This time of year always creeps on us so quickly. It felt like yesterday that Dave, Vic, Peter, and I started our annual #MDVPHoliday campaign. Laughs, smiles, endless jokes, moments of relaxing, moments of excitement… last year was full of this, but this year was no different. Dare we say, it might have been ever better? Last year was such an incredible kick-off, we decided that we would make it a yearly tradition.
What is #MDVPHoliday?
We initially started this campaign as an excuse to take a weekend and truly spend it together, especially before everyone got super busy with holiday obligations. We take a weekend in December before the holidays and plan to do something fun, something we otherwise wouldn’t do. It reminds us how amazing it is to have each other, how much we love creating together, and most of all, how much we love sharing holiday cheer with all of you.
“Dine and Unwind” – #MDVPHoliday17
This year we decided to surround the campaign around the concept of dining and unwinding. This year has been a whirlwind for all of us, it was nice to plan things around the city that really just helped us to chill. We had no timelines and just did what we liked. I’m so excited to take you through our weekend, moment by moment.
But before that, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank our partners this year who have made this second year of tradition possible – Sheraton Hotels, Buick, Banana Republic, Estee Lauder, Dynamite Clothing, and Origins. Without them, this dream of a weekend wouldn’t have been possible.
However and whatever you’re doing to celebrate the holidays, I hope it was filled with as much love as we shared this past weekend. Here’s to the moments that take our breath away, to the friends that warm our hearts, and a season that reminds us how important those things really are.
DAY 1
DINE AND UNWIND
All 4 of us are always zipping from one place to the next – some of us balancing full time jobs and blogging. It’s rare that we get the chance to cruise around the city aimlessly, just to explore. We live in Toronto, but for the holidays, we really wanted to take the time to go to the places we normally wouldn’t. We made sure to hit up High Park (the snow capped trees are so romantic), Polson Pier (to take it those skyline views), and shamelessly, a T&T (since we all grew up with it and don’t have access it to it in the city core.
We had the amazing pleasure of taking a Buick Enclave to cruise around for the weekend. This beast not only housed all 4 of our giants suitcases, but it was one of the smoothest drives, inclusive of in-car wifi (yes!), CarPlay, a beautiful interior, and tons of room (for those in-car outfit changes).
After cruising around for the day, nothing felt better than checking into the Sheraton Centre. The Sheraton serves as a really nostalgic backdrop for Dave and I. It was one of the first places we met and we spent out very first New Years together at the hotel (we weren’t even dating then). Located in the heart of the city, with views unmatched by any other hotel in the city, it was the perfect backdrop to unwind for a bit.
Although we had been to the Sheraton several times before, this visit felt different. Perhaps it was the corner unit on the 42nd floor, or perhaps it was the fact that we were able to really enjoy the hotel’s amenities – an indoor/outdoor pool, the Club Lounge (with complimentary breakfast and pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres, and being walking distance to the Eaton Centre and the Christmas Market in Nathan Phillips Square. It was our best stay there yet!
At night, we had the amazing pleasure of getting to taste the Sheraton’s in-hotel restaurant – BNB. We prepped our bellies by heading up to the 43rd floor for a little amuse bouche, decked out in our head-to-toe Banana Republic outfits. I’m still swooning over this dark floral gown. It’s shape is also extremely forgiving for those holiday feasts (that which we definitely indulged in that evening.
I also have to give it to Banana Republic for finally convincing Dave to pick up a turtle neck. I had been bugging him to get one and I can’t get enough of this grey knit on him. I guess that’s part of my Christmas present haha
WEARING
BANANA REPUBLIC(DAVE):
BLAZER: Slim Plaid Wool Suit Jacket
PANTS: Slim Plaid Wool Trouser
SWEATER: Italian Merino-Blend Turtleneck
SHOES: Velvet Smoking Shoe
BLAZER: Slim Plaid Wool Suit Jacket
PANTS: Slim Plaid Wool Trouser
SWEATER: Italian Merino-Blend Turtleneck
SHOES: Velvet Smoking Shoe
(MEL):
DRESS: Floral Tie-Neck Maxi Shirtdress
EARRINGS: Pave Chain Earring
SHOES: Bare High Block-Heel Glitter Sandal
DRESS: Floral Tie-Neck Maxi Shirtdress
EARRINGS: Pave Chain Earring
SHOES: Bare High Block-Heel Glitter Sandal
There’s nothing I love more than a good skincare routine after a fun, but long, day. This harsh Toronto winter has definitely taken a toll on my skin, and unlike my former teenage self, the longevity of my skin is something I’m seriously thinking about now. Especially with the coming of the new year, there’s nothing more exciting than starting a new skincare routine. I’ve loved Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Serum for ages now (pun intended); but it was amazing to try the rest of the line (with the Advanced Night Repair Eye Matrix and Mask-In Oil). No word of a lie, waking up after using this system makes your skin look like a baby’s bottom.
The highlight of all of this, wasn’t just my baby-butt face, but also that Dave was really interested in trying all of it out. Dave is admittedly, quite a bit (almost a decade), older than me. And as much as he’s 20 at heart, he knows his skin isn’t what it was in his 20s. I walked him through my entire routine, he followed along, and his response was amazing. It was an awesome bonding moment for us, but you’ll have to check out his blog post to get a deeper insight of what he really thought!
DAY 2
DINE AND UNWIND
We spent our last day today together taking it easy and strolling the core, finding new architecture we never paid attention to before, danced around the streets (like we do), and cozied up in our Dynamite outfits.One of my favourite things about Dynamite pieces are that they don’t sacrifice comfort for style.
Each piece is made in a way that lets you move, but also gives off an effortlessly chic look. Vic and I are both long time fans of Dynamite and the pieces this season have us swooning (and obviously running around the city taking streetstyle photos. What else do girls do, right?
WEARING
DYNAMITE CLOTHING
Before heading out of the Sheraton, Dave and I decided to set up a little holiday spa in the comfort of our Deluxe Room. We love visiting spas together when we travel, but for our short staycation, we thought it might be fun to create a little experience of our own. And we were prepped with all of our favourite holiday body care goodies from Origins.
I am absolutely obsessed with the Smoothing Soufflé. It smells like peppermint, but in a calming way (and not overly sweet way). It actually has Peppermint, Spearmint, Orange, and Rosemary in it (yum). We lit up our Feel Good candles, took a hot shower with the Gloomaway Grapefruit Bodywash, and lathered up in our favourite whipped body cream (Dave’s favourite was the Ginger Soufflé). Our room smelt like a 5 star spa afterwards.
I love that Origin’s holiday theme this year is about giving joy. I feel like this is such an important reminder, not just for the holidays, but all year round. It really reminded Dave and I to put all of our differences aside, and just enjoy each other. If you’re looking for some last minute gifts, these Origins goodies are sure to bring joy.
And just like that, the weekend came to end. We did so much and had such an incredible time; but as those things go, it flew by way to quick. Before we knew it, we were checking it, getting back into our Buick Enclave, and headed to the first meeting of Monday morning. I didn’t let go of the festive spirit though – wearing my new stunning Oliewet red sock boots from Aldo.
Although all of us love being on the go, we cherish these moments when we get to slow down a bit. Because just like the holidays, and this amazing staycation, life passes so quickly – and enjoying the people you love is one of the greatest things you can experience. Happy holidays from ours to yours friends!
