I've just come back from a sneaky pre-Christmas girlie spa getaway with my daughter - and as a result I am so relaxed that I have no anxiety at all about cooking a Christmas meal for fifteen on Christmas Day. Here's how I reached this ridiculously relaxed state of mind; it was easy...

I left the house on a Saturday morning and got a train out of King's Cross heading north to Leeds. I didn't even consider taking the car - I wanted to sit back and not worry about traffic or directions. We got seats with a table and had picked up a gorgeous box of Christmas sushi for two from Wasabi at the station - out it came and as we started munching our way through it, we felt like were were in a female buddy movie.. On the run from Christmas shopping, from dishwasher loading and from all manner of London drudgery, we wondered: would we be recognised, caught and sent back?

But no one tapped us on the shoulder and send us home. Not on the train and not at the gorgeous Titanic Spa where we had a Christmas grotto aparment booked. It was so cosy! There were two Christmas trees, a whole host of stylish Scandi-style Christmas decorations and a festive table laid out for our breakfast for the following morning. We'd been left the makings of a gorgeous DIY breakfast, plus a wonderful platter of fresh fruit and some yummy chocolates. 

It was hard to tear ourselves away from the cosy Christmassy room but we did and the spa was just fantastic. The relaxation room is the best I have ever come across - we marvelled at the fact that we'd come all the way to Yorkshire to sleep, but sleep we did - and so deeply! 

The food at the Titanic restaurant is so good - their chef has it just right, with healthy, filling, tasty meals. After a gorgeous dinner we headed back to our Christmas grotto for a cosy night in.

If you haven't seen Thelma and Louise look away now...

Unlike Thelma and Louise, my girlie road trip involved a return journey. Back at Leeds train station, we were too full from our Titanic lunch to bother picking any food up for the journey. But we got a cup of Yorkshire tea on board the train and back in the Big Smoke, the sense of relaxation has stayed with us both. A girlie getaway is great at any time of year - and even one night can be fantastic therapy, especially if it's wonderfully luxurious. Titanic runs a Like Mother Like Daughter spa stay which you buy via voucher here. I think my daughter might be getting one for Christmas - yes, we'll need to escape together again once the frenzy of the festive period is over.

The Like Mother Like Daughter spa stay costs £385 for both of you and includes a one-night stay, use of the leisure club including the salt-regulated swimming pool with underwater music, breakfast in your apartment, lunch and dinner, plus facials and body wraps for both of you. 

East Coast train fares from London to Leeds start at £13 for a standard fare one-way - and the Yorkshire Tea is wonderful!

See a full review of the Titanic Spa