Soulstice Retreat 2018 – Recap

Hi Friends!
I’ve been back from Soulstice for about week now and wanted to share with you all of the details from this super fun trip! This was my third year attending Soulstice, and I think it just gets better and better. How that is even possible, I’m not really sure because it’s always such an amazing experience, and to be able to top it the following year is pretty much astonishing. The Soulstice Team are some of the best people that exist on this earth. They want nothing more than for everyone to enjoy themselves fully. They go above and beyond, and out of their way, to make you feel special, important, welcomed, and cared for. They work 24/7 to ensure the retreat is perfect; all of the hard work behind the scenes, and the thoughtfulness they provide is just so touching…and I hope they know, so very much appreciated.

Arrival Day
This year the retreat was held in October, versus prior years when it was held in the summer, usually in July. It was actually really cool to see Park City in the fall especially because it was snowing pretty much every day while we were there. It was simply gorgeous in person!The retreat was held at the Montage Deer Valley, which is a beautiful, picturesque, luxury resort in Park City. The snow was in full effect when we arrived, and I loved it!The rooms were spacious and had fantastic features like a cozy fireplace, elegant bath tub, and heated tile floors in the bathroom! Here’s a quick tour of my room from the Montage Deer Valley:

 

After dropping off my stuff and freshening up, I went down to the registration and pop-up shop for the retreat!
Look how cute the signage is!

Albion always spoils us with amazing swag bags and Albion Fit apparel during the retreat. Here’s what we got in this year’s swag bags!

These are the items I selected from the pop-up shop; feel free to shop from the images below as they have direct links to buy! The last two years, you have been given access to create a wishlist so the team will bring your pre-selected items for you and you can try them on as well as pick from any other items they bring to the pop-up shop.

Hair and makeup are also provided on the first night which is so nice after traveling all day (for me anyway, all the way from the East coast). They had a fun braid bar and make up artists that did touch ups.

The retreat has always had a white party dinner. In the summer, it’s a bit easier to find a cute white dress to wear, but for October and in the snow, it was a little bit tricky. I ended up going with a fun white jumper from Express and added a faux fur bolero from Nordstrom. I added some bling to my outfit with a pair of Badgley Mischka shoes and the pièce de résistance…my Chanel earrings — which were a recent birthday gift that I’ve been dying to wear! Click HERE for shopping links for my entire look.This is my retreat bestie, Jordyn! She and I were both by ourselves at our first Soulstice. We met each other walking over to the white party that first year and became fast friends. She really is someone I can talk to so easily and freely. We are so similar, and she just gets me. She’s also the most amazing and devoted mom to two of the most precious little girls. She’s not only a role model to them, but to me as well! <3 We text regularly but I love catching up with her at Soulstice each year!

This is the OG crew of Soulstice…Amy on the left end has been to all 4, and Andria (second from the left), Jordyn and I have been to the last three!

This is Liz, she and her husband Dave are the founders of Albion Fit. They are the most amazing people ever. She opened up the retreat with heartfelt words on why they do this every year and how much it means to them. Like I said, they are the nicest, most caring, most genuine people, and I’m beyond grateful to know them.

Day 1
For the last three years, the first activity/class I’ve always done is SUP Yoga at the Homestead Crater in Midway, Utah. If you have never been inside a crater, trust me when I tell you it’s amazing. The water is super warm and it’s so tranquil and relaxing inside. There is an opening at the top where you can see out to the sky and it really just feels like you are in your own world. It’s the perfect place to do SUP Yoga because the water is calm and even if you fall in, the temperature is so warm you really don’t mind being in it. However, even though the water is calm, you’re quickly reminded of how hard it is to balance on water, and I definitely find the class to be challenging and rewarding at the same time. It truly is probably my most favorite class at Soulstice.

This year’s retreat focused more on special interest classes vs. fitness classes. Aside from the SUP Yoga, the only other fitness class I did was Pilates (there were more, but I only picked these two). However, I really enjoyed all of the other activities. Here’s what I did the rest of the first full day:

Floral Arranging – our instructor Jamie is the BEST! She led the class last year too and is always so much fun and so talented!

During lunch we had a fun opportunity to create our own hand stamped jewelry necklaces with Littlefield Lane. We did this last year as a fun service project, but this year we got to make pieces for ourselves. I did my name with a small heart. It isn’t perfect, but it’s my own work and I like it. I forgot to take a close up of it, but you can kind of see it in the photo below.

After lunch I went to an iPhone Photo and Video skills class…sorry no photos as I was on my phone the whole time lol!

Next was a really fun Charcuterie Board making class with my friend Maria from the amazingly successful food blog Two Peas & Their Pod. We met Maria last year at Soulstice and hung out with her during the retreat. To my embarrassment, I did not even realize who she was until after the retreat, even though I was already following her on Instagram! This year she came back and taught the charcuterie board class. She has a cookbook coming out soon that you all NEED to get! If you follow her on Instagram, you know how incredible her food and recipes are and I cannot wait to get my hands on her cookbook! Here’s Maria sharing her tips and tricks with us – look how amazing her board looks!

Here’s the board Jordyn, my new friend April, and I made! 

This is Jordyn and me at dinner on night two…casual was the name of the game for us because we were super tired lol!

We also explored the Montage’s S’mores bar but only stayed for a little bit as it was super cold! All in all it was a fun day! 

I had gone to bed too late the night before, and after a jam-packed schedule, I was exhausted and dying to get into bed. But…not before admiring this magical view from my balcony — how gorgeous are the snow covered trees all lit up outside.

 

The next morning started off with a nutrition class with the popular health and fitness duo, Clean Simple Eats. Erika always provides a great meal plan packet which is chock full of healthy meals and snacks and all the macro details for every meal and recipe. They have a protein powder line that we sampled and it was very tasty!

Next up was a really cool custom lotion making class by Bathologie. We got to select our own blend of fragrance oils and create our signature scent that would be made into a light spritz lotion. I chose a zen like scent that I could put on before bed; it consisted of lavender, chamomille, and vanilla. It’s very soothing and relaxing!

After lunch I went to Pilates. And the neatest thing happened there — the instructor for the class (who worked for the resort), was actually the original owner of the Pilates studio I go to at home in Northern VA! What a small world! It was so fun chatting with her and so cool to discover our mutual friends. Anyway, the class ended up being a bit full and we did a rotation between the reformers and mats. At one point, I was assisting her by teaching my group some moves on the reformer which really made me miss Pilates as I haven’t been in a while. (Now that I’m back home, and with my recent motivation, my friend Tara and I are going to try out Solid Core…I’ll keep you posted on that when I go!)

The last class of the day, and of the retreat for Jordyn and me, was the macaron baking class with Whitney from The Blonde Who Bakes. She taught us her secrets for making these delicious treats and I found out she uses the Italian method. In the past, I’ve only been taught and practiced the French method, but this way seemed very cool, and in my opinion, a better option to achieve consistent results.

We were short on time the class but Whitney gave us all our own boxes of her macarons to enjoy. Don’t they look amazing? *Side note, that large chocolate chip cookie is from Süss Cookie Co, and it was as delicious as it looks!

The last night of the retreat was bittersweet, we had a grand celebration with a private performance from the band The National Parks and we all danced and enjoyed the evening but we all knew we’d be leaving each other the next day. 🙁

This is the group with Natalie Norton; she’s an amazing life coach and motivational speaker. Her energy is captivating. Despite the cards she has been dealt in her life, she is one of the most positive people I’ve ever met. She reminded all of us that we’re here to share our light with others; her drive, purpose, and mindfulness are qualities I truly admire.

After a fun time at the concert, and not wanting to let the party end, we moseyed on down to the bowling alley and bowled a few frames and hung out for a bit before calling it a night.

I also got one more photo in front of this year’s Soulstice photo op, and went up to my room to pack my things.
(***Tip: the first year, I only brought a carry-on suitcase and my LV neverfull bag. Big Mistake! With the amount of swag and extra clothes you get, you will definitely need a lot of room in your suitcase or an extra bag. I brought a large checked bag and a carry-on the last two years and were able to get everything home without hassle.)You can shop my entire look HERE (the bodysuit and my OTK boots are from Forever 21, jeans from Nordstrom, belt and bag from Gucci).

My flight out wasn’t until 5pm the next day so that meant I still had plenty of time to enjoy my last day in Utah. Jordyn and I got up early to have breakfast and say goodbye to the girls who were leaving early. I then went to the spa for an amazing 90 minute massage and reflexology session, complete with snowy vista views!

After the spa, I met up with Jordyn and few other ladies who were still onsite, for lunch. We also caught up with Liz before we left and to my surprise, I got a bit emotional trying to thank her for such a special time. Every year has been amazing, and I can’t really explain the depth of feeling behind it, but I’ll try; it’s a true sisterhood where everyone is so welcoming, there’s nothing but positive vibes, healing energy, warmth, support, encouragement, and total inclusivity. If we could live our lives like this everyday, we’d all be so much better off; but if nothing else, Soulstice is a good reminder of how good life can and should be, and how good we should be to ourselves and each other.

This is the group of amazing women I met my very first year at Soulstice.I still keep up with everyone on social media, and the shared experience of Soulstice will always be a bond we have. I’m thankful for everyone I’ve met over the years and am grateful for the memories, experiences, and relationships I have from Soulstice. Already looking forward to next year – and seeing this amazing soul again! 🙂