You’ve Made the Magic for Everyone Else. This Christmas, Let It Find You.

Retreats

No stress. All Sparkle.

Christmas time is magical, and exhausting. If you’re the one who usually makes it all happen, this is your chance to let someone else take care of you. All meals, accommodations, and festive activities included.

🎄 Christmas in the Valley: A Holiday Escape for Women Who Do It All

Grab your favourite person and escape to Clyde Hall in beautiful Lanark County, Ontario this December 5–7, 2025. Let someone else handle the holiday chaos while you unwind, sip, laugh, and enjoy a weekend of connection and festive fun with the woman who gets you best.

Dates: December 5–7, 2025
Location: Clyde Hall – Almonte & Perth, Ontario
Price: $999 CAD per person (HST included, double occupancy)
Accommodation: LAST CHANCE TO BOOK. Solo Travellers welcome to jump in!
Only 6 spots available

Reserve Your Spot

Booking handled securely through Girl Trips • You’ll receive a call after submitting your form to confirm your details.
All bookings are non-refundable. I recommend travel insurance. If you have questions, email hello@girltrips.ca

The holidays are a magical time, but let’s be honest, they are also exhausting. Women are usually the ones making the lists, checking them twice, baking, shopping, decorating, and holding the whole season together. Somewhere between wrapping the gifts and planning the meals, we forget the one person who never makes it to the top of the list: ourselves.

What if this year was different? What if, instead of stumbling into the season tired and frazzled, you gave yourself the gift of joy, connection, and a little holiday magic — with some shopping on the side of course.

Christmas in the Valley

That is exactly what Christmas in the Valley is about. Girl Trips is hosting a one-of-a-kind festive weekend for women in two of the most charming small towns in Ontario: Perth and Almonte. It takes place December 5–7, 2025, and it is worth circling on your calendar now.

December 5–7, 2025 • Clyde Hall (Almonte & Perth)

Cozy double rooms. Please book with a friend. $999 CAD per person (HST included).

Reserve your spot
Non-refundable. Travel insurance strongly recommended.

What’s Included

Friday, December 5 – Almonte Sparkle

  • 1:00 pm – Arrivals at Clyde Hall, settle in with tea and festive treats
  • 2:30 pm – Shuttle to Almonte for boutique shopping
  • 5:00 pm – Group dinner in Almonte
  • 6:30 pm – Experience Light Up the Night Festival, complete with twinkle lights, live music, and holiday cheer
  • 9:00 pm – Return to Clyde Hall for cocoa, wine, or a dip in the hot tub

Saturday, December 6 – Perth Charm & Pajama Party

  • 8:30 am – Morning yoga session
  • 9:30 am – Breakfast at Clyde Hall
  • 11:00 am – Depart for Perth for shopping and exploring
  • 12:30 pm – Lunch in Perth
  • 5:00 pm – Watch the Perth Santa Claus Parade
  • 6:30 pm – Return to Clyde Hall
  • 7:30 pm – Festive pajama buffet dinner at Clyde Hall, complete with cocktails, laughter, and if everyone made the nice list… a visit from a very jolly guest
  • 9:00 pm – Fireside games, wine, and relaxation

Sunday, December 7 – Cozy Farewell

  • 8:30 am – Morning yoga session
  • 9:30 am – Full brunch at Clyde Hall
  • 11:00 am – Fireside coffee or a final soak in the hot tub
  • 12:00 pm – Farewells and departures

🛏️ Room Options & Pricing (per person, taxes included)

Ensuite Rooms (private bath):

  • Pool Suite (King Bed): $999 pp
  • McMullen Suite (Queen Bed): $999 pp (SOLD OUT)
  • Caldwell Suite (Queen Bed): $999 pp

Shared Loft (3 bedrooms + 1 shared bath):

  • Family Loft: $950 pp
    • This space will host 6 women in total (you and your buddy + your Girl Trips hosts).

❄️ Not Included

  • Transportation to and from Clyde Hall (guests must make their own way there)
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Personal expenses & shopping

📌 Important Booking Info

Please note that all bookings for Christmas in the Valley are non-refundable. Life happens, which is why we strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance to protect your investment in case of unexpected illness, emergencies, or other changes.

What Past Guests Say

Why You Shouldn’t Miss It

Christmas in the Valley is not just another weekend away. It is a chance for you to step out of your holiday to-do list and into something designed entirely for you. Instead of entering December frazzled, you can walk into the season calm, joyful, and connected. And as a reminder to keep planning joy year-round, read Always Have Something to Look Forward To.

So if you’ve ever wondered what the holidays would feel like if someone else did the planning? Now you can. This weekend is your turn to experience the same magic you’ve poured into the season for everyone else, only this time without lifting a finger.

Badge for bags for Christmas in the Valley with Girl Trips

Christmas in the Valley is hosted by Girl Trips and operated in partnership with Trevello Travel Group, Ontario Registration #50026578. All bookings are non-refundable. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.

Only 10 spots available Reserve your spot

The Sanity-Saving Power of Planning Joy

Girl Talk

Here’s how my girlfriends and I keep it together: we never leave one trip, brunch, or birthday without another thing in the calendar. Always. Even if it’s months away. Even if it’s small. Especially because the world feels like it’s spinning faster every day. We hold on to joy with both hands—one reaching back to the memories we’ve made, the other stretched forward to whatever’s next. That next dinner, that next retreat, that next chance to exhale and just be. It’s how we stay sane. It’s how we stay connected. We always have something to look forward to…..and that’s everything.

always have something to look forward to with your friends

Why Always Having Something to Look Forward To Works

We weren’t always this intentional. But after a few chaotic years, we realized we needed anchors. Not just big annual getaways or milestone birthdays, but little moments to anticipate—a weekend hike, a seasonal picnic, a randomly themed event, even a wine-fuelled planning night for a future trip. Turns out, anticipation is a form of therapy. It lifts you out of the day-to-day grind and gives your brain something hopeful to chew on.

Plan themed parties with friends and always have something to look forward to in you calendar

Our Rule: Never Leave Without a Plan

It started as a joke: “Okay, when’s the next thing?” But now it’s gospel. We don’t end a gathering without putting the next one on the calendar. Not a vague “sometime in the fall” plan, but an actual date, time, location—locked in. It’s like leaving yourself a trail of breadcrumbs, reminders that the good stuff isn’t behind you, it’s ahead, too.

A group of friends together in the summer on the beach

The Psychology of Anticipation

There’s science behind this, by the way. Studies show that looking forward to something activates the reward centre in your brain—releasing dopamine, improving mood, and reducing stress. Some researchers say the anticipation can be just as powerful as the event itself. (So yeah, planning that fall retreat? Already good for you.)

Group of women whitewater rafting on a Girl Trip — adventure to look forward to

How Girl Trips Help Us Hold On

Girl Trips was born from this very practice. The need to plan joy into our lives. To have a circle of women who don’t just show up when it’s convenient, but who plan for connection. Whether it’s a full-blown retreat, a girls’ weekend in the woods, or a cozy winter dinner party—what matters most is that it’s in the calendar. It gives us something to look forward to together.

Ideas to Add to Your Calendar Today

  • A weekend road trip to somewhere none of you have been
  • A themed dinner party (bonus points for dress codes or potlucks)
  • Booking a seasonal Girl Trip retreat (hint, hint)
  • Monthly wine + vision board night
  • A Sunday morning walking club
  • Join a Pickleball league, all the cool kids are doing it

Doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be there.

Women on a Girl Trip relaxing on a boat — always have something to look forward to

It’s Not Just a Trip, It’s a Lifeline

In this world of burnout and bad news, joy has to be intentional. My girlfriends and I plan for it. We put it in our calendars like it’s a dentist appointment—non-negotiable. And you know what? It works. We hold hands across time, past and future, joy to joy. If you’re reading this and thinking, “I need that,” then maybe your first step is the same as ours: book something now. Give yourself something to look forward to.

What Is Shiggles? A Word for Living a Little Freer

Girl Talk

There’s a word I use a lot: shiggles. It’s a mash-up of shits and giggles, and honestly, it’s the perfect way to explain many of the choices I’ve made in my life. Shiggles, for lack of a formal dictionary definition, is when you decide to ditch your to-do list and go hiking instead. It’s jumping in the car to see your girlfriends because—why not? It’s leaping out of a perfectly good airplane just to say you did. It’s not reckless (although in my youth, it accounted for some questionable decisions), but rather the pursuit of joyful chaos. A way to keep monotony from taking root.

Shiggles are what happens when you stop taking life so seriously.

What is Shiggles? A definition and way of life

While I have zero interest in being anyone’s life guru, I do think this particular philosophy is one more of us should adopt—because some of the best things in life happen when you just go with it. When we chase curiousity, instead of stifle it.

Things I’ve done for the shiggles:

A woman who has jumped out of a plane following a shiggles philsophy


I want more people to trust the pull toward fun, toward connection, toward something a little unhinged but entirely yours. Sometimes it’s no thoughts, all vibes. Sometimes it’s I’m doing this for the plot. Sometimes it’s signing up for a trip with women you’ve never met on the Rideau Canal (insert shameless self-promotion here). But most of the time, doing something for the shiggles is simply acknowledging that life is entirely too short to take so seriously.

I mean, look around. Things are kind of a mess. And while I’m not saying we should ignore serious issues (I’m not that far gone), I am saying it’s essential—for our mental health and for the collective well-being of humanity—that we take breaks from the doomscroll and do something fun. Something that makes us laugh, leaves us awestruck, or connects us to someone we didn’t know a few hours earlier.

A woman in a bathtub drinking wine and doing it for the shiggles

What I love most though about shiggle-fuelled decisions is that they come with no expectations. There’s no big payoff you’re chasing. No pressure to make it “worth it.” It’s just a shrug, a smile, and a “let’s see where this takes me.” That’s where the real magic tends to show up.

Doing it for the shiggles has taken me on road trips I’ll never forget, to new friendships that changed my life, and to belly laughs that still echo when I think about them. Shiggles don’t require a plan. They just require you to say yes when your soul nudges you to do something a little ridiculous, a little brave, and a lot of fun.

A woman in a Barbie box making fun of her situation

So if you ever find yourself overthinking, frozen in indecision, or stuck in the same old routine… maybe ask yourself: What would I do right now if I was just doing it for the shiggles?

Then go do that. (And maybe this)

Why I’m Choosing Canadian Destinations (and I Hope You Will Too)

Girl Talk

There was a time when I would have happily hopped across the border for a getaway. But lately? Between the rising tension toward Canadians (what did we ever do to you, America?), the weak exchange rate, and the growing list of reasons to stick closer to home, I’m leaning in hard to Canadian travel for women.

A woman on rocks overlooking Gypsum Mine in Cape Breton Island talking about Canadian Travel for Women

And honestly, I’m not mad about it.

I mean, why would I be? Canada is incredible. We’ve got landscapes that look ripped from a postcard with enough space to explore without crowds. We’ve got hundreds of tucked-away towns, scenic stretches of road, crystal-clear lakes, cozy cafés, and enough starry skies to make you forget your phone even exists. Bottom line? You don’t have to go far to feel like you’ve truly gotten away.

Ingonish Beach Cape Breton Island

Why Canadian Travel for Women Matters

Women make up the majority of the tourism workforce and the bulk of travel decision-makers. So when we choose to explore Canada, we’re not just saving on airfare, we’re fuelling our own economy. Girl Trips is committed to booking tours and experiences run by women wherever possible, buying local goods, and bringing in yoga instructors, artists, chefs, and guides who live right here. Supporting women and Canadians in tourism doesn’t always have to look like a TED Talk or a LinkedIn post, sometimes it looks like a girls’ weekend in Muskoka.

Peggy's Cove with a woman wearing a lobster sweater, promoting Canadian travel for women

One of My Favourite Place? The Rideau River

Our first getaway, the Retreat on the Rideau (happening September 19–22, 2025) is the perfect example of why Canadian travel is so special. Picture this: four boats, a flotilla of fantastic women, cruising the historic and iconic Rideau Canal from Smiths Falls to Westport. There’s yoga on deck, delicious meals (including dining al fresco and a vineyard dinner), and just enough small-town charm to remind you why you never have to leave our amazing country.

Captain of a Le Boat on the Rideau Canal

This trip is equal parts adventure and exhale, and the best part? No airport security lines required.

Bottom line? Canada has everything we need—beauty, connection, and women doing cool sh*t across every province and territory. So if you’ve been dreaming of a meaningful escape, start by looking right here at home.