Book a Getaway at Kenwood Inn and Spa

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Jamie

The Beautiful Kenwood Inn and Spa is a truly romantic weekend getaway and they have created The Great Italian Adventure getaway for your pleasure.  This package is aimed towards Wine, Italian, and Culinary lovers:

Kenwood Inn and Spa

The Great Italian Adventure: Food, Wine and Romance in Sonoma, a food and wine getaway that offers direct access to some of Sonoma’s top culinary characters, a farm tour, a fresh pasta demonstration and two sensational dinners featuring a local winemaker and chefs.

When: 

Wednesday, February 26 to Friday, February 28, 2014

  Wednesday, March 12 to Friday, March 14, 2014

  Wednesday, April 23 to Friday, 25, 2014

Join Kenwood Inn and Spa for The Great Italian Adventure: Food, Wine and Romance in Sonoma. The wine and food getaway package provides luxurious accommodations and a one-of-a-kind experience for guests with exclusive access to an award-winning food and wine affair at Kenwood Inn. The getaway includes a behind-the-scenes tour of pasture-raised eggs producer Wise Acre Farm, a pasta demonstration utilizing the eggs gathered at the farm and two exceptional dinners, one to experience the new La Cena Con Amore menu and the second to enjoy the delights of a wine paired dinner with Kenwood Inn Chef Steven Snook and HKG Estate Winemaker Chuck Mansfield.

Hot Tub

Details of the Package include:

  • Wednesday – the getaway begins with a welcome beverage and a tour of Kenwood Inn and Spa before guests enjoy an authentic family-style Italian meal gathered around the community table. Dinner will feature the new La Cena Con Amore menu from Chef Snook.

 

  • Thursday – guests awaken with a relaxed breakfast at The Restaurant or outdoor courtyard before heading to Wise Acre Farm, which is typically closed to the public, for a private tour and picnic lunch with owner Raina Brolan.  In the afternoon, Chef Renzo will lead a pasta demonstration utilizing the eggs gathered at the farm. That evening, participants will enjoy a dinner expertly paired by Mansfield and Chef Snook.

 

  • Friday – guests experience another signature Kenwood Inn breakfast before checking out or extend their stay through the weekend to continue the relaxation and fun.

RATES: The Great Italian Adventure: Food, Wine and Romance in Sonoma package includes all meals and activities noted in the itinerary. Package rates start at $640 per night for two and do not include taxes or resort fees. For more information about the package, visit www.kenwoodinn.com.

Sounds amazing, right?  Be sure to book your getaways above at Kenwood Inn and Spa.

 

 


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The Romantic Dice Game for your Date Night In #KYDateNight #Ad #Cbias

Posted on February 2, 2014 by Jamie

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

Every year for Valentine’s Day instead of going out, my significant other and I try to make it a romantic date night in.  Each year I try to find a new way to bring the “romance” in for that evening.  Last year, we created a romantic home cooked meal.  This year, we thought we’d try something a little different for date night. #KYDateNight

Date Night Idea #KYDateNight #Ad

So, I decided to create a fun little game, “The Romantic Dice Game.”

First, I had to do a little shopping at my local Walmart to pick up some of the items: #CollectiveBias

#KYDateNight #CBias #AD

From picking up flower petals to K-Y Date Night Yours + Mine lubricant next to the pharmacy to Valentine’s Day Boxers to a fun Boa to a bottle of wine I soon knew this was going to be a fun evening.

And then it came time to creating the homemade “dice.”

Romantic Dice Game #KYDateNight #CBias #AD

Creating the Dice:

With a sheet of “Red” construction paper fold in 1/4’s until you have 12 folded squares altogether.  Then near the bottom tear strips up the folds then begin folding your paper into a square box.  The pictures above give you a better idea as to how I accomplished this.

After the dice was completed, I taped the sides together than began to write out the romantic ideas which included:

*Feeding Chocolate to One Another

*Doing a Dance with a Red Boa

*Putting on Lingerie or Valentine’s Day Boxers

*Sprinkle Rose Petals on the Bed

*Give Each Other a Kiss with Fake Mustaches (we had purchased candy mustache suckers!)

Mustache Kisses #KYDateNight #AD

*Experiment with K-Y Date Night Lubricant. 

*Create a Toast for each other with Wine

Everything that was listed on the dice could easily fit into one “pink” bag to make it easy for transporting for a fun date night at home, or if you’re lucky, in a romantic hotel room.  And you can totally accommodate the dice game to what works for you as a couple.  Get creative with your ideas.

#KYDateNight #AD #Cbias

The best part was that with a purchase of the K-Y Date Night Yours + Mine Couples Lubricant, you receive a Gift Card worth 40 dollars to Plated and also Vudu making it perfect for another Date Night down the road (dinner and a movie), or, if you’re a planner, for that special Valentine’s Day.

#KYDateNight #Cbias #AD

This was a fun night in.  A perfect way to get intimate with just the two of you while having fun, and being you.


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The Perfect Wedding Venue: Holman Ranch

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Jamie

Disclosure: I was invited out for an evening at Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley, California.  This story and opinions are all my own. 

The beauty of California becomes more and more affluent the longer I reside here, and I’ve soon learned why being a local is so much fun.

Nestled a little under 3 hours away from Sonoma, CA in Central California is a beautiful little place known as Carmel Valley.  Near the Monterey Bay close to seaside views, beautiful scenery, and Big Sur, the valley lies. Truly known for its agriculture and nature, a different view of life compared to the artist colony along Carmel by the Sea.

Carmel Valley

 

And one such place that truly captures the essence of Carmel Valley is none other than Holman Ranch. The ranch has been around for over 85 years, but when new owners took over in 2006, complete renovations have been done on the property, and it has easily become one of the top venue destinations within the region.

Holman Ranch

With a motto of “Bringing the Past to the Present,” and their take on Celebrations and Gatherings, this one of the kind venue is the perfect place for your special occasion event, conference, or wedding.

What sets this venue apart is it’s secluded location within the Valley, it’s beautiful scenic views and the surrounding vineyards of the ranch, along with unique, one of the kind entertainment features. And when you rent the space out, the complete property is yours to use.

Perfect Wedding Venue

 

A tour of the ranch:

The Carriage House:

Carriage House

You step back into time on the outside, but once on the inside, the Carriage House can easily be transformed into something beautiful.  Planning a wedding, an intimate dinner, or a weekend retreat?  This space is truly workable.

The Game Room/Groom’s Room:

Game Room

The Game Room is where those that stay at the Ranch will have breakfast the morning after, but this is also called “The Man Cave.”  With a TV, bar area, pool table, and card table it is just that.  When planning a wedding, this is also the area in which the Groom will be getting ready.

The Chapel, Bride’s Room:

Chapel

Across the Rose Garden lies the Meeting room and also the Chapel area.  A more intimate setting.  This is a great area especially when putting together corporate events.  Also, if planning a wedding, the meeting and chapel area is given to the Bride during her preparations at the ranch.

The Great Room:

The Great Room

The Great Room lies in the original Hacienda of Holman Ranch.  Upon first entrance you are walked through the Holman Ranch “Wall of History” where articles about the ranch from years past adorn the wall along with photos of some well known folks from Charlie Chaplin to Joan Crawford.

They really renovated the beautiful Great Room, but they made sure to keep a lot of the original decor of the Hacienda from the wood beams to the flooring and more.  But it is all in how a room is decorated.  Take some time to really walk around this room to take it all in.

Outdoor Arbor:

Arbor Area

Another great area to host an intimate dinner or special event is within their outdoor arbor area.  With the high beams, this has some serious potential for creating a wonderful memory.

And one other space that is recommended for an evening of dinner is their rose garden area:

agarden

The area between the game room and also the chapel, bride’s room at the ranch.

The Private Rooms:

Holman Ranch Rooms

During your events, there are also 10 private rooms that can be rented out so you can truly make it an entire weekend experience at Holman Ranch.  This was the room I stayed at while there.  A queen sized bed with an adorning living area.  Some rooms have two beds available.  You’re guranteed a good nights sleep with how quiet it is at the Ranch.

And the Scenic Views:

But the best part about Holman Ranch are the surrounding scenic views:

Holman Ranch

I was fortunate to stay a night on the Ranch and take in a bit of serenity while there. Waking up early in the morning to take a small walk over sunrise, and as I looked out my window in the morning, a bird was there greeting me.

Walking along the paths around the Ranch watching the sunrise arrive in the valley. It was an extremely peaceful and enjoyable way to wake up.

Taking in the Surroundings

Holman Ranch is available for Weddings, Special Events, Corporate Events, and Weekend Retreats.  Packages begin at 1000 dollars and range all the way up to 32,000 dollars.  When renting out the Ranch, you are open to all areas of the Ranch that were shown above.   It is truly a remarkable space and would make for a great wedding venue.

For more information about Holman Ranch and the packages they have available please visit their site here.   Check back next week as we explore the vineyards and discuss the different wines available at Holman Ranch.


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