Las Vegas | Girls Trip 2022

GIRLS TRIP TIME!! If the last two years have taught me anything is being with friends and seeing places (other than the inside of my home) fills my soul. Last year my friend Kelly turned 40 and wanted a big blow out destination party but instead we did a quiet girls weekend in Fredericksburg, Texas. After that trip we vowed that we needed a tri-celebration trip every year. I’m a huge fan of Vegas and after all the vaccinations and antibodies we decided it was time.

We headed out of town early Friday morning and stayed through Sunday so it was a jam packed weekend. The flight from DFW takes about 2 hours so it’s not a hard location for just a weekend trip. Kelly was with me two years ago when we stayed at  The Venetian for my 40th birthday and you can see that trip recap here. This time around we stayed at The Cosmopolitan because I feel like it has one of the best locations on the strip with easy access to a ton of shopping, restaurants and other big casinos that I love.

Now one thing about traveling with Kelly and Jen is that they go BIG! Presents, planning, custom made items these ladies are the BEST at this so I get to sit back a bit and just tag along for the ride. Kelly also has frequented Vegas a ton so she knew EXACTLY what she wanted on our list of things to do, so much that she made us the cutest custom itinerary signs.

Etsy Personalized Itinerary

Now one thing I will say about Vegas is it’s great to go with a plan, but also good to stay flexible and adjust as the trip unfolds. We ended up doing most of these stops, but not all of them which is totally ok!

Also BIG tip for Vegas, HYDRATE!!! Set water timers and make sure that every time you have a drink with alcohol have some water too. It’s the desert, lots of walking and a city where lots of people drink with breakfast you have to pace yourself if you are going to make it to nighttime!

To ensure our water (and maybe some other drinks) were looking good Jen had these stunning Yeti cups made from a design she and her husband put together. Then used a local Texas company, Visser Creations to have them engraved. If you are not as creative as Jen there are tons of fun options on Etsy as well.

After we exchanged some presents and got settled in our room we headed to lunch at Momofunku in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. They have an eclectic menu with dishes that have from influence from the US, Korea, and Japan. I opted for the Miso Black Cod and it was sooo delicious!

Steamed Branzino | Miso Black Cod

Then our server surprised us with cookies from Milk Bar which is just across the hallway from Momofuku which are delicious. Best part though you can order Milk Bar online and have them shipped! We order their birthday cakes every year for the kids and I have sent them to friends as well.

After lunch we did a quick look around the casino for my most important, one game that I love to play… Sex and the City slot machine!! Y’all might think I’m crazy but the love for this style machine goes back well over a decade. Most of the time it treats me well, sometimes its a little bit rude.

This time around I found the old AND newest version in our hotel! The old version kicked my rear, the new one paid well. So keep your eyes peeled for the Sex and the City Ultra.

Then we had spa reservations. Looking back I told the girls we REALLY did this out of order! I was ready to gamble, walk, see the sights it was tough for me to immediately wind down.

Although the Sahra Spa in the Cosmopolitan is beautiful. I opted for an 80 minute hot stone massage and y’all I feel like it flew by in an instant. We relaxed and hung out in their amazing hot tub for a bit before heading back to the room to get ready for the evening events.

Jen’s Camo Spanx Leggings | Kelly’s Tunic with mesh back | Cozy Tunic | Commando Neoprene Leggings | GG Sneakers

We all got cleaned up, glammed up and ready for a fun night! Again one of the reasons I wanted to stay at the Cosmopolitan is that some of my favorite bars and restaurants are all here! The best being the Chandelier Bar. The line can be long but we typically just ask to pull up at the bar and grab a drink there prior to dinner no reason waiting.

I’ve tried a few things at this bar but NOTHING compares to their Cosmopolitan! It’s not the typical cranberry rich drink but tastes more like a light sweet tart. I searched the Internet to try and find the secret and here is what I found :

Ryanne’s Outfit: Eliza J Dress | Black Shoes

Then we headed just across the hallway and went to dinner at Beauty & Essex. This speakeasy style restaurant is know for their amazing sharable dishes. We had the Tuna Poke Wonton Tacos, House Made Deep Dish Focaccia Bites, Kale & Apple Salad, Mexican Street Corn Ravioli, Mezze Rigatoni & Cheese and Roasted Brussel Sprouts. Let’s just say we wayyyy over ordered but everything was amazing. I’m still dreaming about the tacos and focaccia bites.

I wish I had more pics of our food but the lighting is so dark in this restaurant it was next to impossible to take a picture. If you have difficultly in low lighting you might want to pass on this experience.

After dinner we headed right next door to the Bellagio to see “O” by Cirque de Soleil. We were so lucky that Jen’s cousin works for Cirque and was able to get us amazing seats. I have seen the show about 10 years ago so I forgot that it is kinda weird.

Online I checked and it says good for kids 5 and older but I honestly think my kids at 7 and 10 wouldn’t love this with the creepy characters. Although the acrobatics and water is amazing this is more of an adult experience in my opinion.

After the show we headed back to the hotel for a fairly early night in Vegas terms.

SATURDAY

The next morning though I knew I wanted to get up early and walk to the Paris hotel which is directly across from Bellagio and only about a 10 minute walk. In the far back hallway lies one of the most amazing breakfast places, La Crêperie! I’m a Nutella girl but you can get sweet or savory options. Just know that it can get BUSY! Going right at opening tend to be the best time.

After breakfast I wanted to gamble a bit more and walk around before it was time to get ready for our Bottomless Drag Brunch that was around lunch time. Instead I spent a good amount of time trying to figure out what the heck I was going to wear!

I originally thought about wearing this coming soon dress from Gibsonlook (more on that later) but instead took a look at my girls and opted for a more fun look with ruffled bodysuit and jeans.

Now of course we also had to wear our birthday tiaras that Kelly had made on Esty! This seller has some INTERESTING items to say the least but the crowns are fun and I’ve never seen anything like mine.

Custom Made Tiara

Ruffle Bodysuit | Express Jeans | Throne Earrings | Dolce Vita Sandals | Sequin Bodysuit | Studded Steve Madden Shoes | Lulu Dress with cutout

Ruffle Bodysuit | Express Jeans | Throne Earrings | Dolce Vita Sandals

Fit tips: Bodysuit tts, L // Jeans tts, 12 // Sandals size up 1/2

Quickly after lunch ended it was time to start getting ready for the evening events, told you it was a whirlwind trip! Two years ago we used Sin City Makeup for my 40th celebration and this year her assistant Alondra from @lalaglamlv did all 3 of our faces.

I abolsutely loved how my makeup turned out it was natural with some glam. I had more lipstick when we started the night but see my photo at the end of the night on how well everything lasted!

Shop all the products Alondra used for my makeup

I also did a fun VIDEO of the before and after

WATCH THE VIDEO

After we were all done up we wanted a quick picture in our amazing glam pajamas that Kelly put together. She curated items from like 4 places to make these festive and perfect gifts. Unfortunately the shimmer pants are sold out but was able to link almost everything else. These made such an incredible gift and a perfect outfit for the next surprise that arrived CAKE!!

Custom Sleep Mask | Black Sequin Duster | Gold Sequin Duster | Silver Sequin Duster | Gold Rhinestone Fringe Slides | Black Rhinestone Fringe Slides

Kelly coordinated with ShowBoy bakeshop winners of Food Network’s Cake wars to design this amazing birthday cake for all of us! It was funfetti flavored (my favorite) with fondant and chocolate balls on top.

Then it was time to pull on my shapewear and eat another meal! Seriously this trip should have been called the Girls Eating all of Vegas trip! Kelly loves Catch at Aria on the other side of The Cosmopolitan, (now do you see why I think it’s the best location on the strip.)

Mesh Dress | Black Heels

Fit Tips: Dress size up, XL // Heels tts

Catch is beautiful inside and feels like you are in a secret garden in the dining room. Catch has epic renditions of Asian-influenced sushi, seafood and steak. Again I love restaurants where you can get a few plates and share it all! We tried the Baby Gem Cesaer Salad, Cath Roll, Wagyu Surk & Turf Roll and Filet. At this point I was stuffed but the waiter heard it was our birthdays and brought out these super fun donut holes.

After dinner we had a bit of time and Jen wanted to learn how to play craps. I’ve played with my husband a few times but I was seriously rusty so it took me a bit to remember how it all worked. After searching around a few tables we found one with some pretty patient dealers and fun people. I was reminded how fun craps can be but I also REALLY enjoy the mindless entertainment of a slot machine lol.

After a little gambling we caught an Uber and headed to Thunder From Down Under at Excalibur. Kelly and I saw this show two years ago for my birthday but Jen had never been to anything like it. Let’s just say it’s still hilarious but also much dirtier than I remembered. I think at this point I’m at my lifelong quota of Thunder!

SUNDAY

Now you would think that after two days of Vegas we would sleep in and enjoy a late morning before heading back home. Nope, I was up by 5am and we were all up I think before 7am. Since it had been a good few hours since we ate last we headed to The Henry because nearly everything else was closed that early.

The original plan was Eggslut and on the way back to our hotel we noticed the line was wrapped around the entire floor so if that’s on your list go early!

We said goodbye to Jen since she had an earlier flight home. Kelly and I walked to Bellagio and found Spago where we could sit down and watch the fountains. We both had salads and it felt great to have something light. We chatted about all the things we would do differently next year, all the things we still want to see and just caught back up on life. Heading to the airport I was so sad to have our trip end but my heart is full, until next year!

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Now after it’s all done I’m sure you are thinking well Ryanne what did you bring to this trio of awesomeness? I’m a practical girl so I packed a bag filled will all the Vegas essentials I could think of! The only downside is the wireless chargers did not fit in my bag so I’m shipping them to the girls.

Peter Thomas Roth Eye Patches | Purell Travel Wipes | Lumify Eye Drops | Lululemon Crossbody bag | Liquid IV (use code THERECRUITERMOM for 20% off ) | Blister Pack | Eucalyptus Hand Sanitizer Spray

3 in 1 charger

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