Author Topic: Staycation  (Read 7699 times)

Workinghard

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Staycation
« on: July 23, 2014, 02:04:34 PM »
So...how does one plan a staycation so it doesn't turn into just another day doing errands and housework?

For starters, I'm turning my cell off so I don't get calls from work! Our kids can call my husband's cell if something comes up. We're also thinking of doing a late night drive to the beach if we can manage to stay awake. Haha.

What has, and hasn't, worked for others?

MillenialMustache

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2014, 02:24:06 PM »
I often try to think of something fun to do in my area or a nearby area. Or, I just say I am going to stay home all day and not do any chores - I guess I am able to easily convince myself not to do them.

Lis

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2014, 02:25:49 PM »
- Fill your itinerary. If you were going far away on a vacation, you wouldn't not plan anything, right? The difference is here, plan your days with fun things. I want to read for x hours a day, I want to binge watch a season of that show on Netflix (hey, it's vacation!), etc. If you're sitting around with nothing planned, you'll inevitably start tidying up around the place, making a shopping list for next week, all that stuff you don't want to do.

- Get your chores done BEFORE staycation! Make sure your house is nice and tidy before you start. Plan your meals for the week that you "return" before you go. Some things will have to be done no matter what (like washing dishes and whatnot), but avoid those chose by getting them done before!

- Explore your area at different times. Have you gotten up early to watch the sunrise by you? Take a nap during the day so you can enjoy a bonfire at the beach at night. Explore your town with the eyes of a tourist... avoid the shops you normally go in and find a knickknack shop that's hiding in the corner.

- And yes, definitely keep the phones off! That goes for computers, tablets, or anything else you might use for work.

Is your husband going on this staycation too?

Workinghard

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2014, 05:34:55 PM »
Yes! My husband and I will be on a shared staycation. It's only 4 days, but we rarely have time off together. Both of us are working extra to pad retirement accounts before he jumps ship in 17 months.

Even just going out for breakfast at 11pm would be nice--a reminder of our dating days 20+ years ago. :)

Thanks for the ideas Ashley and Lis minus the one about getting up early! We want to SLEEP! Both of us are up around 3:30-4:30 due to work.

4alpacas

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2014, 05:41:13 PM »
I like to have pampering staycations--Naps, baths with scented oils (usually a few drops of essential oil), lounging around in my robe, reading magazines (subscriptions purchased with airline miles).  I also like to do face masks and give myself a pedicure. 

My favorite staycation treat...the chocolate croissants from Trader Joe's freezer section.  I put them out the night before to let them rise, then bake them according to the package instructions.  Hot chocolate croissants out of the oven with my favorite tea. 

oldtoyota

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #5 on: July 23, 2014, 06:53:12 PM »
I just had an excellent staycation last week.

Here's what I did:

Attended a play ($40)
Had lunch with parents at their house $0
Took a boat ride and listened to history talk (this was paid for by my taxes) $0
Attended a free jazz concert and had a picnic $0
Visited a nature center and went on a walk in the woods $0
Visited pool (already paid for)
Took kids to a park and had a picnic (and rode train/carousel) ($15)
Spent time in the library reading books $0
Got frozen yogurt $4

I also took myself out for a hamburger while the kiddo had a sleepover. $5

Very cheap and fun. Make a schedule of things you want to do, buy tickets if applicable, and then go do them. =-)

Daisy

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #6 on: July 23, 2014, 06:59:50 PM »
So...how does one plan a staycation so it doesn't turn into just another day doing errands and housework?

For starters, I'm turning my cell off so I don't get calls from work! Our kids can call my husband's cell if something comes up. We're also thinking of doing a late night drive to the beach if we can manage to stay awake. Haha.

What has, and hasn't, worked for others?

I must be the laziest person on this forum, but I have the opposite problem. I recently took a staycation precisely to do errands and housework as I moved recently and hadn't really settled in properly. Well, I ended up goofing off a lot more than doing errands and housework. BTW, browsing interesting topics on this forum didn't help much with my productivity either. If there is a way to procrastinate it, I will find it. Finally, by the end of the week I did get some actual work done around the house so it wasn't a total loss. ;-)

I have a work provided smartphone. Thankfully, my company is one of those that honors people's time off so they won't be calling me or emailng me while I am gone. I do go in and change the email settings to not alert me to new emails just so that it doesn't bother me. And if somebody did happen to call, I would quickly press the "send to voicemail" button.

pac_NW

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2014, 10:30:20 PM »
Try TripAdvisor for your area - you may find a few gems you have not yet explored.

RootofGood

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #8 on: July 24, 2014, 12:00:22 AM »
We planned a five week vacation to Canada this summer.  Half way through, we decided we were tired and wanted a vacation from the vacation.  We turned the car around and drove back to Raleigh NC.  Enter the staycation we're currently enjoying. 

Our daughter did the planning for our staycation.  She made a book that covers our staycation itinerary.

-Art Museum
-Science Museum
-History Museum
-Swim at water park
-paddle boats at lake (and hiking)
-play tennis
-play dates with friends
-sleepover with other friends

A week into our staycation, we're halfway through the list.  All of these activities are within a few miles of our house, and they are all free or under $10.  We just don't get around to doing any of these things often enough it seems.  We have no excuse since we are formally on our staycation.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2014, 11:52:52 AM »
Our go-tos for staycations are:

-hikes in the state parks near us.
-semi aimless walks
-take kids to the park, let them burn off energy while we sit, read, and ignore them unless there are tears.
-gardening. There's always stuff to do, but it never feels like work either.
-zoo. We buy the annual pass and we go 20-30 times a year easily.

When we had Netflix, we'd definitely do the binge watch evenings. Stay up really late and sleep in as long as the kids let us. (Basically 7:30).

Blany

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2014, 02:34:20 PM »
Love staycations

If you invite different friends and family over  each day to enjoy your staycation.  You will not be tempted to do go out of the house to run errands.  You will have to stay home to hang out with them.  House work is inevitable though. 

I would also go around the web and find some fun recipes to whip up.  Or hit up the recipe book and pull out some of your old favorite that you never seem to be able to find the time to do usually. I like the food blog thugkitchen.

If you’re going out of the house to visit some of your cities offerings try to plan to take the long way.  Walk/run somewhere you would normally bike.
When I head out on a vacation away from home I like to eat well and I usually travel with friends.  On staycation I try to emulate that formula.   

lifejoy

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2014, 02:59:06 PM »
For us, we went to places we had never been before. Restaurants, parks, museums, concerts. We presented that Montreal (where we were living) was a new place called "Funtreal"! :)

We also spent the night at a bed and breakfast. Depending on your finances, this is a GREAT way to make sure you don't do housework ;)


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Shropskr

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2014, 03:31:36 PM »
Here's our stay cation for next week.
Scottish festival
Movie in the park
Children's museum with ferry ride
Great wolf lodge 2 nights
We're going to be exhausted by next Saturday but the kids will have had a blast.

Workinghard

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2014, 06:23:50 PM »
Thanks for all the great ideas and taking the time to share. It's fun hearing what other people do. Since the staycation is during the week it eliminates shows or music venues. And the summer heat in Florida rules out some activities as does my husbands health. However, there's plenty of other things we can do--drives, movies, eating a meal or two out, sunset on the beach, walking on the beach at night, etc...

RootofGood

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2014, 10:36:17 PM »
Yesterday was an epic staycation day.  One friend from the neighborhood came over with her daughter who is friends with our kids (and in class with one of them).  We played Tetris on the old 8 bit nintendo while the kids played "Orphanage" (don't ask - they made the game up and it involves vampire mermaids; 'nuff said).  Then the kids played some Monopoly.  Then the adult friend spotted Ticket to Ride and we indoctrinated them into the game for a couple hours, and the kid friend wants the game sooo bad.  Maybe they will get Ticket to Ride Asia and we can switch with them. 

Then as soon as they left, another set of kid friends came over for an evening of kid debauchery.  The power went out, so it was even more crazy fun.  The kids' parents didn't return until almost 11 because of power outage related issues and the monsoon rains.  Fun was had by all and we got to hang out with second kids' parent for a while, too. 

1 week of staycation left!  :)  Which is weird because I'm on staycation 24/7/365 as an early retiree, but this is the first time my wife and all the kids are here for an extended period all together (and we were supposed to be on a real vacation until next Saturday).

Workinghard

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #15 on: July 26, 2014, 03:43:20 AM »
RoG, glad you got to hang out with family. Had to laugh about your 24/7 staycation comment as an early retiree, but I imagine you still have to do something different to separate retirement days from staycation days. Lol

DecD

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #16 on: July 26, 2014, 07:44:18 AM »
We had an awesome, memorable spring break a couple of years ago where we stayed home and went to the:
Aquarium
Children's museum
Science museum
Zoo
Rodeo
And of course various playgrounds.

Much fun was had by all.

RootofGood

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Re: Staycation
« Reply #17 on: July 26, 2014, 09:26:26 AM »
RoG, glad you got to hang out with family. Had to laugh about your 24/7 staycation comment as an early retiree, but I imagine you still have to do something different to separate retirement days from staycation days. Lol

Yes, we intentionally called this 2 week period a staycation and have tried to do tons of fun stuff (mostly for the kids), but me and Mrs. RoG have tried to create quiet time for the other spouse so we can each relax, too.  Like I'll take the kids (or most of them) out for the day and she'll have relative peace and quiet at home. 

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!