Ok friends. Get ready to add some new additions to your grocery list because after my trip last week I have a ton of new grocery favs to share after being away on the ShopRite Fall Getaway.
If you remember I went on the ShopRite Summer Getaway in August of 2019 and that trip was a career highlight for me. You can read all about that trip here. Partnering with a brand that I have been shopping since I was a kid was the easiest yes I’ve ever said to a campaign. That trip not only solidified my love for ShopRite but really taught me so much history about the brand and what goes into making ShopRite who they are.
So when ShopRite reached out for this year’s trip it was another easy YES! We were supposed to go to the Poconos back in March but because of Covid the trip got postponed and changed to beautiful Hudson Valley, NY. The ShopRite team went all out as usual with the location. They hosted 8 influencers at The Dutchess Hotel located on a remote farm from the 1700s. Modern amenities with timeless farm vintage flair, endless farmland and what felt like an escape from the everyday world. Truly there’s no place more beautiful to stay to kickstart the fall season and really disconnect from the daily chaos of life to focus on what ShopRite has to offer.
Alright so being I can’t transport you to the lush farms of the Hudson Valley I can at least recap my personal highlights from the ShopRite Fall Getaway. There was a lot we were introduced to but to keep this post from being too long I am going to focus on what stood out to me.
DAY 1
Day 1 consisted of a floral arranging class featuring ShopRite’s flowers. We had done this last year also and it was one of my favorite activations. ShopRite’s flowers are some of the freshest out there and we always learn so much about proper care for your blooms and getting them to last and last!
Our first night at the ShopRite Fall Getaway is one I’ll never forget. A cocktail hour and dinner with a Murder Mystery Roaring 20s theme! We all dressed up, took part in a Murder Mystery dinner while eating outside in the brisk farm air.
Chef Capon made us a 3 course meal using all of ShopRite’s Bowl & Basket line. More on Bowl & Basket later in the post. But it was mouth watering good!
DAY 2
Our second day was one to remember. We were brought on a private tour of Hudson Valley Fruit who is the apple supplier for ShopRite. Hudson Valley is the land of the apple and being able see where our apples come from was truly unforgettable. The farm is 4th generation and the owner takes so much pride in her apples.
We were able to see the entire process from the apples being picked, sent to the production center to be processed and packaged up. Some apples can be picked, processed and delivered to your local ShopRite all in the same day! It kind of reminded me of the Willy Wonka factory just with apples! So cool.
I mean that’s the thing — we aimlessly shop like robots most days. Grocery list says get apples and then we toss a few in our cart and move onto the next grocery list item. BUT have you ever stopped and thought about how that apple made it into your cart? That’s what the ShopRite getaways are about. It’s learning the story of each brand within the store. Every brand, every item — it has a story. To really think of the bigger picture of what goes into filling the shelves of our favorite grocery store is so amazing when you can actually see the behind the scenes. Safe to say I’ll never look at an apple the same way again.
I loved that this getaway focused on clean living as another activation. I think with Covid we are all much more cognizant of what cleaning products we are using in our house. We had a scientist (YES A REAL LIVE SCIENTIST) lead the meeting about some of Procter & Gamble’s newest cleaning products.
- Microban24 — Just get it. Enough said! When comparing it to Lysol it beats it by a mile for disinfecting for 24 hours! An absolute household must have from here on out.
- Dawn Platinum Powerwash — Who hates washing dishes? Me. Who hates scrubbing dishes? Me. This product now lives on my kitchen counter. You spray your dish and literally watch the food melt away. No scrubbing needed at all. It’s like magic in a bottle!
- Cascade Platinum — If I’m being honest I’ve always been one of these girls who’s too cheap to turn the dishwasher on every night. While I hate washing dishes I still would wash as much by hand as possible. Did you know that if you are washing more than 8 dishes you are actually using more water than if you used your dishwasher? Cascade Platinum works better than it’s competitors on a regular wash and is super effective on the quick wash cycle. Moral of the story — turn the dishwasher on every night!
I kinda had to laugh at the tasting dinner on our last night as everything they served are already items in our weekly rotation. Great job Erik. We are already picking the good stuff! Caulipower pizza is on our menu every Friday night. Made with cauliflower but bursting with flavor. I highly suggest the Buffalo Style Chicken Pizza. Like crazy, intense flava! This brand also makes a chicken tender breaded with cauliflower and was so good!
Oh hello old friend! One of my biggest product takeaways from last year’s ShopRite getaway was the McCain potato wedges. We serve them at every party and eat them weekly. Countless friends and family of our’s are now hooked on them. We had the Quick Cook fries this time around. Let me just say there are no french fries better than McCain’s!
And if you haven’t noticed ShopRite rolled out their newest in store brand Bowl & Basket this past year. Ladies I’m here for all of it. Not only is this line super affordable but they have something in every food category and everything tastes delicious. They have such an array of items to choose from. Frozen meal ideas like their flatbread and tortellini. These make great party appetizers by the way. The ever so addicting Frozen Fruit bars are a nighly fav of mine. I love the coconut the best! Lastly, their tangy delicious flavors of potato chips come in so many great flavors. I highly recommend the jalapeno!
DAY 3
We closed the ShopRite Fall Getaway with a baby shower themed brunch sponsored by Huggies. If you purchase Huggies at your local ShopRite or ShopRite.com from now through 9/26 Huggies will donate a days worth of diapers or wipes to The Diaper Network.
And you can’t have a baby shower brunch without diapers or cupcakes. ShopRite bakery whipped up the tastiest cupcakes for us. I have been getting cakes from their bakery for years. I’m always impressed by their beautiful cakes and pastries and how delicious they are. Did you know that ShopRite bakery can also do custom cakes and gender reveal cakes?!
I have had the pleasure to work with so many great brands over the years. However, ShopRite truly is one of my absolute favorites. They pour so much into making ShopRite what it is. As an influencer this is what I love to do most. Working closely with brands, hearing their story and seeing what goes into making them who they are. This getaway was about connecting with everything ShopRite and once again my love for this brand only deepens.
I love being able to recap the ShopRite Fall Getaway and show you some of my product takeaways. However, if there is one thing I hope you will think about after reading this is to take the time to really think about the stores you go to on a day to day. Whether it’s your own local grocery store or your ShopRite — think about all that goes into making it your go to store. Every brand has a story. Every brand has a team behind it. I’m always grateful for the time I get to spend with the ShopRite team and for the opportunities they’ve given me to tell their story to all of you. Till next time!
**Thank you to ShopRite for sponsoring this trip. As always, all statements and opinions are my own.
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