First up is our 2nd Annual Festival of Lights Hanukkah Party happening this Wednesday, December 21 from 5pm to 7pm. Everyone is welcome, so come join us for latkes, songs and Menorah lighting.

Leading up to Christmas, we’re having a Holiday Movie Screening on the 23rd, Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides on the afternoon of the 24th, our annual Jingle Bell Jaunt on the morning of the 25th, and then the Christmas Grand Buffet during the day. Check our Events Calendar for the full list.

Lastly, Jimmy’s Pub has been fully decked out for holidays. Our football food was so popular during the fall that we’ve decided to extend the specials all the way through until Super Bowl Sunday. Also, Jimmy’s is one of the only restaurants in Ojai that offers NFL Sunday Ticket, so it’s always a lively spot to watch pro and college games on the big screen.

Aside from all these events, we wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year!

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In terms of food, Chefs Chad and Calvin are on hand with three great options. Join us for our New Year’s Eve Buffet in the Anacapa Ballroom from 7pm to 9pm. Enjoy our dinner dance with live entertainment, a midnight champagne toast and balloon drop at the countdown. If you are in the mood for a quieter meal, plan your New Year’s Eve Dinner at Maravilla. We are seating guests between 8pm and 9pm, but book early as spots are limited! Lastly, join us for our New Year’s Day Brunch Buffet on January 1st from 10am to 2pm in the Anacapa Ballroom.

Special to this year, we are introducing a New Year’s Eve Celebration for the Kids hosted by our team at Camp Ojai. Aimed at children aged 5 to 12 years old, our younger guests are invited to come to the Ballroom from 6:30pm to 12:30pm for a fun New Year’s Party. The cost per kid is $50.

The food will include mini pizzas, mac ‘n’ cheese, sliders, fruit and a cookie decorating table. The theme is New Year’s Eve Around the World and children are encouraged to participate in Arts ‘n’ Crafts and make something based on the specific country they learned about. Then, they can curl up in their jammies on comfy bean bag chairs and enjoy a holiday movie screening with popcorn. This Camp Ojai event will be open to hotel guests attending one of the two dinners at the Inn on New Year’s Eve.

To help get you in the spirit of the New Year, inquire about our New Year’s Eve Spectacular. This package includes a dinner dance with live entertainment, midnight champagne toast and balloon drop in the Anacapa Ballroom. Follow the festivities with our incredible New Year's Day brunch for two. As our gift to you, receive a $200 resort credit towards other festivities at the Inn or your choice of a dinner, spa treatment or round of golf.

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Twelve Drummers Drumming (aka the Mistletoe Martini)
1 ½ oz sambuca
cherry juice, splash of pineapple juice
shake with ice & pour into martini glass
garnish with skewered 2 cherries and mint

Eleven Pipers Piping
1 ½ oz sapphire gin
1 ½ oz fresh oj
¼ oz parfait amor
½ oz st. germain
shake/strain into martini glass, garnish with an orange wedge

Ten Lords a Leaping
1 ½ oz tangueray gin
¾ oz cranberry juice
½ oz white crème de menthe
splash of cointerau, splash of lime
shake with ice & pour into martini glass
garnish with a sprig of mint

Nine Ladies Dancing
½ oz raspberry puree
½ oz blueberry puree
½ oz blackberry puree
½ oz lemonade
¼ oz simple syrup
2 oz effen vodka
shake/pour into martini glass, garnish with skewered berries

Eight Maids a Milking
1 oz amaretto
2 oz white godiva chocolate
dab of whipped cream
shake/pour into martini glass
top with whipped cream and nutmeg

Seven Swans a Swimming
2 oz captain morgan’s run
¼ drambuie
¼ pumpkin spice
fill with hot cider-serve in a glass coffee mug
garnish with a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon stick

Six Geese a Laying
muddle basil & mint
2 oz grey goose vodka
1 oz pineapple juice
½ oz simple mint syrup
1 oz orange juice
shake/pour over ice in highball, garnish with an orange twist

Five Golden Rings
1 oz tuaca
2 oz cazadores
1 lime, juiced
1 ½ oz fresh orange juice
dab of agave syrup
salt rim of rocks glass
shake/pour
garnish with lime wedge and a splash of cranberry juice

Four Calling Birds (aka Santa's Nightcap)
2 oz. glenkinchie 10 years aged
¼ oz. amaretto
4oz. steamed hot cranberry juice
fresh lemon twist for zest
served in a glass coffee mug with a fresh lemon twist

Three French Hens
1 ½ oz brandy
¾ oz fresh lime juice
dash of bitters
1 oz mint syrup
shake/pour into champagne flute
garnish with an orange twist

Two Turtle Doves
1 ½ oz white crème de menthe
½ oz absolute vodka
shake with ice, pour into martini glass
garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings

Partridge in a Pear Tree
1 ½ oz absolut pear vodka
½ oz midori
½ oz apple pucker
½ oz lemonade
shake/pour into martini glass, garnish with a skewered slice of pear

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Under the direction of our Director of Engineering, Brian Skaggs, and his team, the Gingerbread Display began as a wooden façade. Constructed of plywood and 2x4s, along with real glass panes for the windows, this façade provides the stability for the display. Special thanks to Lucy for painting the fence!

Chefs Chad, Calvin, Didier and Billy along with the assistance of bakers Martha, Teresa and Ivy spent 84 hours in creating this masterpiece. Two hundred pounds of gingerbread dough were rolled, cut and baked to create 116 12x12 gingerbread shingles and 95 4x10 roof tiles. In constructing the window and doorway, eight pounds of dark chocolate and ten pounds of rolling fondant were used.

Be sure to scroll through all the pictures. The list of all-natural ingredients follows:
Brown sugar - 20 pounds
Shortening - 10 pounds
Eggs - 100
Honey - 15 quarts (3 3/4 gallons)
All Purpose Flour - 100 pounds
Water - 5 quarts (1 1/2 gallons)
Ground Ginger, allspice and cloves - 10 ounces each
Ground Cinnamon - 20 ounces (1 pound, 4 ounces)
Baking Soda - 40 ounces (1 pound, 8 ounces)

Icing:
Powdered sugar - 50 pounds
Egg Whites - 75 (80 ounces or 5 pounds)
Lemon Juice - 2 cups (juice from 64 fresh lemons)

Candy:
Various candy canes - 15 pounds
Gumdrops - 6 pounds
Hershey kisses - 23 large ones (see if you can find them all!)
Iced gingerbread cookies - 80

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And if you are undecided, come by the spa front desk to take a peek at our aromatic samples. As well, we will offer this seasonal selection in retail size; year-round for the thick nourishing Polish and Body Butter and the lighter Jojoba Moisturizer. Here’s a detailed outside of the various treatments available and what revitalizing ingredients they contain.

Ojai Cocoa Pomegranate Jojoba Sugar Polish
Contains healing jojoba oil that conditions and protects your skin, while pure cane sugar buffs and conditions. Apply with hands or a bath mitt in gentle circular strokes from heels to neck prior to bathing or showering, taking care not to slip on oily surfaces.

KEY INGREDIENTS:
Sugar - is an effective humectant meaning it brings moisture into the skin and helps keep it there.
Jojoba Oil - the chemical structure closely matches the oils our skin naturally produces, so it is easily absorbed and assimilated leaving a silky conditioned finish with no greasy residue. Prized for cosmetic use, it enters the skins pores, cleansing and softening, and carrying other therapeutic agents deep into the skin.
Aloe Vera - is used for minor burns, sunburn, eczema, psoriasis, skin irritations, insect bites, minor cuts, scratches and wounds. It acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and hastens wound-healing by enhancing cell proliferation. It also holds moisture and adds flexibility to retard aging.
Cocoa - contains anandamide and other N-acetylethanoamine derivatives (brain lipids that bind to cannabinoid receptors), which may be responsible for the feeling of pleasure people describe when they consume or smell chocolate. Also, there is evidence that cocoa liquor polyphenols are effective in preventing the skin damaging chemical reaction by scavenging active oxygen radicals.
Pomegranate Oil - is luxurious and deeply penetrating oil extracted with CO2 from the organic seeds of pomegranate fruit. This highly prized oil is naturally high in flavonoids and punicic acid which is remarkable for the skin and has numerous dietary benefits as well. Deeply nourishing to the outer epidermal layer, Pomegranate seed oil provides powerful anti-oxidant benefits for numerous skin ailments including eczema, and psoriasis and gently challenges free radicals that damage and age the skin.

Other Ingredients: sugar, sesame seed oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower seed oil, jojoba seed oil, pomegranate extract, vegetable glycerin, natural vitamin E, fragrance, aloe vera leaf juice, rosemary extract, organic black willow bark extract, and cocoa powder.

Ojai Cocoa Pomegranate Shea Body Butter
Is made from pure plant butters and emollients and will nourish and hydrate your skin, leaving a silky soft feel. Apply generously all over the body after bathing/showering or at any time of the day.

KEY INGREDIENTS:
Shea Butter - is wonderfully rich in Vitamins A and E and not only works to make the skin more soft, supple and hydrated, it also has been shown to aid healing. Although the exact mechanisms are not understood, it has often dramatic effects in cases of eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, dermatitis, sunburn, scarring and the prevention of stretch marks.
Jojoba Oil - the chemical structure closely matches the oils our skin naturally produces, so it is easily absorbed and assimilated leaving a silky conditioned finish with no greasy residue. Prized for cosmetic use, it enters the skins pores, cleansing and softening, and carrying other therapeutic agents deep into the skin.
Pomegranate Oil - is a luxurious and deeply penetrating oil extracted with CO2 from the organic seeds of pomegranate fruit. This highly prized oil is naturally high in flavonoids and punicic acid which is remarkable for the skin and has numerous dietary benefits as well. Deeply nourishing to the outer epidermal layer, Pomegranate seed oil provides powerful anti-oxidant benefits for numerous skin ailments including eczema, and psoriasis and gently challenges free radicals that damage and age the skin.

Other Ingredients: purified water, aloe vera leaf juice, shea butter, safflower seed oil, vegetable glycerin, isopropyl palmitate, glyceryl stearate, emulsifying wax nf, stearic acid, jojoba seed oil, certified organic infusions of chamomile, echinacea, green tea, and lavender, sesame seed oil, grape seed oil, avocado oil, fragrance, allantoin, cucumber extract, witch hazel, evening primrose, carbomer, cetyl alcohol (from palm oil), vitamin E, pomegranate extract, dimethicone, citric acid, panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), mannan, organic black willow bark extract, neem oil, rosemary oleoresin, tetrasodium EDTA, ethylhexylglycerin and phenoxyethanol.

Ojai Cocoa Pomegranate Jojoba Body Lotion (retail only)
Is a rich, easily absorbing body moisturizer made of natural plant emollients and botanical extracts. Scented with the sweet smell of cocoa and pomegranate, it is a treat for the sense. Apply as needed, paying attention to areas of dryness.

KEY INGREDIENTS:
Jojoba Oil - the chemical structure closely matches the oils our skin naturally produces, so it is easily absorbed and assimilated leaving a silky conditioned finish with no greasy residue. Prized for cosmetic use, it enters the skins pores, cleansing and softening, and carrying other therapeutic agents deep into the skin.
Avocado - a rich, penetrating oil that is full of nutritive and therapeutic components. It contains vitamins A, C, D and E, proteins, beta-carotene, lecithin, fatty acids and the "youth mineral" potassium. Avocado oil is high in plant sterolins which have superior moisturizing effect on the upper layer of the skin and are beneficial in reducing age spots, softening the skin, and reducing scars.
Pomegranate Oil - is a luxurious and deeply penetrating oil extracted with CO2 from the organic seeds of pomegranate fruit. This highly prized oil is naturally high in flavonoids and punicic acid which is remarkable for the skin and has numerous dietary benefits as well. Deeply nourishing to the outer epidermal layer, Pomegranate seed oil provides powerful anti-oxidant benefits for numerous skin ailments including eczema, and psoriasis and gently challenges free radicals that damage and age the skin.

Other Ingredients: purified water, safflower seed oil, vegetable glycerin, isopropyl palmitate, glyceryl stearate, stearic acid, jojoba seed oil, certified organic organic herbal infusions of chamomile, echinacea, green tea and lavender, aloe vera, sesame seed oil, grape seed oil, avocado oil, fragrance, allantoin, cucumber extract, carbomer, cetyl alcohol, pomegranate extract, vitamin E, dimethicone, citric acid, panthenol (pro-vitamin B5), ethylhexylglycerin and phenoxyethanol.

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To get the adventure started, pick up your ‘Destination Ojai – Passport to the Holidays’ for this weekend, December 3 – 4, to guide you through all 33 participating shops and eateries. You can get your passport at every locale; all fitted with beautiful window displays and holiday refreshments. Also, be ready for acapella singers in the streets on Saturday afternoon and an appearance from Santa on Sunday morning. Then, have your passport stamped wherever you go and enter a draw for a chance to win amazing prizes. Sponsored by the Ojai Village Merchants, the full list of participants includes:

1. Barts Books
2. Busy Babes Beauty Boutique
3. Curly Willow
4. Chirp Boutique
5. Dan Schultz Fine Art Studio
6. Down Home Furnishings
7. Feast Bistro
8. HumanArts Gallery
9. Garden Terrace
10. Jersey Mike’s Subs
11. Jones & Company: The Art of the Home
12. Kava Home
13. Kindred Spirit
14. Kingston Candy Co.
15. Knead Baking Company
16. Los Caporales
17. Made in Ojai
18. Matilija Mailcall
19. Modern Folk Living
20. New Leaf Skincare
21. Nomad Gallery
22. Nutmeg's Ojai House
23. Ojai Terrain
24. Ojai Village Pharmacy
25. Rains
26. Serendipity Toys
27. Soul Centered
28. Studio C Hair Design
29. Studio Sauvageau
30. Treasures of Ojai
31. Trowbridge Gallery
32. V is for Vintage
33. White Sparrow Boutique

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In the picture is the leading team from our 4th Annual Turkey Trot, held last Friday morning on November 25th. We had a good mix of staff and guests who got up early and accepted the challenge with everyone from fast finishers to casual strollers. Even our Resort Manager, Shaun O’Bryan, joined the pack with his son Kyle, both avid turkey trotters! Thanks to everyone who participated and see you next year.

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Chicken or Ground Beef Nachos for Two
A Super Bowl of Onion Rings
All-You-Can-Eat Chicken Wings with Hot or Mild Sauce

All are perfect for watching the game and available throughout the holiday weekend! Also, our Jimmy's Gourmet Dog will also be available. Jimmy’s Pub will open on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 24) at 9am so you can see some football starting at the time of the first kick off until the last play of the day. Spread the word then come join us at Jimmy’s and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!

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Pumpkin Spice Latte - with Spiced Rum

Mocha Irish Cream – with Irish Cream Liqueur

Peppermint Latte – with Peppermint Schnapps and Frangelica

Chocolate Mint Mocha – with Chocolate Mint Liqueur

Cinnamon Latte – with Vanilla Citrus Liqueur

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This is your chance to see the Ojai Valley like never before through a quality cycling experience. You can even make it a day trip and bike down to the beaches in Ventura or into Santa Barbara for the day. Just come by the Resort Shop and browse our fleet of bikes parked right outside, including mountain bikes, touring road bikes, tandem bikes, electric bikes and tow-behind trolleys for the kids.

This launch is also available for groups, so don’t hesitate to call about rental prices and make your reservation, or come down to the resort and let us assist you in planning your route. And be sure to share this new offer with your bike enthusiast friends!

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