After Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus or whatever you celebrate in December, most moms are craving some relaxation time. I’ve always debated which busy season for moms is harder, December or May. As a mom of a senior, this whole year has seemed like a busy season! Our family was desperately in need of some sun, relaxation and time to reconnect. I always feel a little bit guilty when I plan an all-inclusive type trip. It kind of seems like cheating for me but by the end of our vacation, I let the guilt go and found time to reconnect as a family.
The first thing I’m not feeling guilty about… Cracking the Whip Before Vacation
We left 2 days after Christmas and I was a tyrant making sure all of the Christmas stuff was put away before departing. It really helped me relax knowing I was not coming home to a dried out tree or a possible burnt down house. Although they probably won’t admit it, I’m sure it was much better for everyone not to come home to a mess.
The second thing I’m not feeling guilty about… Not Exercising
I always feel like I need to get some exercise on vacation. I did go to the gym the first 2 days but gave it up after day 3. My daughter really just wanted to have some time for us to relax by the pool together. We’re the only 2 in our family who enjoy lounging so it was the perfect time for us to chill together. It’s been a long time since it was just the two of us with me counting flips in the pool. I was so worth the 400 calories I may have burned.
The third thing I don’t feel guilty about… Ordering Room Service
As a kid we never ordered room service. It was too expensive and definitely was not in the budget. At an all inclusive resort, you don’t have to feel guilty ordering room service. As a family, we don’t have the patience to sit through 3 meals in one day. I also don’t feel guilty about letting my daughter’s breakfast be a strawberry daiquiri at the pool and mine a margarita.
The fourth thing I don’t feel guilty about…Having Separate Time
I came to the realization that we don’t all have to be together the entire time. Some of my favorite times on this trip was making the beach rounds with Jay, watching Miles skateboard and listening to bands with Sophie and Len. An all inclusive resort makes it easy for everyone to find something that interests them.
The fifth thing I don’t feel guilty about… You Don’t have to Do Everything
We didn’t do all of the things the resort had to offer. Apparently the spa is amazing but I really just wanted to spend time with my family. They had a really cool rock wall that we just didn’t get to doing this time. We all needed time to chill and didn’t want to get up at the crack of dawn to accomplish a check list. When you take a trip to Paris, you definitely don’t want to let your kids sleep until 11 a.m. This allowed me to take a break from being the family alarm. I think everyone appreciated it.
The last thing I don’t feel guilty about…Making it Easy
Sometimes taking an easy trip is exactly what a family needs. Not every trip needs to be Instagram worthy or crossing an item off of a bucket list. Sometimes people look down on all inclusive resorts because it’s not these things. However, this is exactly what our family needed. Our next trip might be a bucket list thing but we’ll definitely be back for an easy and relaxing vacation.
