'I've figured out the most affordable (and achievable) quick getaway for mums.'

If your Instagram feed is currently full of smug people summering in Europe, you're not alone. 

Alas, for parents of young kids like me, the likelihood of actually taking a jaunt to the south of France in the near future is very low. And by "very low", I mean "there's no way in hell".

Watch: A mum asks Sarah Marie if needing wine every single day is a red flag. Her answer? Honest, warm, and very familiar. Post continues below.

Whether it's because you've got velcro children who can't bear the idea of a night without you (hello, the toddler years), or simply because it's hard to justify spending annual leave and hard-earned dollars on a trip that doesn't involve the whole family, you might reasonably assume that there is no adults-only holiday in your foreseeable future. 

But I am here to assure you that is simply not the case. Let me introduce you to the concept of a "daycation", a term I have invented to describe taking a 12-hour holiday and an innovation which is about to change your life. 

The core concept of a daycation is fairly simple: when you're a parent, you don't actually need a week to feel like you've had a break. Many of us have experienced, for example, the unprecedented bliss of a solo trip to the supermarket, or the perfect peace and quiet of a wee with the bathroom door closed.

A whole day to "holiday"? In the parenting world, that's approximately equivalent to four months of rest and relaxation. 

Let me be very clear, though — a daycation is not a sick day. It involves taking yourself somewhere delightful which, crucially, is not your own home, filled with washing that needs folding, floors that need vacuuming, and things that need to be taken to the post office. 

I'll paint you a picture. It's a Thursday. My kids are in childcare. I would ordinarily work on a Thursday, but I have taken a day of annual leave, because I am going on a daycation. I set off after drop-off, unencumbered and entirely carefree, because today, instead of going to the office, the first thing on my to-do list is a massage at The Langham hotel in Sydney.

Image: supplied.

The Langham is one of my favourite daycation finds, actually, because visitors to the day spa are also allowed to use the (beautiful, heated, indoor) hotel pool on either side of their spa treatment. After my massage, I park myself poolside, order a coffee (this is delivered to my pool lounger, and I am in heaven) and read my book in total silence. There is nobody else in the pool, because, and I repeat, it is 11am on a Thursday.

On the agenda for the rest of the day? A stroll around the Rocks with an iced coffee in hand, a visit to my favourite bookstore to buy myself a new book, reading in the winter sun and a pedicure. Oh, go on then, I'll buy myself a cocktail on the way home. After all, I am on holiday! (Until I clock in for bath and bedtime). 

Image: supplied.

Sure, it's no "Bellini in Venice", but let's not forget that "Aperol Spritz on Sydney Harbour" is something other people actually do travel for. 

'But Zoe', I hear you say, 'that sounds like a kind of expensive day!' Well, yeah, look, it did set me back a little bit of cash. But I'll tell you what it was certainly cheaper than: a holiday, to literally anywhere. 

As it happens, though, if you do happen to already be on a holiday — to literally anywhere — you can have a daycation too: a luxe, adults-only day out from what might otherwise be an, ahem, non-adults-only trip. If you're staying at family-friendly accommodation — and let's face it, you probably are — look into a day pass to a nearby luxury resort. I think we can all agree that lying by the pool is the best part of staying in fancy accomodation anyway, and when it comes without the price tag of a room for the night, you'll have more to spend on a poolside glass of bubbly. 

Or, you know. Invest it in your family's future. Whatever floats your boat.

Need more ideas for a quick escape? You might like:

• 'I found the ultimate 24-hour break for burnt-out mums.'

• 'I took a holiday without my children, here's how it went.'

Feature: Supplied.

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