Are you thinking about where you and your family would like to visit for your next vacation? Even if you’re someone who loves to travel, there are times when it’s not the most enjoyable experience. From waiting around in airports, long flights, crowded tourist spots, and not to mention the cost that’s usually incurred, sometimes you can find everything you want in a vacation without even leaving your house.
The concept of the stay at home vacation, AKA staycation, has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. If you do it the right way, it’s easy to see why. You can completely relax and unwind just as you would when going somewhere, just without spending the same amount of money or enduring the stress of getting there and back.
Whether you’re looking for a romantic staycation with your partner, or just want to spend a week to disconnect, then we’ve listed some of our top vacation at home tips below. Follow some or all of these suggestions to help you plan the perfect staycation!
Please note: this is a contributed post.
Plan Ahead for Your Staycation
Just as you would when traveling, planning is crucial to success. So, instead of just locking yourself in the house for a week and binging on Netflix, take time to plan out the things you’re going to do during your time at home. This way you’ll actually feel like you’re making the most of your vacation time and you’ll see how enjoyable a staycation can really be.
Hire a Housekeeper
Hiring someone to clean your home is certainly not for everyone. If you do decide to bring someone in to help with the cleaning and tidying up, you don’t have to have them come in every day.
Just as a hotels have chambermaids to make your bed and clean up your room each day, hiring a cleaning person can take care of your daily chores allowing you time to relax, unwind and really enjoy your staycation.
Arrange for a Meal Delivery Service
Again, this may not be something that you want to do, but one of the nicest parts of being on vacation is that you have a break from the normal daily chores and routines, such as cooking and cleaning. When vacationing at home, you don’t want to fall into the habit of ordering take out food each night and binging on junk food.
Finding a local meal delivery service in your area will give you a nice selection of freshly prepared and healthy meals that you can enjoy throughout your staycation. Most vegan meal delivery service companies provide their meals in containers that can be placed in the microwave, oven and freezer, so you can stock up and eat when you want, and not have to worry about washing up afterwards.
Buy Some New Accessories
Walking into a beautiful hotel room that’s completely different to your bedroom back home is a great feeling. We’re not suggesting you have to completely change up the design of your bedroom or make it look like a hotel. A few simple additions can add that special something to make you feel like you truly are on vacation.
Simple changes like a vase of fresh flowers, new throw pillows, scented candles, or even placing a few mints on top of your pillow, can make a big difference to the look and feel of your room. Another nice touch is to place a bowl filled of travel size toiletries in your bath – miniature bottles of shampoo, condition, hand lotion or a nice bar of scented soap – just like you find in your favorite luxury hotel.
Take Turns With Room Service
If we’re being honest, we all love to indulge in a bit of room service once in a while when on vacation, and just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean you have to give this up. If you’re having a staycation with your partner or even friends then you can simply take it in turns to prepare a nice room-service style breakfast or bring each other coffee. A simple touch, such as breakfast in bed, really goes a long way in making your staycation something to remember.
Enjoy Your Garden
If you have a garden, and the weather permits, then this can be a perfect place to enjoy your staycation. You don’t need to have a pool to enjoy your garden, and in fact, you don’t even need sun. Things like having a 110v hot tub or even just wrapping up a bit and having some dinner and a few drinks in the garden are things you can do anytime of year and can make a big difference in being able to enjoy your staycation.
Great Staycation Souvenirs
If you’re someone who likes to collect souvenirs – such as mugs, t-shirts or fridge magnets when you visit a new place – enjoying a stay at home vacation doesn’t mean you have to give this up. You can buy special new tea cups or coffee mugs, nice cocktail glasses, or if you want to get really creative, you could even have your own personalized fridge magnets or t-shirts printed online by using different photos to mark your staycation.
Cook New Foods
Although going on vacation often means not cooking, some people do like to cook, or just like to try new dishes. So, if you’re not into the idea of having a meal delivery service sent to you during your staycation, then this can be the perfect time to get creative in the kitchen and try out some new recipes that you normally wouldn’t have the time to play around with.
Stock Up On Favorite Treats
A big part of vacation and a staycation is the fact you get to unwind and relax. So whether this is enjoying your favorite cheese board with a fancy wine, or simply having a chilled out duvet day with some tasty snacks, then this is the time to indulge by stocking up on your favorite snacks and culinary treats.
Try Some New Drinks
Looking to try a new cocktail or expensive wine that you normally wouldn’t get for yourself? Then, just like you would when traveling, you can practice making some new drinks and allow yourself to enjoy that vacation feeling without leaving the house.
Explore Your Home Town
Having a staycation doesn’t mean locking up your doors and windows for a week, so if you’re normally someone who likes to explore the place you’re visiting, then why not get out and see what you can learn about the place you’re from? You never know type of museums, parks and outdoor activities are available right in your own town.
Do a quick search on sites like MeetUp or Trip Advisor to find activities and events taking place practically in your backyard. Stay at home vacations are the prefect time to act like a tourist at home!
Turn Off Your Tech Devices
Technology now plays such a big role in our lives, and most people seem permanently glued to their phones. So, just like you would while on vacation, try to unwind by reducing or completely switching off all devices and focus on being present. Guess what!?! Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter and Pinterest will still be there when you come back.
Take Photos
Make your staycation count just as much as a vacation by documenting your memories through photos. These images taken during your stay at home vacation will be fun to look back on.
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