Southern Belle in Training

Fashion, Travel & Lifestyle Blog || Est. 2012 || Virginia Beach, VA

Recent Posts

February 16, 2026

HOTEL GUIDE: TRS Yucatan All-Inclusive Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico

      A few months ago, Ryan and I enjoyed a wonderful first anniversary trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico. It was both of our first times visiting Mexico, and what truly made our trip so great is that the all-inclusive resort we stayed at truly exceeded all of our expectations! I'm excited to share a full review of TRS Yucatan (an adults-only all-inclusive resort) with you today. 

     It's also important to note that our lodging at TRS Yucatan was completely free thanks to credit card points! Check out THIS blog post for all of the information on how I was able to earn points and miles and successfully redeem them for a free vacation.

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February 9, 2026

How We Took A FREE All-Inclusive Vacation to Mexico With Credit Card Points.

        One of my biggest accomplishments last year was planning and taking a vacation with my husband where our flights and all-inclusive resort were paid for 100% with credit card points! I've had an interest in travel hacking (free or heavily discounted travel with maximizing credit card points) for years, but it wasn't until 2024 that I finally took the plunge into switching my personal strategies with credit card usage and spending to start my own travel hacking journey. 

      In November 2025, Ryan and I enjoyed a wonderful five-day trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico for our first anniversary. I don't like to gate-keep, so I'll be sharing with you the exact strategies and credits cards that we used to get our resort and airfare for free. If I could figure out how to do this, anyone can!

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January 23, 2026

Are SelectBlinds No-Drill Wooden Shades Worth It? Honest Review + Promo Code!

      A few months ago, we made an exciting upgrade to our master bedroom in our home. It was a low-effort upgrade that had pretty amazing results. (Isn't that the best type of home upgrade?) We got rid of the non-aesthetic shades that came with our master bedroom, and upgraded to chic wooden shades from SelectBlinds. I'm excited to share a full review with you today, and keep reading for an exclusive discount code for SelectBlinds below!

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December 31, 2025

2025 in Review: Highlights From My Year

     Here we are... the last day of the year! What a year 2025 ended up being. There's lots to recap from the past 12 months, so let's get right into it! 

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December 23, 2025

Photo Tour: Our First Christmas in Our First Home

Merry Christmas Week! In years past, I always enjoyed sharing about my Christmas decor in my apartments each year on the blog. While I unintentionally skipped doing that the past two years, I wanted to bring it back for 2025 as a way to always remember this special first Christmas season in our first home! The majority of my decor is in our formal living room, with some small additional touches in our dining room and family room. I hope to continue to grow our Christmas decor collection each year in our house, but for this year I love what we started with! 

     This post is also the first time I've shared pictures of some furnished rooms in our house on my blog. Ryan and I have been very hard at work since we moved in early October! 😊 Looking forward to continuing the decorate these rooms and the rest of the house in the years to come. In the meantime, to keep up with our house updates in real-time, follow my new Instagram account @home.sweet.mead!

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