vacation

If you don’t follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may not have known that our family has been suffering through job loss for nearly a year now. In that time Mathew and I have rarely eaten out, haven’t made purchases that weren’t necessary, and haven’t done any traveling other than Addie’s Make A Wish trip to Disney. It has been a very hard road, but thankfully God has provided a job for Mathew and we are so excited for his new endeavor. We’ve had to be very creative this past year since we haven’t done any traveling, and we’ve come up with some really fun at-home staycation ideas that won’t break the bank! At-home staycations are such a great idea when you’re on a budget, and they make great memories for every family! Harry Potter Camping Marathon is something Mathew and I like to have as often as we can. It’s been a tradition since we were newly married and it’s just downright fun! We pitch our camping tent in the living room, pull out the blow up mattress, and add lots of cozy blankets and pillows. We start from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and take several days to get all the way to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows- Part 2. Addie loves laying in the tent and we eat Fizzing Whizzbees and Chocolate Frogs during the marathon. If you’re brave, grab some Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans– they mean every flavor! You’ll feel like you’re really there!Bringing the vacation to us is another thing our family enjoys. We pull out inflatables for the kids to swim in outside, grill some fish for fish tacos, and tell Alexa to play some Spanish music (psst- can’t go wrong with Gypsy Kings.) I also like to go through our fun fiesta decorations from my 30th birthday party and pull them out for extra fun. Don’t forget the mini drink umbrellas! Staying in bed all day is definitely one at-home staycation I miss. When Mathew and I were newlyweds we would throw on some relaxing music and we would just hang out in bed all day. We would bring Scrabble (This is the actual version I have. We are legit like that!) or Monopoly Deal into bed and play games for hours, would cook comfort food and eat in bed, and we would keep all the lights off- letting the sun shining through the windows be all of our light. If your kids are gone for the day with grandparents, definitely take advantage of this relaxing staycation.Playing Chopped is another fun at-home staycation we have often. If you’ve never seen the a Food a Network show, Chopped, the premise is that chefs get a basket of mystery ingredients and have to make a meal from those ingredients. They come up with some great and not-so-great ideas, and we love recreating that idea. Mathew will go through the pantry and fridge, grab random food, and then I work my magic to try to come up with a delicious meal. It’s hilarious, fun, and is a great way to rid of things in your pantry that you haven’t used. I like to turn the tables on him sometimes and have him come up with a dessert with ingredients I’ve chosen. Definitely makes for a fun night! Grab some chef hats and put the timer for an hour to make it feel like you’re on the show. S’mores night at home is a creative at-home staycation idea. Order a newly released movie or hop onto Disney + or Netflix, and get to s’mores making! Buying different types of candy bars or even flavored or gourmet marshmallows can make s’mores night interesting. Pro tip- turn your stove burner on, skewer your marshmallow with a fork, and roast it over the burner. It tastes a million times better than microwaved marshmallows. Let every person in your family come up with their own creation, then do a taste test! To make things extra special, google and print out a cheesy certificate for the winner so celebrate their s’mores masterpiece.Setting up yard games is another great at-home staycation. If you’ve got horseshoes, giant yard Jenga, cornhole, massive Connect Four, or a ladder toss set, take them outside and compete with family or friends. Tell those you invite that it’s a pot luck so you don’t have to worry about cooking for lots of guests. We love inviting friends over and definitely don’t do it enough. Life is always better with friends! Dance parties are a great at-home staycation idea that we do really often. They help break up stress, induce giggles, and just give everyone a chance to let loose. We love our Amazon Echo for dance parties! I like to use Spotify to find a playlist but if you have older kids you could create a custom playlist and tell Alexa to play it! It’s a great way to kick off a staycation or end one with a bang. Here’s Lawson enjoying one of our regular dance parties to Moana above.Crafting weekends are another at-home staycation idea I have always enjoyed. When I was on bed rest during my pregnancy with Addie, I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere or do anything other than sit or lay down. So I made a wreath for her room and other fun things! It was so fun! Go through your craft supplies, find something fun to recreate on Pinterest, and enjoy yourself! I hope you’ve enjoyed my favorite at-home staycation ideas. Let me know which one you’re looking forward to doing most! If your budget allows for you to get out of the house and do things around town, check out these incredible ideas from my readers here on Facebook and here on Instagram. They have so many amazing and creative ideas! Definitely leave your ideas at either one, too!