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My family and I enjoyed a holiday staycation to celebrate the start of the kids’ winter break and my husband’s milestone birthday.  Now in its second holiday season offered, the 12 Days of Drover is a unique, elevated holiday experience exclusive to all overnight Hotel Drover guests to enjoy holiday activations featuring live reindeer, photos with Cowboy Santa, a festive hot cocoa station, boozy hot cocoa for grownups, and fire roasted s’mores tucked away in The Backyard.

Opened in March 2021, Hotel Drover is a new(ish) luxury Autograph Collection hotel by Marriott in downtown Fort Worth. This stunning hotel is built in the middle of the revamped Mule Alley in the Fort Worth Stockyards and Marine Creek. Mule Alley is now filled with shops, upscale saloons, new breweries and restaurants, the beautiful Hotel Drover, and Tannahills Music Hall. The area sparkles with lights at night, and the Hotel Drover neon pop cowboy lassos you into its modern Fort Worth ambiance and design.

In December, The Backyard at Hotel Drover transforms into an intimate, rustic-luxe, Western winter wonderland filled with twinkling lights and elegant family holiday experiences during the 12 Days of Drover. As you wander through the stunning patio dripping with Christmas lights, a charming courtyard with a massive Christmas tree welcomes you. Past the lit oak trees, the outdoor covered bar and heated pool, you’ll make your way to The Backyard where the holiday magic awaits.

 

 

Highlights from our holiday experience at the 12 Days Of Drover:

Decadent Hot Cocoa

A beautiful hot cocoa station with all the festive fixings made with real hot chocolate, real rich whipped cream, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, and marshmallows.

 

 

Deluxe S’Mores and Fire Pits

An elevated s’mores station serving up bags filled with all the goodies and supplies you’d need to roast s’mores at the fire pits, followed by a self-serve candy bar tower if s’mores aren’t your thing. For adults, there is a coffee truck serving up boozy hot cocoa.

Take your s’mores kit and grab a seat and gather around the cozy fire pits to roast your marshmallows, enjoy your cup of cocoa and take it all in.

Photos with Cowboy Santa

Cowboy Santa makes an appearance each night during the 12 Days of Drover for complimentary photos and a chance to visit and pet real reindeer. Cowboy Santa did a great job of posing for photos in a stylish branded sleigh while interacting with kids.

Traveller Tip: Be sure to scan the QR code immediately after your photo is taken so you can access and download your photos for a keepsake souvenir of your visit!

 

Christmas carolers provided fun, lively musical entertainment throughout the night.

 

Dining at 97 West Kitchen & Bar

We celebrated my husband’s milestone birthday with a dinner reservation at the hotel’s on-site restaurant 97 West Kitchen and Bar. We dined outside on the patio overlooking the lushly lit backyard and the creek where we could still hear the carlors singing just steps away from our table. I ordered the pecan smoked salmon served with a purple potato puree, while John had the grilled ribeye with fingerling potato hash and we all shared a family fixin’ of fried brussels sprouts with pork belly burnt ends cooked in Round Rock Honey and an apple cider vinaigrette. Our dishes paired well with the Pinot Noir. The kids were easy and ordered the kids Mac & Cheese and the 97 Texas Burger.

We finished with John’s birthday dessert, a 97 West chocolate ganache cake sent from the kitchen. Thank you chef!

Chocolate Ganache birthday cake from 97 West

 

 

 

Christmas Moments Throughout the Property

As stunning as the Hotel Drover already is, they take it up a notch with their Christmas installations and holiday moments (aka instagrammable moments) throughout the property. The installations are modern and witty, rustic and luxe, and subtly branded with the hotel’s stylish logo design. The best time to enjoy the grounds and explore the property and amenities is early in the mornings before guests show up and go about their day.

Front Courtyard

 

Lobby Library Display

 

An assortment of children’s Christmas books are available in lobby areas

 

Lobby Fireplace

 

Elevator Moment

 

 

Back Patio

 

Bar Patio

 

Extras

I love hotels that go the extra mile and offer extras to make your stay memorable and inspiring. Hotel Drover was designed with the whole family in mind. The Lil Ropers package add-on makes your child’s stay at Hotel Drover in the Fort Worth Stockyards extra legendary.

LIL ROPERS*

– Traveling with a Lil Roper Includes –
Child size robe & stool in-room (Upon Request)
Plush Horse Companion
Drover Style Wild Rag
Library of books and games
Family concierge with local recommendations for kids of all ages
Children’s menu at 97 West Kitchen & Bar

*Contact concierge for package pricing.

 

In conclusion, the service, staff, well-appointed rooms and amenities, and overall experience at Hotel Drover was superb. Staying during the 12 Days of Drover made it even more festive and memorable. I look forward to making this an annual holiday staycation tradition with my family. If you’re looking for a special, intimate, and unique experience to celebrate the holidays, this is it!

I enjoyed our stay at this hotel so much that I will have to write an entirely separate post on the amenities itself.

 

There are still several dates of 12 Days Of Drover packages available!  To book your stay:

Photo: Hotel Drover website

Stay between Tuesday, December 13 and Saturday, December 24 to enjoy 12 Days of Drover, open only to overnight Hotel Drover guests and patrons of 97 West Kitchen & Bar. Book the 12 Days of Drover special package to enjoy rooms starting at $399 on select dates plus four tickets to first annual Stockyards Rodeo Rink AND $100 resort credit (USD) redeemable in the New Year.

Featured dates for rooms starting at $399 include Tuesday, December 13 and Sunday, December 18 – Wednesday, December 21. Blackout dates apply and rates subject to change at any time. Book HERE

 

Merry Christmas!

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Gifting season is here and there are some great Black Friday deals (on select items) if you’re still shopping.  From the kids, to the spouse, coworkers, and friends, I’ve rounded up my favorite picks everyone will appreciate and love.

 

Advent Calendars for Everyone:

1. Cheese Advent Calendar / 2. Sugarfina Gummy Advent Calendar / 3. Wine Advent Calendar / 4. Candle Advent Calendar  / 5. Bonne Maman Advent Calendar / 6. Meri Meri Advent Bracelet / 7. Military Men Advent Calendar / 8. Meri Meri Hair Accessories Advent Calendar / 9. Tackle Box Advent Calendar

 

 

For Her:

1. Cashmere Robe / 2. Vitruvi Diffuser / 3. Diptyque Roses Candle / 4. Diptyque Hand Soap / 5. Day Designer Planner / 6. Drybar Blowdryer Brush / 7. Beautybio Rose Quartz Roller / 8. Linen Pajamas / 9. Silk Pillowcase and Eye Mask Set / 10. Dyson Airwrap / 11. Faux Fur Slippers / 12. Stone Jewelry Tray

 

 

 

For Him:

1. Flannel Pajamas / 2. Swiss Army Knife / 3. Wool Beanie / 4. Filson Trout Knife / 5. Leather Catchall / 6. Wool Sweater / 7. Linen Pockete Square / 8. Bulleit Whiskey Set / 9. Shaving Set / 10. Leather Money Clip Card Holder

 

 

For the Kids:

 

1. Baking Set / 2. Harry Potter Lego Chess Set / 3. Wood Chess Set / 4. Axe and Archery Set / 5. Razor Trike / 6. Magna Tiles / 7. Wood Mini Golf Set / 8. Anti-Tip Scooter / 9. Ryans World Laser Tag / 10. Scooter

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

https://youtu.be/u8_4knRjKPo

My favorite part of the season is when we transform our home into a Christmas wonderland: putting up the Christmas tree, decking the front porch with lots of  prelit garland , pulling out our favorite decor from past years, and keeping it fresh with the prettiest pieces from (where else?)  Target’s New Holiday Collection .  We love lighting the fire and cranking up the Christmas tunes to turn our holiday decorating tasks into a festive occasion — with hot cocoa for the boys, and beer and wine for my hubby and me.

 

LIGHT IT UP

Nothing says “the holidays are here” like twinkling lights. Thanks to Target’s festive decor, greenery and prelit garland  my home will have a warm, cozy glow all season long.

shop the look: Phillip’s  prelit garland ,  Flocked Pine & Pine Cone Wreath

 

CHILDHOOD CHRISTMAS

One new family tradition we started when Jonah was born is that each Christmas, we get a new family ornament to hang on the tree so that our collection grows with meaningful pieces. We’ve also gifted to our boys their own customized embroidered stockings that they love to put up each year. We have one stocking made for Gir (RIP) and Chaka that we will continue to proudly display for years to come even though Gir is no longer with us. It’s a special way for our family to remember her.  The kids love having their own little Christmas tree and a mantle in the family room where they can add their own creativity and fun touches.

Kids’ Family Room Tree

shop the look:  White Berry Pine Needle Wreath ;  prelit garland ;  3ft Prelit Balsam Fir Christmas Tree ;  Burlap Flocked Christmas Tree ; kids and pet wool stockings are from Garnett Hill;  Toy Christmas Telephone

 

 

 

Main Living Room Tree

WINTER WONDERLAND

I always start my holiday decorating process by laying a foundation with lots of greenery – garlands on the mantle, wreaths on the doors and windows, and of course a towering Christmas tree and the kids’ own tree.  I’ve been sticking to a single color palette over the years with wintry shades of white and frosty sage warmed up with cozy faux-fur, rich velvets, and pinecones, while letting the kids go wild with color and fun decorations on their tree.

shop the look:  Gold Wire Wreath ;  Candlestick Holders in Gold ;  Eucalyptus Pinecone Garland ;  prelit garland ;  Faux Fur Christmas Stockings ;  Burlap Flocked Christmas Tree ;  Letters to Santa Mailbox

 

BRING ON THE COZY

When relaxing at home, I’m all about the cozy vibes. To make the house feel extra inviting, I love layering a few extra throw pillows and draping big fluffy blankets over couches and arm chairs. I also like to add a few seasonal pieces such as art, objects and figurines to my bookshelves that I can rotate throughout the year.

shop the look:  Faux Fur Throw Pillow ;  Faux Fur Throw Blanket ; Framed Art Trees ; 

Holidays, we’re ready for ya! I hope that you all have the best time decorating your space this year and enjoying the holiday magic all season long.

 

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

Kapolei Hawaii June 2018

One of my favorite holiday traditions is writing and sending out Christmas cards to our family and friends. I pick a favorite photo and memory from the year to preserve and use on our Christmas card. This year, I chose a photo from our family vacation to Hawaii in June where John and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary and had a vow renewal on the beach. I’ve used TinyPrints every year for their premium quality luxe paper, amazing picture quality, and beautiful designs.  Check out their new luxe holiday cards here.

A gift from me to you as a thank you for reading and visiting my blog: Enjoy 40% your order using code: MDLT-EJWM-K3C8-UNSX42 (while supplies last)!

 

xo,

Jilli

jillivictorio@gmail.com /

 

Outfit details: Glitter Blazer: H&M (on sale!) | Pants: A New Day for Target (similar here) | Boots: DV

John’s Outfit: Sport Coat: John Varvatos | Shirt H&M | Pants: Levis | Shoes: Clarks

Jonah and Baron’s Outfits: Blazers: Cat and Jack | Shirts  H&M Kids | Pants: Cat and Jack |

We attended Breakfast with Santa at Neiman Marcus Cafe and had a holly jolly fabulous time! We will be making this an annual holiday tradition to kick off the Christmas season. This was the first Breakfast with Santa event Neiman Marcus hosted at their new Shops At Clearfork location in Fort Worth. The morning started with champagne and pastries, followed by a full hearty breakfast plate with eggs, quiche, bacon, sausage, waffles, fruit and yogurt – yum!  Santa made his way around to each table making sure to see and greet each child. After breakfast, families were escorted to have their photos taken with Santa. There were no lines because the photo session was reserved for families attending the breakfast.  Reservations for Breakfast with Santa are required and include coffee, tea, juice, full breakfast, visits from Santa and his elf, and complimentary printed portraits with Santa.  This was the perfect way to get our kids’ photos with Santa without the hassle of lines and crowds at a mall and enjoy a special breakfast together!

Beautiful tables set for families of up to four. Larger groups can request to be seated next to each other.

 

 

A full hearty breakfast plate with the yummiest strawberry butter!

 

Baron loves his Belgium waffles dipped in real maple syrup.

 

A balloon maker elf to keep the kids entertained!

 

A souvenir print and folder to keep was ready immediately

 

We can’t wait to do this again next year!  What are some of your favorite holiday activities or events in the Dallas and Fort Worth?  Would love to hear them in the comments.