I recently did a solo weekend trip up north and 48 hours of my just own company was rejuvenating, life-giving and all the things you’d imagine.
I drank coffee while it was still hot; I stayed in bed until 8:30 a.m. (even though my internal alarm clock still woke me up at 5:11 a.m.), and I had slow days that I filled with whatever I wanted to do, whenever I wanted to. No snack times, no nap times, no routines.
Sounds envious (and maybe cliche), right?
Sounds like something another mom could do, but not you?
Nah.
You can do this; Keep reading to see how three local moms (including one mama of a newborn) recently each gave ourselves time away from family to recharge.
We each share how we each made it work because it is different for every family’s situation.
Our hope is by sharing how we all made it work with different situations, you can find inspiration on how to prioritize filling your cup, mama.
XO,
East Valley Moms
48 hours in the pines | Amy’s momcation (entrepreneur, mom of one)
The Strawberry Inn‘s new airstreams have been on my radar for a while, and I finally got a booking. Joke was on me, as I was originally planning to bring Mav until they were unsure if a pack ‘n’ play would fit in the space, so I accidentally had booked myself a solo getaway!
The airstream, and the Strawberry Inn in general, was ideal for a safe, quiet solo trip.
The restored vintage trailers are beautiful, affordable and so comfortable. The property has ample amenities for solo relaxing, and a little low-key exploration without driving anywhere, including a secret bridge and being walking distance to Arizona’s oldest one-room school house.
- Time away: two nights
- how frequently you get away: once a quarter (last trip was to MOPS International Conference)
- how you filled your day/time away: caught up on work, drank too much coffee (Windmill Coffee is a must-stop at the Strawberry Inn, I got the seasonal maple latte) and spent all my time outside (reading outside, hiking, walking and even spotting elk).
- how you combat the ‘mom guilt’: I’m a big believer that I can’t pour from an empty cup, and I’m so lucky to have family that supports my travels. I also find that it keeps both Maverick and I flexible in rhythms and routines–giving us a reminder that it’s okay to mix things up a little bit from time to time.
- tips for keeping the home fire burning: I go into mom getaways knowing that while I’m gone, Mav will probably get a little more screen time, sugar and stay up later than our usual, but that’s part of the tradeoff of getting away. And, I hope Maverick looks back fondly at these weekends with sweet memories of ‘getting away’ with a little more than mom usually lets him. I also always leave ample meal prep for while I’m gone (breakfast/lunch/dinner), but have learned to be okay with the fact that if it doesn’t all get eaten (because spoiling a kiddo when mom is away is fun). So, I like to provide options, but realistic that Happy Meals probably will be swapped for the spaghetti squash casserole I left.
24 hour hotel staycay | Kira’s staycation (full-time working mom of 4)
- time away 24 hours
- how frequently you get away this trip made me realize that overnights like this should happen more frequently. I am hoping to make this something I do at least 2x per year.
- how you filled your day/time away Given my profession (project manager), any trip we take as a family becomes mine to plan end to end. For this overnight, I wanted to be in the moment. So aside from knowing where I was staying and some general things I wanted to do, I just made decisions on activities as I saw fit.
- I enjoyed some solo cocktails and a podcast by the pool, took a long shower and walked to go see a movie by myself, enjoyed dinner at the hotel bar while I read my book, relaxed in bed in the morning with coffee, hit a long workout in the hotel gym, did some much needed skincare, and then ended my trip away by leisurely strolling the aisles of Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s (a favorite pastime).
- how you combat the ‘mom guilt’ This break was MUCH anticipated so I assumed that alone would keep the mom guilt at bay, but as always, as soon as I was saying goodbye to my kids, that guilt started creeping in.
- At one point, I even suggested to my husband that maybe he could bring the kids to enjoy the pool for a few hours (which he immediately, emphatically vetoed). I kept reminding myself on the drive to the hotel, this is me putting my oxygen mask on first and I focused on how great it would be to come back the next day refreshed and relaxed.
- tips for keeping the home fire burning (meal prep for while you’re away/be okay with normal routines being off the rails, etc.) My husband did a great job planning a fun night for the kids – they made pancakes, watched movies and had so much fun together. Knowing I would be away, I used Friday night to do the things I would usually do Sat/Sun so I didn’t feel rushed to come back (some meal prep, laundry etc).
8 hour day spa | Barbara’s day escape to the spa (SAHM to two, including a newborn)
Originally a few months ago, I was going to tag along to Vegas with my husband while he had a work trip and have a spa day at one of the fancy Vegas spas, but when our second adoption happened quickly, that plan got nixed.
Just a few weeks ago, I headed to Aji Spa for a staycation from my sons, aged two years old and two months old.
- time away: 7 hours
- how frequently you get away Not frequently enough! My goal is at least twice a year at least.
- how you filled your day/time away I read an entire book, had spa treatments and ate and drank by myself. It was lovely not having to share my food with my two year old! Honestly, the ‘nothingness’ of the day was what made it so relaxing; no timers on bottles expiring (we use donor milk), no nap schedules, no
- how you combat the ‘mom guilt’ (remember I need this to recharge my batteries to be fully present)
- tips for keeping the home fire burning I went on a Sunday when I knew my husband could stay home/take the reins for the day. Citrus Pear may have also been my dinner time hack so that the boys had a home cooked meal (and leftovers).
