SWEET SARATOGA

Saratoga Springs has a sweet spot in my heart and always will...I went to college in this adorable upstate New York town!  When we were up in Lake George for New Year's we decided to make a day trip to Saratoga to show my alma mater to the kids, and to revisit some of my old stomping grounds.  There's so much to do in Saratoga Springs, New York from shopping to fine dining to spas and of course the famous racetrack.  I blogged about a perfect weekend in Saratoga here.  If you haven't been to Saratoga definitely check it out, and even if you've been, it's worth checking out again!

JET SET NAUTICAL

Old man winter really gave us a lot of snow in New York and New Jersey this week, and so I am dreaming about warmer weather and all things nautical.  After yesterday's post where I wore a nautical looking striped dress, I figured I would continue with that trend and highlight some of the new stuff from Stella & Dot's spring collection. (Remember, I'm a stylist for Stella & Dot, so feel free to ask me about any pieces that you like).  The bracelet, scarf and bag are all from Stella & Dot, and I think they are great pieces to use now and into spring.  Each piece in this set is under $100, and some is under $50.  The trick is to wear something nautical in the winter, and keep your fingers crossed that it will get warmer fast!

JET SET NAUTICAL by jetsetsmart featuring red jewelry

FASHION FRIDAY: MOUNTAIN CHIC

When I was packing for our trip to The Sagamore Resort in Lake George, I wanted to make sure I had outfits that were comfy, but cute...aka mountain chic!  Jeans, uggs, a plaid shirt and a sweater are all perfect attire for a casual day walking around Lake George, and my red Rebecca Minkoff adds just a little pop of color and style!  Happy Friday jet setters!

Sweater: Windsor (old similar here or here)

Shirt: J Crew Factory (sold out similar here)

Jeans: 7 For All Mankind

Boots: Ugg Kensington

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Necklace: Stella & Dot

Bracelet: Stella & Dot

Ring: Stella & Dot

Watch: Michael Kors (sold out but available here on ebay)

A SNIPPIT ON SARATOGA

While we were up in Lake George, New York for New Year's, we made a day trip to Saratoga Springs, New York.  This town has a special place in my heart (I went to college here), and I had been dying to go back to see how the town has changed and to show it to my boys.  It was so great to visit, and I will have much more coming up on where we ate and what we did in Saratoga later this week.  In the meantime, I thought it was funny that in today's Yahoo travel section, they have an article called "America's Best Main Streets," and one of the streets they talk about is Broadway in Saratoga Springs.  I love that this wonderful upstate New York town is getting so much attention, and even more than that, I love the fact that we were just there!

Here's what the article says:

Also known as the "Queen of Spas," Saratoga Springs was named for its abundant mineral waters.  Now a popular horse racing destination, the town features a historic main street with colonial-style buildings, boutiques and benches perfect for people watching.  Stop by the Saratoga Farmer's Market for fresh, local produce, poultry, and baked goods, or head to the Saratoga Racecourse to watch thoroughbreds compete for the top title.  For authentic Saratoga-style barbecue, look no further than P.J.'s, the 50's style drive-in is located on the city's main street, and visitors can enjoy tender ribs and brisket at outdoor picnic tables.  

THE SAGAMORE RESORT

Nestled in the Adirondacks in upstate New York, sitting on an island in the middle of Lake George is the beautiful Sagamore Resort.  This place is truly stunning!  You cross over a little bridge from the town of Bolton Landing and you are just wowed by The Sagamore Resort which is a large, white Victorian building that sits on Green Island in the middle of the lake.

  From everywhere you look, all you see are mountains and views of Lake George.

 The Sagamore Resort was first built in 1883, it was then rebuilt after a fire in the 1920's, and finally fell into disrepair and closed its doors in 1981.  In 1983 it reopened, but in 2009 it shut its doors during the winter months due to slow business.  But after four years, this winter was the first time the resort stayed open and we were so happy to be there for it!  The winter is such a nice time to be up there.  Yes- it's cold and even snowy, but the beautifully decorated and festive lobby and grounds make you not want to complain about the weather, but embrace being there this time of year!  

We arrived to The Sagamore Resort the Saturday before New Year's and checked-in for four nights.  When we got to our room, we were pleasantly surprised with our beautiful suite which had a living room and a bedroom, both with views of Lake George.  Having our two kids with us, it was so nice to have such a large room- something you wouldn't necessarily find in a Victorian era resort hotel.  

The other wonderful thing about The Sagamore Resort (especially if you are traveling with little ones), is that there is so much to do with kids!  There are daily activities planned for children, and every night (weather permitting), there's a bon fire where you can make s'mores while listening to a guitar player.

 In addition to that, there's a wonderful indoor pool...(there's a really beautiful outdoor one overlooking the lake which is only open in the summer).  

There is also an enormous recreation center with everything from a baseball field, to basketball courts, to miniature golf, to toys and games...you name it! 

There's plenty of good dining options (less in the winter months, but nevertheless you won't go hungry).  There is also a beautiful spa.  The Sagamore Resort in the summertime must be really nice too, but remember the room rates jump WAY up, and with more people up there, it's more difficult to get restaurant reservations and activities get crowded.  Traveling to The Sagamore Resort in the wintertime, in my opinion, is the way to go...it's the jet set smart way!   It was such a nice way to ring in 2014 with our family, and we definitely look forward to going back!

HUDSON, NY

As I've mentioned previously, it's sort of becoming an annual tradition now to head somewhere for New Year's.  We aren't big New Year's people (especially now with two kids under three), but Rich has off for the holiday, and so it's an excuse for us to jet set smart (usually good deals this time of year depending on where you want to go)!  This year we decided to head up to The Sagamore Resort in the Adirondacks in Lake George, New York (I'll have more on the resort and that part of the trip in upcoming posts).  It was going to be about a 4+ hour drive for us (including rest stops to feed the little ones and change diapers), so we thought a good way to break up the drive would be to stop in Hudson, New York.

Billed as "Upstate's Downtown", Hudson, New York is booming for a small upstate town, and so to us this place was well worth a visit.  The main heart of the town is located along a seven block stretch or so of Warren Street.  This street is lined with historic buildings, antique shops, restaurants, specialty food stores, coffee shops, clothing, home, and jewelry stores.  My first impressions of Hudson and the vibe here reminds me of Toronto in that it's sort of "hipster," but in a cool, not annoying way; it's very artsy and casual.  At one end of Warren Street is the Amtrak station (yes, you can get here by train- 2 hours from NYC at $31 one way) and stunning views of the Hudson River.  We started out at the other end and strolled along stopping for lunch at Baba Louie's.  We got to Hudson in the afternoon, and so the first thing we wanted to do was eat.  Baba Louie's is casual, known for its gourmet sourdough pizzas and salads, and gosh is everything good!

We had their Phoebe's Greek Salad which has romaine lettuce, mixed greens, feta, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, roasted pumpkin seeds and comes with their lemon herb dressing.  This was the BEST salad I have ever had...seriously!

We also tried a couple of pies, but the one that stood out to me was the Abbondante BBQ Chicken Pizza bbq chicken, red onions, fresh mozzarella, smoked gouda, oregano and parmesan.  I think I ate four slices! 

After our late lunch it was already dark outside, and many things were starting to close (heads up that things close early here), so we quickly strolled Warren Street, stopping into Olde Hudson- a gourmet specialty food shop to pick up some local coffee and some amazing salted oatmeal and cranberry cookies.

 We also stopped at Swallow (clever name) for a quick coffee before getting back on the road.

We definitely plan to visit Hudson again- possibly next time as an overnight destination.  We've heard good things about DABA for dinner and Le Gamin for brunch- so we have our food places picked out already, and the Union Street Guest House is supposed to be quite charming to stay.  Hudson impressed us and we can't wait to go back!

FASHION FRIDAY: BREAKING OUT THE SORELS

Happy Friday!  We are snowed in today in New York and New Jersey- so it's the perfect excuse to break out my Sorels!  I really first broke them out for the winter season last week when we were up in Lake George in the Adirondacks.  It snowed a couple of times during our stay and I was so glad I had them to walk around in.  Here I paired them with some jeans, a plaid shirt I got a Zara during their super sale, and a sweater I got at Target that I just love.  These outfit pictures were taken at The Sagamore Resort...it's such a pretty resort, located on an island in the middle of Lake George!  (Excuse the hair...it was so windy the morning we snapped these pics)  Enjoy your weekend, and stay tuned for more about our trip next week!

Top: Zara (similar here and here)

Sweater: Target

Jeans: GAP (similar here and here)

Belt: J Crew Factory

Boots: Sorel Joan of Arctic Boot

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Watch: Michael Kors

Bracelet: Stella & Dot

Lipstick: MAC Rebel

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Happy New Year jet setters!  I hope you all had a fun and safe New Year's with your loved ones whether you jet setted or stayed home.  We're back home from a family vacation up to Lake George, New York in the Adirondacks where we went to ring in 2014.  We had an awesome time staying at The Sagamore Resort, and took the opportunity while we were up that far north to check out a few, very cool towns including Hudson, Saratoga Springs (where I actually went to college), Lake George, Bolton Landing and Gore Mountain.  I'll have much more on the trip coming up soon, but I have a ton of settling back-in to do with two kiddos.  In the meantime, here's some outfit pics from what I wore the day we left for the trip.  Hope you enjoy!

Jacket: Zara
Dress: H&M (old similar here and here)
Leggings: LOFT
Boots: DV by Dolce Vita
Earrings: Stella & Dot
Bracelet: Stella & Dot
Bag: Phillip Lim for Target
Lipstick: MAC Candy Yum Yum