I recently had the incredible opportunity to attend the Fresh Air Retreat, and it was truly one of the most enriching experiences of my blogging career. Everything from the serene desert backdrop to the mouthwatering cuisine and, most importantly, the inspiring group of women who shared such meaningful conversations made every moment unforgettable. I cherished every second!
As bloggers, many of us spend most of our time behind a computer, in the kitchen, or working a camera with little to no in-person interaction. We don't have "co-workers" per se. While the job is amazing and I feel so blessed to be able to do this, it can be isolating at times. This is what makes Fresh Air Retreat so special! It's a safe place for bloggers who have the same day to day job to gather and share knowledge, laugh, get to know one another, and more. Brands are hand selected to attend too and share more about their products and chat with us on a deeper level.
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What is Fresh Air Retreat?
As the name suggests, The Fresh Air Retreat is *literally* a breath of fresh air. It's hosted by Liz from The Lemon Bowl and Lauren from The Curious Plate who are both phenomenal hosts and have a knack for entertaining.
The retreat is held in a swoon-worthy city, usually centered around different cultures and cuisines. I had the chance to attend the retreat in Palm Springs, California which features authentic mexican food, sunshine, peace and quiet, and really hot temps (like really hot, it hit 116 F!).
The best part about the retreat though are the people. Each retreat invites a handful of attendees and brands who are open to diving deeper into the world of food and blogging. The groups are typically pretty small and intimate with 8 - 10 bloggers and 5 - 6 brands which allow everyone to get nice and cozy with one another.
The Attendees & Hosts
- Liz at The Lemon Bowl - One of our exquisite hosts, Liz has an infectious personality with a gift for entertaining and hosting. She shares wholesome middle eastern food on her blog with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients.
- Lauren at The Curious Plate - The other half our host duo, Lauren is so kind and informative and can put together a magazine-worthy tablescape. Her blog is multifaceted, sharing colorful dishes and travel tips and itineraries.
- Chef Trimell at Poetry on Plates - One of my favorite parts of the retreat is the food and that's all thanks to Chef Trimell. He prepared and plated all of our meals and each one was a major hit. He's a natural in the kitchen and even put together a "Drake on a Plate" seated dinner for all of us on the last night.
- Christina at Dessert for Two - Christina has been blogging for years and is a pro at scaling down recipes into small batches, hence the blog name, Dessert for Two. She's highly successful and a treat to be around!
- Jean at What Great Grandma Ate - Her blog focuses on natural whole foods (yum!) with a plethora of Korean dishes too. She's a mom of two and she juggles mom-life and career with ease!
- Jordan at JZ Eats - I've known Jordan for years (she's even a Peach Perfect Financials client!) and it was so fun to meet her in person. Her recipes are approachable and easy and if you're a fan of Trader Joe's, you need to check her out!
- Lexi at Lexi's Clean Kitchen - I have been following Lexi for years and I loved getting to meet her in person! Her blog focuses on clean and delicious recipes that are sure to be staples once you make them.
- Molly at What Molly Made - Molly is super sweet and knowledgeable and really leans into connecting with her readers. Her blog focuses on wholesome ingredients with an emphasis on recipes made for those with PCOS symptoms.
- Sarah at Live Eat Learn - Sarah is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to food and blogging. She has a background in Food Science and her blog has over 1,000 nutrient dense vegetarian recipes!
- Shelly at Cookies and Cups - As one of the OG food bloggers, Shelly knows the ins and outs of the industry and is one heck of a baker! She's so sweet and I loved connecting with her about how she has juggled motherhood and blogging.
Retreat Sponsors
The retreat would not have been what it was without these brands making it happen. A huge thank you!
- Albertsons - They made sure we didn't go hungry with afternoon pick-me-ups and a protein forward brunch bar! Their Signature Select brand has an array of affordable products suitable for everyday life. I personally shop Signature Select products at my local Star Market but you can find them at any of their family stores including: Safeway, Albertsons, Tom Thumb, Jewel-Osco, Acme Markets, and Shaws & Vons.
- California Date Commission - Mark and Kristy put on an amazing presentation all about dates and how they are grown which was super fascinating! Mark concocted a "date tasting board" which featured about 8 different date varieties for us to try. It was a very knowledgeable, and tasty, experience!
- California Walnuts - We were treated to a fun mocktail with spiced up walnuts which are super versatile. Chef Trimell used a hot and spicy spice blend for one batch, a matcha blend for another, and a sweeter cinnamon blend as well - each one was delicious it was hard to pick a favorite!
- Grocers List - Ben at Grocers List was so fun to meet! He led a presentation about the future of automations with DMs, recipe links, email signups, and more. He and his team are doing amazing things for the blogging industry. I got to grab coffee with him a few weeks later after we discoverd he lives down the street!
- Happy Egg - We were spoiled with a delicious brunch spread featuring gin fizz cocktails, scrambled eggs, shak shuka, deviled eggs, and banana pudding. We learned a lot about the farming of eggs and Happy Eggs commitment to creating a sage and *happy* environment for their hens which produce nutrient-filled eggs.
- Onions 52 - We had an incredible knife skills demonstration about all the different ways to cut an onion. Onions 52 is a family-owned company committed to growing and delivering top-quality onions year-round (aka 52 weeks a year). They have created a revolutionary tearless onion, Smileys, which we got to taste test ourselves. They're naturally tearless which allows you to enjoy onions in dishes without watery eyes.
Day 1 recap
We kicked off the retreat with a welcome happy hour while everyone got settled into our Instagram-worthy abode. Each room was meticulously decorated with matching bathrooms!
As everyone trickled in we enjoyed delicious appetizers from Chef Trimell including an amazing rum cocktail!
Day 2 recap
Our day started bright and early with an amazing breakfast spread hosted by Happy Egg. We got to learn about the differences in eggs based on how much space the hens have and what they are fed. You could literally see the differences in the color of the yolks of Happy Eggs!
After breakfast we got to have a round table discussion with ben from Grocer's List which was incredible inspiring. Ben is an entrepreneur at heart and is committed to finding solutions for business owners. His vision at Grocer's List is to help bloggers automate key functions like delivers links to recipes in DMs, easily giving readers an option to input their email, creating shoppable lists, etc. I immediately signed up and am excited to see where he takes Grocers's list!
One of my favorite parts of the week was the problem solving lightening round. We had 3 rounds of this to give everyone an opportunity to go. The idea is that you give the group a problem you're facing and everyone else has to come up with and share a solution. By the time everyone has gone, you've walked away with 100 solutions! It was eye-opening and inspiring all at once.
We were treated to lunch with Onions 52 - a family-owned farm that produced onions 52 weeks out of the year! We had a mexican themed menu with pico de gallo, guacamole, salsa verde, chicken and steak tacos, and a sweet onion pudding all featuring Onions 52 onions! We got to sit down with a brand representative and learn all about the onion industry.
A few of us went on a walk during some free time which was comical due to the over 100 F temps!
Albertson's created a delicious spread with their Signature Select products for an afternoon pick-me-up. I admired the focus on healthier options like the veggie tray, hummus dip, fresh fruit, salad bowls, and nuts.
After a much needed break and refresh, we were heading out for dinner at Porta Via hosted by Visit Greater Palm Springs. It was fun to go over to another area of Palm Springs and window shop before arriving at the restaurant. We enjoyed various small plates and cocktails with meaningful conversations!
Day 3 Recap
I loved starting off the day with yoga session which got my mind and body in the right place before another big day. Afterwards Alberton's succeeded again with a incredible power breakfast spread. We got to build our own bowl with potato hash, sausages, veggies, fresh veggies, poached eggs, and all the toppings!
We had another problem solving lightening round before a presentation from the California Date Commission. Mark talked about how dates are produced and what makes them such a nutrient dense product. He put together an amazing date tasting board which the highlight of my day.
Lunch was scheduled downtown at Fuzion Five which gave us the opportunity to walk around Palm Springs and take in the charm of the town. We were treated with open arms at lunch and I got to enjoy refreshing spring rolls.
After some free time in the afternoon California Walnuts hosted us for a mocktail hour with spiced walnuts. Chef Trimell whipped up all sorts of roasted walnuts with different flavors while the brand representatives shared all of the wonderful benefits of walnuts with us.
The retreat was concluded with the most insane, over the top, and delicious seated dinner by Chef Trimell. He created a menu revolving around Drake songs and paired each dish with one of his songs. He even played the song as he brought out each course! It was such a treat and a great way to end the week.
My Key Takeaways
- Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone. Flying across teh country to stay in a house with a bunch of people you had never met is very scary but I would do it again in a heart beat!
- Community will help you grow faster. Just like the saying "A rising tide lifts all boats", when the blogging industry as a whole is doing well, so are those in it.
- Many of my pain points and struggles were validated simply by opening up and talking to others. Imposter syndrom is real but connecting with others can easily put your mind at ease.
- Audience is everything! I leaned that I have been focusing on a lot of the wrong things and instead need to focus on giving my audience what they want and tuning into their needs. This is an area I plan to dive into deeper over the next few months!
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