Monday Moodlifter - Weekend Getaways

So we're getting into mid-January.  The weather is cold, or it's doing that weird dance where it gets unseasonably warm and suddenly drops back down to freezing.  After this coming weekend there is only one three day holiday weekend left (President's Day in Feb.) and then we enter that looooong dry spell of holidays until Memorial Day at the end of May.  This time of year it's easy to start getting blue with the weather and the short daylight hours.  So what better way to cheer up a little bit and create some excitement than to think about a fun weekend getaway, perhaps to take full advantage of that last three day weekend coming up next month.  Here are five ideas some far, some near, some warm, and some cold.

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We have known several people who hop down to Puerto Rico for three and four day weekends.  If you're coming from the East coast the flight is a little under 4 hours, and if all you are looking for is some lounging on a beach, drinks with umbrellas, and good food this just might be the perfect place.  Hotwire has some flight and hotel package deals available for 2 people for 3 nights in the $1,300-$1,500 range.

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I have been reading Kelle Hampton's blog Enjoying the Small Things for almost 3 years.  She lives in Naples, FL and she paints it as a picture of cute small town charm with various markets and orange groves, topped off with amazing beach sunsets.  Knowing other people who have turned Naples into their getaway haven gives us confidence that this is another great option for relaxation in the sun if you prefer to stay within the continental US.  You will have to fly into the Fort Myers airport so you will probably need a rental car making this a little bit more expensive getaway, but there are flight, hotel, and car packages available in the $1,800-$2,000 range for 2 people for 3 nights.

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If you still want some slightly warmer weather, but don't want to go all the way down to Puerto Rico or Florida, why not try Charleston, SC.  The historic district is full of cute shops, museums, and historic homes and gardens.  Don't forget to bring an appetite, this is the South so you are sure to find some delicious southern style fare.  If you choose not to rent a car  flight and hotel packages are available for around $1,500, but adding a rental car only increases the trip to around $1,600 for 2 people for 3 nights.

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If you prefer to stay closer to the DC area and have an interest in skiing, or simply lounging around a nice resort try the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania.  The drive is just a little over 3 hours, and not needing a plane means you can save that money for the room.  The resort offers snow activities as well as a spa for those of you who are less adept on the slopes.  The rooms are pricey, but it is a vacation after all, for Feb. 15-18 you can get a lodge room for 2 people for about $1,000 total.

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Another close to home option with skiing or snowboarding opportunities is the Homestead resort in Hot Springs Virginia.  The drive is a little under 4 hours, and you get to check in to a lovely, historic hotel which has been visited by 22 US Presidents.  Just like the Nemacolin Resort, you can choose to play on the slopes or relax in the spa or one of the hot spring fed pools.  For the same February weekend for two people you can get a room for about $1,000 total.


Are any of you planning a weekend getaway sometime soon?  Do you prefer beaches and sunshine or snow and mountains?

Monday Moodlifter: Deck the Halls!

Christmas is one week from tomorrow!  Kind of crazy really, it seems like December just started.  Every year we tell ourselves: "This is the year we'll really be on top of things and really decorate for the holidays!"  And typically we manage to do the basics, like put up a tree (even a table top one counts), and string around a few lights, H even gets as far as stockings.  We still never manage to go as all out as we would like, though, because before we know it the holidays have come and gone.  So, this post is really to help us prepare for next year.  Here are five adorable holiday decor ideas we love, and hope to use as a guide when we hit-up Target post Dec. 25 to snag some great decor items on sale.  Enjoy!

This adorable table set-up includes a sweet winter terrarium, which is actually super easy to make.  In fact there's no reason we couldn't put one of these together by next Monday for ourselves (assuming we can manage a trip to Michael's before then).  The tutorial can be found over on Kelle Hampton's blog Enjoying the Small Things.

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What a festive mantel!  Everything from the hanging stars, to the greenery and red and silver accents just shouts "JOY".  Even if you don't have a fireplace mantel, you could probably still create a similar look across a wall shelf, or even a console table.  There's no rule that stockings have to be hung from a fireplace.

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Again, this is such a simple idea we can't believe we haven't taken the time to put something like this together ourselves yet.  Simply use a large empty vase, or other glass container, and drop in extra ornaments that didn't fit on the tree.  You can use whatever color scheme you want, and place these anywhere around your home to add some extra cheer.

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Who doesn't love presents?  So why not use some for decoration!?  Just wrap up a few empty boxes with pretty paper and ribbon and place them in various spots around your home, but maybe not under your tree, that could get confusing.

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This idea actually has us a little teary-eyed, in a good way though.  How special and personal to use old family holiday photos to decorate at this time of year.  This is an especially sweet idea if your family can't all be together for the holiday.

Hopefully these have sparked some ideas for you guys!  We know we plan to pick up some extra ornaments and cheap vases once the sales start on Dec. 26 so we can actually be prepared next year. 

How do you decorate for the holidays?  Do you go all out, or are you more like us and are simply happy if you get the basics up in time?