The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has become one of the most beloved annual sales.  This sale is unique in that it offers sale items for the upcoming season, not last season items. Shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, you will have access to new Fall/Winter items on sale. If you have any back to school shopping, you’d be crazy to not shop this sale.  Below is a break down of all the information you need about the sale:

Cardmembers get early access!

Icon members can shop the sale in store starting 7/9.

Ambassadors can shop the sale in store starting 7/10-7/11.

Icon and Ambassador members can shop online starting 7/11.

7/12 is the day the early access opens to all members at 10:30 am MST.

7/19 is the day the sale opens to the public.

Tips:

Nordstrom restocks some items but not all.  So if you are not a cardmember you might miss out on some items.

Check you member status in advance by logging into your Nordstrom account.

Login to your Nordstrom account in advance when shopping online.  Nordstrom will have you verify your card.  I suggest keeping your card on hand just in case.

Before shopping in stores make sure you call your local Nordstrom the day before to find out if they open early.

You can view the sale catalog here.

Happy shopping!

San Diego is one of the best domestic beach vacations.  The weather is likely to be mild and sunny regardless of the season you visit during.  San Diego is a foodie haven, beach city, has great shopping, the world’s best zoo (in my opinion), and museums. Below is guide to packing for San Diego.  Don’t forget the basics like pajamas and undergarments.  If you plan on having a beach side bonfire I suggest packing a sweatshirt and maybe leggings since the beach can get a little chili at night.

1. Corn Grilling Basket 2. Grilling Skewers 3. Flatware Basket 4. Drink Dispenser 5. Taco Stand

I had low expectations for food in Iceland and I have to say, I was blown away!  I don’t think we had a single bad meal there.  In fact, almost every meal we had was AMAZING.  Below are some of my favorite places we ate at and my favorite dishes.  Disclaimer: I did not try super “local” foods.  Shark, whale, and smoked Puffin don’t exactly appeal to me.

Vagninn Fish & Chips

I’ve never had (and likely never will have) better fish and chips than this.  First of all, it’s an adorable stand on the harbor with picnic tables.  Not only is it picturesque, but the fish and chips were so fresh and delicious!  They make what they catch that day.  Once they sell out, they close.  I would recommend going for lunch rather than dinner.  The batter they use for the fish is a sweet batter (it almost tasted like funnel cake) but it worked really well with the fish and malt vinegar.

The Röst

We really enjoyed walking along the harbor in the morning and came across the Röst.  They had the BEST Chai Latte I’ve ever had.  I also recommend their ham and cheese croissant.

The Sea Baron

Reykjavik is one of the most expensive cities in the world.  Eating out can get pricey fast.  This place is a prime example of that.  We ordered 2 lobster soups, a salmon skewer, a cod skewer, and a beer and it came to just under $90.  It was worth the price though.  I’m usually not a fan of any seafood soups but this lobster soup was delicious.  I also really enjoyed the cod skewer.  If you go here, be prepared for a wait.  The line is usually out the door.

The Storm Hotel is in an ideal location in Reykjavik.  We did rent a car, however, the Storm Hotel was within walking distance to everything we did and saw in Reykjavik. I really enjoyed the Scandinavian style of the hotel.

Day 1: Exploring Reykjavik

The Reykjavik international airport and Reykjavik city are 40 minutes apart.  I can’t really complain though because the drive is beautiful! Once we got in to Reykjavik we walked along the harbor path and stopped to eat fish and chips.  Reykjavik is full of adorable Nordic architecture and hipster cafes. We also explored Hallgrimskirkja church on Monday.

Day 2: The Blue Lagoon

We loved walking along the harbor so much the day before, we did again on Tuesday morning.  After eating some delicious breakfast we happened to stumble across a Christmas store, which I could not resist!  We then headed back to our hotel and packed our bags for the Blue Lagoon.

Once we arrived at the Blue Lagoon we ate at the Moss Restaurant and checked into the spa. A staff member showed us to the most luxurious dressing room I’ve ever seen.  This is where John proposed!  One question I keep getting is “Was it a surprise?”  The answer is, yes!  I always imagined that the proposal would begin with the “You’re the love of my life, the best thing that has ever happened to me…” speech.  We were just talking about how lucky we are to travel, then suddenly he got down on one knee and popped the question.  Thankfully it was in private because if it was in public I would have passed out!

I absolutely LOVED the Blue Lagoon and highly recommend it. It was the most unique and beautiful spa I’ve been to.

Day 3: Sightseeing

We woke up bright and early on Wednesday morning to do some sightseeing.  First stop-Seljalandsfoss.  Seljalandsfoss is one of the most popular waterfalls in Iceland, and for good reason.  You can actually walk behind the waterfall which gives you a unique perspective.  If you walk a few minutes down the path it takes you to another (even better) waterfall.  I loved this one because it wasn’t crowded and you had to walk through a steam and into a crevasse to view the waterfall.

The next stop was Vik beach.  Vik beach is a black sand beach with basalt columns making it one of the most unique beaches in the world. There have been a few Game of Thrones scenes filmed on this beach.

After we left Vik beach we started to head back to Reykjavik and stopped at Skógafoss.  Skógafoss was my fiancé’s favorite waterfall.  If you brave the stairs up to the top of the waterfalls, the views are spectacular!  We loved walking along the path that follows the river and the first few drops.

Day 5: Snorkeling in Silfra

On Thursday we headed to Thingviller National Park.  Thingviller is a UNESCO site for two reasons.

1. It’s geological uniqueness.  You can walk between two continents there.
2. This is where the parliamentary assemblies were first held in Iceland.

Snorkeling in Thingvellir was a wild experience.  This is one of the only places you can snorkel in a fissure.  It is also one of the clearest places to snorkel because you are actually swimming through glacier water.  The water is so clear the visibility is more determined by your eyesight.  The water is 34 degrees Fahrenheit but they put you in a dry suit.  I stayed warm for about the first 20 minutes.

Day 6: Hanging Out in Reykjavik and Departing

We had big plans to go whale watching on Friday morning but completely failed.  Honestly, we were so exhausted by this point.  We went out for one more walk through Reykjavik and grabbed some lunch.  After that we packed up our luggage and headed for the airport.

Iceland was probably the most beautiful place I’ve been to.  I can’t recommend traveling there enough.