Skip to main content

Throw Back Thursday: Let's Go Sailing

Carnival Cruise - Ensenada, Mexico


Around this time last year, I went on my first cruise. And now I'm obsessed! I've always loved vacations, to the point that I spent most (if not all) of my free time helping anyone I could have the vacation of their dreams. This time around, I was taking the vacation. 

My Beautiful Mom and our comp breakfast

I was SO busy living it up on the ship that I totally forgot to take pictures of all the super amazing things going on. There was ALWAYS something going on. We didn't have a single bored moment, or even any downtime if we didn't want it. We took complete and total advantage of all the free food. I was pregnant at the time, so I was ALWAYS hungry lol. The ship had me covered. There was a burger bar, a buffet-style arrangement, pizza, and every night there was a fancy dinner setup.


There were live shows, like 2 different nightclubs, there was a karaoke night, live music all over the place. It was just amazing! We saw a show called "Divas" and it was legit Vegas level entertainment at NO extra cost. There was a Casino, Bars all over the place, even a Kids Zone. It was just flat out amazing. The only things you had to pay extra for were Soda, bottles of water, specialty food, and booze. 

My Mom and I with the cast of Divas

While straight kicking it on the ship while sailing through the ocean was dope enough, we cruised over to Baja California's  Ensenada, Mexico. We opted to go on a guided tour instead of exploring the city ourselves or staying on the ship. We went to visit the city's historical cultural center and then the Buffadora (blowhole) and shopping strip. To say everything I saw was beautiful is a wild understatement. I was in complete awe of everything, and wanted to buy EVERYTHING! Most items we saw for sale were handcrafted and the artistry was mind-blowing. 


Here are some shots of the Cultural Center we visited. It was SO dope hearing about how the city came to be and getting a chance to explore the center. Full heart eye emoji.





Everything about this building is just SO beautiful. I felt like I was walking through one of those old movies my grandpa watches.

 

This is just a wee bit of the items that were for sale (shout out to the Las Vegas Raiders). I wanted to buy EVERYTHING, and everything was reasonably priced. Everyone who was there selling items was SUPER nice too. Everyone was happy to have a conversation and share a story. I loved it so much.

Possibly the birthplace of the Margarita


 

We went right around the day of the dead "Dia de Los Muertos" and they had a beautiful alter setup. I never fully understood this tradition, but now that I get it a little more I think it's one that I'm going to start adapting into our families lives now. It makes so much sense to honor our families and friends that we have "lost" and to welcome them back into our lives on this special day.

Our next stop was the Buffadora! The view from here was lovely, and shopping was a full-on experience! There were so many shops, and all of them wanted your attention. We ended up walking away with a bunch of stuff!! If you ever make it here, feel free to haggle on the price. It's like a swap meet out here.






Somewhere along the way, we found a spot where you could kick it with some cubs. I DIED!! They had two different sections where you could kick it with REALLY small baby cats, or this one where you could play a little more with some that were a bit older. This was a rescue center where they take in the younger cats until they get too big for the center, they then get transferred over to a wildlife habitat.






I was completely head over heels with this black jaguar they had. I am allergic to cats and spend most of my time ducking and dodging them at every opportunity but I couldn't be happier getting to cuddle with this little guy...even though he could have taken my face off at any moment. 

We went back to the ship after this and headed back home. It was one of the coolest things I've ever done and I can NOT wait to go back! My only issue was I had a mixture of morning sickness and motion sickness. I took some Dramamine that left me a bit drowsy but able to pull through. 

Have you ever been on a cruise? What is your best cruise tip?! Share it in the comments below!

Comment - Share - Subscribe

<3 - Nikki

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you so much for your comment. I really appreciate you taking the time to interact with me. I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Popular posts from this blog

Throw Back: That one time I competed in a pageant

Once upon a time, what seems like a long time ago I decided I wanted to be a beauty queen. It was definitely an experience I will never forget and I finally have the chance to tell you all about it! I've always known that I wanted to help people in some way, and one day it dawned on me if I had a crown that would definitely give me a much louder voice to speak on issues I thought were important. So, I went searching for what I thought was the best pageant for me and I landed on Miss Nevada USA 2016. The only thing I knew about pageants at this point was from the Miss Congeniality movie and what I heard about from my cousin's social media pages. So from that, I thought it was going to be a breeze...PSYCH! It was probably the most grueling process of self-discovery I've ever put myself through. My first step was figuring out how much all of this was going to cost. For me, it was a ridiculous amount that I just wasn't going to be able to make at my day job in...
23 comments
Read»

My Disney+ Watchlist: November Launch

I love a good streaming service, and Disney has just taken 100% of my viewing time with the launch of its latest service, Disney+! They've got our all-time faves from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic and more. I've signed up, and locked in my free trial and am about to grab the popcorn and snuggle up for the long haul! Here's what's first up in my Disney+ watch list. My first ever Disney+ stream was an easy choice, The Nightmare Before Christmas! My tiny was Jack Skellington for Halloween, and it's the perfect movie for between the seasons. I'm sure we'll put this one back on a few times as it's an all-time favorite. Next up, we went straight to The Goofy Movie! I have the fondest memories of this from being a kid! I'm pretty sure I had the tape 😂. My tiny was fully ready to jump up and try to do the Power Line/Goofy dance with me. And, he recognized Goofy from the shows he gets to watch now. Such a fun moment. Then w...
Post a Comment
Read»

Beauty Moment: Belle Beauty 'Shero - Shadow Stick'

Shadow sticks are starting to become a necessity in my makeup go-bag. Most days when I'm getting ready something happens and I'm left with 1/2 the time I need to finish my makeup, or even worse I have to finish in the car when I get there! For those kinds of moments, I LOVE shadow sticks. This Shadow Stick from Belle Beauty by Kim Gravel in Pink Champagne is the latest edition to my go-bag. We got this one in a kit from QVC, and I'm sure you can order directly from the Belle Beauty website . I am loving this right now because it's such a quick and easy way to level up my look by adding that shimmer I love to my lid and the easy to use stick means I can level up anywhere at any time. It has a really easy to apply soft consistency that you can just blend with your finger or go in with brushes if you feel the need. It has a really simple twist up top so you'll never need a sharpener, and I know they say to never do this, but I twisted it all the way to see...
1 comment
Read»

The Women of Las Vegas: Debra Storey of Blazzian Collection

Meet Debra Storey Highly educated in Fashion and Business, Debra Storey uses her sleek and eye-catching designs to take the Las Vegas Fashion Scene to another level. Blazzian Collection was introduced to Las Vegas in 2008 at the Vegas Fashion Show Party. Since then, she has used her unique ability to create beautiful designs to help raise funds for causes such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Nevada and Save Black Boys Las Vegas. While we've all been following through with our orders to #StayHomeForNevada , Debra has been working hard to create masks that allow us an added layer of protection when we NEED to go out and using the proceeds from those orders to aid single parents who are struggling during this time get the essentials they need to care for their families. Blazzian Collection Facebook Page Through the Blazzian Collection's official social media pages ( Instagram , Facebook ), we see that through the difficulty Las Vegas is curren...
Post a Comment
Read»

Locals I Love: Angelic Frequency With Frances Urtaza

Welcome to my first edition of Locals I Love! This is going to be a weekly series I run where I will feature local people, businesses and services that are amazing, aiding our community and I think we should all know more about. To start this all off, I couldn't think of anyone whose commitment to the community I admire more than my very own mother, Frances Urtaza ! Frances is a local Reiki Master, Seraphim Blueprint instructor, facilitator, divine channel, crystal enthusiast, and the worlds most amazing mother (and a cool Mom at that) just to name a few things she does. She has aided hundreds in our local area through meditations, energetic shares, teaching classes on the different modalities she uses and by being a sympathetic and understanding shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen. Once a month, she gifts to anyone available a free phone in guided meditation and energetic share where everyone can call in and have a moment to unwind, relax and tune in to a higher fr...
Post a Comment
Read»

The Crown and Sash - Quick April Photoshoot & Update

This year has been full of unexpected twists and turns. For me, it went from the excitement of watching my son turn 2 and all the development and fun that comes with it, deciding to compete in the Ms. Nevada Regency International Pageant and winning the title, and then the entire world getting rocked by the Coronavirus. While we are all staying safe by staying home, we've also found unique ways to stay connected and support each other while showing respect and love to everyone on the front lines keeping us safe, healthy and providing the services we need. I've spent this time doing a lot of learning! From pulling my guitar out for the first time in YEARS and taking advantage of the 3 Months of free classes offered by Fender , to taking classes offered through the Clark County Library District to improve on skills I need to bring my business back better than ever when we are safe. I've even taken a course from Yale on the Science of Wellbeing. But most of all, I'v...
Post a Comment
Read»

PODCAST: NoV Ep4: Self Care, Roswell New Mexico ANOTHER REMAKE!? & More! Sponsored by Frances of Alternative Healing With Frances SHOWNOTES

NoV Ep4: Self Care, Roswell New Mexico ANOTHER REMAKE!? & More! Sponsored by Frances of Alternative Healing With Frances This weeks episode was sponsored by Frances from Alternative Healing With Frances! Follow her on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with her local events such as Guided Meditations, Energetic Shares, and Seraphim Blueprint classes. This weeks get your vibe right segment was all about Self Care! Taking the time to look after yourself and focusing on yourself just as hard as you focus on others or your job. Nikki's Mix this week talked all about all these REMAKES on TV right now! From Charmed to Sabrina and now my main focus of this segment Roswell, New Mexico! My travel slot is going DEEP about how we all, when able, should start taking advantage of travel professionals instead of planning vacations for ourselves that might be 10x better or more cost effective! Especially when it's our first time visiting a new city, state or country. If you a...
Post a Comment
Read»

Streaming: Disney and Pixar's 'Onward'

Disney+ dropped some blessings for us during this quarantine and I am so grateful! Since Social Distancing made it hard for us to safely go see 'Onward' in theatres when it came out last month, Disney and Pixar gave us a quarantine present and dropped it for us to stream from home WAY earlier than expected on Disney+! With 50 Million or more of us holding on tightly to our Disney+ subscriptions, let's all watch this one with or without the kids. IMDB “While we’re looking forward to audiences enjoying our films on the big screen again soon, given the current circumstances, we are pleased to release this fun, adventurous film to digital platforms early for audiences to enjoy from the comfort of their homes,” said Dan Scanlon (Director, “Onward”) and Kori Rae (Producer, “Onward”).¹ We've been socially distancing in my household for a bit longer than nationally directed, so we weren't able to see this in theaters. I play a cute Disney game with my son, ...
Post a Comment
Read»

The Keto Experience: Start Here

Eggs make the world go 'round We have been trying out the Keto diet for a little while and the results have been phenomenal! It's definitely a life choice kind of change. You can't just wake up and decide to be Keto today and forget about it tomorrow. It requires a commitment to see results. Forget about cheat days, and make a serious choice to lose weight or get on a path towards better health. Here's the best way to start a keto diet in my opinion and my go-to meal. Like with every new thing you do to your body, it's always good to start with a cleanse. With Keto, I like to do a 3 day cleanse with a simple keto friendly diet to start. My cleanse includes:  An Infused Water Cleanse Removing ALL other beverages for 3 days Keto Basic Diet My Infused Water:  A lemon water cleanse is always a good start to a diet, or any cleanse. But for me, it's SO bitter. I SERIOUSLY can't stand it without some honey or sugar or something. So, to m...
Post a Comment
Read»

Skin Deep: Lancome Teint Idole

Know what your favorite foundation is? I thought I did...and then Influenster sent me a lovely care package that they call a VoxBox, filled with Lancome products that rocked my world. That being said...I have new favorites. I don't even know if it's fair to use the word favorite anymore now that they change with every new package I receive! I'm calling them my top 10s now, and my Lancome Teint Idole products are at the top. Concealer : The concealer I got is Teint Idole Ultra Wear Camouflage in 435 Suede (W). This concealer didn't come here to play games! I used it on my under eye area to brighten as well as cover up some redness from blemishes and acne scars. The product is powerful, so a little bit went a long way. On my under eye, I typically have issues with concealers being thick and ending up super cakey looking under my eyes, not this concealer! Camouflage is the perfect name. It slipped in, covered up my dark circles and was completely unno...
Post a Comment
Read»