Byrne and I decided recently that our lives were starting to look a little too much like the movie Groundhog Day, so we blocked off the nearest available weekend and took off for a little family getaway.

With a toddler who starts banging around before 7 a.m., I am often self-conscious in hotels, especially small, quaint inns where most people are trying to enjoy a romantic getaway and/or an escape from own their children who start banging around before 7 a.m. Our desired destination, western Sonoma County, offers small, quaint inns almost exclusively, so I decided to pursue a home or cottage rental where we could have a little more space, no immediate neighbors, and our own kitchen.

I was so happy to stumble upon the website VRBO.com (Vacation Rentals by Owner). I found the perfect 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom cabin near the charming town of Occidental, with a heated pool, forested grounds, and a horse that Harper loved to visit every morning. The sweet owner provided fresh, high-quality linens, had the fridge stocked with a few organic (!) staples, outfitted the bathroom with toiletries and other necessities, had area maps and guidebooks on the coffee table, and even let me use the washing machine in her adjacent house after I had a monumental latte mishap one morning. The kicker: It cost less per night than most inns in the area!

We had a great time. Check out the photos in the Weekend in the Woods album.