Winter – For The Love Of She

Durango, Colorado Winter Holiday Part 1

We live in the great state of Texas, so we do not see a lot of snow, especially during the Holiday season. This year we decided we wanted snow for Christmas and immediately knew where we wanted to go! We have been taking winter vacations since our kids were toddlers and have always loved Durango, Colorado! We have checked out other places over the years, but are always drawn back to the small town charm and gorgeous beauty of this destination. In today’s blog I will be sharing some of the highlights of the Ski Resort and the surrounding area.

We prefer to fly in to Albuquerque and make the three and half hour drive to Durango by car because the views are simply breath taking. (In addition to our love of the Albuquerque landscape). When driving in to Durango, you see the little town literally nestled down at the bottom of the mountains. You can see the entire town from the mountain as you are coming down. It’s a view that you just don’t forget. We always choose to rent a condo at the Purgatory Ski resort , which is located about a 30 minute drive up the other side of the mountain. We normally make two stops in town on our way through before heading up to the ski resort. We stop at the local Walmart (that’s right, there is one and only one!) to stock up on groceries for the condo! The next stop is at the ACE store to pick up a sled! We love having one for the evenings when the slopes close. The kids especially have a lot of fun racing them down the bunny slopes! (which are only feet away from the condo)

Now, on and up the mountain we go to the Purgatory Ski Resort. This resort is a little know gem! They have multiple lifts that run daily (they literally run everyday of the year there is snow!) We use Premier Vacation Rentals to book our condo and they do not disappoint! Our condo was beyond gorgeous! They think of every amenity from dishes, to toiletries, towels, and even fire wood! Below are some of the photos of the specific condo we rented.

The Ski Resort offers ski and snow board lessons for every level. You can get private one on one lessons or have lessons in a group setting. The instructors are extremely knowledgeable and keep it fun. Our kids took private lessons here when they were toddlers and had such a good time! There is a special offer on their website currently for first time snow boarders or first time skiers that purchase a full day lift ticket, to get four hours of group lessons for free! What a great deal! The resort offers bunny slopes at the base of the mountain where the resort is located for those that like to take it easy. There are also lifts that take you all the way up the mountain where they offer runs for every level. Our kids started out on skis, but as they got older, switched to snowboarding. For those that enjoy snow boarding , there are several jumps, pipes, etc located at the base of the mountain that the kids and adults too, love to try their skills on!

Some of the other fun activities offered at the resort are the snow coaster, Inferno Mountain (newly added) and the snow tubes! Unlike some of the other, bigger resorts in Colorado, you do not have to reserve a time slot for the snow tubing! You can go and pay for the time and go as many times as you like! The new roller coaster is a blast!!! My son and I road it and I was literally laughing the whole way down out of pure enjoyment! I felt like a kid again! I would highly recommend it for everyone!

We can’t talk about the resort, without talking food! You will definitely need to refuel while having all this fun! There is a café/bar located at the base of the mountain, Purgy’s. They serve everything from burgers, to chicken strips , etc to keep you full while playing on the mountain. In addition, they have an outdoor bar that is perfect to grab a nice beverage and sit at the base of the mountain and just relax and watch for a spell. I highly recommend the bloody Mary’s! They really warm you right up!

You can also take the lift up, just to eat at the restaurant located up at the top of mountain, Dante’s. They offer stunning pasta and burgers among other delicious items to refuel you. In addition you get to enjoy the stunning views of the mountain while eating!

Nestled in the middle of the ski resort are multiple shops to buy souvenirs for your friends, loved ones, and co-workers! There are also a few more eateries, including the amazing Paradise Pizzeria! This is one of our favorite places to eat at the resort!

The other detail I wanted to mention was that we reserve our ski equipment before our trip at a place in town called “The Ski Barn“. We have been using them for 20 plus years and they are the best people! They are super friendly and literally work with you to decide on the best equipment and fit for your ability, comfort and needs. The link to the website is below:

Home

There are live webcams on the website for the Ski Resort, so you can go check them out and get a look at the views of the slopes and the mountain! We have stayed on the property and we have also rented vacation homes off the property in the area, but in our experience it is just so much easier if you intend on skiing or snow boarding to rent a home on property. The lifts are all centrally located to the homes, condos and lodge so you don’t have far to go! In addition to the tons of other activities to enjoy at the resort, this is the best bang for your buck! In my next blog, I will go into further detail about the little town of Durango and all there is to see and do there!

I would love to hear about your favorite vacation spots, so please feel free to leave comments! Happy travels to you all and much love! xoxo – SheShe

January 20, 2019

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New Mexico Travel Inspo

As many of you know from my previous blogs, I am a huge fan of traveling to destinations that are off the beaten path. Nature, serenity and gorgeous views are right there at the top of my lists, if at all possible when looking for a place to visit! This Christmas vacay was no different! We scheduled a stay in Durango, CO for the Christmas holiday this year. To make the most of the vacation, we flew into Albuquerque, NM so we could make the drive from there into Durango, CO. It is about a 4 hour drive that is full of gorgeous scenery!

For those of you that have never been to New Mexico in the winter, it is a treat. The landscape is something to behold. We booked our stay at the Hyatt Tamaya Resort and Hotel, which is set a few miles off the main roads. The hotel is literally set back in the middle of the mountains. For starters, they greet you at check in with a home made margarita, that I can attest for, is amazing! They offer several activities such as s’mores, horse rides, golf and a luxury spa to keep everyone in the family pleased. There are two restaurants located on the property as well in case you don’t feel like leaving to eat. Below is the link for the resort:

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/new-mexico/hyatt-regency-tamaya-resort-and-spa/tamay

While you are enjoying your stay and do feel like getting out and about the town, there is a great spot literally right up the road from the resort. The Santa Ana Casino and Hotel is located right up the road from the resort and is a ton of fun. They have a smoking and non-smoking section in the casino and have slots and tables, so there is something for everyone! I have linked the casino site below for you:

https://www.santaanastar.com/

And now as promised, let’s get to the drive from Albuquerque to Durango, CO. There are several little towns along the drive that are charming in and of themselves, such as Aztec and Bloomfield. All of which are filled with eclectic spots to stop and take pictures, such as the “B” on the side of the mountain in Bloomfield. The most notable mention is of course the beautiful landscapes. I have included a few of the pictures we were able to get along the route of highway 550.

I hope you enjoyed the views of New Mexico as much as we did! You will want to stay tuned, as my next travel blog will be a continuation of our Christmas winter vacation in Durango, CO. I would love to hear about your New Mexico travels, so please feel free to drop your comments below. Until next time, safe travels and much love to you all, xoxo – SheShe

December 31, 2018December 31, 2018

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Target Holiday Décor Run

With the holidays quickly approaching, the count down is on to get the decorating completed before they arrive. In years past, I have primarily stuck to only decorating the main living spaces of our home, such as the living room, entry way and formal dining areas. This year, I decided I wanted to branch out and decorate some of the other spaces in our home as well. With that in mind, I am sharing some of my holiday décor finds on one of my Target runs on the blog today.

The “Dollar Spot” at Target is one of my absolute favorite places on the planet and I know I am speaking for many of you as well. Target does such an amazing job of stocking cute goods in this section for each season and today was no exception. I was not disappointed with my holiday finds! Not only did I find some holiday décor , but I also found some great little stocking stuffers (not even on my list)!

These bath balms with winter themes were just too adorable to pass up and will make great stocking stuffers! These little cuties are only $2.00 each. They have multiple ones to choose from, so I’m sure you will find something they will love! Another great stocking stuffer that I ran across was these Christmas themed sock sets.

And again, they had these sets in multiple color and design combinations, so you are sure to find the perfect set. You could even open the set and split them up for multiple stockings as well. These sets were only $3.00! What an amazing deal!

There were several items in the Dollar spot to keep your little ones busy during the holidays, so you can get your wrapping done, decorating completed and baking in the oven! One of the fun items I found was these “grow your own marbles”.

There were multiple different items similar to this one, all with Christmas themes. Some were making ornaments, making little Christmas trees, watching reindeer grow, etc. These will definitely catch their attention and have them busy for hours!

One of my favorite finds (and I almost passed right over them) was these adorable gift card holders. They are knit gift card holders with a zipper closure. In looking at them, you would expect for them to be more expensive in nature because they are quite detailed and absolutely festive in every way!

Now, as promised, on to the holiday décor that I mentioned! From signs, plaques, pillows and trees, the dollar spot will satisfy all of those needs! These wooden signs with various Christmas sayings are just too darn cute to pass up and can be used in any room in the house! They are only $3.00 each!

Along with these, you can also find wooden word signs of all different colors in Christmas sayings. I chose the “believe” saying, but they had “joy” , and “merry Christmas” as examples of others available.

Colorful Christmas trees are always a fun and festive way to decorate any space. Target has you covered with these cute little colorful trees I found on my trip today. They come in varying sizes and colors so you can certainly mix an match to your liking! The plaid tray they are sitting is wooden and those come in multiple style and colors. I also picked one up in glitter red! And the bucket of snow balls! Come on, who does not want an indoor snowball fight (especially in South Texas where we don’t get real snow)?!!!

And last on my Target run, but certainly not least, my bedroom décor. I did find some of the items in the Dollar Spot, such as the accent pillows. These pillows are such a great bargain because they are decorated with different designs on both sides. How awesome is that? If you get tired of the design on one side, you can just flip them over the next day to the other side!

So I am already a huge fan of the Threshold Performance Sheets at Target and have been using them for some time. They have the stay in place binding on the side, which I love and also the deep pockets for larger mattresses. I also love that they have the silky, sateen blend! With all of that being said, I chose a solid black set as my base for my holiday décor bedding. I have linked these below for you. The holiday bedding I chose is a red and black Billie plaid, but they also had it in a white a tan pattern as well. It is a sateen and faux mink blend. I chose a large red accent pillow I found on the pillow aisle, where there are a variety of pillows to choose from! The throw is super adorable, a solid black with cute little bubbles at the ends!

https://www.target.com/p/performance-sheet-set-solids-400-thread-count-threshold-153/-/A-51846287?preselect=50068380#lnk=sametab

https://www.target.com/p/3pc-billie-plaid-mink-comforter-set/-/A-53621891?preselect=53620413#lnk=sametab

This was one of my favorite Target runs and also one of favorite decorating sessions! It really puts a festive spirit in the house and I plan on doing even more decorating and holiday activities in the near future. I will be sure and share those with you as well. I would love to see and hear about your holiday decorating, so please feel free to drop me a note in the comments and thanks for the read and follow! Much love and happy decorating! xoxo – SheShe

November 12, 2018December 31, 2018

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Academy Try On Sesh:Athleisure

There is absolutely nothing better than comfy cozy athleisure wear, who else is feeling me on this? The days of buying athleisure wear for going to the gym or work out wear only, are long gone. In today’s world, it is our go to for travel, running errands, or simply vegging on the couch catching up on your favorite tv shows!

With an upcoming surgery this week and the possibility of spending the night in the hospital, I decided to do a little athleisure shopping today. I wanted something comfy and yet cute, especially since I will be under the weather so to speak. I went to our local Academy, here in Tomball, TX and am sharing my finds in today’s blog.

The first items I tried on were from the Under Armour brand. The pants were a jogger style pant and I am wearing an XS for reference. The top is a sweatshirt , but the band is loose at the bottom and not fitted. I am wearing a size Small in the top because I wanted a looser, oversized fit.

The pants and the sweatshirt are both a super soft cotton material. I would recommend sizing up if you want more of a baggy or oversized fit, as both the pants and sweatshirt have slender fit to them.

This style also comes in multiple colors and I have linked these items here for you :

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/under-armour-womens-synthetic-fleece-jogger-pants#repChildCatid=5446813

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/under-armour-womens-rival-fleece-crew-sweater#repChildCatSku=114637430

The second set of athleisure wear I tried on was from Adidas. It was a cute medium grey and pink set. The pants were a grey jogger style pant with pink branding on them. I am wearing a size XS for reference in the pants. The hooded jacket zips up the length of the front and has pockets. I am also wearing an XS in the jacket, which is also a grey color with pink branding. I would suggest sizing up in the pants and the jacket if you want a looser fit. I am wearing a quarter length sleeve baseball ADIDAS pink tee, also in size XS. The ADIDAS tee runs big (I have it tucked in the front of the pants, but could easily be worn untucked with leggings).

Both the jacket and the pants are made out of a thicker cotton blend and are extremely warm and comfy. I believe the pink branding is only available in stores. I have linked these and or similar items here for you:

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/adidas-womens-essentials-linear-full-zip-hoodie#repChildCatSku=111728467

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/adidas-womens-essentials-linear-pant#repChildCatid=4098012

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/adidas-womens-sport-id-baseball-t-shirt#repChildCatSku=115001556

The next athleisure set I tried on was one of my favorites and such a classic in white! The set was another Adidas set. The pants were a white jogger style pant with black stripes down the sides. They, unlike the other sets I tried on, were a looser fit. I am wearing an XS for reference, but they fit more like a Small. The hooded jacket has pockets and a zipper that runs the length of the front. There is black stripes down the sleeves of the jacket as well. Both the jacket and the pants are a heavier cotton /fleece mix and are super soft. I am wearing a size Small Adidas branded rainbow tee underneath the jacket. The tee runs large.

I have linked these items here for you:

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/adidas-womens-essentials-cotton-fleece-3-stripes-full-zip-hoodie#repChildCatSku=111799100

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/adidas-womens-essentials-cotton-fleece-3s-pant#repChildCatSku=111774076

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/adidas-womens-sport-id-sweatshirt#repChildCatSku=115712593

Last, but certainly not least, is an oldie, but goodie and also an Adidas brand. The Adidas designed to Move straight Pants, are my go to athleisure pants of all time! These pants are a staple for an Woman’s closet. They are a loose-fitting straight pant with an elastic waist (for those days you deserve that treat) and pockets. They also have the classic white stripes down the sides, which add a classic look to them. I am wearing a size XS, however I did buy the size Small. I paired it with a classic pull-over Adidas Sweatshirt also in size small.

I have linked these items here for you along with a few similar items:

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/adidas-womens-designed-2-move-straight-pant#repChildCatSku=110090924

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/adidas-womens-essentials-3-stripe-fleece-sweatshirt#repChildCatSku=115001960

Today was such a fun try on sesh at Academy and I had a hard time choosing between all the great athleisure wear they had to choose from! I ended up getting some great items and can’t wait to be comfy cozy in them later this week and throughout the coming winter season! I would love to hear what your favorite athleisure wear is and see some of your favorite items! Please feel free to share in the comments below! As always, happy shopping and much love to you all – XOXO, SheShe

October 29, 2018October 29, 2018

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Bucket List Travels: Jackson Hole Part 3

Who has ever dreamed of playing in a winter wonderland?! Well, this is the place for you! Jackson Hole and the surrounding areas has more than enough activities to put a smile on everyone’s face and keep it there! In today’s blog, I will list just a few of the activities we were able to take part in during our winter vacay in Jackson Hole.

The Snow King Mountain Resort – The Snow King Mountain Resort is located right at the edge of town. You can literally walk there! This place is a play land for all ages. There is skiing, tubing and even a Snow Coaster!

That’s right, you read it correctly. They even have a snow coaster that rises up high above the mountain, in some places over 400 plus feet. The view is amazing and to be honest, I could not stop laughing the whole ride, out of pure joy! I can’t tell you the last time I have had so much fun. The down hill tubing is just as much fun and is completely exhilarating!

Again, I found myself laughing the whole way down, feeling like a child again! https://www.snowking.com/experience_jackson_hole/

Teton Village – Just a short drive outside of Jackson is Teton Village. This quaint little village nestled at the base of the Teton Mountains and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a definite yes on your to do list. The village itself is beautiful and you feel like you are in a fairytale book being there. From the shops to the coffee shops, it’s amazing! There is also a gondola ride up the Teton Mountains to the restaurant where you can eat waffles and drink hot chocolate, while taking in the views! There is also skiing available at this resort as well. We got a ton of our souvenirs while visiting the Teton Village! For more information , http://www.tetonlodge.com/jackson-hole-wyoming.aspx

Scenic Safaris Snow Mobile Tours – By far, this was my favorite activity of our vacation! I highly recommend this to everyone! The entire process was seamless from beginning to end, which is hard to say about any excursions to be taken while on vacation. The company sent a bus to our hotel the morning of to pick us up and take us to Yellowstone National Park. The driver was extremely friendly and actually was pointing out landmarks along our drive to us and explaining their history. Upon arriving at our destination, we were greeted with a full course hot breakfast in the beautiful lodge. Then they fitted us with snowsuits, snow boots, snow gloves and helmets. How cool is that?! They provided us with snow gear!!! Trust me, it is truly a blessing because it gets COLD on the snow mobiles on the tour. They really do think of everything. Once everyone was all geared up, off we went into the wild blue yonder of Yellowstone National Park on our snow mobiles. This was the most beautiful scenery I have ever scene in my life! I literally caught myself smiling at the majesty of it all. We rode the snow mobiles up to the Old Faithful Geyser, where they had a hot lunch waiting for us inside another lodge. We finished eating just in time for the geyser to erupt! To say that this was an amazing sight to see would not do it justice. To be in the great outdoors and get to witness part of nature, part of history, is just breath taking! Definitely something I will never forget. The tour also takes you across the continental divide and to some gorgeous waterfalls along the snake river. You will also get to see a hot spring and some Sulphur pits along the trail. They allow you to pull over and take photos at several magical spots along the tour so you are sure to bring back some awesome pictures to capture the memories! You can find out more information here, https://www.jacksonhole.com/things-to-do/snowmobiling.html

The National Elk Refuge – This is one of the first sights you will see when driving into Jackson, Wyoming and rightfully so. The Elf Refuge is a huge piece of the history of this entire region. To really understand the importance of the refuge and the circle of life, you need to make this part of your itinerary. We visited the Jackson visitor center and took the horse drawn carriage ride through the refuge.

Our guide gave us the history of the elk and how they were almost completely wiped out and that led to the creation of the refuge. He also told us many unique and interesting facts about these beautiful creatures, such as that they actually shed their antlers every year. Yes, they sure do! So, those beautiful antler archways you see in town square, were not from slaughter! The refuge actually allows the local Boy Scout troop to come out to the refuge each year and help collect the antlers. They are then allowed to auction them and keep a percentage for their troop and the rest of the proceeds go back to the Refuge. It’s just really awesome to learn about these animals and how they have survived and continue to survive, despite the population integration. It’s great to see everything the refuge does to ensure their survival and history remain in tact. The refuge also offers sleigh rides when the snow is thicker. On our trip, it was thin enough that we were able to take the carriages out. This is another activity that I highly recommend and that you will remember for years to come! To find out more, visit https://www.fws.gov/nwrs/threecolumn.aspx?id=2147509854

This is only a snapshot of the adventures awaiting you when you visit Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There is so much more to do and see here that we will certainly have to make another trip (and not to worry, I will blog every detail for your traveling pleasure)! I would love to hear about your adventures here as well, so please feel free to comment away! As always much love and wishes of fun and safe travels to you all! xoxo – SheShe