A Winery to Visit in the DMV

August 18, 2021 No Comments

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If you are looking for a place to go with friends with good view, live music and good wine, this place is a good winery to visit in the DMV. Since my girlfriends and I haven’t been out just girls trip we really enjoyed chit chatting here while sipping some wine.

Let me tell you about the place, in case you are looking for a winery if you live around the DMV. We went here at Stone Tower winery in Leesburg, VA. It is an hour away from DC, southern MD and northern VA area. There was a $6.50 toll fee along the way, but the place was worth all of it!

When we got there, I already thought this will look even better come fall so we surely will comeback! so Before you enter the parking lot there was a staff greeting everyone coming in and explaining where to park and What to do and where to stay and will hand a brochure with their menu.

My friend called ahead of time to see if we need reservations since it was 5 of us. They needed reservation to access the main Stone tower Winery area which was only accessible for their wine club members for now. But for walk ins, they offer their Harvest barn area and he menu was mostly barbecue.

So the first place to access was the harvest barn as you can see behind me, this is where you can order your wine and some merchandise, cheese and stuff. You can also sit inside and chit chat there. When we came in, there was a live music in from of the barn facing their outdoor patio were most people sit and chit chat because the view is much nicer outdoors. You can also bring your dogs as I see a lot of dog owner with their pets, such a huge winery. They also offer weddings in case you are looking for one.

We ordered chicken wings, salt, ribs and Mac and cheese as those were the choices in their barbecue menu. We tried different wines they have 4 items 2 red wines, 2 white wine and 2 rosé. We fell in love with the Rosé so we ended up ordering one big bottle, It was good for 5 people even though it was huge. Good enough to last us for about 4 and half hours chit chatting while sipping.

They offer a tour in the vineyard but we did not do it, as you can see behind me the plus place is huge. And there were a lot of spots to sit down and chit chat. They also have a pop up flower store were you can buy fresh flowers.

Also my dress here was not in stock and they have a new version here with long sleeves. Also around the DMV if you are looking for other places to go check out this post.

Outfit, Travel

How We Are Saving on Hotel Bookings

August 11, 2021 No Comments

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Before this Summer ends, my goal is to be able to continue to enjoy small perks like staycations for the family. They have the best price possible compared to all hotel bookings combined!

Now I told you how top save on hotel booking, now let me brag about this Hotel that we stayed in Washington, DC. This is the second hotel we stayed at in the Nation’s Capital, the First was the Kimpton Hotel.

Every time I book a hotel, I always look for the amenities for the kids because it is their happy place. So when I saw Hotel Zena and its gorgeous roof top pool. I booked it right away and it did not disappoint, it is so beautiful. They also offer Z shed where you can rent board games, Nintendo switch which the kids enjoyed as the pool closed early on Sunday. They also have a billiards table were me and Novel was able to enjoy as well.

As for the The Hotel, it is part Art Museum and part hotel. You can find a big wall art of RBG, it is actually made of tampons and the reception desk has all these fabulous heels. and all around you can see all the beautiful art work. You do not want to come out of the hotel because of its beauty.

They also have a bar inside and roof top lounge but we did not get to enjoy it because it was close on Sundays. They open on Tuesdays were they have most patrons as per the receptionist. The staff also I wanna say was very friendly, helpful and accommodating! That even made our stay lovely!

As for the rooms, we love the bed it is so comfy and also the bathroom! It was al gorgeous and at the same time very functional, we got the city view!

SHOP THIS DRESS HERE!

Around the area, they have restaurants close by but we just had our food delivered through uber eats, we really did not want to come out more than we we are supposed too. We just enjoyed outside to see the surroundings which is the beautiful Thomas circle! They have a park in the middle were we see a lot of dog mom and dads.

We were supposed to try the scooter to ride around DC but we were not lucky to find one that is close to us. We will surely try it on our next staycation adventure again here in DC as I mention because I can save a lot from books through Staypia. You can now download their app through Google play store and apple App Store and it is free, signing up is free as well so you get to enjoy the member price discount which is huge!!

I hope I was able to share to all you who loves to travel and stay in hotel about this website and also to share to you about this beautiful hotel that you may want to check out.

Thank you for stopping by and see you on our next staycation… I promise it will be worth your while if you are planning on staying in a Hotel in DC.

Simply,

Christianne

Outfit, Travel

Family Day Trip St. Michael’s Island

July 28, 2021 No Comments

A Family Day trip at St. Michael’s Island was needed, Since the pandemic started we have been visiting nearby small towns just to see what they have to offer. We have been living in Maryland for 13 years now and we are still yet to explore all its beauty so let me introduce to you this another must see place in Maryland.

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DRESS/ SANDALS/ BAG

THINGS TO DO:

VISIT THE CHESAPEAKE BAY MARITIME MUSEUM

Family Day Trip St. Michael's Island — At the Maritime Museum

We started checking out their Maritime Museum were they showcased all the boats in the marina, how they make them, boats for crabbing, also the history of the town..

Checking out all the different ducks around the Chesapeake Bay

You can also explore the town biking and they have these bike rentals for you. This just reminded me of our recent trip to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. You can find these bikes at the Maritime Museum. It is a big area with clustered museums inside from how to build a boat and all other important history of the time. Surrounding it is the Marina and all those beautiful Yacht and Boat and they also offer boat trips that are around 45 mins long. We were suppose to do it but it was so hot that day that we will not survive it with the kids starting to feel tired.

2. STAY AT THE INNS – AIDA VICTORIANA INN

Check them out if you wanna stay in the island. We stayed outside the island near Annapolis as we also wanted to explore Annapolis after.

3. EAT CRABS! We ate at the claw, it is by the Marina and you can dine indoors and outdoors. You will love the view as it is next to the water and of course your Maryland experience is not complete without eating crabs! We ate the the CRAB CLAW, try reserving if you want to come. They were short staffed that day as most places nowadays due to pandemic just to be sure you get accommodated.

There were a lot of restaurants around so if you do not eat crabs nothing to worry about.

4. EXPLORE THEIR SHOPS

Here are some of the shops around the town were you can find cute items, memorabilias..

5. WINERY

In case you did not know, they have brewery and winery around so you can also add that to your list. So if you are looking for something new to explore.. this is the place for you.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope I was able to give you guidance on this trip if you are planning to visit.

Simply,

Christianne

Travel

Why Take a Family Vacation at Hilton Head Island

July 23, 2021 No Comments

It has been 2 weeks since we left Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. It was really such a relaxing and fun experience for the whole family staying there. The main reason why we ended up visiting the island in the first place because I got this deal on the internet for $99 for 4D/3N, the catch we have to attend a 90 min preview to a timeshare they will sell us, so why will I not get it right? SC is an 8 hour drive from Maryland so its wasn’t that bad and there are a lot more reasons….. So why take a family Vacation at Hilton Head Island?

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Family Friendly Place

When you got around the whole island. The most you will see are the happy faces of families going to the beach together, biking , eating out, going to the park, kayaking, paddle boarding and so on… I see a lot not just their immediate family but with their grandmas and grandpa’s too!

2. Hotels

As we explore the island, we noticed that it is small and the hotel are mostly walking, biking distance to the beach or the bay side to enjoy the waters. The hotel we stayed at isn’t bad but not the best either I am gonna be honest, It was 5 mins drive to the beach. The Hotel we had the preview for the Timeshare was the bomb! They have 2 properties in the island one next to the bay and one next to the beach so you have best of both worlds there.

Why Take A Family Vacation at Hilton Head Island — This is the hotel pool were we stayed

3. Restaurants

A lot of restaurants around that are driving, biking and walking distance to each other. The 2 that we went to that we recommend are the Big Bamboo that is walking distance from the Coligny Beach and The Black Marlin Bayside Grill which is next to the bay. Both have good food and have live musics!

4. Bike Rentals

If you and your family love to bike around together like we do then this is another highlight of the trip. The island has a good bike trail that can give you a tour of the island. We only rented the bike for 4 hours just to go around and they have the carriage for And to sit. Some of our hotel neighbors rented a bike the whole stay as their means to go around.

5. The Beach

The beach is 12 mile long and has a long and beautiful shoreline. You can do a lot of things on the beach aside from swimming, playing in the sand, paddle boarding… We saw kite surfing for the first time! You can also bike on the beach, we saw some Yoga class happening too and some swim team practicing. The water was refreshing and the waves are just perfect! We mainly went to Coligny beach were they also have a small park and has beautiful free public parking which we haven’t seen being packed, We were always able to find parking!

I hope I was able to give some insights if you are thinking of going. Let me know if you have other questions and I will be happy to answer them. In case you are looking somewhere local to go here and here are some of them.

Also here are some of the outfits I wore here.

thank you so much for stopping by and have a nice weekend!

Simply,

Christianne

Travel

Family Field Trip: Ellicott City, Maryland

November 11, 2020 No Comments

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ON ME: CARDIGAN/ BAG/ SUNGLASSES/ SHOES/ TANK TOP

ON ANDI: LONG SLEEVE SHIRT/ SHOES

Today’s feature post on our Family Field Trip: Ellicott City, Maryland. This is an hour away from southern Maryland were we live. Hubby and I decided to try to explore neighboring towns since we are not near travelling by plane anywhere due to the pandemic. This way, we keep sane and able to enjoy the outdoors while we still can. Since the experts says outdoor is still the safest, wearing a mask and washing or sanitizing hands.

Last weekend, we decided to visit Howard County and it is few minutes away from Baltimore City. We started by checking out their Centennial park. It was a lovely weather close to the 80’s and a lot of people in the park but since it was a huge park. Physical distancing were practiced and we all get to enjoy the nice weather. They have a lake so if own a kayak or boat you can ride it there. They have a huge field to play a lot of things with your family and friends. Basket ball, volleyball, tennis, Pavilions a bike and a walking trail.

After we explored their park, we drove a few minutes to check out the Historic Ellicott, City. It was a nice little City with small shops, restaurants, street performers and they have nice murals. We enjoyed looking into the Main Street, we got some cute items from one shop there, we ate at a Japanese restaurant, they offer outdoor Patio dining. There was a distillery were you get to see what they have, a lot of cute instagrammable spaces.

This has now become are family bonding every week. Last week we went to check out Thurmont, Maryland and took a picture at their famous Loys Station covered bridge. Trying to stay outdoors while we still can.

Stay safe and healthy and see you again on the next post.

Simply,

Christianne

Outfit, Travel

Fall Style in Old Town Alexandria

November 11, 2019 2 Comments

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THAKOON TRENCH COAT SIMILAR HERE

STRADIVARIUS SWEATSHIRT (OLD) SIMILAR HERE

H&M HIGH WAIST JEANS

LOUIS VUITTON BAG SIMILAR HERE

FRANCO SARTO KNEE HIGH BOOTS

It was a lovely weekend to walk around Old Town Alexandria. Fall Style in Old Town Alexandria, wearing this trench coat perfect for the setting in the middle of this cobble stone street. It was a bit cloudy and cold too. So I decided to wear this trench coat (no longer available) and my current favorite Franco Sarto knee high boots. I know already that I will blend in with the perfect Fall vibes of this small city.

We walked around Lee street and came across Prince street with its beautiful cobble stone street. It felt like I was walking on the streets of Europe. There were a lot of family taking Fall family pictures, a lot of tourist and some pre nup photo sessions around us.

The trench coat gave me the perfect layering on top of my sweatshirt. Another thought that came into my mind when in Europe were people wear trench coats and walking on cobble stones. Also the leaves on the ground made a really perfect Foliage. We were in Italy exactly a year ago and it was perfect. It was not crowded but it was rainy for some reasons.

So if you are here in the DC area visiting, make sure to stop by this place and it will never disappoint. There are a lot of small shops and coffee shop and restaurants around and nice hotels. This is also close to the Potomac river if you want some water front view.

And in case you are looking for coats and another place to see close to DC area,check out this post. I was wearing a mustard coat that is so soft here perfect for Fall and Winter weather.

Happy Monday and wishing you all a good week ahead. Thank you dfor stopping by!

Simply,

Christianne

Photos: Novel (my better half)

Lifestyle, Outfit, Travel

Family Road Trip To Shenandoah

November 4, 2019 No Comments

Family Road Trip To Shenandoah sharing the best view to see the Fall colors. This place is about 2 and half hours away from DC metro area. Planning a day trip is not that bad with all the gorgeous Foliage you will see there and along the way.

Along the way, we had stumbled to this small town to eat brunch. We ate at the Tula Bar and restaurant in Washington, VA. This was about 30 mins away from the skyline drive. This town has a lot of gallery to check out and the Fall colors here are just so gorgeous too.

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CHECK COAT

RAILS SWEATER

CHINESE LAUNDRY OVER THE KNEE BOOTS (OLD) SIMILAR ~~HERE~~

KAREN WALKER SUNNIES

H&M HIGH WAISTED JEANS SIMILAR HERE

We were suppose to go here the weekend before because it was the peak but it was a rainy weekend. It wasn’t a good idea then. Yesterday was a cold but very sunny day, perfect to go see the Fall colors of the mountain at Shenandoah before it is gone.

We had a rainy and windy week and some of the trees already lost their leaves but as you can see here. We were stay able to get to see the beauty of it all. We went here before probably about 4 years ago with family friends. This time we want my in laws to get to see the beauty of it.

We got here 3o mins before sunset and the colors are just perfect. It was so sunny that the colors would be washed out if we captured it at that time. This tunnel here is picture worthy, I tried so fast to get a a quick shot before cars starts coming.

And it’s a wrap! The moon is just as gorgeous as ever here. Check out the photos of us here that I posted four years ago.

Outfit, Travel

Tulip Festival in Virginia

April 24, 2019 No Comments

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TARGET YELLOW MAXI DRESS

TARGET STRAW HAT

DKNY HANDBAG (OLD) SIMILAR HERE

KAREN WALKER SUNGLASSES

STEVE MADDEN SLIDES (OLD) SIMILAR HERE

Tulip Festival in Virginia when you are unable to see the original Holland tulips and this is 45 mins away from Washington, DC. I have been seeing a lot of post of Holland tulips and of course it expensive to travel to Europe just to see it. Then I googled tulip farm around me and found this gem of beautiful flowers.

So if you live in the DC, MD, VA (DMV) area then this is the place to be at if you are looking for beautiful tulips. We went a day after the peak bloom but they were still pretty. You can also pick your own flower which is $1 per piece. Admission fee is $8 on weekdays and $10 on weekends if you buy it online and $2 more when you buy it on the gate entrance. Check out www.burnsidefarms.com to check out their peak bloom. It usually is around April another nice flower sighting after the Cherry Blossom Festival.

As for the dress, It is very comfy and it is not a maternity dress but it runs big so it fit my bump just right. The straw hat was also very chic and under $15.

I hope I was able to inspire you with this post and see you again on the next blog post. Thank you for stopping by!

Simply,

Christianne

Photos: Novel (my better half)

Lifestyle, Travel

Family Traditions We do when it’s cold outside.

December 19, 2018 No Comments

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ROSS BEANIE SIMILAR HERE

ASTR FAUX FUR JACKET SIMILAR HERE

ZARA MIDRISE JEANS

STRADIVARIUS SWEATER

TOTES WINTER BOOTS (OLD) SIMILAR HERE

Family Traditions We do when it’s cold outside. How these are good ideas to do as your own family traditions starting this New Year. Growing up, we always go to my grandparents house to celebrate Christmas and go back to our own home to the New Year’s Eve celebrations. That has been long gone since I moved here in the US.

Now that I have a family of my own, we are making our own traditions.

1. Every Christmas time we always go to New York to celebrate with my husbands relatives since they are our family here, we would dine together and in the evening, all of us will go to Time square to look and take pictures at all the Christmas Decors and the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Plaza.

2. We also do staycations and stay in a Hotel near were we live so the kids can swim. (hotels with indoor swimming pools only). And if you have been following my IG story we just stayed at the largest Indoor Water park in the US.

3. We just started game nights and have been collecting board games as the kids are now old enough to play.

4. Movie nights.. Which we actually do all year round. But this time of the year we are more on Holiday Movies.

I hope I was able to give some fun family traditions to share with your family.

Thank you for stopping by.

Simply,

Christianne

Photos: Novel (my better Half)

Outfit, Travel

Things to Do in DC, MD, VA During the Holidays

December 5, 2018 No Comments

Things to Do in DC, MD, VA During the Holidays

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VIGOSS GREEN FAUX SHEARLING JACKET SIMILAR HERE

ZARA MID RISE JEANS SIMILAR HERE

COLUMBIA WINTER BOOTS (OLD) SIMILAR HERE

LOUIS VUITTON BAG SIMILAR HERE

Things to Do in DC, MD, VA During the Holidays. Guide to all the wonderful things or experiences you can do with family and friends.

Visit National Harbor – They have this huge Christmas tree with musical show too that is right in front of the Potomac River. Over here, you can also see different shops, restaurants and specialty stores that you fancy. There are always things to do for all age groups. Don’t forget about the Hotels surrounding it.
ICE at the Gaylord Hotel – This has become our Family tradition, We always go here and we always have fun seeing all the pretty Ice sculptures and the ice slides and enjoying the hot cocoa after the cold.
Go See the Christmas Lights Display – We always go to Watkins Park and it is $10 a car to enter and it is really worth the money looking around the Christmas figures in form of Christmas lights in different. Just stay in your car and enjoy the ride. Also go try the Zoo lights.
See the National Christmas Tree – it is in between White House and Washington Monument.
Holiday in the Park – We are yet to see this one for this season. This will be our first time if ever we get to do this, We are planning to go to Six flags. There is also one in Busch Garden in Williamsburg, VA and King’s Dominion in VA.

I hope I was able to give some good info for you to use. Thank you for stopping by.

Simply,

Christianne

Photos: Novel (my better half)