I've mentioned it before...I don't typically go out to dinner. It's one of the ways my husband and I save money and I happen to love cooking at home. So- 6 to 7 nights a week (mornings and afternoons too on the weekends) dinner is provided by Chef Moî at Café Elisa. It is astounding how much money you can save if you cook at home (hmmm...I may need to do a blog experiment and figure out just how much...) Nevertheless, I am always looking for a great restaurant promotion in the rare event we do go decide to eat dinner out.
So for those of you that are like me, and go out only on a special occasion & love to save money or even better for those of you who DO go out often (naughty, naughty)...Here is a website I think you will love as much as I do... www.restaurant.com.
Restaurant.com offers restaurant coupons for less for the restaurants that participate on the site. Here's an example for all my local people... through Restaurant.com the yummy restaurant The Prickly Pear in Hackettstown NJ offers $10 gift certificates- though you only pay $4 for them, and $25 gift certificates- though you only pay $10 for them. What's the catch you ask?? Well, of course there are some restrictions. Every restaurant is different..the above restaurant sites "Minimum 2 entrees. 18% Gratuity added prior to discount. Valid for Dinner, Dine In ONLY. Excludes: Other Offers/Promotions". But, I think the exclusions/restrictions are very fair. There is sometimes a minimum amount that you must spend, but it seems to always be reasonable amount for the restaurant. You can pop in your zipcode on the home page and search for restaurants that participate near your home town annnnnd you can purchase the gift certificates as gifts!! You can purchase a gift certificate to the site or to the specific restaurants (there are over 13,000 restaurants that participate on the site!). So just to recap- you can buy a $50 gift certificate to a favorite restaurant and only pay $20... pretty cool, huh?!
So whether you use this as an excuse to go out and try somewhere new, or if you buy these certificates to save you loads and loads of money...go to www.restaurant.com and try it out!
xo
E
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
More free stuff from Starbucks! Free Pastry day tomorrow!
Another week, another fun promotion! Here’s a little something to put a smile on your face now that the amazing weather has left NJ.- Free pastry from Starbucks! Tomorrow 3/23 until 10:30 am, when you purchase a beverage from Starbucks, you can receive a free pastry with the coupon below. Pretty good deal…get your $1.50 Bold coffee (so you get your sticker of the week of course) and get a free pastry! $1.50 for a splurge of a breakfast- treat yourself tomorrow!!
To get your free pastry, go here: http://starbucks.com/FreePastryDay and print out the coupon and present it to your barista. Or simply show them the coupon on any mobile device. But Free Pastry Day ends at 10:30 a.m. – so don’t miss out!
Xo E
To get your free pastry, go here: http://starbucks.com/FreePastryDay and print out the coupon and present it to your barista. Or simply show them the coupon on any mobile device. But Free Pastry Day ends at 10:30 a.m. – so don’t miss out!
Xo E
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Save some money & support a great cause! 30% off coupon inside...
This weather makes me want to shop! The spring dresses and wedge heels are making an appearance, and I soooo ready to rid myself of my sweaters and boots. This is a great week to start your Spring shopping for the entire family, save 30% and help a great cause.
Below is all the info you need to print out your 30% off coupon to use at The Gap, Old Navy & Banana Republic! Happy Shopping! xo E
Shop for a Cure! Download your LLS Give & Get coupon today and use it in any Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic store from Thursday, March 18th - Sunday, March 21st. Take advantage of a 30% discount while you support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's work to cure cancer and improve the lives of patients. 5% of what you spend will go to LLS when you use the LLS discount coupon.
PRINT YOUR COUPON HERE: http://www.gapinc.com/giveandget/lls/
Share the LLS Give & Get coupon with your friends, welcome spring with a new wardrobe and support life-saving cancer research by participating in the Give & Get campaign from March 18th-21st.
NOTE: This offer is good for in-store purchases only, including all Gap, Inc. Outlet stores.
Below is all the info you need to print out your 30% off coupon to use at The Gap, Old Navy & Banana Republic! Happy Shopping! xo E
Shop for a Cure! Download your LLS Give & Get coupon today and use it in any Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic store from Thursday, March 18th - Sunday, March 21st. Take advantage of a 30% discount while you support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's work to cure cancer and improve the lives of patients. 5% of what you spend will go to LLS when you use the LLS discount coupon.
PRINT YOUR COUPON HERE: http://www.gapinc.com/giveandget/lls/
Share the LLS Give & Get coupon with your friends, welcome spring with a new wardrobe and support life-saving cancer research by participating in the Give & Get campaign from March 18th-21st.
NOTE: This offer is good for in-store purchases only, including all Gap, Inc. Outlet stores.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Yes, you CAN afford to go on vacation! Here's a frugal alternative to that pricey resort..
Almost 6 months ago, my husband was relaxing outside reading his latest issue of Maxim magazine. Whenever he reads Maxim, he tends to read aloud many of the oh so interesting facts he finds there ("Honey, did you know it takes "blah" amount of tourque to crush a can on your head?!" "Babe, did you know that Star Wars was only originally released in 32 theaters?!") and on this particular day he found something in Maxim that would change our lives forever. Yes, I know that sounds very dramatic...but it is true! Matt found an article in Maxim about a website called VRBO.com, and it has changed the way we vacation. He read me this article about a site that offers "online space for homeowners to advertise their vacation properties and make it easy for travelers to search 130,000+ rentals in over 100 countries worldwide." At the end of the article, it stated that you could even go to Maui (known to be a super expensive destination) for about $150 a night. It took me about 8.4 seconds to get on my computer and start researching if this was true. After much research, I found a condo that was up for rent for about $100 a night. We decided that same week, that we would vacation in Maui, for 15 days. Thus, this started my love affair with http://www.vrbo.com/. This website makes searching for a rental very easy & fun!
Why do I love VRBO & vacation rentals in general?
-Compared to hotels, vacation rentals offer more value. If you have the patience to do the research, the value of vacationing this way is astounding! You can easily find a condo for a very low price (helloooo..Hawaii for $100 a night!!!!), or if you want to get your family and friends together...rent a huge house and split the cost! I assure you, you can find something in your price range. Another huge cost advantage is the food cost. If you can rent a condo or house with a kitchen, and you cook in for some meals (we cooked in our breakfast and lunches in Maui)- you will save a huge amount! Hit the Costco or the local supermarket, pick up some eggs, pancake mix, sandwich meats, bread, chips and stuff to grill (huge plus if you can find a place with a grill) and you can save yourself $100 a day. If you are vacationing with family or friends, let each person or couple take a day to do the cooking. And remember to stock up the fridge with some cold beverages too (in Maui, a water bottle at a resort could cost up to $5. We bought a case of water at Costco for that much and took a few bottles with us every time we went out)!
-Compared to hotels, vacation rentals offer more space. An average hotel room is pretty small. Renting a condo or house is much bigger (what a concept, huh?!). Our condo in Maui was about 1200 sq feet and had a bedroom, bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen and patio. It also had other amenities of home, like a washer and dryer (I know...some of you may cringe at the thought of doing laundry on vacation, but it was sooo nice coming home with a suitcase packed with only clean clothes!). An amazing condo (pictured above) that we just rented in Charleston, SC was 1600 sq. feet (probably triple the size of an average hotel room), and it also had a 20x30 outdoor roof patio. All for $91 per couple a night (we stayed with one additional couple).
-Compared to hotels, vacation rentals offer more privacy. If you rent a private home, this is obvious. But even if you rent a condo or townhouse with neighbors, you most likely are going to have more privacy all around. Be it a gated entrance, private patio, or a building with a keycode entrance, you most likely will have a bit more privacy than a huge hotel with a large lobby.
VRBO also makes it very easy to find a vacation rental where you can bring your furry friend. It notes on every listing if the rental is pet friendly. And the pet friendly fees seem a bit more reasonable than many hotels.
The website even offers a Rental Guarantee, so you can rent with more confidence (believe me, it was a huge fear of mine that we would get to Maui, and the condo wouldn't exist). On that note, when searching and speaking to people about their rentals,use your common sense, gut instinct and "creeper detection". If someone seems shady or off, don't rent from them. It's better for your piece of mind!
This method of vacationing may be a little different if you are used to a 5 star resort with butler service, and going out to eat 3 meals a day. But if you think you can't afford to go on a vacation because you can't afford a 5 star hotel with butler service, this may be the method for you! Have you always wanted to go on a ski vacation to Colorado while staying in a swiss chalet-ish type place, or have you always wanted to stay at a real Tuscan Villa with your entire family? Check out VRBO, they may have what your dreaming of, for a much more affordable price. Take a look, take the family, and get away...you only live once, and you deserve a vacation. I give you permission...live a little...just do it frugally.
xo E
Why do I love VRBO & vacation rentals in general?
-Compared to hotels, vacation rentals offer more value. If you have the patience to do the research, the value of vacationing this way is astounding! You can easily find a condo for a very low price (helloooo..Hawaii for $100 a night!!!!), or if you want to get your family and friends together...rent a huge house and split the cost! I assure you, you can find something in your price range. Another huge cost advantage is the food cost. If you can rent a condo or house with a kitchen, and you cook in for some meals (we cooked in our breakfast and lunches in Maui)- you will save a huge amount! Hit the Costco or the local supermarket, pick up some eggs, pancake mix, sandwich meats, bread, chips and stuff to grill (huge plus if you can find a place with a grill) and you can save yourself $100 a day. If you are vacationing with family or friends, let each person or couple take a day to do the cooking. And remember to stock up the fridge with some cold beverages too (in Maui, a water bottle at a resort could cost up to $5. We bought a case of water at Costco for that much and took a few bottles with us every time we went out)!
-Compared to hotels, vacation rentals offer more space. An average hotel room is pretty small. Renting a condo or house is much bigger (what a concept, huh?!). Our condo in Maui was about 1200 sq feet and had a bedroom, bathroom, living room, dining room, kitchen and patio. It also had other amenities of home, like a washer and dryer (I know...some of you may cringe at the thought of doing laundry on vacation, but it was sooo nice coming home with a suitcase packed with only clean clothes!). An amazing condo (pictured above) that we just rented in Charleston, SC was 1600 sq. feet (probably triple the size of an average hotel room), and it also had a 20x30 outdoor roof patio. All for $91 per couple a night (we stayed with one additional couple).
-Compared to hotels, vacation rentals offer more privacy. If you rent a private home, this is obvious. But even if you rent a condo or townhouse with neighbors, you most likely are going to have more privacy all around. Be it a gated entrance, private patio, or a building with a keycode entrance, you most likely will have a bit more privacy than a huge hotel with a large lobby.
VRBO also makes it very easy to find a vacation rental where you can bring your furry friend. It notes on every listing if the rental is pet friendly. And the pet friendly fees seem a bit more reasonable than many hotels.
The website even offers a Rental Guarantee, so you can rent with more confidence (believe me, it was a huge fear of mine that we would get to Maui, and the condo wouldn't exist). On that note, when searching and speaking to people about their rentals,use your common sense, gut instinct and "creeper detection". If someone seems shady or off, don't rent from them. It's better for your piece of mind!
This method of vacationing may be a little different if you are used to a 5 star resort with butler service, and going out to eat 3 meals a day. But if you think you can't afford to go on a vacation because you can't afford a 5 star hotel with butler service, this may be the method for you! Have you always wanted to go on a ski vacation to Colorado while staying in a swiss chalet-ish type place, or have you always wanted to stay at a real Tuscan Villa with your entire family? Check out VRBO, they may have what your dreaming of, for a much more affordable price. Take a look, take the family, and get away...you only live once, and you deserve a vacation. I give you permission...live a little...just do it frugally.
xo E
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Cheap Coffee at Starbucks?!? True story.
I am usually a huge advocate for making coffee at home and bringing it with you to work. If you buy an expensive cup of brew every day, it can cost you up to $1000 a year ( or more if you get a Grande Mocha Latte skinny with an extra shot of espresso blah blah blah. yeah, thanks...but I'd rather make coffee at home, and go on an extra vacation).
But for the next 8 weeks I may just splurge once a week. Check out this new promotion from Starbucks! They have a different Bold coffee flavor every week for 8 straight weeks. And the particular coffee of the week is only $1.50 + tax for a tall! Ask a barista for a passport book and they will give you one sticker for each flavor (so one sticker a week). Collect all 8 stickers over the course of 8 weeks, and Starbucks will give you a free pound of coffee (the bold flavor that you like best).
The Bold coffee schedule is as follows:
Week 1: Yukon Blend (this started this past Tuesday, 3/9)
Week 2: Italian Roast
Week 3: From Africa to Africa Starbucks Red
Week 4: Komodo Dragon Blend
Week 5: Caffe Verona
Week 6: Cafe Estima Blend
Week 7: Gold Coast Blend
Week 8: Sumatra
So, if you participate in this entire promotion...one coffee per week at $1.50 = $12.00 (plus whatever your state government takes) PLUS you get an full pound of coffee (thus starting the make your coffee at home cycle all over again). So this is a fantastic deal, and a fun chance to try out some new coffee!
But, remember people...I am only condoning this on this one occasion!!
xo
E
But for the next 8 weeks I may just splurge once a week. Check out this new promotion from Starbucks! They have a different Bold coffee flavor every week for 8 straight weeks. And the particular coffee of the week is only $1.50 + tax for a tall! Ask a barista for a passport book and they will give you one sticker for each flavor (so one sticker a week). Collect all 8 stickers over the course of 8 weeks, and Starbucks will give you a free pound of coffee (the bold flavor that you like best).
The Bold coffee schedule is as follows:
Week 1: Yukon Blend (this started this past Tuesday, 3/9)
Week 2: Italian Roast
Week 3: From Africa to Africa Starbucks Red
Week 4: Komodo Dragon Blend
Week 5: Caffe Verona
Week 6: Cafe Estima Blend
Week 7: Gold Coast Blend
Week 8: Sumatra
So, if you participate in this entire promotion...one coffee per week at $1.50 = $12.00 (plus whatever your state government takes) PLUS you get an full pound of coffee (thus starting the make your coffee at home cycle all over again). So this is a fantastic deal, and a fun chance to try out some new coffee!
But, remember people...I am only condoning this on this one occasion!!
xo
E
Friday, March 5, 2010
Throw an impromptu, inexpensive party this weekend (hint hint...it involves alcohol!!)
Anyone who knows me will tell you I love planning parties (actually anyone who knows me well will tell you that I am obsessed with planning parties…). Getting married? I know the perfect flowers to go with your chartreuse color theme. Having a baby? I have 2 cake pans shaped like baby bottle, and baby carriage. It’s the second Thursday in June? Pool party in15 minutes….daquiris are already blended. But during this gray, blah time of year, I tend to lose my party momentum. First because it’s gray & blah out (I swear I have that seasonal affective disorder sometimes) and second because we are typically a little broke from the recent holidays. If you are having the same feelings as I…may I make a suggestion?? Drink wine. Drink wine with friends. And ask your friends to bring the wine. Noooo, I am not suggesting you mooch of your friends for alcohol because you are broke, what I am suggesting is…Throw a “Blind Wine Tasting” party!
Here’s how it works:
Invite everyone over for a fun night in and Have everyone bring a bottle of wine. Limit the amount to spend (say wines $15 and under) and if you really want to get fancy…choose a region (maybe Napa Valley or Italy) of where the wine comes from. Encourage people to either bring their favorite wine or one they have never tasted before but looks interesting to them! Ask everyone to bring their wine in a bag, so everyone does not see their wine when they arrive.
Have some numbered brown paper bags ready for when your friends arrive.
Since everyone will at least know the one wine that they brought, make sure you use the same bags! Regular brown paper lunch bags work really well because they also cover the shape of the bottles (for example-certain wines like gewurtztraminers come in very different type bottles). Another really fun idea, is to use black wine glasses so you can't see if the wine is white or red...but alas, this costs extra cash...so I'd stick with the bags.
Since you do not want people trying a sweeter white before a full bodied red (any wine snob will tell you that that will totally mess up your palate…)let people label their wine bag. Use easy codes like SW (sweeter whites),DW for (dry whites), R for reds, P(ink) for the person brings the white zinfandel (you may want to find a new friend…ha! Just kidding!!!). If anyone brings a dessert wine…save that for later after the main tasting is done. Have a few ice buckets available for dumping!
Give everyone a score sheet. Have the numbers of the wines on the side of the page, with some lines for notes next to each number. As everyone goes along the line and tastes the wines- they should write down what type of wine they think it is (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Reisling etc…). Encourage your friends to discuss and debate their ideas!
After everyone is done will their educated guesses…. Proceed with the unveiling of the wines! Then collect the sheets and tally the votes! Have a fun prize (like a corkscrew) for the person who had the most wines right!
A few tips:
- Make sure you provide some little food bites to go along with the wines (popcorn, cheese & crackers, veggie platter). You can make it a pot luck and have everyone bring their favorite snack too!
-Make sure everyone takes their time and has fun…this is a party afterall!
- If anyone seems like they tasted one too many wines…call them a cab, or blow up that aerobed you got for Christmas.
This is a really fun alternative to another night at the local pub (which we all know can cost so much when your paying $6 a drink). So buy a bottle, call your friends and enjoy saving money while drinking a nice Cabernet.
xo E
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Vermont: the state of maple syrup, Ben & Jerry's and lots of frugal fun!
Ahhh, 5 years of marital bliss. It’s hard to believe that already 5 years ago (when I was only 22…I could barely drink!) I married my best friend in the whole wide world. We have grown up together, and we have had more fun than should be allowed of any two people in such a short period of time. So, this is reason to celebrate, right? And what is the best way to celebrate in my world?? A weekend away, of course!
On past anniversaries, we have visited the Mohonk Mountain House (another post…no worries..), which happens to be one of my favorite places on the planet- but this year I wanted to do something different. In trying to choose a place that would make both myself and my husband very happy, I decided on Vermont. I pictured roaring fires, falling snow, romantic dinners and crazy sick conditions on the mountain (this was the part that would make my husband especially happy)…. And that is exactly what we got during our visit to Dorset & Manchester VT. Of course, me being the frual chica that I am- did plenty of research before booking this trip. After searching for the perfect bed & breakfast, I found The Dorset Inn (www.thedorsetinn.com). Their rate on the site was a bit higher than I wanted to pay, so I called and asked for a cheaper one. Yes, just like that. I called and said I really love your property, and would really love to stay here on such and such a date- do you have any rate discounts or specials…and they said yes! I secured The Dorset Inn at $150 a night with breakfast included. Not too shabby.
We made the trek through the snow up to Dorset (VT got 50 inches of snow in a week!!), and upon arriving at The Dorset Inn, I knew we’d made a great decision. The building is from 1796, but was totally refurbished by the current owners. It is a 30 room Inn, but has the feel of a 3 bedroom B&B. It smelled of a burning fire, and fresh brewed coffee when we walked in (about 1.5 hours before checkin)…and a cd of classical arrangements of Beatles tunes was playing. I was in love. The friendly front desk staff showed us around the ground level which included the sitting room with roaring fire, couches, and chess set, the breakfast room, tavern and dining room. We were then shown to our room (room 7, Ernest Way). SO cute! It was not a huge room, but nice & cozy. The décor was beautiful; classic & quaint. The cheese platter that I ordered before our arrivalwas waiting for us.It was only $9 for 3 cheeses! I chose a local Vermont blue, goat and sheep cheese which they served with locally made crackers and bread, craisins, candied pecans, and a piece of honey comb that held some of the most succulent honey I have ever tasted!A fabulous deal, and treat upon our arrival! We then proceeded to unpack, each our delish cheese, pop a bottle of proscecco and toast the weekend (ALWAYS need to toast....), turn on our big flat screen tv…and watch Curling. How romantic, right?! Damn that silly sport, it is totally addictive to watch. After relaxing a bit, we went down to the sitting room for tea and cookies (also included in the room rate). The Dorset Inn serves Tazo tea (love their mint tea) and homemade sweets every afternoon from 3-5 pm. We enjoyed some delicious oatmeal raisin cookies and cranberry biscotti- yum!
Food: The food in the southern Vermont area is, shall we say, a bit boring. For me, at least. It’s all very “American” (I typically only go out for food I don’t cook at home.. i.e. Thai, Indian etc..), but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t tasty all the same! We went to Candeleros (www.candeleros.net) for dinner our first evening, and got the BBQ for 2 platter. It was a great deal at $33 for 2 people! Our plates were piled high with smoked BBQ ribs, half a roasted BBQ’d chicken, pulled pork on Texas Toast, cornbread and chile coleslaw. The sangria was yummy too. We walked out of there paying $50 for a huge dinner for 2, so we were pretty happy (and very full!). On our second night, we chose to have our anniversary dinner at the Dorset Inn. The Dorset Inn has a wonderful wine list that has received accolades from Wine Enthusiast magazine, and a fabulous menu to match. I got the shrimp & linguine dinner and the celery & truffle soup to start with (to die for!!). Matt opted for their angus burger topped with Vermont (of course..)cheddar on a brioche bun. It really was a lovely meal. Not exactly as frugal as we are used to at this place…but hey, it was our anniversary! As for breakfast, as I said before, The Dorest Inn includes breakfast in the rate...and not some shabby continental-ish danish and coffee...full breakfast menu. We both chose Eggs Benedict the first morning, and Vermont Eggs (poached and served with hollandaise) and Potato Bacon Pancakes (can you tell? we totally watch our weight). By far my favorite meals of the weekend!
Activities: Vermont is so beautiful when it snows, and the conditions for snowboarding (or skiing) are typically much better than the NJ conditions. But when southern VT gets 50” of snow in one week…the conditions are totally amazing. We chose to go to Stratton for a day of snowboarding. DISCLAIMER: not a frugal choice at all. Lift tickets here are super pricey. If you buy your tickets on line, or go in the afternoon- the price is a bit better (save about $5 or so), but nothing to get excited about. Besides that sole fact, I loved Stratton. I loved the mountain, I loved the little European style village, and I loved that enclosed Gondola lift.
The second mountain we went to was Bromley. Comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges. While we thought Bromley was nothing to brag about (it’s smaller, has older lifts, no fancy lodge), they do have some great midweek rates, especially for families. On Friday’s a family of four can ski for just $108. So consider this mountain if in the VT area for the great pricing…but I wouldn’t make the four hour trek from NY just to come here.
One of our favorite activities on this getaway was the horse drawn sleigh ride that we took at Taylor Farm in Londonderry, VT (www.taylorfarmvermont.com). We arrived at Taylor farm and tasted some of their delicious and award winning Gouda (gotta love complimentary tastings!), and then hopped on the sleigh that could carry a total of 10 people (there were 8 ppl in total on our ride). A few of the farms friendly dogs jumped on the sleigh with us (which I just loved), we bundled ourselves up in the blankets they provided and off we went! The 15 minute ride to the campfire in the woods was picture perfect as the snow fell down around us. Upon arriving at the campfire we toasted marshmellows on the fire and drank delicious cider. We refilled our cider cups for the beautiful 15 min. ride back. This super fun ride only cost $15 per person! It was a fun, different and romantic experience. Taylor Farm also does private sleigh rides (fun for if you want to pop the all important question…) for about $100.
Other than snowboarding, cheesetasting, and sleigh riding, there really wasn’t much else to do in the Dorset area (while watching our budget) besides relax. And that exact reason is why I love Vermont so much! Book a weekend getaway with your hunny and reconnect...or just hit the mountain.
On past anniversaries, we have visited the Mohonk Mountain House (another post…no worries..), which happens to be one of my favorite places on the planet- but this year I wanted to do something different. In trying to choose a place that would make both myself and my husband very happy, I decided on Vermont. I pictured roaring fires, falling snow, romantic dinners and crazy sick conditions on the mountain (this was the part that would make my husband especially happy)…. And that is exactly what we got during our visit to Dorset & Manchester VT. Of course, me being the frual chica that I am- did plenty of research before booking this trip. After searching for the perfect bed & breakfast, I found The Dorset Inn (www.thedorsetinn.com). Their rate on the site was a bit higher than I wanted to pay, so I called and asked for a cheaper one. Yes, just like that. I called and said I really love your property, and would really love to stay here on such and such a date- do you have any rate discounts or specials…and they said yes! I secured The Dorset Inn at $150 a night with breakfast included. Not too shabby.
We made the trek through the snow up to Dorset (VT got 50 inches of snow in a week!!), and upon arriving at The Dorset Inn, I knew we’d made a great decision. The building is from 1796, but was totally refurbished by the current owners. It is a 30 room Inn, but has the feel of a 3 bedroom B&B. It smelled of a burning fire, and fresh brewed coffee when we walked in (about 1.5 hours before checkin)…and a cd of classical arrangements of Beatles tunes was playing. I was in love. The friendly front desk staff showed us around the ground level which included the sitting room with roaring fire, couches, and chess set, the breakfast room, tavern and dining room. We were then shown to our room (room 7, Ernest Way). SO cute! It was not a huge room, but nice & cozy. The décor was beautiful; classic & quaint. The cheese platter that I ordered before our arrivalwas waiting for us.It was only $9 for 3 cheeses! I chose a local Vermont blue, goat and sheep cheese which they served with locally made crackers and bread, craisins, candied pecans, and a piece of honey comb that held some of the most succulent honey I have ever tasted!A fabulous deal, and treat upon our arrival! We then proceeded to unpack, each our delish cheese, pop a bottle of proscecco and toast the weekend (ALWAYS need to toast....), turn on our big flat screen tv…and watch Curling. How romantic, right?! Damn that silly sport, it is totally addictive to watch. After relaxing a bit, we went down to the sitting room for tea and cookies (also included in the room rate). The Dorset Inn serves Tazo tea (love their mint tea) and homemade sweets every afternoon from 3-5 pm. We enjoyed some delicious oatmeal raisin cookies and cranberry biscotti- yum!
Food: The food in the southern Vermont area is, shall we say, a bit boring. For me, at least. It’s all very “American” (I typically only go out for food I don’t cook at home.. i.e. Thai, Indian etc..), but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t tasty all the same! We went to Candeleros (www.candeleros.net) for dinner our first evening, and got the BBQ for 2 platter. It was a great deal at $33 for 2 people! Our plates were piled high with smoked BBQ ribs, half a roasted BBQ’d chicken, pulled pork on Texas Toast, cornbread and chile coleslaw. The sangria was yummy too. We walked out of there paying $50 for a huge dinner for 2, so we were pretty happy (and very full!). On our second night, we chose to have our anniversary dinner at the Dorset Inn. The Dorset Inn has a wonderful wine list that has received accolades from Wine Enthusiast magazine, and a fabulous menu to match. I got the shrimp & linguine dinner and the celery & truffle soup to start with (to die for!!). Matt opted for their angus burger topped with Vermont (of course..)cheddar on a brioche bun. It really was a lovely meal. Not exactly as frugal as we are used to at this place…but hey, it was our anniversary! As for breakfast, as I said before, The Dorest Inn includes breakfast in the rate...and not some shabby continental-ish danish and coffee...full breakfast menu. We both chose Eggs Benedict the first morning, and Vermont Eggs (poached and served with hollandaise) and Potato Bacon Pancakes (can you tell? we totally watch our weight). By far my favorite meals of the weekend!
Activities: Vermont is so beautiful when it snows, and the conditions for snowboarding (or skiing) are typically much better than the NJ conditions. But when southern VT gets 50” of snow in one week…the conditions are totally amazing. We chose to go to Stratton for a day of snowboarding. DISCLAIMER: not a frugal choice at all. Lift tickets here are super pricey. If you buy your tickets on line, or go in the afternoon- the price is a bit better (save about $5 or so), but nothing to get excited about. Besides that sole fact, I loved Stratton. I loved the mountain, I loved the little European style village, and I loved that enclosed Gondola lift.
The second mountain we went to was Bromley. Comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges. While we thought Bromley was nothing to brag about (it’s smaller, has older lifts, no fancy lodge), they do have some great midweek rates, especially for families. On Friday’s a family of four can ski for just $108. So consider this mountain if in the VT area for the great pricing…but I wouldn’t make the four hour trek from NY just to come here.
One of our favorite activities on this getaway was the horse drawn sleigh ride that we took at Taylor Farm in Londonderry, VT (www.taylorfarmvermont.com). We arrived at Taylor farm and tasted some of their delicious and award winning Gouda (gotta love complimentary tastings!), and then hopped on the sleigh that could carry a total of 10 people (there were 8 ppl in total on our ride). A few of the farms friendly dogs jumped on the sleigh with us (which I just loved), we bundled ourselves up in the blankets they provided and off we went! The 15 minute ride to the campfire in the woods was picture perfect as the snow fell down around us. Upon arriving at the campfire we toasted marshmellows on the fire and drank delicious cider. We refilled our cider cups for the beautiful 15 min. ride back. This super fun ride only cost $15 per person! It was a fun, different and romantic experience. Taylor Farm also does private sleigh rides (fun for if you want to pop the all important question…) for about $100.
Other than snowboarding, cheesetasting, and sleigh riding, there really wasn’t much else to do in the Dorset area (while watching our budget) besides relax. And that exact reason is why I love Vermont so much! Book a weekend getaway with your hunny and reconnect...or just hit the mountain.
Oh, and now to totally disprove the sole fact that we are frugal people (but, really we are…so keep reading please.. thanks:-) ), my amazing husband got me beautiful diamond hoops as an anniversary present. What does this have to do with our frugal trip to VT, you ask?? Nada. I am just bragging that I am one lucky woman.
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