Money has suddenly become a critical issue in my household. Flash back, pre-kid, to the salad days of wine and roses and quick but costly getaways to Thailand on our long school holidays. I lie around reminiscing about gorging myself on long breakfast buffets, filled with tropical fruits that someone else has cut up for me, while the south Asian sun beats down on the sparkling ripples of the resort swimming pool and I prepare myself for a long, arduous day of spa treatments, refreshing dips in the sea, languorous naps and page after page of trashy mags. Sigh Before our progeny arrived, we would spend money willy-nilly without a thought to future homes, education, computers, clothes, toys or vacations for our offspring or ourselves. Now that we are parents, that has all changed.

My husband, our newly self-appointed "Boss of the Money" doesn't let me go anywhere anymore. I have reluctantly agreed to let him be the boss of the money simply because I know he's right. And he knows that if he leaves it up to me, I'll plan, scheme and spend. He knows I will throw prudence to the wind in my maniacal quest to get out of town for a while, even at the expense of the bank account and credit cards. That's why I've relinquished control of the money. I know it's time to grow up, to look to the future, to save and plan so Hank doesn't have to change our diapers for us when we hit our dotage. I know he will need an education and other "non-Thailand" oriented things and I have accepted that his needs trump mine. Namely, Henry gets a college fund BEFORE I get a plane ticket to sunnier climes. Fair enough, but still, I am lamenting the loss of those "just the two of us" escapes we used to take before our little bundle of joy joined the family and we began using the phrase, "We're staying in Beijing for Chinese New Year..." far, far too much.

So, what's a frazzled, sleep-deprived mom-on-a-budget to do when the need to escape becomes overpowering? Well, in all the years I've lived in Beijing, I'm always saying "We should go spend a weekend at the "Fill In the Luxury Hotel of Choice," but I never have. I have never actually sat down and planned, schemed and yes, spent money to go to a Beijing hotel...until now. We lucky teacher folk get lovely holidays and this year we had 12 glorious days for CNY which many of our non-kid having friends used to scoot off to Thailand, Bali, Italy, whatever (I hate them); but, alas, the Money Nazi said, "Nope" to my pleas to jet off somewhere else so, in my desperation, I went online and booked a package deal for one night at the brand new JW Marriott Beijing, just opened in November. I booked it for Valentine's Day, asked our lovely ayi if she would come in for the night to look after the boy, and told my husband we were off for one night of babyless rest and relaxation.

What a good idea! The package I booked was fittingly called "Escape" and it truly was an escape in the middle of an otherwise ordinary holiday. The hotel is beautiful, the room was immaculate, the staff is extraordinary, the spa was divine and the food was spectacular. We got a gorgeous room, dinner for two at their lovely Asia Bistro buffet (seafood for DAYS) and breakfast for two the next morning. All for less than 300 USD. I went to the lovely Quan Spa and had two hours of the most muscle-melting bliss I've ever had in my life, my husband hit the well-equipped gym and had a workout, we lounged by the exquisite indoor pool, stuffed ourselves full of crab legs, slept like babies on a heavenly bed, and then gorged ourselves on tropical fruit that someone else cut up for us the next morning. It was lovely, especially knowing that while we were indulging our hedonistic urges, our sweet boy was just down the road and we could get to him in 20 minutes if we had to.

It was a perfect way to have a holiday without having to get on a plane. Need to get away from the kids for a day or two? Do yourself a favor and book yourself a Hometown Escape somewhere yummy and enjoy what Beijing has to offer in our own backyard.