Her Philly

A lifestyle blog for young women dining, shopping, playing & living in the city of Philadelphia.

Staying at North Wildwood’s Shore House: The Swim Club

Summer is “officially” less than a week away, and shore season is here. While some are #blessed with homes they can escape to at the Jersey shore, for the majority, finding a good place to hang your hat during your beach trip is as important of a step as packing your SPF. And while a lot of weeklong rentals are popping up with an “updated” look and feel, many options can feel a little… dated. Enter: The Shore House & Swim Club.

Back in 2018, I was invited to stay at Philly resident, ex-yoga instructor, and all-around great guy Kevin Reardon‘s first property, The Shore House (422 East 16th Avenue, North Wildwood, NJ). I stayed with my mom, sister, and their two dogs, because yes – The Shore House is fully pup-friendly. We were so impressed and had such a fun time (if you’re interested in staying, make sure to go back and read that post, too!), so I was thrilled when TSH invited me back again (on my birthday weekend, no less!) to check out their newest property, right next door, The Swim Club (1600 Ocean Avenue, North Wildwood, NJ).

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A Day Trip to Isla Mujeres

If you’ve been following on Instagram, you likely saw that Jim & I just returned from Mexico! We spent 5 days and nights at Secrets Playa Mujeres and we truly can’t get over it. (PS: This was my second Secrets Resort – I visited Secrets Akumal Riveria Maya a few years ago!)

We only ventured outside of our resort for one day. We had heard from many people that, after multiple trips to the area, they now skip Playa Mujeres altogether and head straight to this tiny island off the coast, called Isla Mujeres (aka the Island of Women). We knew we had to check it out.

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Curvy Aerie Swim Try On

It’s time for another swimsuit haul! I loved hearing all your feedback about last week’s Amazon swimsuit try on. Swimsuits are some of my favorite things to shop for, and after initially feeling discouraged this season, I’m so glad I have found some really good options (especially for our trip to Mexico – we leave Monday!).

Today we’re trying on from Aerie, one of my favorite brands all-around. These swim options were cute, trendy, and excited to show you how they each worked.

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Curvy Size 14 Amazon Swimwear Try on

I. cannot. wait. for. summer. I have been counting down the months, weeks, days until it is ~down the shore season~ again, and shopping for warm weather clothes has definitely been my therapy. I was struggling for a bit with swimsuits, a lot of mine are from about 20 lbs ago, so I wanted to grab a few new pieces that made me feel great for summer, but I couldn’t find any I loved. I decided to do a deep dive into some Amazon swimwear and see what I came up with. Spoiler alert: it was goooood.

I bought 8 swimsuits (bonus: two summer outfits!), each from Amazon. I was not sure what sizes to get for many of these, but the XL ended up working out for each one! For reference, I am 5’2, a size 14, and around a 38DDD or 40DD (when’s the last time I got a bra fitting?! Who the heck knows).

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Philadelphia Holiday Gift Guide 2020

Happy almost December, you guys! We have been absolutely so busy right now with the move, but we are making progress, and that’s been very encouraging! I am really excited to celebrate the holidays in our new home. We rearranged the living room last night and decided where we’ll put our tree – I am ready for some festivity!

But on to the reason you’re all here! My Philly gift guides used to be some of my favorite posts to put together, so I am thrilled to resurrect the series this holiday season. There’s only a ladies guide this year – so hopefully I can work back up to both some time in the future. 🙂

I am really excited to share this list of 22 Philly-themed gift ideas. We all know, shopping local is so important right now, and many of these businesses sell through Etsy or their own online shop, as well as local shops and markets, so you can shop wherever your comfort level is. I am also proud to include many female and Black-owned businesses this year – we have so much talent in our area.

A lot of these businesses are running sales right now, but the prices I listed are all their full price (so you’ll be pleasantly surprised upon click through!). Enjoy your shopping this season, and I obviously won’t tell anyone if you pick up one (or a few) of these for yourself! 😉 And now, on to the gifts!

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Right Over the Bridge

I moved into this apartment in July 2012. I had just turned 23 years old.

I grew up shopping on Walnut Street and visiting Rittenhouse Square, and to live a few blocks away was a true dream to me. It still is. When I think back, my favorite moments were walking on 18th along the park. On my way back from the Farmer’s Market. On my way to a date. Heading to meet my friends to watch a game at a bar. Hurrying to a blogging event. I don’t think it will hit me until things are back to normal life that I won’t be walking that block simply because I lived right down the street anymore.

Moving to NJ from Philly
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The Absolute Best Covid-Friendly Fall Date in Philly

Finding a fun yet appropriate date idea right now can prove to be… challenging. You may be craving getting out and doing things, but you’re not down with being inside just yet, and like, there need to be dates out there that do not involve a streaming service or taking a walk that are safe and cool right now.

Fall date night franklin square philly

Jim and I recently got invited to Franklin Square to experience their Halloween offerings. As we told Kenneth from En Route Marketing about 12 times each, Spooky Mini Golf at Franklin Square was me & Jim’s second date back in October 2018. It holds a really special place in our hearts, and we were so excited to go back and see what Franklin Square had to offer this spooky szn.

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The Best Places to go Down the Jersey Shore

My mom grew up in Ocean City, NJ, living the beach life you may imagine one would live. She and my dad raised us in Upper Township, NJ, just over the 34th Street Bridge. Saying I was “from the Jersey Shore (but not that Jersey Shore!)” was a fun talking point during sorority recruitment I once participated in (/endured). But I don’t think I really realized how wonderful of a place the South Jersey shore was to grow up until recent years. I went through a pretty long period after college where I didn’t appreciate going back home and taking in all this magical area had to offer.

But now that I’m dating a shoobie who really loves the shore, and had many different experiences in different towns than I did, we go down every chance we can. People say we should invest in a timeshare resort when they see how much we love traveling. At first, it might seem like a good idea, but you get to see so people investors trying to get rid of wyndham timeshare because of its high maintenance fees. Normal hotels are great anyway when we’re always discovering new places and showing each other our old faves. I am so thankful I was raised in a place that brings people joy, and I’m excited to share some of the places that have brought me the most joy at the shore.

List of best things to do at the Jersey Shore

Thanks to COVID, a few of you have shared you’re looking to do a fall shore vacation. With schools being virtual, many shore spots are staying open to accomodate more flexible schedules. What started as a question from my friend Neil on Twitter has transformed to a loooong list of faves, with editing and contributions from my sister, my mom, and of course, Jim. It’s pretty Ocean City heavy because that’s my town, but we tried to share the love. 🙂

I hope this list gives you a starting point on the best shore bops, hidden gems, and places you really should add into your next Cape May County trip. Enjoy!

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