"Staycation"

Recently we asked our Facebook followers what makes vacationing at home so appealing. Most dominate answer was sleeping in your own bed, followed by no long car rides, and no crowds.

            For those of you traveling with children…or me for that matter, you are well prepared to hear in the car the following: I’m tired, I’m bored, I’m hungry, I have to pee, I don’t feel well, when do we get to stop?, and the classic ARE WE THERE YET? Frankly, I’m impressed my parents took me anywhere! Mind you I am the youngest of 4 siblings, so it’s very possible they learned to tune me out!

            Holland Home Leisure’s idea of “vacationing at home” has been around for years, and last year in our Backyard Escapes magazine we expanded on the concept. How do you have a vacation at home? Well, here is our list of tips on how you can enjoy your own backyard this summer, no packing required.

            If you have booked off time from work specifically for “staycationing”, treat it like any other vacation (or as my mother would say holiday)! Turn off your phone, dig to the bottom of your dresser drawer and pull out the most offensive tropical shirts (if your children do not laugh at you, you have picked the wrong one), wear the shirt with pride, and settle in for a beautiful day outside. Avoid your computer and responding to emails. (P.S. your blackberry, iphone, ipad and any other strange handheld device I’m unaware of counts as both a computer and phone, so turn it off!) Just because you are closer to the office does not mean you are still available to work, you are on vacation!

            Play games and make the most of your time with your family. Bocce Ball, washer toss, frisbee, and pool volleyball are all great options for a backyard tournament. Invite some friends over, have a theme party (witness your friends equally offensive tropical shirts), and try to do something new and exciting! Take Pictures! Facebook would feel incomplete if you did not upload your vacation pictures. Any other vacation would be photographed and this should be no exception. You will want to look back and remember how much fun you had! Take a picture of someone sleeping in the hammock instead of on the airport floor!

            Stock up the fridge with favorites, fresh fruits for breakfast, all the necessities for sundaes, and your families BBQ favorites. Vacations should include a “first”, so try something new and have your family dress up, try a new recipe and have a 5* restaurant in your own home (backyard preferably).

            Remember you are not settling by not traveling! The options are endless and there is more time to play and less traveling headaches…Enjoy planning your vacation at home this summer season!

I can’t wait to hear all about them!

Liana vandenHof-Rhodenizer