Dear Alison,

Happy fall y'all! I love this time of year with the leaves changing colors and all the festive decorations as we prepare for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas!

I have been enjoying hosting retreats this fall at both properties. This weekend is the last retreat that I'm hosting for 2024 at Mountains and Memories. I still have a few more hosted retreats scheduled for The Gingerbread Cottage with a few spots left for the October retreat and potentially one spot coming available for the November one, so it isn't too late to join me at one this fall. With 2025 just around the corner, we've had a number of people registering for the various 2025 hosted retreats on the calendar for both Mountains and Memories and The Gingerbread Cottage with dates already beginning to fill up. I will be adding more hosted retreats to the calendar at the Cottage in the coming months once I have a better feel for our "nomad" schedule. As we get closer to the New Year, I may be adding some Monday-Wednesday hosted retreat dates too.

For those following our transition to nomadic life (living out of an RV/travel trailer), we continue to be in a holding pattern as we wait for our house in Parker to sell. The real estate market has definitely transitioned to a buyer's market in our area and so selling a home is requiring patience. In the meantime, we continue to do little trips here and there and look forward to visiting my daughter in Florida once hurricane season is over...she is currently evacuated from her home as they brace for Milton later today into tomorrow.

Since the sale of our home is taking longer than anticipated, we are no longer planning to start renovations on the property in Estes Park at the end of November. (It will have to begin sometime in 2025 once our residence sells.) Therefore, I've opened up the remaining calendar from the week of Thanksgiving through the New Year for any additional retreat related rentals or vacation rentals. Take time to check out the contents of this newsletter as there is information on a special we are currently offering for the January hosted retreat, current list of dates available for private rentals and hosted retreats in 2025, a new hosted retreat scheduled just for quilters and more.

Happy Halloween!

Alison

There is still opportunity to join me for a retreat this fall, but spaces are limited. I'm also accepting registrations for a variety of retreat dates at both properties for 2025. These hosted retreats are open to all types of crafters unless specified otherwise.

All our hosted retreats (at BOTH properties) are all inclusive. All lodging, meals and 4 ft personal craft space provided regardless of the location registered for (limited table upgrades to 8 ft available for $75 more). Unfortunately, gluten and dairy free options are not available. I also am unable to accommodate other more strict dietary needs, therefore, I do offer a discount on the retreat fee for those that need to opt out of meals. Those guests will be welcome to bring their own food to prepare.

We are currently offering a $30 discount on registrations received at least 2+ months in advance for all 2025 hosted retreats at M&M in Estes Park. Early bird discounts are not being offered on Cottage registrations. For my personal Stampin' Up! teammates, I offer a special discount. Teammates get to attend any of my hosted retreats for the entire four days for the price of three. Below is a list of our currently scheduled 2024 and 2025 hosted retreats. Inquire if you would like more information. To register, simply click on the link for the retreat date of interest.

Hosted retreats at either location are limited to 8 guests. We offer both 2-night and 3-night options at both properties. Pricing varies based on location. Hosted retreats are opportunities for individuals and small groups to retreat at either property without the need to privately rent the space. These retreats are limited to women only ages 18+ unless specified otherwise.

UPCOMING HOSTED RETREAT OPPORTUNITIES:

• October 24-27, 2024 (2 spots left) - Bailey
• November 7-10, 2024 (FULL but may have 1 becoming available) - Bailey
• January 9-12, 2025 (8 spots left) - Estes Park ** Current Special Rate
• February 13-16, 2025 (8 spots left) - Bailey
• February 20-23, 2025 (1 spot left) - Estes Park
• March 6-9, 2025 (7 spots left) - Estes Park
• April 24-27, 2025 (FULL) - Estes Park
• May 1-4, 2025 Quilting (8 spots left) - Estes Park
• May 8-11, 2025 (8 spots left) - Bailey
• May 15-18, 2025 (FULL) - Estes Park
• August 14-17, 2025 (1 spot left) - Estes Park
• September 4-7, 2025 (FULL) - Estes Park
• October 2-5, 2025 (4 spots left) - Bailey
• November 13-16, 2025 (7 spots left) - Estes Park

Gingerbread Cottage - Bailey, CO

www.gbcottage.com

Prices range from $200-$250/person. A hot breakfast, mid-day light lunch and dinner is included. (Note that we offer an additional discount for guests that have dietary restrictions that we cannot accommodate.) Check, Venmo or Zelle payments accepted. Credit card payments are subject to a 2.9% + $0.30 service charge. A $75 deposit is due within a week of registering. The remaining balance is due a month before the retreat. Arrive as early as 12 p.m. on day of arrival and depart as late as 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Mountains and Memories - Estes Park, CO

www.mountainsandmemories.com

Prices range from $255-$330/person. A $30 early bird discount is applied to registrations received at least 2+ months in advance. A $75 deposit is due within 7 days of registering. The remaining balance is due a month before the retreat. Check, charge and Venmo payments accepted. Balances can be broken up into two monthly payments if registration received at least 3 months in advance. A hot breakfast, mid-day light lunch and dinner is included. (Note that we offer an additional discount for guests that have dietary restrictions that we cannot accommodate.) Arrive as early as 2 p.m. on day of arrival and depart as late as 3 p.m. on Sunday.

**CURRENT SPECIAL**

Register for our January 9-12, 2025 hosted retreat no later than 10/31/24 and receive $80 off your Thursday-Sunday registration (making it $250/person rather than $330/person). To receive the special discount, registration must be received during the month of October (while spaces last) for a Thursday-Sunday stay and must be paid in full within a week of registering. Payment must be made via check or Venmo (so no fees incurred).

Interested in hosting your own private retreat or vacation getaway? We offer the opportunity to privately rent the home throughout the year for your own custom R&R needs. We only have a few selections left for 2024, so don't delay for those date opportunities. Our 2025-2026 calendar offers some more opportunities, but it too is filling. You can view our calendar of availability on our web site. Note that prices for private rental crafting retreats will go up $100 for 2025 reservations (to $1700 for a 4-day weekend related rental up to 10 people and $900 for our occasional Monday-Wednesday retreat availability). Pricing for 2026 will be the same as our 2025 pricing.

The home is located in the middle of the small neighborhood of Aspen Brook located just a mile from the YMCA and about two miles from the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. The home has 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms and sleeps up to 10 guests for retreats and 8 for vacation rentals. Please note that despite the size of the group, there will be a limit of 7 cars allowed due to parking limitations within the neighborhood. A $250 non-refundable deposit is required to be placed on file within 7 days of booking. The remaining balance is due a month before the reservation. Check, charge and Venmo payments accepted. Guests may check-in as early as 9 a.m. on day of arrival and check out by 1 p.m. on day of departure. Later checkout may be available upon advanced request and pending availability.

PRIVATE RETREATS:

For crafting retreat groups, we offer the ability to reserve Thursday-Sunday for your own non-hosted private retreat. Retreat rentals are priced at a flat rate of $1600 for most times of the year. During our peak times for vacation rentals in the summer our retreat rates are $1900. Note that we do not allow for crafting related retreat rentals during the month of July. Prices will be increasing $100 for all 2025 reservations (specific pricing info here) This flat rate already includes lodging tax and cleaning fee for a 3 night/4 day rental. Additional days may be added to the reservation for $400/night (this price is higher during summer months). The basement family room will be set up with 12 workstations even though a max of 10 guests is permitted. All provided crafting supplies such as Cricut machines, cartridges, paper cutters, punches, etc will be accessible during your stay.

For quilting groups, the back room and hall is set up with 2 cutting stations and 2 ironing stations. A small selection of consumable items will be available for purchase (card stock, pattern paper, adhesive and some embellishments). Note that we do offer a discount on retreat dates that are booked more last minute or are non-traditional days of the week for retreats such as Monday-Wednesday. You can visit our site for information on any upcoming discounted date opportunities.

Upcoming non-hosted RETREAT availability:

• October 21-23, 2024 (Mon-Wed) - $800
• November 4-6, 2024 (Mon-Wed) - $800
• November 11-13, 2024 (Mon-Wed) - $800
• November 18-20, 2024 (Mon-Wed) - $800
• December 5-8, 2024 - $1600
• December 12-15, 2024 - $1600
• December 19-22, 2024 - $1600
• January 2-5, 2025 - $1700
• January 16-19, 2025 - $1700
• January 30-February 2, 2025 - $1700
• February 10-12, 2025 (Mon-Wed) - $900
• February 27-March 2, 2025 - $1700
• March 10-12, 2025 (Mon-Wed) - $900
• March 20-23, 2025 - $1,700
• April 16-19 OR 17-20, 2025 (Easter weekend) - $1700
• April 21-23, 2025 (Mon-Wed) - $900
• May 7-10 OR 8-11, 2025 (Mother's Day weekend) - $1700
• June 5-8, 2025 - $2000
• June 11-14 OR 12-15, 2025 (Father's Day weekend) - $2000
• June 26-29, 2025 - $2000
• July 31-August 3, 2025 - $2000
• October 30-November 2, 2025 - $1700
• December 4-7, 2025 - $1700
• December 11-14, 2025 - $1700
• December 18-21, 2025 - $1700
• For 2026 availability, please consult our booking calendar online.

VACATION RENTALS:

For vacation rentals, any available day of the week may be reserved. We require a minimum of 2 night/3 days (summer and winter holiday dates have a 3-night minimum requirement). Rates are seasonally priced based on the time of the year. Summer months and holidays are typically our peak rates with winter months being our lower priced season. Exact pricing can be found on our site under Vacation Rental Rates. Vacation rentals are limited to an 8 person occupancy. NO crafting supplies or set-up is included. Basement family room is set up as a family room during these rentals. A $250 deposit is required to secure a reservation.

Periodically throughout the year, we offer discounted dates. These discounted dates tend to be dates that haven't booked at least 2+ weeks or so in advance or are non-traditional days of the week for retreats. We will always post these discounted opportunities on our home page.

READY TO BOOK:

You can view the current calendar of availability on our web site or contact Alison at 720-212-4788 or alison@mountainsandmemories.com to book.

This property is located in the Burland Ranchettes neighborhood near the town of Bailey, CO. The home is located on 2.5 acres of private wooded land. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. There is a third bathroom with showering facility located in the crafting workshop on the second story of the detached garage. The home and crafting workshop accommodate up to 8 guests. A $150 non-refundable deposit is required to be placed on file within 7 days of booking with the remaining balance due a month before the reservation. Guests may check-in as early as 9 a.m. on day of arrival. Vacation rental guests may stay as late as 1 p.m. whereas retreat groups may check out as late as 4 p.m. on day of departure.

PRIVATE RETREATS & VACATION RENTALS:

We offer the ability to reserve a Thursday-Sunday for your own non-hosted private crafting retreat. Rentals are priced at a flat rate depending on the size of your group. Cleaning fee and lodging tax are already included in the below rental rates. Additional days may be added to a rental for $300/night.

2024 & 2025 Pricing:

• Up to 8 guests - $1200
• Up to 6 guests - $1000

Payment can be made by check, Venmo or Zelle. Credit card payments are subject to a 2.9% + $0.30 service charge. Vacation rental groups may rent for any day of the week. Our rates are seasonally priced. Rates may be found at on our website. You can view our current calendar of availability also on our web site.

Below is a list of upcoming private retreat rental availability. Dates are rented at our standard rates as indicated above unless noted otherwise...

• December 12-15, 2024
• December 19-22, 2024
• January 2-5, 2025
• January 9-12, 2025
• February 27-March 2, 2025
• March 6-9, 2025
• March 13-16, 2025
• March 20-23, 2025
• March 27-30, 2025
• April 16-19 OR 17-20, 2025 (Easter Weekend)
• May 14-17 OR 15-18, 2025 (Mother's Day Weekend)
• May 29-June 1, 2025
• June 11-14 OR 12-15, 2025 (Father's Day Weekend)
• June 19-22, 2025
• June 26-29, 2025
• July 10-13, 2025
• July 17-20, 2025
• July 24-27, 2025
• August 7-10, 2025
• August 14-17, 2025
• August 21-24, 2025
• September 11-14, 2025
• September 25-28, 2025
• October 9-12, 2025
• October 23-26, 2025
• October 30-November 2, 2025
• November 13-16, 2025
• November 20-23, 2025
• December 4-7, 2025
• December 11-14, 2025

Periodically throughout the year, we offer discounted dates. These discounted dates tend to be dates that haven't booked far enough in advance or due to a last minute cancellation. We will always post these discounted opportunities on our home page.

READY TO BOOK:

You can view the current calendar of availability on our web site or contact Alison at 720-212-4788 or alison@gbcottage.com to book.