Last week my friend Dianna and I got the chance to take a moms only over night trip to Lake George. It was so much fun! Dianna and I have known each other for 20-years. We’ve gone away together for spring break, made it through the heartache of boys, watched each other get married and now we get to witness each other’s journey through motherhood. We get so busy with life that it was so great to get some time to reconnect!
I want to share with you all the fun things we did, but I also want to share with you that going away by yourself is a wonderful thing. I didn’t want to leave my babies behind, but I wanted to get a break from the constant care and routine. Being a stay at home mom running the household and spending 24/7 with the kids IS my job. When my husband takes a vacation he gets to leave his work tasks behind for a week. I just wanted one day.
A one night stay not too far from home was just what I needed to recharge. I came back feeling like a more patient and replenished mom than when I left. Plus dad’s need time to connect with the kiddos too! I get the kids to myself all the time, he deserves to have them all to himself too. Now, I feel like he understands a little better why I am so stressed most of the time. If you’ve ever wanted to make a quick get away but were afraid to leave the kids with hubby- your kids will be fine! So will hubby!
After I realized how much my kids and my husband get out of this situation too, I felt more at ease taking some time for myself. I enjoyed every minute of shopping in the outlets and taking my time trying things on! No one was tugging at my shirt screaming, “mama! mama! mama!” or jumping out of a cart. I even walked through a candy store at a leisurely pace without having to drag a disappointed, tantruming child away. It was simply relaxing.
Now To The Fun Stuff
After we spent time shopping at the Lake George Outlets, we grabbed a late lunch in nearby Queensbury at the Recovery Room Sports Grill. Thankfully my friend was driving so I could enjoy a mid-afternoon cocktail. The food was really good. I discovered later that kids eat for $2.99 all day every day. We will have to remember this on our next trip back to the area.
After lunch we checked into our hotel room. Well, it was actually a motel room and a very run down one at that. We stayed at the Fort William Henry Hotel and Conference Center. We were situated in the motel area of the property instead of the main building. Our room appeared clean, but really run down. Call me crazy but, I expect when I pay money to stay someplace the towels they provide should not be threadbare. I had to search through the pile to find one that was acceptable. The rest of the property seemed well maintained and I may return for one more try because it is a great location, but only if we can get a room in the main hotel.
Once we were all checked in and got ourselves all dolled up, we took the short walk through town to the Adirondack Winery where they treated us to a premium wine tasting. We enjoyed a “slate plate” showcasing local cheese, jellies, crackers and chocolates. We enjoyed seven samples of wine, plus a dessert wine and a full sized wine slushy. I was left wondering where this cocktail has been all my life. Thankfully they sell the slushy mix in-store, along with full sizes of the other treats we sampled. The staff was so wonderfully friendly and knowledgeable about each wine and the source of each local taste. It was a really great start to our night!
The night was still young so we decided to catch some live music and hit the dance floor. There were several places with live bands and DJs. Since it was an off season weekend, most of the places were filled with locals rather than the litany of tourists. We found some place that was fun and vibrant. Even though I was surrounded by college kids half my age, it was still nice to bust a move. Yes, I still got it!
I think a once a year getaway will be a really great way for us to reconnect as friends. We are moms now but we have a deeper history than just motherhood. It’s nice to laugh at all the crazy things we’ve done and catch up on where we are now.
Here are a few tips on planning your own moms only getaway:
We took advantage of a Groupon deal during an off season weekend. This made it affordable for us to stay.
Decide ahead of time the purpose of your stay. Are you looking for adventure? Are you looking to chill by the bar, take in a show or just spend time in the room? Making sure everyone is on the same page ensures no one leaves disappointed.
Bring hotel snacks! It doesn’t have to be fancy, or it can be really fancy. I traveled with someone once who thought sushi and wine are perfectly acceptable tailgate foods. Decide between friends who is bringing what. It could be really indulgent chocolate, or cupcakes and wine.
Take as many photos as you can. It is a lot of fun to look back on your time together.
Don’t feel guilty leaving your husband solo for a night. He is your co-parent after all. Expect that the house WILL be giant mess when you return, or that he will NOT do things exactly as you will. But everyone is going to survive!
Find out what is in the area to see and do. I found the Adirondack Winery on a Pinterest post which lead me to their website. I set up the tasting from there.
Leave a list for hubby. I left behind a list of names and numbers hubby could call for questions, or back up if necessary. This eased both of our worries. Thankfully, he didn’t need the list and he had a great time with the kids!
If going away over night seems like too much don’t feel bad. Until now I only ever dreamed about taking a night for myself. But scheduling time to connect, even over a cup of coffee, is a great way to strengthen your friendships and nurture who you are as a person, not just who you are as a mom. Whether you work outside of the home, work from home or stay home with the kids you deserve some guilt free time to yourself.
Where would you go if you had just one night away from the house and kids?
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The Whatever Mom is a twin mom learning to let go of perfection. She shares her real life struggles with parenting through her blog and contributes her time and talents as a writer to Hudson Valley Parent and Masshole Mommy. When she isn’t writing you can find her chugging coffee, folding laundry and not judging other parents. Don’t forget to subscribe via email so you never miss a blog post again! You can also find her work featured on Mamapedia and The Novice Mommy.
I think every mom needs a little get away like this from time to time. When I go away with the girls, we usually head up to Maine or NH 🙂
Wonderful! I think it is so nice to be able to get a break like this and go away for a few days, of course with a friend you have experienced so much with already makes it the cherry on top. I had a getaway with friends to Barcelona and if was only for two nights with friends and I missed my hubby and little one but was much needed.
After constant being busy I think every Mom deserve a gateaway like this. Glad that you had a fabolous gateaway, and share valuables tips for other Moms.
Glad you got some mom-only time! Looks like a fun place to relax, especially the winery!
Karen | GlamKaren.com
That was my favorite stop!????
I have not been away overnight at all, not without my kids though. Maybe once they are all off on their own I can venture off. I am trying to save all that for when the house is empty and I wont have much to do lol.
Not every mom feels like they need to take time away and that’s OK. It worked well for us!
That sounds like a fun time. I could really use a break myself. My daughter is grown, but my blog is my baby now. I need a little break from it. Lake George looks like a nice spot to take a break!
This is a wonderful idea to give mom a break. It’s only one night. Everyone will be fine without us for one night.
Thankfully the earth was still spinning the next day! (And not because if the wine) ????
Oh my gosh, I love this so much! I need a night away from the kids too!
I go with some girlfriends on a weekend trip once a year and we love it. It is so nice to relax and get re-energized.
YES!!! Girls trip for the win. It is always so therapeutic to get away just for a little bit. Also, those chocolate bears are adorable.
They were truffles! So good!
Looks like you had a great time. Everyone needs to getaway and relax every so often.
I agree!????
I have always wanted to take my kids here! Looks so beautiful! I was there when I was like 2, but I don’t remember!
I can’t wait to take my kids back! They are going to love it! There is a family fun center with a carousel and arcade. Plus beaches. I can’t wait!
The slate plate had a great collection of goodies on it and I especially love the chocolate bears. Girls nights are the best!
What a wonderful night away. I lvoe to travel to new places.
Sounds blissful! I remember when I was in my 20’s I used to see single women in food courts of malls and think, “Nobody is sitting with her… sad!” now I know that mom has finally escaped her chaos for a brief lunch and nobody should bother her! Just give her a thumbs up! Good for you Mom! Now I’m that mom! Sitting alone in a restaurant, content in my complete silence!
First of all, I love the post title..especially “everyone survives.” Also, it looks like y’all had a fabulous time!
We did thank you! That was intended to put other moms at ease. I have so many friends afraid to leave the kids home with hubby because he won’t know what to do. He will figure it out!
Those are some great tips. I have taken a day off without the family before and it all turned out ok. BTW after hearing about the motel, I’m not sure I’d want to stay there. 🙂
Mom’s only getaways are soothing and necessary! It looks like you all had a great time!
Would love to attend a wine tasting, something every woman must do with a friend. Looks like you had a great time 🙂