You don’t have to travel a great distance when planning a girls’ getaway – all you need is a change of scenery, a bit of pampering, fun activities, yummy food and of course…shopping! For our third #ultimategirlsweekendTO trip, we booked the “Girls Just Wanna” package at the White Oaks Resort and Spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Niagara-on-the-Lake is an hour and a half drive from Toronto – the short travel time meant we had more time to hang out and relax! Since we were only going for one night (and we were all squeezing into Mandy’s car!), I tried to pack “light’!
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| Pink Tote / Skechers / Pink Camera / Hat |
Skechers kindly provided us with shoes for our trip. I chose the “Debbie” (CAD link) – it’s obvious why…they’re blush pink, have a satin bow, and are basically the cutest shoes I’ve ever seen! We wore our Skechers for the car ride to the hotel – and then again out to meals at the restaurant. The mesh fabric uppers, combined with the air-cooled Memory Foam insole meant that the shoes didn’t just look pretty – they made my feet SO happy too!
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| Hat / Sweater / Shoes |
We arrived at the hotel around noon, and after a quick room tour (which included swooning over the princess beds in our room – check out the video at the end for a peek!) we headed off on a tour arranged by the hotel. Our first stop was Peller Estates (pictured below). We went on their Great Winery Tour – which included a visit to their 10Below Icewine Lounge. They gave us thick parkas to wear – as we were completely surrounded in ice (you can see it in my video below)! I don’t drink alcohol – and I love that they had delicious grape juice for me to sip on during the wine-tasting sessions.
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| Ear Muffs / Sweater Dress |
Our next stop was Gretzky Estates – we hung out at their heated outdoor patio and enjoyed some drinks and fries. Mandy, Jenelle and Eleni LOVED the Whiskey-Hot Chocolate combo, while I refueled on some much needed coffee. We tried out the ice-skating rink, and I’ll admit – I’m VERY uncoordinated on the ice! It was funny because there were people on the sidelines encouraging me, thinking it was my first time skating, when really…it’s probably my 20th – I’m just really slow and afraid of falling!
After all of our touring adventures, we headed back to the hotel for the most delicious dinner at LIV restaurant (I’ve included pictures of our meal in the video below). We got back to our room, changed into our pajamas, took some photos and enjoyed the yummy snacks that were provided as part of the Girls Just Wanna package.
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| With my #ultimategirlsweekendTO squad – I’ve linked to their posts here: Eleni / Jenelle / Mandy |
We were pretty tired after all of our outdoor activities – so we were happy to use No 7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes ($10 at Shoppers Drug Mart), because we could skip our usual full-on cleansing routine. The wipes easily removed all traces of my makeup – including lash glue, primer and full coverage foundation. The cushiony wipes are saturated with product, so they glide over smoothly. They contain Witch Hazel, which helps clear up your pores and prevent congestion. I’ve been using the wipes a lot at home too – my regular cleansing routine is so much easier when I start by removing all my heavy makeup using these wipes.
My hair was pretty flat by the end of the day, because it had been drenched in snow while we were ice skating! But prior to that, it was full of volume thanks to GLISS Extra Volume Lift-Up Spray ($10 at Shoppers Drug Mart). It has Collagen Complex to lift hair from the roots. I love how easy it is to use – you can spray it on either wet or dry hair, before drying/styling it. I don’t blow-dry my hair every day, but I always use a volume-lifting spray on my roots. Prior to this, I was using the Aveda Volumizing spray – but this GLISS version costs less and works better – I’m SO glad to have discovered this. GLISS also make an extra volume shampoo and conditioner – and I’ll be purchasing this next, since the spray works so well!
After a restful night sleeping on our Princess beds (despite an amusing sleep-talking episode from Eleni!) we put on our robes and headed down to the spa. We hung out in the peaceful relaxation room before going to the treatment space for manicures and pedicures. It had been ages since I had a pedicure – and it was Eleni’s first time – and we thoroughly enjoyed the luxe experience. We picked our polishes (I chose the classic Alpine Snow) and after our pedis, we were gifted with the products they used on us – the polish, foot file and orange stick! We were also treated to smoothies, Starbucks Coffees and cookies.
Post-treatment, we went back to the LIV restaurant – this time for brunch. I loved how accommodating they were at LIV restuarant to my dietary requirements – just like at dinner, they double checked ingredients for me, and allowed me to combine and make substitutions when placing my order.
We were sad to leave the resort – but we had something amazing to look forward to. The Outlet Collection at Niagara is literally across the street from the hotel (you can see the distance in my video below) – so after checking out, we indulged in some deal-hunting! They have so many great outlets here, including: Saks OFF 5TH, Banana Republic Factory Store, J.Crew Factory, Kate Spade and Marshalls. I was in heaven at the Saks OFF 5TH store, as they had so many pretty pink dresses for Spring. All of the dresses below are from the Karl Lagerfield line, and I purchased the pink ruffle dress on the left.
We had the best time at the White Oaks Resort and Spa – and I’ll definitely be coming back again, both with my girlfriends and my family (my kiddies would love their indoor pool!) I’ve shared some highlights of our trip in the video below – watch it and let me know what you think!
If you’re planning a Girls’ Getaway soon, follow White Oaks Resort and Spa on Instagram – because they’ll be giving a Weekend Away Package in March!
DISCLAIMER: Thank you to the sponsors who helped make this weekend happen – White Oaks Resort & Spa, Skechers, Scwarzkopf and No. 7.