My friend in Atlanta said she was game; she could leave her kids with her husband, fly down to Orlando and meet me there.  But first, I had to figure out a way to pawn my 6-year-old off on my parents and convince him that it was much better to stay behind than go on an all-access trip to stand in front of Brett Favre's locker like his brother.

I told Brandon he'd have a waaaaay better time learning how to play chess with grandpa!!! Hmmmm. He thought about that.  "Nope."

"O.K., Grandpa will take you to the Magic Trick shop!"  I said in desperation. Getting better.  "And, you can go swimming and have 2 desserts!" Sold.

My girlfriend and I are both totally exhausted from our tour of duty as drill sergeants to two boys each and we really needed a break!  She was up for our much-needed Mom's Getaway Weekend.  Since I am the travel expert, I started to put the plan in motion. My husband said he was having visions of the two of us with towels on our heads. He wasn't so far off!  A trip to the spa was definitely at the top of my agenda.

With a quick kiss good-bye, I headed out of Tampa to the Ritz's Grande-Lakes property.I was also on several assignments to research family-friendly resorts and outlet shopping throughout the state. I can definitely handle a story on shopping! Orlando is home to some of the best! The Premium Outlets and the Prime Outlets top my list.

When I arrived, my contact at the hotel had me booked to go on a 9:00 a.m. eco-tour in Shingle Creek, which is a quick golf-cart ride from the main lobby of the Ritz-Carlton. I told her that I would really love to do that with the boys, perhaps on another trip. I tried to imagine my friend and I on a canoe at 9 a.m.! I sort of pictured us sleeping in and doing some serious shopping at the Neiman Marcus Last Call store.

But I trusted her genuine enthusiasm and sincerity. She assured me that I would not regret going on the eco-tour. She was absolutely right.

The wake-up call came and we grabbed some coffee on the Club Level (which is definitely the way to go since they serve breakfast each morning as well as appetizers, light lunch, drinks, coffee and tea throughout the day.) I also chose to stay on the upper level with the kids because this amenity is worth every penny. You never have to worry about the kids not sitting at a restaurant (the serving is all buffet-style) and there are enough cookies and sweets to keep them happy.

After coffee and scones, we went to the Pro Shop  to meet our tour guide, Ben Stein, who took us to a hidden enclave where they put the canoes and kayaks into the water.  As a baby alligator slithered by, I was totally cracking up. If our husbands could just see us now....Life Jackets and Ritz-Carlton bottled water, kayaking down the creek!  My friend was wearing a huge pair of ridiculous couture sunglasses as she paddled.  It was quite the oxymoron. But, it worked. We loved every second of it. I felt really at peace with nature. Shingle Creek with its slow current was really relaxing. I wouldn't have imagined that the pressures of my daily life could be erased with one step into a kayak. I felt a sense of accomplishment too and knew my three boys (husband included) would be proud!

I can't wait to take them along next time. They would also love to check out the ORVIS Fly-Fishing School.  Ben said my 6-year-old would be too young, but he has some kiddie tackle gear too. The fly-fishing excursion is done on the premises and guests have caught up to a ten-pound bass!  All of the fishing is catch-and-release, so the big guy might still be out there!

The hotel is working on becoming more and more eco-friendly and is filled with many opportunities to get close to nature. The property features a 1:00 p.m. daily fish feed, nature walks and a beautiful butterfly garden. The kids can join the Nature Rangers at the Ritz Kids club and go exploring. 

Ben (I am now on a first-name basis with this Jack Hannah-type animal wrangler)  was so knowledgeable on the property, as well as the eco-system of the area. He is sure to have the job of his dreams.

We ended up skipping the shopping that afternoon and staying to have lunch at Bleu by the pool.  I had a crab salad and a frozen margarita.  Ahhhh. The life.  We then headed over to the spa, where I got a great massage.  We didn't even leave the property until 8 p.m.

We headed out for a nighttime shopping excursion. We literally closed down the outlet mall. They practically had to kick us out!  We really got some great bargains. It was power-shopping without the kids. And, no hubbies waiting outside the dressing room.  We really had a blast! Dresses that retail for more than $300 could be found for $50.  Kids designer duds were marked down to $15 to $20.  The outlet store had not been picked through at all.

There was enough inventory to keep us busy for hours. My friend is really a fashionista.  She said I need to really go out of the box and add some pizzaz to my wardrobe filled of mom basics, like cargo pants, jeans and a T-shirts.  She's right, but sometimes it takes a long weekend with your best friend to bring you out of that box! Let's face it, who else would tell you the harsh truth?

Overall, I would highly recommend a weekend without the kids.  As much as I love bringing them along, this was really a good chance to relax and unwind.  Sometimes, moms just need to get away with other mothers for some female bonding. After all, the guys have their Sunday football.  Why not a little Sunday morning kayaking trip topped off with evening shopping to make it all better?