Tend the Fire | 7 November 2026
Join us on Saturday, November 7 for a day of connection, creativity, and renewal. Co-hosted by Anita Begnaud, Allison El Koubi, and Asheley Tuck, this women’s retreat invites you to slow down, gather in warmth and community, and consider what it means to tend the fire within.
As the nights grow longer and the days colder, join us in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains for a women’s retreat centered on warmth, coziness, and connection. This day of reflection and renewal invites you to embrace the spirit of hygge: gathering around the fire, tending to your own inner spark, and making space for what will sustain you as we enter the holiday season.
Why Tend the Fire?
Fire needs tending. Too little attention and it fades. Too much fuel, too quickly, and it burns itself out.
The same can be true for us.
As we move toward the fullness of the holiday season, Tend the Fire offers a day to notice what is warming and sustaining you, what may be consuming too much of your energy, and what you want to keep alive through the darker months ahead.
Together, we’ll explore fire as both a source of warmth and a metaphor for our own energy, creativity, relationships, and sense of purpose. Through time outdoors, meaningful conversation, creative practices, nourishing food, and plenty of fireside coziness, we’ll make space to tend what matters.
What the Day Might Hold
Throughout our day together, we'll move between gathering and spaciousness, shared experiences and time to simply be. You can expect a thoughtful mix of:
woodland wandering • mindful movement • community circle • creative reflection • fire tending • nourishing food • fika • fireside connection • quiet • warmth • laughter • space
Everything is an invitation. There is nothing to accomplish.
Tend the Fire at a Glance
WHEN
Saturday, November 7, 2026
TIME
10 AM–6 PM
Come as early as 9 AM for coffee + pastries. Stay after 6 and linger around the fire.
WHO
An intimate gathering of approximately 30 women
WHAT
A full-day retreat designed to foster connection and renewal in body, mind, spirit, and heart.
HOW
Through intentional experiences in the autumn woods, around the fire, in circle, and over delicious food and drink.
Meet Your Co-Hosts
Anita Begnaud is a connector, strategist, and champion for the places and people she loves. After leading marketing efforts on a statewide stage in Virginia, she followed her heart back home to Lafayette, Louisiana, where she now leads an economic development start-up, drawing on 15 years of experience to turn big ideas into meaningful community impact.
Known for her high-energy leadership and ability to bridge big-picture vision with thoughtful execution, Anita is at her best when helping others recognize possibility in their surroundings and themselves. She leads with clarity, warmth, and an infectious belief in what can happen when people come together around something that matters.
Allison El Koubi is the founder of Idyllwood Mountain Retreat and Home From Away, where she creates experiences rooted in connection, renewal, and belonging. A lifelong educator and former public school principal, she has spent more than 25 years creating spaces where people and communities can pause, reflect, connect, and grow.
Drawing inspiration from the Blue Ridge Mountains, Allison weaves together time in nature, meaningful conversation, creativity, and nourishing hospitality. Her deepest hope is that each person who comes to Idyllwood leaves feeling more connected to themselves, to one another, and to the wild beauty of the world around them, with a little more warmth to carry home.
Asheley Tuck has found her calling in helping people find their way home as a realtor. With more than 20 years of experience in property management and maintenance coordination, she brings a deep understanding of residential real estate along with the steady, grounded presence that helps people feel cared for along the way.
Whether she is guiding clients, coaching runners through a 10K or half marathon, leading Cub Scouts, or showing up as a devoted friend and “village mom,” Asheley brings warmth, attention, and care. She has a quiet gift for helping people feel supported and capable, and a deep commitment to the relationships and communities she tends.
Gather Around the Table
Food is part of how we gather at Idyllwood. Our shared meals create their own kind of spaciousness, inviting us to slow down, linger, and connect around the table.
Come as early as 9 AM for coffee, tea, and a light breakfast before our retreat begins at 10. Throughout the day, we’ll gather for brunch, fika, and dinner, with drinks and snacks available along the way.
Fika is a Swedish ritual of pausing for a hot drink and something sweet, enjoyed in the company of others.
We’ll do our best to accommodate dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free.
Choose the Contribution that Fits Your Season
At Idyllwood, whether we gather around a fire, in a circle, or at a shared table, each presence strengthens the whole. Our sliding scale is rooted in trust and reciprocity, an invitation to choose the contribution that feels right for your season.
$397 | Sustaining Contribution
Covers your place and helps set another seat at the table, keeping the circle wide and welcoming.
$197 | Shared Contribution
Reflects the true cost of creating this experience and sharing in the food, space, and care that nourish our gathering.
$97 | Supported Contribution
Makes participation more accessible when a lower contribution is helpful.
No matter which contribution you choose, the welcome is the same. Your presence completes our gathering.
A Few Things You Might Be Wondering
Can I stay overnight?
Yes! You're welcome to camp at Idyllwood on Friday and/or Saturday night at no additional cost. Campers have access to the half-bathrooms at Idyllwood Barn, and we'll provide plenty of firewood to keep things cozy. Meals outside of Saturday's retreat are on your own. Prefer a bed? We can also point you toward nearby places to stay.
Can my family come for the weekend?
The retreat itself is for women ages 18+, but Idyllwood is surrounded by wonderful places for families to explore. Some participants choose to stay nearby with their families, enjoying Friday evening and Sunday together while reserving Saturday for the retreat.
What if it's cold or rainy?
November weather is part of the experience! We'll spend time in the woods and around the fire as conditions allow, with Idyllwood Barn offering a warm, cozy place to gather. We'll adapt our plans to whatever the day brings, with plenty of opportunities to warm up by the fire.
How active is the retreat?
We'll walk in the woods, enjoy gentle movement, and spend time outdoors, but this isn't a fitness retreat. Activities are invitational, and we'll make space for different bodies, abilities, and energy levels. Come exactly as you are.
Still wondering about something?
Visit our Retreat FAQs.
Ready to Tend the Fire?
We'd love to make space for you in the circle.
