Girls trips are the best! A few days off of mom duty—no diapers, no cooking, and no whining. Every woman deserves to take some time off with her gals and here are some tips on how to pull off a successful girls trip so you can reach optimal rest and relaxation.

How To Pull off a Successful Girls Trip

We recently planned a girls trip to Destin, Florida in the early fall when the tourist season was winding down, but the weather was still gorgeous. We stayed at The Henderson which is right across from the most beautiful white sand beach that Destin has to offer. 

If you’re looking for a place to stay in Destin, The Henderson is our favorite! It’s luxurious, with beautiful rooms and amenities like two pools (one adult-only and one family-friendly), plenty of on-site dining options, and as mentioned, it’s just steps away from what feels like your own private beach as The Henderson sits next to a lovely state park. It was the perfect getaway for a girls trip and with the following tips, the trip went off better than we all imagined.

1. Get your ducks in a row before you go.

The more organized you are before you leave, the better you’ll feel on your girls trip. For moms, this means a lot. Sometimes it seems a gargantuan task just getting ready to leave your family. You’ve got to make sure they don’t starve while you’re gone, ensure that your kids have a ride to their various activities, and get what feels like a hundred ducks in a row. 

For the six of us, going on a three-day girls trip meant leaving 20 kids and endless responsibilities, but because we prepared before-hand, once we got there, we were all able to completely relax.

2. Once you’re there, keep phone calls to a minimum.

You are there to relax. It’s a buzz kill when someone in the group is always on the phone,  too tightly connected to what’s going on at home. Unless there’s some emergency, keep phone calls to a minimum while on your girls trip. Maybe that means a quick phone call in the morning and then one again at night when you’re winding down, but when kids are constantly calling when you’re on a girls vacay, it’s not really a vacation after all.

3. Be spontaneous.

The absolute best part of the trip happened on our drive from the airport to The Henderson. Shelley got a text from our cousin Abby which said, “What?! Where are you guys going? I wanna come!”

“Tell her to come!” we all said, not really expecting her to take the bait.

To our complete shock, in less than three hours Abby was on a flight to Destin to join our girls trip! It was the most amazing display of spontaneity ever! In fact, that spontaneity inspired us the entire trip to leap out of our comfort zones and try things like paddle fit and an early morning beach yoga class (which is complimentary at The Henderson). 

So treat a girls trip as a chance to let go and YOLO.

4. Have a slush fund.

One of the most successful things about our girls trip was our slush fund. At the start of the trip, we each pitched in a hundred bucks to a prepaid Visa so that we had about $600 to spend on food, drinks, and entertainment. The slush fund made us feel more connected and yes, more spontaneous. We’d get a bunch of appetizers to share and call it dinner and grab a ton of cold drinks to take to the beach. 

Having a slush fund eliminates the awkward and sometimes tedious task of keeping track of what you owe everyone. So instead of worrying, it was communal fun.

5. Be sensitive to the group.

Traveling with a group can be trickier than traveling alone or with your spouse. And especially on a girls trip, you have to be conscientious of the gals in your group. Someone may have a gluten sensitivity which may effect the places you eat. Maybe someone in the group has bad knees which alters the activities you choose. 

Being supportive and loving toward each other’s idiosyncrasies will help your girls trip go much smoother.

6. Leave your worries behind.

Finally, when you’re on a a girls trip, just leave your worries behind. It makes all the difference in the world on what kind of vacation you’ll have. Don’t think about that impending deadline at work or any of the tasks waiting for you when you get back. If you need help fully relaxing, book a spa treatment.

{Above: The Salamander Spa at The Henderson is absolute heaven.}

Or just go lay out by the pool. Read a book; sip a cold drink. Do all the things you can’t do at home without being interrupted. Oh, and don’t feel guilty about it—you’re not allowed!

Every woman needs a girls trip, at least yearly in my opinion. Destin is a lovely girls trip destination and The Henderson is an amazing place to stay there. Now is the perfect time to book your stay at The Henderson with its Non-Stop Summer Package. 

From now through December 2019, the resort is offering a complimentary third night. Yep, your third night is FREE!!

So whether you’re heading to Florida, Hawaii, or some place else…gather your gal pals and make it happen.

*This post was sponsored by The Henderson. All opinions are my own {and I will rave about it until the sun sets}.