As a Christmas gift to ourselves we took a helicopter flight over the Canadian Rockies, in Banff National Park, Alberta Canada.

I can't begin to describe how breathtakingly beautiful it was, the photos and videos really don't do it justice....but take a look anyway. ;)

Watch the video in particular. There were times when we were heading straight for a mountain or glacier, only to squeeze between two peaks at the last minute. It was incredible!

If you're in the Banff / Canmore area I would definitely recommend Alpine Helicopter Tours. Our pilot even told us they have a private tour which includes a stop at a remote ski-lodge for hot-chocolate before flying back to base.

Prices start at $119 per person for the shorter flights and run through to $800+ for bigger tours. The tour we were taken on was the Assiniboine Glacier Tour, which didn't disappoint, and is usually priced at $279 per person for a 30-minute flight. They can also put together private packages on request, and will even fly you into some beautiful and remote areas for your wedding (wish I'd known about that a few months ago)!

Learn more »

One of the items on my LifeProof Winter Bucket List was to go ice-skating on a frozen lake. I've only ever ice-skated on indoor rinks, and being from Australia where winter sports barely exist, I've only skated a handful of times in my life!

So on Christmas Day we went on a mini road trip from Banff to Lake Louise, in Alberta Canada. We were staying in the Fairmont at Banff Springs (also known as 'The Castle') so we were keen to check out their sister hotel the Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise.

Not only did the lake have an incredible backdrop of mountains, snow, and fog for us to admire while we skated, but the hotel had built a little ice castle on the rink!

And what would a castle be without a throne? Made of ice, of course!

The Fairmont had also set up a cocktail bar, with walls made from snow and ice, and a 'Maple Bar' near the rink and were serving all sorts of maple and Christmas-inspired treats!

Check out the video, and try not to laugh at me as I attempt to stay upright!

We rounded out our Christmas Day with a special dinner at the Fairmont back in Banff Springs, and it couldn't have been more perfect. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and got to spend time with friends and family!

Thank you to LifeProof, not only for keeping my phone protected against snow, water, and drops, but for encouraging me to brave the winter weather and get out there and try some new things!

Tips

 - Get there early if you need to rent skates. The most popular sizes run out quickly.
 - The rental store, inside the Fairmont, also has skis, sleds, and snow shoes available so make a day of it!
 - Wear thermals and don't forget your hat/gloves/scarf! It can get windy out on Lake Louise!
   When we went it was -9 degrees (Celsius) in the middle of the day, not including wind chill!

Stay tuned for my review of the Fairmont at Banff Springs! Learn more »

For Christmas this year we decided to go somewhere we'd never been before, Banff in Canada!

For years I had seen photos of the Fairmont at Banff Springs, and dreamed of spending 'Christmas at the Castle', so it was time to make that dream a reality! 

If you've been following along on Instagram you'll know that I'm participating in the LifeProof Winter Bucket List Contest. My list is made up entirely of things I've never done before:

 - Go snow shoeing
 - Dog Sledding
 - Ice-skate on a frozen pond
 - Stay in an isolated cabin in the woods
 - Spend Christmas at Banff Springs in Canada
 - Go snow hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park

I'm excited to tell you that today I got to check Dog Sledding off my list! It was such an amazing experience, and they took us through such a beautiful area (Banff National Park). Our puppies were adorable, and so well behaved.

Check out the short video of our dog sledding adventure. And don't worry about all the barking, they were really anxious to get going, and they had so much fun along the way!

If you're in the area and you'd like to try dog sledding for yourself, I would recommend Snowy Owl Tours, they are the only ones allowed to sled through Banff National Park. 

They picked us up from the hotel and drove us through Canmore to the starting point in Banff National Park. They taught us about the dogs, and how to drive the sleds ourselves (that's right, we mushed ourselves!), and at the end there was hot apple cider and brownies around the campfire, overlooking mountains and frozen lakes. Perfect.

What to take with you:

 - Thermals (it's all about layering up)
 - Good, waterproof snow boots
   (if you're mushing, you will be running alongside in the snow when you go up hills - so be prepared)
 - Warm winter coat
 - Heavy-duty waterproof, windproof gloves
   (our North Face gloves didn't cut it for those temperatures and the wind, so our hands went
    completely numb and are only just thawing out as I type this)
 - Scarf or neck cowl you can pull up over your mouth and nose (Mine is from the Minty Antler on Etsy)
 - Warm hat
 - LifeProof (water and snow proof) case for your phone
   (I saw two separate people drop their phones and get snow inside their headphone and charg port holes!)

I'd love to hear about your winter adventures. What are you planning for Christmas and the New Year?

Learn more »