I'm all for "vacationing" with the kid, but from my experience, a vacation with a child/children is not much of a vacation. Basically, you are doing all of the things you normally do (changing diapers, forcing naptime, cleaning food off the floor, etc.) but way less conveniently.
Since Mike and I have the luxury of a free and willing sitter (my mother), on occasion, we like to sieze the opportunity and go away for a night or a weekend by ourselves.
It's only happened one or two times, but oh my god, waking up at 7am and realizing you can stay in bed for the next few hours without someone demanding to turn on Sesame Street, spilling milk on the sheets and dragging your comforter on the floor to make a tent, is the stuff which "temporarily childless dreams" are made.
In other words, if the opportunity presents itself, I highly recommend you take it.
One of my longtime sponsors is a site called Poshbrood which specializes in highend travel for families— recommendations, special deals and bookings. When they contacted me to arrange a weekend vacation giveaway (one for me, one for a reader), I was a little hesitant.
You mean, pack Mazzy up for the weekend, attempt unsuccessfully to all sleep in the same room and not be able to go out or turn the TV on past 8pm at night?
Oh no no! A trip just for you and Mike!
Okay, now we're talking. Where did you have in mind?
How 'bout…THIS PLACE:
It's called the Blantyre, a Relais & Chateau Property in the Berkshires (about a three hour drive from Manhattan). Since there is no way for me to do it justice (I have not yet been there), I am just going to quote them directly:
"Lying in the heart of the Berkshires is breathtaking Blantyre, a timeless mansion recognized as one of the finest hotels in the world, where guests can experience the re-creation of life and service of a bygone era. Each of the 21 rooms has their own unique identity filled with enchanting art, fine fabrics and furnishings. The property features fine dining, an exemplary wine cellar, spa, and 117 acres of breathtaking grounds to explore including swimming, croquet, tennis, ice skating and walking trails."
Translation: MOST DEFINITELY A CHILD-FREE PLACE.
Sign me up, please!
Wanna come? (Not with me, you can bring the significant other of your choosing.)
Today, Poshbrood is giving away a weekend at the fabulously decadent Blantyre to one of my lucky readers.
The trip is for a couple on the weekend of their choice (subject to blackout dates which include holiday weekends and availability). The package includes luxurious accommodations and breakfast. Room will be assigned upon arrival and will be the HIGHEST CATEGORY AVAILABLE. Room rates go from $600-$2,000 a night and winner will get a premium room so it's easily a $3,000 package.
Time to line up a sitter (my mother is not available but nice try) and enter below!
GIVEAWAY RULES
1) Because this is a very large prize package, you must be a Mommy Shorts Facebook Fan, a Poshbrood Facebook Fan and a Blantyre Facebook Fan to enter. (I promise, it will be worth it.)
Then finish the following sentence in the comment section below: "If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is…"
2) For a second entry, leave a second comment after tweeting the following:
I entered to win a super fancy weekend getaway at the Blantyre via @mommyshorts & @poshbrood. http://bit.ly/w42y50 #valentinesday #giveaway
Winner will be announced Friday, February 24th.
Happy Valentine's Day!
UPDATE: Congratulations to Susan M! Please contact me at myshort@mommyshorts.com to claim your prize. To read more about the contest results in "Sleep Beats Sex in Unscientific Survey", click here.
—————————–
Speaking of Valentine's Day, check out Mazzy's "Deconstructed Valentine" on Babble today. This is what happens when a non-crafty mom and a toddler get together to make something special for Daddy. I'm sure he'll love it!
Tweeted too. Blantyre = paradise ;).
….roll over and go back to sleep!
jump for joy
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is… Hog the bed and go right back to sleep!
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is go for a pee. Alone. #motherhoodproblems
I liked and tweeted 🙂
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room I would silently thank my husband for staying home with the kids. And then I would go back to sleep.
If I woke up in a child-free room, the first thing I would do is…..go back to sleep!
I already made my comment on Facebook, but I’m leaving it again here, just in case!
I’d trash the place just like I was a rock star…just because I wouldn’t be the one that has to clean it up. And then I’d sleep until security came to remove me from the building.
I “liked” all the pages & tweeted the promotion!
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is… snuggle closer to my husband and whisper in his ear for him to call room service while I drift peacefully back to sleep.
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is… my wife!
‘If I woke up in a child-free in a hotel room I would…. roll over and cuddle my husband and enjoy the silence. We could doze in and out without being half awake listening for little sneaky foot patters down the hall. We could sleep naked and enjoy marriage again after 5 yrs of being parents to 3 sour patch kids. We could shower together, eat breakfast together. THEN do NOTHING. or SOMETHING. Anything but constant cup, sippy cup and bottle filling. Breaking up fights, cleaning messes, changing diapers, cleaning up accidents from our potty trainer. Picking up after our dog and cat. We could fall in love all over again, and recooperate any lost love. We could get a fresh start for the next 5 yrs. Get that mini honeymoon we never got to have. We could. enjoy the silence….
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I’d do would be to smile at my normally annoyingly still asleep husband, then roll over and immediately fall back to sleep without any guilt!
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is kisseth my dearest husband in preparation for the reenactment of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet which would them follow before going to whatever was playing at Shakespeare and Company that evening (a place I used to travel two hours to frequent in high school to satisfy my craving for my love of Shakespeare and which I have not been back to since). It would be simply blissful to reconnect as the economy has forced us to live in two separate states during the week these last three years (the kids, dogs and I in one state, he in another). I miss him like mad when he’s away. “All days are nights to see till I see thee and nights bright days when dreams do show thee to me” -Shakespeare-
… make mad passionate love to the one who helped give me those lovely, noisy, back-at-home-with-a-babysitter-Children and then go back to sleep. 😉
If I woke up child free hotel room I would have loud sex like we did when we were newlyweds and then go back to sleep. I would say have an adult drink with every meal but I am pregnant with #2. Otherwise that’s what I would do. I liked all 3 facebook pages!
If I woke up childless in a hotel room I would probably snuggle up to my husband and go back to sleep. It would be nice not to have my human alarm clock wake me up for once! 🙂
If I woke up child free in a hotel room, I would pinch myself and then pinch my husband. After that I would take the longest, hottest shower where I would then shampoo/ condition my hair, and shave my legs. Those two things usually take me two showers.
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is smile and order room service
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is….pretty much the same as other days being child free!
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is go back to sleep.
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is…go back to sleep for sure. And it looks like I’m in good company here. Now excuse me while I go get some more coffee!
Tweet!
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is go back to sleep and sleep in for once!!!!
I tweeted at https://twitter.com/#!/Ireland77L/status/173101887191650304
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is…pull the covers tighter and relish the quiet couple time.
I would quell that sense of panic that something was horribly wrong, and trade it immediately for sheer bliss. And then I would roll over and have sex with my husband, who would notice that my cellulite had mysteriously vanished and that we both suddenly had the sex drive of 18 year olds. And then I would make world peace. Okay, self-peace. Surely that’s worth something too!
I tweeted.
….. order room service and while waiting, snuggle with my hubby in SILENCE & no interuptions!!
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is…crawl back into bed and thank my husband for getting rid of the kids. About 5 times.
“If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is…” make a to-do list of everything I want do to during my kid-free weekend. i wouldn’t want to waste a single minute. Then, I would decide to ignore the list altogether. Maybe day dream, read or wander…
I’m going to wake up. Shower and Pee without a small pair of eyes apprising my physique. I’ll watch the news without small voice lobbying for more exciting program. I’m going to enjoy sole use of my iPhone. I’m going to fearlessly wear all white before we leave the hotel room without a single bag, cheese product or sippy cup whatsoever in order to enjoy a leisurely late breakfast with the beautiful, carefree, childless 20 somethings we (hopefully) drank-the-bar-dry with last night!
“If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is…” enjoy the quiet stillness of a luxury hotel, with soft sheets and a duvet to be smothered in, and then I would wait for my husband to wake, and catch up with the man who deserves the break even more than I do.
If I woke up child-free in a hotel room, the first thing I would do is…enjoy the peace and take a moment to have a conversation with the hubs that actually includes full sentences and fully formed thoughts (other than: are you driving carpool or am I?)
tweet complete!
yes, I Tweeted too !!