Hello again! I am super excited to bring you this blog which I hope will be the first in a series called “Momscapes on a Budget.” [MOMSCAPE. Noun. To escape my real life and live the good life with out children. Taking the Husband is optional.] Today I am actually super early to work, no not because I am super motivated and killing this cold Monday. It is because I had to take Brianna to school and to be honest I am the walking dead after an awful night sleep. Why did I have an awful night of sleep you ask? I HAVE A 3 YEAR OLD. I think that is explanation enough…but for those who do not know what that is like yet, let me paint you a picture…imagine being in the middle of a wine fueled dream when a handsome, yet short human climbs into bed next to you. He smells of urine, desperation and morning breath. He steps on your uterus in an attempt to get over to your side of the bed, gets as close to you as humanly possible, and proceeds to pass out with his knee in your back all while pushing you so far to the end of the bed that all it will take is one of his MMA style side kicks to send you to the floor.
But I digress. One of my goals for this blog is to teach other Moms how to get the little escapes that we all need, and to try to do this on a Mom friendly budget…that statement of course has many layers. What is a Mom budget? How can you fit an escape in when you are a single Mom, or have several children? I will try to address as many situations as I can so that this blog helps many types of Moms and not just Moms like me. Who is a Mom like me? I am married, a three year old son, a 15 year old step-daughter who lives with us part time, my 19 year old sister lives with us and I currently work two jobs. So I understand how impossible it feels to do something for yourself. But I promise you won’t regret it if you give some of my hacks and “momscapes” a try.
On to the goods. This post is about Mirbeau Spa and Hotel in Plymouth, MASS. To me this place is a little hidden gem. It is by no means cheap, but if you continue to read you will see how you can feel like you are in the French Country Side, even if it is only for a few hours.
THE BASICS: (straight from the website) “Mirbeau Inn & Spa Plymouth is a 50-guestroom spa retreat combining the amenities of a gracious French manor house, a world-class spa, and casually elegant dining, all with the elegant comforts and residential feel of a private estate” There are guest rooms, a restaurant and a spa which make your opportunities endless. Now when I say spa, I am not talking about a lobby where they play music as you wait for a service. I am talking a large outdoor jacuzzi pool, an outdoor bar, a heated outdoor pavilion, complimentary robes, a “quiet room” that has a foot soaking tub, complimentary tea, noise cancelling headphones, lounge chairs, and a locker room with a sauna.
So….lets talk options and tricks.
Option 1) Mom who has to get back to the kids: You only have a few hours to get away (maybe while the kids are in school). Any spa service you book gives you access to the spa all day long. You are able to check in an hour before your appointment and then spend the whole day in the facility, this includes gym and fitness classes for free. So if you are looking to penny pinch (as most services are pricey) I suggest getting yourself the signature 50 minute pedicure. It is $70 Monday-Thursday. If it were me I would book for around 10:30. I would arrive at 9:00, check in and take a 9:15 yoga class (check out the schedule for specifics but M-Th they seem to have some form of beginner slow flow class.) https://www.plymouth.mirbeau.com/wellness-membership No need to bring anything, they provide the mat, the bolster and water right outside the fitness area. Then, head in to the locker room to change into your robe (be sure to bring your bathing suit and wear it under you robe for the jacuzzi pool). After your 10:30 pedicure you can hit the restaurant upstairs for their robe friendly lunch, or lay in the quiet room with a pair of noise cancelling headphones and take a nap. (like my husband in the photo above). The restaurant featuring white robe lunch is a nice touch and really allows you to feel fully pampered. If you are looking to save a bit you can order a lunch trio which includes quiche, a bistro salad and cup of soup for $14. If you are looking to splurge, splurge for a glass of Pierre Sparr Riesling which is a dry and bubbly glass of heaven. Once you are done with lunch, a nap or both, head outside and dip in the hot jacuzzi pool before heading into the locker room for a quick steam room sesh and shower. You will be rejuvenated and relaxed and back in time to get the kids. Now if you have a few more hours before Mom duties resume, you are able to use the facility until close, which is 9pm. So you can literally stay there all day. Bring a friend! Share a glass of Prosecco and RELAX!
The total for this beautiful ‘momscape’ day, including a yoga class, pedicure, lunch and a glass of wine is about $120, give or take a few dollars for tips and taxes. I know to some $120 is a substantial amount of money. But think of it this way, if you put aside $1.00 a day you would be able to do this little getaway at least twice a year!! If you have the money to upgrade your spa treatment I suggest the signature facial (ask for Liz she is the best) which costs $140 Mon-TH. Or a signature massage for the same price Mon-Th.
Option 2: Kid Free night with a girlfriend or spouse
One of the least known secrets is that if you are a guest of the hotel you are free to use the spa area from check in to check out (and I pushed that check out time frame a bit). If you are able to score a kid free night with a friend you are able to split everything, which opens you up to some savings while still feeling like a pampered goddess. Prices for the rooms vary from $280 a night to a whopping $500 so if you are looking to save you really need to focus on flexibility. Earlier in the week, not near a Holiday, you can score a two queen bed room for $280 per night, plus fees and taxes, there is a spa fee of about $30. So lets look into some of the money saving tips and tricks to make this trip enjoyable.
Before you arrive stop a a local liquor store and Dollar Store. Stock up on snacks, your liquor of choice and a bottle of prosecco. Check in is around 3:30, bring your things in, mix a cocktail and get into your robes (which are in you room). While in your robes you are able to take the elevator right down to the spa entrance and start you day! Now of course you can book a spa treatment if you wish but if you are trying to save, just enjoy the relaxing spa as it is and be sure to check out the fitness classes (link above) if you are looking to get some yoga in.
Now lets talk food, if you are looking to splurge I recommend room service dinner and breakfast. The dinner menu is not cheap but the Steak and Frites ($40.00) is large enough for two people and it does not disappoint. When I went with a girlfriend in July we shared room service and ate in our robes in front of the fire while binge watching Sex Life on Netflix…be like us…you won’t regret it. Bringing some snacks from the Dollar Store and BYOB helps with the cost. If you are also feeling breakfast in bed the hotel provides room service cards you can fill out the night before and hang on your door. Skip ordering coffee, they have a small Keurig in the room and complimentary coffee in the lobby. And who are you kidding? After a full nights sleep in these plush beds, with no kids to wake you up, you will not need your daily caffeine fix. Stick with two glasses of orange juice (spice it up with the Prosecco you brought) and if you are really savvy you can buy an OJ at the Dollar store, bring it with you and just keep it on ice. The OJ is $3.50 per glass so if you brought your own you are saving $7.00, and a Mimosa on their menu is $11 and only available after 10 am, so you are saving over $20 bringing your own. A light breakfast is all you need before heading back to the spa, you can score a delicious house baked croissant for $4.00 each and then split an omelet which is $12.00. Once you have slept in, ate and relaxed, pack up your bags and take them down with you to the spa. You can use the lockers to lock everything up and spend the day relaxing. The hotel regulations says that you can use the spa until your 12:00 check out, but my husband and I were down there at least until 3:00 and no one said a word.
The total for this ‘momscape’ night away with dinner room service, breakfast room service, the snacks and drinks you bring with you (which I estimated to be about $25), two spa days with no services totals approximately $400. Give of take taxes, spa fees, tips. This would mean you and you friend would each spend $200. With my save $1 a day plan you could do this once a year and really treat yourself. Of course if you are looking to upgrade I suggest adding a spa service, or drinks at the outside bar.
If you have stuck through until the end of this I appreciate it!! I hope this will be one of the many posts where I talk about Momscapes on a budget. Here is the link to the hotel site, though I recommend calling to book things as customer service is very helpful. https://www.plymouth.mirbeau.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiAo4OQBhBBEiwA5KWu_3enJqqcnlYgptrlDoNCRFgQks1s5VKynQdz0edauT7SFJ8htIZP0RoCWX0QAvD_BwE
Suddenly Santilli 