We all have the tendency to want to escape somewhere warm or far away from our daily routine, but you don’t have to go to the tropics or across the continent to relax. I am a firm believer of mini-getaway trips and exploring your surroundings even in the winter if you want to unwind and relax with your girlfriends. This time around my traveling gals and I explored one of my favourite summer destinations. Niagara on the Lake.
Take a Step Back and Relax
Mini getaways also require the perfect accommodation, so the girls and I stayed at the White Oaks Resort & Spa. Our room had two beautiful double canopy beds, a little office nook, and a very spacious bathroom with white marble top counter and floors. Also, loved all the toiletries left for us to use during our stay, which makes packing so much lighter. Our room was super cozy with its own fireplace and it was the perfect setup to have a girls’ night in on a cold winter day. On our first night here, we watched a movie from the on-command channel and the hotel was so nice to provide us with amazing snacks.
Satisfy Your Food Cravings
We had dinner and brunch, at the hotel’s Restaurant LIV, and by the end of both meals, the girls and I were about to go into a food coma. The food was so good, we couldn’t stop eating. The dinner portions are extremely generous, and the brunch portions are just right. For dinner, I had the beet salad, followed by scallops with fresh cooked veggies and roasted potatoes. The girls and I had a couple of glasses of sparkling wine and of course, there is always room for dessert. Brunch was also amazing, and I loved the view of the snow-covered pine trees. The perfect way to get your day started feeling extremely motivated. Also, want to note that White Oaks Resort & Spa is very accommodating to food restrictions which always makes traveling a little less stressful.
Have a Selfcare Day at the White Oaks Resort & Spa
On Sunday it was our self-care day. Early morning we headed down to the spa for some pampering. Zeba and I booked pedicures, while Mandy and Jenelle each got a manicure. This was my first pedicure ever, but Amanda made the whole experience so lovely. My feet felt so soft and super hydrated, and I definitely conquered my fear of pedicures. The girls working at the spa were so nice, they even got our Starbucks order and had our drinks delivered to us while we were getting our nails done. This is the kind of service that always wins my heart when it comes to hotels and White Oaks Resort & Spa knows how to spoil its guests.
Have a Couple of Drinks
I highly recommend doing The Greatest Winery Tour at Peller Estates where you get to experience the 10Below Peller Icewine Lounge. We got to try award-winning wine in the snow-covered estate vineyards as well as visit the Andrew Peller Barrel Cellar. We then headed to the 10Below Icewine Lounge for the ultimate Icewine experience where we were given a parka to enter the lounge. I am a big fan of icewine, and trying the Peller Icewine in the igloo-like lounge was so amazing. Also, the perfect spot for group photo with the girls.
Have Fun With Your Girls
If you love being outdoors, I also recommend Gretzky Estate Winery and Distillery located in the heart of Niagara-on-the-Lake where you can sip cocktails at the heated Whisky Bar patio and where you can also grab a quick bite. We sipped our cocktails and ate our delicious fries under the cozy heater, and then for the ultimate Wayne Gretzy experience, we headed to the ice ring. Us skating? Quite the spectacle. Skating Rink is open daily from 12 noon to 6pm (weather dependent) and the cost is $5 per person for Skating and $10 per person for Skate Rental. You can also bring your own skates.
Use Skincare Products That Work
I have super sensitive skin so I take my skin routine very seriously, except I dread removing my makeup. It’s just so time consuming having to use two different products to remove your face makeup and then eye makeup. I recently discovered No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes and they make makeup removal so easy. They are safe to use on your eyes, and they even remove waterproof mascara.
GLISS Extra Volume Lift-Up Spray for beautiful hair
The other product I packed for my mini getaway, because let’s face it my hair is so flat, it is lifeless, was the GLISS Extra Volume Lift-Up Spray. This is my current go to product when I need to get instant hair volume. I also love how lightweight the product feels and the fact that it has a formula that also repairs inner hair damage, which being a blonde I need.
Do a Little Retail Therapy
The perfect ending to any trip is shopping and also to unwind is shopping! The White Oaks Resort and Spa is conveniently situated across from the Outlet Collection at Niagara. Before heading back home we visited the outlet for some retail therapy. I knew shopping would entail a lot of walking around, so I wore my beautiful pink Sketchers sneakers for guaranteed comfort. You know I am not a huge fan of sneakers, but I do love sleek and chic sneakers and this pair is must have!
The girls and I had such a lovely time during our stay at White Oaks Resort, and it was just what I needed to unwind and have some downtime. There are so many things to do around the resort but those are some ways that I decided to unwind during my stay here.
Check out the girl’s blog posts about our trip as well: Mandy, Jenelle, Zeba
Thank you to White Oaks Resort & Spa for hosting us, this was not my first time visiting the resort and definitely not my last.
Your entire stay at White Oaks Resort sounds amazing. You did so many fun things! I'd love to visit it. Maybe we can arrange a small getaway together!