So this summer I have decided to institute at least one “Staycation” into our summer schedule. Maybe you’ve heard the buzz going around about this concept? You take a vacation from your work, but you don’t leave town! Brilliant!
I don’t know about you, but one of my biggest complaints with vacations is that by the time I get everyone ready for the “vacation” and while we are on the “vacation” I am still doing all the cooking, laundry, and picking up after everyone that when I finally return home and the rest of my family has rested and relaxed – I need a “VACATION”. Am I the only mom who feels this way?
I think this idea will be a great way to stay at home, find some down time in our schedule and enjoy time together just hanging out. It will be great on our budget and I know it will be better for me – no packing, no extra grocery purchases – just the thought has me wanting to change our current planned vacations into “staycations.” A “staycation” is the perfect combination of relaxation without spending a lot of money on hotels, food and tourist attractions.
I can see the only addition to our “staycation” is possibly a few more nights eating out trying new restaurants in our neighborhood, something we don’t do on a regular basis. We could certainly find coupons that would save money on that. It would be fun for everyone, but mostly me! The key to having a successful “staycation” is to purposefully avoid anything that involves work. I am into that! Just having fun – not cleaning the house, not finishing that bathroom project, not even mowing the lawn! Would you be doing these things if you were on an actual vacation? I think not!
I have a few ideas to help fill my time during our “staycation” and help my family get to love this idea – and even save some money!
Find free passes to your local tourist attractions. Check to see if your local library offers free passes to area attractions. Many merchants also offer discount coupons. It can be a lot of fun to learn about things that are in your own backyard.
Do touristy stuff during the week. Visit tourist attractions and state parks during the week when they are less crowded. You’ll enjoy the sites much more when things aren’t as busy.
Check out your local newspaper for activities you can do. Many cities offer free live music and arts events during the summer, so put those on your to-do list.
Spend time at the beach or pool. Soaking up that Vitamin D and splashing in the warm water can really do wonders for your mood.
Camp in your backyard or at a nearby campground. Camping is a fun, inexpensive way to connect with your family. Just don’t forget the s’mores!
So what do you think? Are you up for a “staycation” too? If you decide to try it out I would love to hear how it goes.
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I am so excited for summer starting next week. Well, at least that is when my kids are done with school. I live in Michigan, which means we take a ton of one-day trips to lakes. I can get to Lake Huron in an hour, and we frequently take the kids to visit my alma mater, Michigan State, which also has a wonderful lake nearby.
We also are members of a local science museum, which reciprocates with museums all over the country. We have 6 museums within a 90 minute drive that we can visit, and my kids just love science museums. So I spend 40 dollars on a family membership and can go to all those museums for free for a year.
Summer is the best!
That sounds fabulous and fun for your kids – that you have such excitement to share and spend time with them during their “off” time! I would love to hear about your adventures!
We tried this last summer and it was great! I got lots of great ideas and lots of info from an ebook I bought. It was cheap and saved me tons of money and provided tons of fun.
http://totallyready.com/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,61/category_id,6/manufacturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,1/
I would love to hear what works for you to get some new ideas for this year.
Thank you for sharing, I will be checking out that ebook! Fabulous resource!! Have you seen my summer calendar? This will surely provide some great ideas to do while staying home – I know we will be busy trying out some great crafts, recipes and games!
Hi Susan! I loved your “staycation” advice so much that I put a link in today’s Ducks ‘n a Row post “Simple Saturdays”.
Sinea Pies would love for you to read….Simple Saturdays
These are some really good ideas! I didn’t know exactly what a staycation meant, but now I do! I’ve been doing these kinds of things a lot, especially looking in the newspaper for any good hiking spots around town.
Diana would love for you to read….Learning Reiki
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