I have a lot of posts planned to recap our two-week trip to Japan, but let’s start with an easy one—what I wore to stay warm and comfortable in the cold weather! After calculating our mileage when we got home, I realized we walked a total of 96 miles over the two weeks. By the end, our feet were definitely feeling it, but thanks to my comfortable supination insoles from PowerStep, I avoided serious pain. I've had these insoles in my boots for over a year now, and while the boots have always been comfortable, the insoles took them to the next level. To stay extra cozy, I also used a pair of Flat Socks fuzzy liner socks on top!

I tried to pack as light as possible since I knew we’d be bringing home a lot of souvenirs. The plan was for me to use my Day Owl backpack and a small carry-on, while Christian carried his brand-new Tortuga backpack (which he got specifically for this trip). We entered Japan with just these bags, determined to see how far we could get before needing extra luggage. We made it all the way back to our last night in Tokyo before buying a medium-sized suitcase from Don Quijote to check on the flight home. Before that, we had been using a giant Disney shopping bag for our purchases, which obviously wasn’t going to work for air travel. It was great for train travel because we didn't need to buy "oversized baggage" train tickets that are required if your bags do not fit in the overhead bins or by your feet.

Packing light meant re-wearing a lot of the same clothes, but honestly, it didn’t matter since I had my coat on almost the entire time. No one would have noticed if I repeated outfits every day (not that anyone would care!)

For clothing, I brought two pairs of jeans, comfortable pants that don't look like sweatpants I bought 2 days before we left (mainly for the flights, since hotels in Japan provide pajamas), and a handful of sweaters and layering shirts. For extra warmth I had a Disney hat, big Madewell scarf and gloves. I only packed one pair of boots, knowing they’d work in rain, snow, and cold. Looking back, I probably could have packed even less, but hey—a girl likes to have options! I also brought a simple sling bag that would fit my essentials on sightseeing days.

Here’s what you can look forward to in my upcoming Japan posts—assuming I can get myself in gear and actually tackle them! 😉

• Our Full Trip Itinerary  
• A Deep Dive into Our Tokyo Disney Experience 
• A Tokyo Disney Planning & Information Guide 
• Our Stay in Shibu Onsen & Visiting the Snow Monkeys

Is there anything specific you’d like to hear more about? Let me know! In the meantime, you can check out my daily Instagram recap carousels for a peek at what we did.

* I was gifted this product for the purposes of this post, all opinions are my own.

One of the ways I like to decompress at the end of the day is cooking or baking. I know that is opposite to a lot of people, but I like the routine of it. Christian and I are slowly trying to swap out our old and cheap cookware to better quality, easier to maintain pieces. I was very excited when Alva Cookware offered to send me one of their stainless steel pans to test out! 

They sent me the Chef 8" stainless steel frying pan which can be used with any heat source, is oven safe (to 392°) and dishwasher safe! I do love easy cleanup. (Alva does recommend hand washing to keep the finish nice, but the pan can be put in the dishwasher.) This size would be perfect for someone cooking for one, but since I usually make larger batches of food it's not the most practical size for me. That being said, the moment I picked up the pan I could tell it was high quality from the weight and feel. The handle is great for gripping and easily moving it around. The 8" is currently sold out but the Alva Chef 9.5" frying pan is available.

A bit of history on the brand - Founded in Belgium in 1949, Alva has been making high-quality cookware from recycled materials. The first pots and pans were made with repurposed materials from World War II and that practice continues today with the brand focusing on sustainability in its products. All Alva products are free of PTFE, PFOA, PFAS, lead, and cadmium, including ceramic-coated products.

Next I've got my eye on their Nesting Cookware Set, 5-ply stainless steel frying pan and Carbon Steel Wok. I make fried rice so often I feel like I could use one!

It’s cooking time! I made crispy gnocchi with veggies since Christian and I are in the middle of a vegetarian dinner month. We love doing this as a way to switch things up—it’s a nice reset. While we usually include a couple of vegetarian meals in our weekly rotation, going completely meat-free for a while feels refreshing.

This dish was super simple and cooked in just one skillet. I started by pan-frying the gnocchi in olive oil until crispy, then sautéed the veggies until they softened before adding the gnocchi back in. Easy peasy!

Cooking with the Alva pan was great! Its solid weight gave me confidence throughout the process, and the high sides made stirring and sautéing a breeze—no veggies escaping! Cleanup was just as smooth. A quick wash with soap and water, and everything came right off.

Warmth is very important in the Winter and we're in the thick of it now. I've been wanting to get additional padding for my favorite winter boots for a few years now and kept putting it off. I finally found my solution in these fuzzy liner socks from Flat Socks! They are like insoles for your shoes but in sock material and they're washer/dryer safe, even these fur ones. This keeps the inside of your shoes clean. To learn more about how to use these liner socks check out my post on them from last year! Can you tell I'm wearing socks in this Instagram post? Well, I am!

While these are meant to replace socks I've been using them more as extra warmth for this particular pair of boots and I still wear socks with them.  The extra padding makes my feet super cozy and I love how soft they are. I even have a pair of arch support insoles under the liner socks to make them even more comfortable for long Winter walks or while shoveling snow.

Sweater: Everlane "The Wool-Cashmere Square Crew" in Crimson

Jeans: Current/Elliott (The Outnet)

Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs 'Perfect Purse ostrich-effect PVC' (Net-a-Porter sale)

Hat: Disney World

Sunglasses: Chanel

Necklace: Indulgems (Gilt)  

Boots: Vintage Snowland Moccasin Ankle Boots (from Grandma - another pair)

Chestnut Faux Fur FLAT SOCKS c/o

*This post was made in partnership with Responsival.*

I've recently bought some PowerStep ankle compression sleeves for walks with Christian in the morning. I also have some of their insoles that I use on my less-supportive sneakers. We are in the middle of "training" for the runDisney Wine & Dine 5K so my legs are getting a little more exercise than they've been used to these past few years. The Cubii seated elliptical I have been using since March was step one in my newfound fitness routine. Step two is getting outdoors on a more regular basis to walk, almost every morning.

I use the word training lightly because it's not too extensive. We walk every day but on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays we are following Jeff Galloway's 5K program which slowly ramps us up to do a 5K with a run/walk method.We started the official schedule at the end of August and will continue until our run in November. 

I have never been a runner so this has definitely been a learning experience for me. I said to myself that I wasn't going to buy any special running gear but I ended up buying a pair of running shoes and a few different pairs of running socks to test out (PowerStep also carries taller compression socks!) At least once the 5K is over I can continue to use the shoes as walking shoes. But who knows, maybe I'll learn to enjoy running. 

(ignore if I have bad form, running for a camera is weird, haha!)

I have bought so many dainty rings for all occasions from Aurate the past few years. They're the perfect thing to wear on those hot Sumner days where you don't want anything bulky on. I wore a bunch of my jewelry from Aurate with this slip dress on a particularly hot day recently. It added some more interest to my outfit without adding any weight. The pearl necklace in particular is light as air! I'm glad last week we finally had some cooler weather, that hot snap was crazy!

You might recognize the print on this dress. It's because I have the camisole version and wear it A LOT. I got it in December 2015 (first outfit post with it) and it slowly moved up the ranks in my closet. I bought this dress version for $7 in 2019. I don't wear it often but when I do it's always on super hot days. It doesn't cling to the skin and is nice and breezy!

Christian and I finally bought a new parking pass so we can park and walk at our favorite park every morning. They recently updated it with new walking paths, including a path that goes a little closer to this brook, perfect for photos! When I used to live with my parents and/or my cousins the parking stickers were included in our car taxes. Sadly Christian and I don't live in that town so we have to buy one, but it's worth it because we enjoy it so much. We also have access to beaches in the town we live so there are multiple options for walks and bike rides.

Dress: eight sixty V Cami Dress in "Black Crea"

Sandals: Ancient Greek Sandals 'Apteros' in Crosta Wine (bought in Athens) 

Italian Leather Bag: Bought in Venice 

Jewelry:  Aurate Toi et Moi Gemstone Mini Vintage Ring with Yellow Citrine & Purple Amethyst, Endless Pearl Station Necklace, Infinity Hoop Earrings and Stackable Twist Ring