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Armed with theater tickets and restaurant reservations, you are ready to explore your home town for a staycation. Sadly, your “hotel” is your laundry-laden home. If you are giving up your annual vacation in favor of a staycation this year, you deserve to feel relaxed, and by integrating a few tips, you can make your home feel like a relaxing resort.
Hide Work
There is no way to make your home relaxing if work is always staring you in the face. Move your desk and stacks of bills out of your bedroom and into a corner of the basement. If you don’t have extra space, consider getting a roll-top desk that can easily hide clutter when it’s not in use. Silence your cell phone during relaxation hours, and consider disconnecting your WiFi if you feel tempted to work. If cooking and cleaning are the tasks that make your home feel burdensome, hire a cleaner from a company like Merry Maids and order dinner from your favorite restaurant. The less “work” you have to do, the better your staycation will be.
Maximize the Light
When you think of a vacation home, you probably think of sun streaming through tall windows and a great ocean view. Even if you don’t have the ocean outside your window, you can still make your home feel a bit more like a resort by maximizing the light. The right curtains will allow the sun to stream in while still giving you privacy. StyleatHome.com has great ideas on how to maximize the light in your home depending on the direction from which it is coming. Mirrors, pale walls and carefully chosen plants are just a few of the ideas they explore.
Comfort Foods
What is a vacation without some comfort foods? Comfort food can be anything that you want it to be, but typically it has lots of carbs, fat and love. Let yourself go a little wild when you shop for groceries to prep for your non-trip. Instead of stocking your fridge with boring old fare, make an effort to buy yourself your favorites. Boxes of chocolates, expensive cuts of steak and specialty spices are just a few of the items you should consider. Consider adding new appliances to your kitchen as well. A new juicer could be just what your staycation needs, and fresh juices could offer a healthy cleanse after all that comfort food.
Pamper Yourself
One of the best parts of any vacation might be the day that you spend at the spa. For much less money, you can recreate the spa experience at home, explains Lisa Kogan at Oprah.com. Buy or make your own facial mask, light candles before hopping into the tub, and treat yourself to a fluffy stack of brand new towels when it’s time to get out of the shower. If you want to splurge, invite a traveling massage therapist to your home. This can be a fabulous way to unwind after the kids have gone to bed or during their afternoon nap.
Decorate
A few cheap decorations can provide the perfect finishing touch. Make your home into a tropical paradise by cranking up the heat and hanging a few paper palm trees. Make things a little more romantic with some tiki torches and streamers. Pick a theme and exploit it.
This is a guest post by Caleb Matthews. Caleb is a travel blogger from Paris.