Oh Bruges, how you've stolen my heart. After Paris and Bacharach, Bruges was another one of my favorites. The capital of the West Flanders in Belgium, it's home to quaint canals, charming homes, and lots of chocolate. It was there in Bruges, where I ate one of the best plates of spaghetti and devoured gourmet chocolate made locally. I have a large place in my heart for small village-like cities that offer everything and more than a larger city, like Brussels. We decided to use one of our days in Brussels to take a day trip to Bruges, it was only a hour train ride, and it was completely worth it.
Why Visit: The real question is, why not? I enjoyed Bruges much more than Brussels, and to be completely honest - I didn't really like Brussels at all. Bruges, in my opinion, was a mixture of the Netherlands, France, and Germany countries. The city, reminds me of the French port town Honfleur, with its alluring character and quintessential charm, it's hard not to love it. Just trust me on this one.
What To Do: 

• Walk around Market Square: As you can imagine, there is an abundance of local shops, cafes, and chocolatiers in Bruges. In the heart of the city there is so much culture - this is the best way to get to know Bruges and see what the town has to offer. 
  
• Take A Canal Boat Ride: There are many places around Markt Square or Burg where you can hop on a small canal boat. I enjoyed getting a dose of history and it was just the right amount so I didn't get tired. I will say this is the best way to see most of Bruges so you don't have to walk. All of the tours are in English as well so you don't have to hunt for a specific business. Oh, and our captain was hilarious; I may or may not of been splashed with very cold water because it was windy and the American in me became startled and screamed. Very loudly. (Insert embarrassed emoji.) Well, thankfully our captain kept going but he laughed for a solid five minutes :). 
  
• Stop For Some Chocolate: Belgium is known for their chocolate, and Bruges is the leader. The first thing my sister and I did when we arrived was stop in a local chocolate shop. It was nice having a sweet treat while we explored for the day. This alone might be the one reason I move there, if you know me, then you know my adoration for chocolate and Belgian chocolate has moved to the top of my list. 
• Enjoy Canal Side Lunch: It really doesn't matter where you eat, because I don't think you'll go wrong with any restaurant you choose, but, it is part of the experience if you choose to eat canal side. We enjoyed plates of spaghetti while watching small canal boats go by. It was so incredibly peaceful, definitely something I could get used to on a daily basis. 
• Wander The Small Streets: Call me snoopy but I love wandering the streets of small towns. As I mentioned above, this is the best way to get a great big dose of culture. One of my favorite things is to find the "cutest streets" and dream of living there myself. I am exponentially content getting lost and wandering. Sometimes, that's when you find yourself finding the best things in life. 
  
  

What To Wear:

• Simple & Lightweight Clothes: If you are traveling late spring/early summer (May or June), keep your attire lightweight and comfortable. I frequently wore skirts in Europe, I found them to be more breathable than pants. I finished off the look with my absolute favorite short sleeve sweater from J.Crew Factory. You may also want to bring a scarf or jacket, and umbrella! 

• Comfortable Shoes: I purchased these Repetto Flats in Belgium and I cannot express to you how much I love them! They are incredibly comfortable - definitely worth the price tag!

In my world, tampons are a necessity. Life virtually stops when I don't have a tampon. If I forget to restock my purse or gym bag or didn't pick up a box on my last trip to the drugstore - my next move is to go and buy them. I couldn't imagine not being able to have something, that is just as necessary as a shower, clean clothes and even food. That being said, I was SO excited to partner with Tampax for their One Million Tampon Donation. Multiple charities were chosen across the nation and the donations were made on May 28th, Menstrual Hygiene Day! 
Here in Iowa, I was pleased to partner with Children & Families of Iowa (CFI) to donate 40,000 tampons to such an amazing organization. CFI's largest service is their domestic violence division where they provide emergency safe shelter, outreach advocacy and education, and support groups for victims and families. Here in Des Moines, CFI series over 36,000 people a year and they house about 50 people each day and the estimated length of stay is about two weeks.  Their organization spans across the entire state of Iowa servicing domestic violence victims and their children. This donation will bring some much needed feminine care products to all of the women and girls that visit the organization.  In the United States, 1 in 3 women are living in poverty. That means there are about 1 in 3 women that don't have access to feminine care products or cannot afford them. In my opinion, all women should have equitable access to these products. Just because we are women and have a natural life cycle, does not mean we shouldn't be able to go about our daily lives because our periods get in the way. That's the problem however, too many women and girls don't go to meetings, interviews, schools, social outings, sporting events, etc., because of their period. Thankfully, Tampax is empowering women and organizations to change that. 
The goal is to make menstrual care products accessible to everyone - and it starts with a donation. If you are wondering what you can do to help the biggest thing is to simply get involved! I know now that CFI will be stocked for a long while with tampons and my heart is bursting at the seams with happiness. Most non-profits and charitable organizations always post on their website their donation needs, this is a great place to start. If you are in the Des Moines area, there is a community of women that founded the Red Alert! Project. They have set up donation locations all over the city so you can donate feminine care products. Last year alone - they collected over 50,000 products and donated them to various non-profits across the metro area! Check out their website for updates on when they will be starting their next drive, then go buy a few extra boxes of Tampax tampons and donate, donate, donate! 
I want to give a huge thanks to Tampax and P&G for partnering with me (and many others) to start setting a standard that tampons should be accessible to all women - not just those that can afford it. 
To read more about the One Million Tampon Donation click here. Don't forget to do your part and help women #PowerOverPeriods!

Amsterdam, a characteristically unique city filled with so much charm, beautiful architecture, canals, and a great mixture of cultures. I loved this city, it had so much to offer. Not only was I in awe of all the people riding their bikes everywhere but it was clean and well-kept. It was amazing to me how active everyone in Amsterdam (and Europe in general) are. Not only were there a million bikes but the parks were consistently filled with people playing games, reading on a bench, sunbathing on the grass, and walking their dogs. I can honestly say I fell in love with the lifestyle of this city.  Below, I'm sharing where we stayed (the CUTEST B&B), what we did, and where we ate - a perfect guide for three days in Amsterdam. Share below if you've ever been to the city and what you did! Where To Stay: We stayed at the most charming B&B in the city, Paul & Karen's B&B Amsterdam. The rooms were all white with accents floral prints, gold hardware, and beautiful bay windows overlooking the garden terrace. Not only were Paul and Karen so helpful, all of the staff that helped were so kind. From giving us maps, recommendations, and showing us around - they made are stay that much more worthwhile.  If you are planning a trip to Amsterdam - you must stay at this B&B. I felt so welcomed and comfortable. That's a feeling that is longed for one you reach week three of traveling!  DAY 1: Where To Eat:

• Cafe Gruter: This was located near Vondelpark, a park we walked through everyday to get to inner city. Gruter houses the absolute BEST pulled chicken sandwich you have ever (and will ever) have. The sandwich, made with their swanjesauce, came into between two large slices of homemade bread and a side of fresh coleslaw. I have never eaten such a delicious sandwich - definitely worth the walk or tram ride, you won't be disappointed. 
  
• Sampurna Indonesian Rice Table: Located right next to the Amsterdam flower market, this Indonesian Rice Table restaurant was to die for. We met up with some friends the first night so there were six of us - we ordered three of the "rice tables" and shared all among us. I cannot explain how delicious it was - my mouth is currently watering! This is a great place for a date if there is just two of you and you get to try an abundance of food: ayam ruyak, daging smoor, and acar ketimun to name a few. 

What To Do:

• Downtown Amsterdam: Take time to wander through the downtown streets. There are tons of shops, boutiques, tucked away cafes and bars. My sister and I were back in this area a lot - to shop, eat and people watch!
• Flower Market: One of my favorite parts of Amsterdam is the flower market - it's a long street filled with flower vendors. All the locals stop by the market and ride their bikes back home with bushels of flowers in the bike basket - it's so cute!
  
• Paddle Boat Ride - If you watched my Instagram Stories while I was in Europe then you may have seen my sister and I rent a paddle boat. Fun thought at first but we went the wrong way and ended up paddle boating for an hour and half. It was a lot of fun - but we decided we will bring more people next time so we don't work our legs for that long haha!

DAY 2: Where To Eat:

• Lunchroom Downtown: Great food for a great price - stop here if you are on a time crunch and want something delicious to eat!
  
• Pompadour: The best local place to stop and get a sweet treat - all of the deserts are homemade from apple pie, chocolate cake, to chocolate treats. We were really tired of walking and needed a place to rest our feet, we ordered a Coca-Cola, cappuccino and some pie to fill ourselves up. 
  
• Frenzi Cucina - A scrumptious tapas restaurant a short walk from Paul & Karen's B&B. 

What To Do:

• Walk the Nine Streets of Shopping: This is hands-down the best shopping in Amsterdam. So many of these shops are local boutiques and upscale designers. It was fun to see what shopping was like in a European city with brands and boutiques that we don't have here in the U.S. Pompadour is located on these streets so stop in and get a sweet treat then back to shopping!
  
• Anne Frank Museum: This was on the top of our list as sights to see in Amsterdam - and I'm so glad we did. Chilling yet so inspiring, my favorite museum I have ever been to. It was heartbreaking to see how the Frank family lived, a must-see for everyone!
• Dom Square: Where the National Monument and Royal Palace are located, this is a fun area to walk around in, there are a bunch of shops and eateries. 
• Night Canal Boat Tour: Finish the night off with a  night cap...on a canal boat tour of course. I actually loved listening to the audio on this ride. We relaxed on the back of the boat for a hour ride and then stopped to get tapas after. It was nice to relax after a long day of walking!

DAY 3: Where To Eat:

• Gent: If you stay at the local B&B above then this is a great hotspot - right on the corner of the street lies Gent. The food is wonderful - most of waiters and waitresses don't speak much English (that's how you know it's a local place). Everyday around 4-5pm all the locals would gather at Gent, sit outside, drink a beer or sip on some wine. 
  
• The Pancake Bakery: You cannot go to Amsterdam without going to get pancakes. These are the size of your head and will definitely fill you up. They are delicious!

What To Do:

• Visit "I AMsterdam" Sculpture: Great place for a photo opp. Go early so you can avoid crowds and get a great picture!
• Van Gogh Museum: My favorite after the Anne frank Museum - this houses Van Gogh's famous sunflower print. The museum is arranged in chronological order of his life works, which I loved. You were able to see his paintings from when he lived in Montmartre, Paris to when he moved away from Paris. His work is truly breathtaking. 
• Wander Amsterdam-Zuid and Vondelpark: One of our favorite places was just south of Vondelpark, home to great places to eat (like Gruter) and fun shops and boutiques. This is a large area filled with museums, parks, and a lot of locals! I love getting out of the touristy-spots  - that's when you really get to know the culture. 
  
  If you have ever been to Amsterdam, share what you did below for others to see! 

After a very, very long day of traveling, I am finally home! It feels so good to sleep in my own bed - the last time I was gone for that long was when I went to Alaska after I graduated high school. I am working on rounding up all of my travel posts so you will see a lot of those in the next couple of weeks. I wanted to post this jumpsuit because it's currently on sale and this floral version would be SUPER cute for this time of year (before it gets too hot!). I have always loved jumpsuits but never really felt like I could pull them off. Once I was in Europe though, I felt so inspired by the fashion. European women are all about simplicity and that's exactly what a jumpsuit is. It's the kind of fashion where you don't have to put too much thought in, it's easy and effortless.

It's quite hard to believe I was in Paris two weeks ago now. After three weeks of travel, I am definitely ready to go home but oh, how I miss (and will miss) this place. After a few days in Paris, I'd like to think we had it down to a science. One of our favorite things to do was pick up a .40 cent baguette, cheese, meat, olives, cookies, etc., and go eat on a boat or in a park. One night, we ventured to Parc André Citroën located on the left bank of the Seine River. It's very large, around 35 acres, and filled with an assortment of people. While the park had a large open area, there were also many gardens, small open patches off the trails, and benches throughout the tree line. We walked around for awhile before settling on a bench that overlooked the entire open area - ate the yummiest cheese, salami, and savored our baguette.
J.Crew Factory Striped Skirt // Old Navy White Tee (only $7!!) // Wedges (similar) // Straw Bag (similar) // Hat We are finishing up in Germany (follow along on my Insta to see everything!) and then we head to Luxembourg - with our flights leaving on Saturday! It's bittersweet to be headed home but I have SO much up my sleeve in terms of sharing everything as well as when and what my next travels will be. I hope you continue to follow along!