, I totally would have missed out on the brand spanking new line of women’s swimwear at Express.

The new line, available only online, is full of the eye catching styles Express is known for – like bold prints (think metallic animal!), bright colors and ruffles – all at wallet friendly prices. And (don’t you just love when there’s an ‘and’?) they come in all sorts of styles: string bikinis, halter bikinis, monokinis and more.

And here’s the best part, ladies. Express is currently giving away 10 $200 gift cards for their swimsuit line! What do you have to do? Just subscribe to Express e-mail and you’re entered! (Get the full sweepstakes rules .) Can you even imagine what you could do with that money? I can. And it looks a little something like this: Read More »

With Spring Break fast approaching (more on that here!), it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll be wearing with that margarita on the hot, sandy beaches. That also means it’s time to get your bikini bod ready and prep yourself for the agony of swimsuit shopping.

But while you might dread seeing your pasty skin or winter bulge under the fluorescent changing room lights, there are so many adorable swimsuits to distract you from the horrors you (think you) see staring back at you from the unforgiving mirror. (Seriously, is that a fun house mirror?!)

Swimwear is fun! It’s also one of the best times to experiment with trends. If you’re otherwise shy about stripes, polka dots or colorful, abstract patterns, swimsuits are the easiest way to embrace it all. It’s a chance to make a statement and stand out. To go a little wild. To highlight your best assets. Because the chances of being remembered on the crowded beaches of Cancun in a boring black bikini are slim to none.

So dust the snow off your shoulders and strip down all those layers. It’s time to think Spring (Break)! [Click on any swimsuit to shop it!] Read More »

It’s starting to get hot, hot, hot outside! While I’m stuck in landlocked Alberta, where no one has pools, I’m sure many of you out there are gearing up to start hitting the beach, or hang out poolside on a weekly (if not daily) basis.

Whether you choose to wear a bikini or a one-piece, you’re going to need a cover-up for going to the beach, or even just covering up a bit to avoid extreme sun exposure.  Lucky for you there are some really cute options this year that will easily transition from the beach to the boardwalk (assuming you dry yourself up enough to avoid those pesky wet marks around your boobs…). Seriously, toss a pair of wedges and a few bangles into your beach bag and you can take these things all over town.

So put on your sunscreen, grab your shades and don a cute cover-up as you get ready to hang out by the water!

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Sodium is like that annoying, socially awkward kid who just can’t take a hint. No matter where you go, he’s there, usually sporting some short jorts, trying to get your attention.  He knows he’s not welcome, at least he should,  but he can’t take a hint. And then you’re bloated.

OK, so I might be mixing up my analogy here (I don’t think sodium wears cut-offs or weird kids make you retain water), but you get my point: sodium is annoying, it’s bad for you and it happens to be in everything. Which might be tasty, but is also a problem when we’re only supposed to consume around 2,300 mg of sodium a day (which is basically a teaspoon of salt). Besides the other harmful effects sodium has on the body (think high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, etc), the biggest offender – especially in bikini season – is bloating.

Blah. Bloating. Even the word sounds fat.

Summer bloat is every girl’s worst nightmare. No matter how hard we hit the gym to get fit for summer, that extra water retention always manages to come back and haunt us right before we hit the beach. So how can we prevent it? Easy, avoid sodium. And how do we avoid sodium? Well, you gotta know where to find it….

On average, only 5% of our daily sodium intake is from adding salt into our foods. The real culprits are processed and prepared foods. A whopping 77% of our daily sodium intake comes from these foods! In my personal war against all bloat-inducing-foods (BIFs?), I’ve come across a few unlikely salt culprits that you should consider before slipping on your bikinis this summer – and probs during the rest of the year too. Read More »

Good (no, great!) news, ladies!

One-pieces are totally in this summer, which has us happy as a clam since the past few weeks of finals have left no time for the gym and a lot of time for late-night food deliveries. For the first time since middle school we can actually feel sexy and trendy rockin’ something at the pool that isn’t a bikini (and doesn’t give us uni-boob like a Speedo!).

There are so many gorgeous, sexy and flattering one-pieces out there right now and I spent hours scouring the Internet to find the best ones for you. (OK, so I did it for me, but I’m sharing the fruits of my labors with you people.) There’s a wide variety of style, coverage, and price so everyone can find somethin’ they love. Slip on one of these and all eyes will be on you at the beach this summer! Enjoy! Read More »

With the exception of Arbor Day, there is no “wait, what is this holiday about” holiday more dangerous than Memorial Day. Sure Columbus Day has its controversial discussions about killing Native Americans and St. Patrick’s day has its suspicious green beer, but neither come close to the madness that is this 3-day weekend.

Think you’ll survive it? Think again.

1. Warm Pasta Salad – Unless you have concrete evidence the dish doesn’t contain mayonnaise then don’t take the risk. One bite of Aunt Sarah’s famous Mayo-and-Bacon pasta salad that’s been baking in the sun for 6+ hours will lead to one long trip to the toilet. Forget making an appearance at your best friend’s pool party. You’ll be lucky to make an appearance outside of the bathroom.

2. White Pants Stains – Every fashion magazine pushes white pants for summer… and every television sitcom warns us about the hazards of wearing ‘em. You’re asking for grass stains, ketchup spills, or worse, the dreaded period stain. Because your body is the ultimate prankster when it comes to making sure that you get your usually regular period at the worst times ever.

3. Family Members Speaking Aloud – Hypothetically, it’s a wonderful idea to gather the family together for the annual Memorial Day barbecue. In reality you spend the whole time chocking on mini hot dogs because you’re so shocked by the fact that your grandmother thought it was appropriate to ask if you think oral sex is not real sex. Read More »

We all remember that scene in the first ‘Sex and the City’ movie. You know, the one where Miranda’s hair down there is doing a bit more than just peeking out of her suit. But if I’m being honest, when I first saw the movie I didn’t even pay attention to that extra “collection” south of the border. Not even a bit. For all I know, there could have been dread locks coming out of there because my eyes were glued to her amazing, fabulous, please-can-I-have-it-NOW Red swimsuit.

And every summer since then, I’ve spend many hours drooling all over Norma Kamali’s swim collection. Retro-inspired with real women in mind, her bathing suits make me want to put on some red lipstick and start dancing around to my favorite ’60s jams. Her prints are fun, her cuts clearly keep a woman’s body in mind, and there is really nothing bad I can say about ANY of these amazing swimsuits. Whether it’s her collection on eBay, department stores, in the magazines, every suit I see leaves me saying “I want. I want. I WANT.”

The only flaw is the upwards of $100 price tag that come along with looking so retro cool.
Until now.

Walmart’s Norma Kamali swim line is CHEAP – think $15-$30 for a swim suit – but still has the same look she’s known for. Here are three of my favorite looks: a bikini, a tankini and a one piece. All equally fabulous and all currently in my closet just waiting for a warm weekend to wear ‘em. Read More »

Now that Spring is officially here and I’ve busted out my flip flops, I can’t wipe this loopy grin off my face. It just makes me so happy, especially after the winter we had in New York. I swear, if I had to step in one more brown, slushy puddle I was going to kick someone. But now that all those nasty puddles are gone and the restaurants are setting up their outside tables, all I can think about is iced coffee, al fresco cocktails, the joy that comes from going out without having to lug a giant coat along, and SUNDRESSES!

Summer sundresses are awesome for so many reasons:  they’re comfy, they’re cute and they’re totally versatile.  You can pair ‘em with all kinds of shoes (flats, sandals, heels, wedges, boots; you name it, it can work), and you can wear ‘em over a bikini, for those last warm days on campus, or for a night out.

Go for any of these babies that are all under $20 and really, you can’t go wrong. Read More »

I get it. Trust me, I get it. It’s getting nice out and the last thing you want to do is spend an hour or two inside the gym. Who wants to sweat indoors when eating ice-cream by the lake is so much more appealing (and yummy?) But on the flip side, you’ll be donning a bikini before you know it (like, ahem, next week) and you want to look h-o-t.

If only you could snap your fingers Sabrina-the-Teenage-Witch style and have your workout completed and your body looking Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition ready.

Well God is great, but he’s not that nice. Instead, he leaves us messages and makes us feel a little guilty, like the other day when I was waiting for my nails to dry (instead of working out) and I found this pamphlet next to the drying station: “14 Tips and Tricks for Looking Great in Your Swimsuit.” I flipped through the list, somehow managing not to smudge a nail, and now I will share these really great tips with you. (Don’t thank me, thank God. God or the nice Vietnamese people who placed these pamphlets on their drying station).

Brought to you by “Pilatesyourway.com” Read More »