Feel Good Home: 25 Ways to Make the Most of Your Staycation
Give yourself time off from the daily grind by hiding your work, treating yourself and enjoying the great outdoors
Taking time off from work to stay at home is a wonderful way to save money while still getting the R&R of a holiday. At least it can be… as long as you commit to enjoying yourself and don’t just spend the time catching up on household chores. To make the most of your time off, it’s important to do what you can to shut off the outside world and rid yourself of your usual routines. Choose one or more of these ideas to help you make the most of your staycation.
3 Splurge on a plush new robe
And wear it every morning! Let your fresh, fluffy robe signal the start of your holiday.
4 Listen to beach music
Cue up some of your favourite summer tunes and make a few playlists to get in the holiday spirit. If you’ve been wanting to get a few new albums, your staycation is a great excuse to splurge. Music can really boost your mood, so listen more often than usual.
And wear it every morning! Let your fresh, fluffy robe signal the start of your holiday.
4 Listen to beach music
Cue up some of your favourite summer tunes and make a few playlists to get in the holiday spirit. If you’ve been wanting to get a few new albums, your staycation is a great excuse to splurge. Music can really boost your mood, so listen more often than usual.
5 Hire a massage therapist to come to you
You don’t need to go to a fancy spa to relax – have the spa come to you instead. Find a local massage therapist who makes house calls and get ready to relax.
6 Sign up for a one-day class
If you love trying new things on holiday, don’t feel you must miss out just because you are at home. Check out the adult education department at your local university or community centre, or search listings in the free paper to locate upcoming workshops that sound appealing. Try a cooking class, a painting or pottery workshop, or a lecture.
7 Take a guided tour, nature walk or boat ride
Have a beautiful outdoor space or historic landmark in your area? Be a tourist for a day and sign up for a guided tour or hire a nature guide to lead you on a hike. Live by the water? Hop on a fishing boat, or take a dinner cruise.
You don’t need to go to a fancy spa to relax – have the spa come to you instead. Find a local massage therapist who makes house calls and get ready to relax.
6 Sign up for a one-day class
If you love trying new things on holiday, don’t feel you must miss out just because you are at home. Check out the adult education department at your local university or community centre, or search listings in the free paper to locate upcoming workshops that sound appealing. Try a cooking class, a painting or pottery workshop, or a lecture.
7 Take a guided tour, nature walk or boat ride
Have a beautiful outdoor space or historic landmark in your area? Be a tourist for a day and sign up for a guided tour or hire a nature guide to lead you on a hike. Live by the water? Hop on a fishing boat, or take a dinner cruise.
8 Take your yoga practice outdoors
Change up your routine by rolling out your mat in the sun. Enjoying fresh air and a light breeze is a wonderful way to start the day.
9 Hire a yoga instructor or personal trainer to come to the house
Splurge on having a personal trainer or yoga instructor come to your home and give you (or you and a small group of friends) a tailored workout.
Change up your routine by rolling out your mat in the sun. Enjoying fresh air and a light breeze is a wonderful way to start the day.
9 Hire a yoga instructor or personal trainer to come to the house
Splurge on having a personal trainer or yoga instructor come to your home and give you (or you and a small group of friends) a tailored workout.
10 Make yourself a big batch of fancy water
Slices of cucumber, lemon or lime or sprigs of fresh mint look beautiful in a glass pitcher and make drinking water more appealing. Start each day of your staycation with a fresh batch of fancy water.
Slices of cucumber, lemon or lime or sprigs of fresh mint look beautiful in a glass pitcher and make drinking water more appealing. Start each day of your staycation with a fresh batch of fancy water.
11 Treat the family to new sunglasses
The bigger and more glamorous, the better.
12 Rent a cool car
Want a change of pace? Leave the boring commuter car in the garage and rent a sportier car (or even a Vespa) for the week.
The bigger and more glamorous, the better.
12 Rent a cool car
Want a change of pace? Leave the boring commuter car in the garage and rent a sportier car (or even a Vespa) for the week.
13 Sweep away everyday junk
Who wants to look at piles of bills and work stuff on holiday? Not you! Pile it all in a box and hide it until your staycation is over.
14 Don’t read your post
Throw your post in a box for the week without looking at it. If you really were out of town, the world would keep revolving if you didn’t check your post for a week.
Who wants to look at piles of bills and work stuff on holiday? Not you! Pile it all in a box and hide it until your staycation is over.
14 Don’t read your post
Throw your post in a box for the week without looking at it. If you really were out of town, the world would keep revolving if you didn’t check your post for a week.
15 Hire a cleaning service
Give yourself the gift of coming home to a fresh, clean house without lifting a finger. Consider having a cleaner come at the start of your staycation (so you can enjoy the week in a clean house) and at the end (so you don’t have to face cleaning before returning to work).
Give yourself the gift of coming home to a fresh, clean house without lifting a finger. Consider having a cleaner come at the start of your staycation (so you can enjoy the week in a clean house) and at the end (so you don’t have to face cleaning before returning to work).
16 Set the table with seaside finds
A few cute new candles or a striped runner, along with piles of pretty shells and rocks collected on the beach, are all you need to make your dining table look like summer.
A few cute new candles or a striped runner, along with piles of pretty shells and rocks collected on the beach, are all you need to make your dining table look like summer.
17 Set up a summer bar
Set out some of your favourite drinks (alcoholic and non) on a nice tray, along with an ice bucket, glasses and a bowl of lemons or limes.
Set out some of your favourite drinks (alcoholic and non) on a nice tray, along with an ice bucket, glasses and a bowl of lemons or limes.
18 Cook and eat outdoors
It’s more fun, and it can require less clean-up. Win-win!
19 Try no-cook summer recipes
Think prawn cocktail, ceviche, gazpacho and salads..
It’s more fun, and it can require less clean-up. Win-win!
19 Try no-cook summer recipes
Think prawn cocktail, ceviche, gazpacho and salads..
20 Bring home fresh flowers
Scoop up an armful of the most luscious blooms you can find at the farmer’s market and pop them in a vase. Repeat as often as you like.
Read how to display flowers like a pro
Scoop up an armful of the most luscious blooms you can find at the farmer’s market and pop them in a vase. Repeat as often as you like.
Read how to display flowers like a pro
21 Give your living room a summer makeover
Drape a beach blanket or summery throw over the sofa, or change your cushion covers. Tape postcards or summer photos to the wall with colourful paper craft tape. Remove the heavy rugs and curtains, and set out flowers and seashells.
See more ideas for sprucing up your home
Drape a beach blanket or summery throw over the sofa, or change your cushion covers. Tape postcards or summer photos to the wall with colourful paper craft tape. Remove the heavy rugs and curtains, and set out flowers and seashells.
See more ideas for sprucing up your home
22 Squeeze fresh juice and make a homemade breakfast each morning
Breakfast is easier to pull together than dinner, and it can be fun if you rarely have time to sit down, let alone make a full breakfast, during the week.
23 Or go out to breakfast every morning
Skip the cooking and the dishes and just head right out the door first thing in the morning instead. Go somewhere you haven’t tried before to spice things up.
Breakfast is easier to pull together than dinner, and it can be fun if you rarely have time to sit down, let alone make a full breakfast, during the week.
23 Or go out to breakfast every morning
Skip the cooking and the dishes and just head right out the door first thing in the morning instead. Go somewhere you haven’t tried before to spice things up.
24 Make a DIY resort at your favourite beach
Bring bamboo poles (from the garden centre) and white sheets and rig up your own tropical beach shelter. Bring a small spade to dig holes for the poles, a bucket to add wet sand, and assorted big clips to hold the whole thing together.
25 Take pictures
Cameras go with you everywhere on holiday. Just because you’re at home, don’t let that stop you. Take pictures every day – the act of taking photographs helps us slow down and see things we would normally miss.
Are you having a staycation this summer? Tell us what you plan to do in Comments below.
Bring bamboo poles (from the garden centre) and white sheets and rig up your own tropical beach shelter. Bring a small spade to dig holes for the poles, a bucket to add wet sand, and assorted big clips to hold the whole thing together.
25 Take pictures
Cameras go with you everywhere on holiday. Just because you’re at home, don’t let that stop you. Take pictures every day – the act of taking photographs helps us slow down and see things we would normally miss.
Are you having a staycation this summer? Tell us what you plan to do in Comments below.
Part of what is so delightful about being on holiday is being outdoors, so get out there. We may not have a water view, but we can bring our coffee outside in the morning, carry a glass of wine to the patio in the evening or simply sit with a book in the shade and feel the breeze. To enhance the ambience, set candles and a few vases of flowers on your table. If you want to go a step further, hang up outdoor curtains – they make any outdoor space feel special.
2 Host a film night on the lawn
Hang up a white sheet, rent or buy a simple projector that connects to your laptop or smartphone, and invite some friends over. Bring out some chairs or spread blankets on the grass, and hand out yummy snacks. The beauty of being at home is that you can serve whatever you want, whether that’s classic popcorn and sweets or grown-up drinks and cocktail nibbles.