This post brought to you by Holiday Inn Express. The content and opinions expressed below are that of Andrea’s Notebook.

Have you been wanting to plan a surprise getaway for your husband or wife? A quick weekend trip could be just what you both need right now! One of my favorite trips was a complete surprise to me. I had no clue until I was heading to the airport! If you love planning fun surprises, you should definitely consider planning a surprise getaway. We all know that maintaining a healthy relationship means carving out quality time together. Between work, kids, household chores and family, sometimes having time together gets put on the back burner. But don’t wait until next year! I’ve got some easy steps to help you plan the perfect getaway!

How to Plan a Surprise Getaway for Your Husband or Wife

1. Find a trusted babysitter If you’ve got children, you’ll need someone to watch them. If you don’t have family or friends willing to watch them, find a babysitter you trust to stay the night.

I’d highly recommend finding a good friend and offering to swap babysitting. You watch their kids so they can get away for a weekend, then they watch your kids for a weekend. This is the most economical way to plan babysitting, if you don’t have willing grandparents nearby.

2. Choose a date Make it soon! Planning too far in advance takes some of the spontaneity out of it! Choose something in the next few weeks. Make sure he or she doesn’t have any work obligations on the date you choose! Then just do it! 

3. Plan your destination I suggest going somewhere within a couple hours from home. If you only have the weekend, you don’t want to spend half the time driving or flying. Plus, there are always things close to home you wish you could do but don’t usually have the chance. I recently did this and found a local Holiday Inn Express and was able to enjoy some of the local night life I don’t normally get to experience. You know, try to remember what it was like to be 25, again. Don’t have any ideas? Ask your friends! Chances are, some of them have some great ideas you hadn’t thought of before. 4. Plan your itinerary Knowing a few places you’d like to see or things you’d like to do on your weekend will be helpful. Check Yelp or other local review sites to come up with ideas. And don’t forget to plan where you want to eat! Yum. But don’t over plan! Make sure you leave room for sleeping in and having a late breakfast.

And don’t forget to plan things he’ll love. If you enjoy different types of activities, include some of each. But, seriously, don’t schedule this out by hour. This is a FUN weekend. A time of relaxation and going with the flow. 

5. Come up with a cover story Every surprise getaway needs a cover story. If it’s a surprise, you’ll need an excuse for why you’re dropping the kids off with grandma!  Are you more of a “make it a surprise until we pull into the hotel” kind of person? Or more of a “it’s a surprise until I accidentally tell him 3 days before hand” kind of person?

6. Pack for two Stealthily pack for both of you. Put the bags into the car the night before so he or she won’t have any clue! Try to keep packing simple. Make a checklist before hand so you don’t forget important items. Don’t forget medications!  7. Relax Whatever you do, have fun with the planning, and have fun on the weekend away! Stress will kill all the good vibes so keep it simple and just enjoy the adventure. Holiday Inn Express has Snoozapalooza until December 18, 2016 so you can get a late breakfast​ and a 12:00 p.m. late checkout then take your time getting back home. Enjoy the fun pancake machine that makes your pancakes for you. We love these and the breakfast spread, in general, is impressive. There are over 30 hearty things to choose from so everyone will be happy. Do things that encourage you to talk and have fun. Find a great hike, museum or an event you both love. You may even just want to hang out at the hotel and enjoy the pool and some quiet time. Enjoy!