During these unusual times, camping is the safest, social distancing vacation. My go-to glamping outpost is Getaway House DC in Shenandoah, VA. I camped here a few times last year, but had to stop traveling due to 2020 restrictions (and paranoia). A few months ago, I decided to get out of the city and go back to getaway-glamping. I'm obsessed all over again! The camping outpost in Shenandoah is a 20 acre plot of land with small cabins scattered about. The cabin (Getaway House) is a thoughtfully designed, cozy space, with all the essentials for a relaxing weekend in the woods. The small area surrounding the cabin is perfect. There's a picnic table, Muskoka chairs and a firepit with a grill grate. There's a container containing wood and a few startup logs located by the firepit and basic provisions inside the cabin for purchase. I've camped at Getaway House in Shenandoah seven times and have stayed in cabins located all over the map. I've stayed in Philip, Hank, Juanita, Carroll, Thelma and Lionel. The Thelma is my absolute favorite. This is the first time I've stayed in this style of cabin and although we only require one bed, now I prefer the double bed cabin. It feels like this cabin is larger than the one bed style and it's nice to have a space to keep your belongings out of the way - We put our stuff on the top bunk. If you've stayed at a Getaway House, you know space is limited and these tiny cabins can get crowded. When you book your cabin (one or two beds), you can request a cabin style or a specific cabin. Although Getaway House doesn't promise you'll get a particular cabin, they will make a note in your booking and do their best to accommodate you. The location of the Thelma cabin is perfect. It's on the outer edge of the outpost and has a larger area around the cabin. I highly recommend you take a look at the Getaway House map and try to snag a cabin in this area of the outpost. While you should put your phone, tablet and computer away, I can't help myself. Here I am trying desperately to get service. The reception isn't great, so it does kinda force you to enjoy camping sans electronics. I highly recommend packing board games. My favorites are Bears vs Babies, Exploding Kittens, Throw Throw Burrito and Oh Fruck! Every camping trip is a little different. Sometimes we explore the outpost, other times we play games all day and I always change up the food and beverage menu. This trip was focused on relaxing, sitting by the fire and taking naps. Of course, I had to snap a few camping inspired pics of the cabin, Teddy and I before messing it up. Here I'm wearing a Moschino Couture! Care Label-Print t-shirt and Pook socks. Pook is one of my favorite brands to shop camping-inspired clothing and accessories. My tote is the Gucci Florentia Lorto Di Giove tote. My husband, Teddy and I camp at Getaway House at least once a month. It's good to get a change of scenery once in a while, do something different, put down your electronics (discipline required) and simply getaway from everyday life. For more info on Getaway House DC, please see my previous posts in the Lifestyle section of b.a.gorgie.com.
What is glamping? It's fancy camping. Glamping at Getaway House is by no means roughin' it! AND the best part is you can glamp year-round, cause you have a cozy, heated cabin with everything you need.. Getaway House has small cabins stocked with everything you need to camp comfortably. There is a bathroom with a hot shower, a small kitchen with a two burner stove, sink and fridge. The kitchen is also stocked with cooking supples and provisions. Each cabin has a super comfy bed and a lovely view of the outpost. There is also a bin filled with fire wood (for a fee). All you have to pack is comfy clothes, food and beverages. YETI is a Glampers best asset. The tumbler will keep your hot beverages super hot for hours and the wine glass will keep your cold beverages chilled. I take these two everywhere I go. YETI has a vast selection of drink ware and coolers. I love this brand. It's super expensive, but worth the cost. If you're fortunate to have a Getaway House within a reasonable driving distance, I highly recommend a weekend "getaway". The wall-sized window sits beside the bed and allows for breakfast with a view. This is the best feature at Getaway House. Teddy loves sitting in the window. I'm not the outdoors type, but do enjoy a little stroll with my Teddy Bear. He loves running in the leaves. We've only visited the Getaway House during the Fall/Winter and are looking forward to a few weekends away during the Spring and Summer. I'm sure the compost is even better when the trees are full of leaves. I suggest you put away your phone and relax a little. I enjoy reading my cookbooks in bed, next to the oversized window of course. Do prepare a glamping menu - I often make sausages with scrambled eggs smothered with cheese and served with hot salsa for breakfast. I pre-cook the sausages at home, so they just require a re-heat. Of course we barbecue hotdogs - this is usually the first thing we cook. Sheppard's salad is fresh, is easy to prepare at the cabin (will post a recipe on the blog soon). This chopped salad is smothered with feta cheese and pairs nicely with burgers or any other protein. I pack snacks for late-night gaming and lots of wine and beer. My camping menu is not health-conscious at all! I'm not a huge fan of sitting by the fire. The smoke irritates my eyes and I hate smelling like campfire. Teddy and I usually watch while the husbano gets the fire going and cooks the food. If you love a good campfire, you will enjoy this aspect of glamping at Getaway House. While the Getaway House cabins are cozy and have everything you need, I suggest you get out, run through the leaves and breath in the fresh air. The Getaway House outposts are well thought out and there's a lot of ground to cover. Just keep a lookout for wild animals, cause they come outta nowhere. Pack rubber boots, AND YES, you should absolutely go trompsin' through the woods with no trousers on! Why not? I'd be a little weary of the spider webs though. I came face to face with a huge momma while tryna capture the perfect glamping photo. What I wouldn't do for a pic!
I received a lot of fabulous gifts this holiday season AND gave a few great gifts to the ladies in my life as well. Some of which inspired me to post this Valentine's Day gift ideas list. I'm a lip balm addict and am always searching for a new "it" balm. These Glossy Pops have a lip balm in the sphere and lip gloss in the tube. AMAZING! The scent is delicious and the balm is super nourishing, non-sticky and seriously addictive. I received two for Christmas and then purchased two more. These balms are cute and the perfect Valentine's Day gift. Keep it simply thoughtful and gift a unique pen and notepad. I KNOW! Everyone keeps notes on their phone, but Imma a paper-note kinda girl. This gift is inexpensive, can be personalized and plain or outrageous. I love my pink fluffy pen and oversized notepad - I love anything pink. Victoria's Secret reigns supreme in every aspect. Anything from this store is appreciated and loved. I gifted these fluffy slippers and flannel shorts and kinda wanted to keep them for myself (almost did). The best gift is one you you'd buy for yourself. If you wanna keep it and buy them something different, that's ok too - just don't buy something else you wanna keep, otherwise you'll have a ridiculous pile of stuff and no gifts. YUP! I'm still promoting Beautyblender (this is not an ad). I love this brand - anything from this brand. Almost everyone I know has a Beautyblender makeup sponge, so now I'm gifting accessories. The MALLOOM Power Puff Display Stand is perfect for drying your makeup sponge. These stands are inexpensive and available at Amazon. I purchased this Beautyblender Defender for myself. It is the perfect capsule for drying your makeup sponge on-the-go. The flexible, shatterproof silicone case allows airflow and protects it from dirt. The black piece slides into the pink part to create a pill-shaped case that can hold up to two Beautyblender makeup sponges. LOVE. Personalized gifts can be a hassle and take time, but they are oh so thoughtful. YETI gives you many options and processes orders quickly. You can chose text and simply have a name or message engraved or submit a logo. Every year, I get something new with the b.a.gorgie logo on it and I absolutely love my personalized YETI tumbler and wine glass. The tumbler keeps my tea warm for hours and the stemless glass keeps my wine cold (I don't know if it keeps it cold for hours, cause I drink my wine quickly). Chocolate hearts for Valentine's Day is boring. If you wanna go sweet, opt for fun candy or healthy snacks. These "green Juice" Gummy Bears by Sugarfina are the perfect not-so-healthy candy. The name "kinda" makes you feel like you're snacking on healthy gummies and they they're delicious. Sugarfina has a variety of unique candies to suite every personality. Feel like being a little more extravagant - sunglasses are necessary and if your someone is into designer brands, sunnies are a great way to purchase the name without spending too much. Yeah, designer sunglasses can be expensive, but they're essential (I'm justifying my addiction)! I love these MIU MIU star embossed sunglasses and Swarovski crystal embellished sunglasses and chain. I snagged these at Holt Renfrew - a little pre-Christmas gift to myself. I received this personalized b.a.gorgie Pinot Grigio for Christmas. A week later, I created a new label and purchased a case. I love wine and I love seeing my logo printed on anything - it's become a Christmas tradition in my b.a.gorgie world. This Pinot Grigio was purchased at www.personalwine.com. Ordering wine with personalized labels takes time, so get on it..
On-the-go drinkware are now fashionable accessories. I consume a lot of liquid throughout the day and always have a bottle of water and cup of tea on hand. When I'm out and about, I usually opt for tea, but when I'm traveling, water is a necessity. These are my favorite glass water bottles and thermos. The SOMA Glass Water Bottle (pictured on the left) is made of shatter-resistant glass inside an easy grip sleeve. The protective sleeve comes in eight colors and slides on and off easily. It would be great if SOMA sold the sleeves separately, so you can change the color depending your mood. The bottle is slim and the cap is natural bamboo with a plastic lining - it's a classy looking water bottle. MY FAVORITE - the YETI Tumbler. This thermos will keep your cold beverages cold and hot beverages hot for a long time. You can also personalize your mug - I got this b.a.gorgie branded YETI tumbler as a gift and use it all the time. The YETI Tumbler is made of stainless steal and has a double-wall for vacuum insulation. My tea will stay hot for two hours and warm for two more. This thermos is amazing. Starbucks cups are a thing in my past. I love BKR glass water bottles. The bottle is available in 500 ml and 1 liter. Each bottle is encased in a silicone sleeve - there's many shades to choose from or you can opt for a little embellishment, like these spiked sleeves. The cap has a small handle, for easy transportation. You can also attach the bottle to your bag. The opening is super small for no-spill sipping.
You can replace the original cap with the Compact Cap and BKR Paris Water Balm. LOVE THIS! The new compact cap is a great idea, but the balm is REALLY THICK and kinda sticky. It smells like roses. I'm addicted to lip balm and am not a fan of a thick consistency or floral scents. The compact cap and balm are the perfect water bottle pal, but the balm falls short of my expectations. Of course, it's personal taste and you may like the smell of flowers on your lips!
Unfortunately, I purchased two sizes before I read this description - it clearly says rose scented. Albeit, this is a great invention. I'm hoping BKR will reinvent the balm with a lighter texture and non-floral scents. BKR also launched the Paris Water Balm Neautrals Trio - the original shade, Muse and BTS. They all have the French rose scent. These balms do not fit in the compact cap. Accessorizing your water bottle - you can also purchase little ice cube trays that make long icicles to fit in to your BKR bottle and a bottle brush for easy cleaning. I drink my water room temperature, so didn't get the ice cube tray, but really appreciate the cleaning brush. The thoughtfully designed brush follows the bottles curves, so you know your bottle is super clean.
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