Staycation Ideas

Archive for the ‘Indoor’ Category

You don’t need an audience to put on a play—perhaps its even better that way. Just have fun with absolutely no inhibitions or stage fright. Most of us have a secret wish to be an actor, and staging your own home production is a fun way to act out that fantasy. Enlist the whole family or invite willing friends to star in your production.

Have fun with this and invite no divas! Don’t invite anyone to participate around whom you might be self-conscious, or who might be overly critical of another’s performance. It’s okay to want to do well, but the emphasis should be on fun. Now, pick a script and put on a show.

How to Make it Happen

First, go to the library and check out a book of plays or a script if they’re available. You can also just act out a scene from your favorite movie. Many Hollywood scripts can be found on www.hollywoodbookcity.com. Once you’ve picked your performance piece, assign every participant a part and start memorizing your lines.

From there you can make it as involved or simple as you please. For added fun, go to a costume shop to rent your wardrobe. You can also try second-hand stores for cheap clothes. Your living room will do just fine as a stage and you can add scenery if you want. Try painting on old sheets, or create cutouts from cardboard boxes—ask your local grocery store for extras they will just discard. Other art and craft supplies, or inexpensive props, can be found at hobby stores and discount chains.

To practice learning your lines, host special “rehearsal” nights. If it’s a family affair, order in pizza and run lines over the pepperoni. If you’re inviting others, make it potluck, and rotate the location between houses. Pick a night for the big event and “break a leg”.

Additional Activities

• Attend a touring production of a Broadway play or musical in your area.
• Pick one of the great playwrights and devote yourself to reading through his or her collection at the local library.
• Support local theater troops by attending a play. Local troops are often very professional, and the smaller venue creates an intimate audience experience.

Here are the statistics: Children from families that regularly dine together are more likely to stay out of trouble in their teen years. And, kids that participate in preparing their own food often make healthier food choices. So here’s the plan: you’re going to schedule a Family Cook Night.

How to Make it Happen

Get the whole family involved from the beginning by letting everyone help plan the menu. Try to honor everyone’s choices. You may end up with several menus—just use them for future dinners. Some suggestions for easy group projects include pasta with salad and fajitas with grilled veggies. Assign everyone a task—even small children can wash veggies and mix a salad. Be sure and supervise young helpers when they are using the stove or sharp utensils. As you prepare the meal together, enjoy what happens. Talk, tease, laugh and share your lives.

Additional Activities

1. Pick a new recipe and try to make it.
2. Attend a Farmers Market together
   
3. Go out to eat. Many family-friendly restaurants offer kids-eat-free nights. (visit MyKidsEatFree.com)

You weren’t just buying a place to live when you purchased your house. You were buying your part of the American dream. It’s where you would make your home, raise your family and write your history. But how much do you know about your own home?  When was it built? What has it survived? Who has it comforted? Maybe its time to learn a little more about this place you call home.

How to Make it Happen

Start with the basics. Contact your county assessor’s office for information on when your home was built, who the previous owners were, and if/when there have been any additions to the original building. These records are often online. If online records do not go back far enough to identify the original owners, pay a visit to the assessor’s office for historical records.

If you live in an older home or neighborhood, you might be able to find information at a local historical society. Consult old newspapers or county records to provide cultural context for your home throughout its history. If you can identify the original owners, try to research how they came to your town, how they were employed, and what happened in their lives. Again, local historical or genealogical societies may be able to help with this research.

If you live in a newer house you have the honor of starting its history. Our homes acquire personality through our memories and shared experience. So write down the important events of your history in the house––the milestones and accomplishments your family shares in this home. Take before and after pictures when you renovate or redecorate a room. Save clippings of important local events or natural disasters that your house witnesses or even survives. Some day you can pass these memories on to your grown children, or leave it as a gift to the next homeowners.

Additional Activities

1. Research an historic site. (Idea #51)
2. Join a local historical or genealogical society.

Spa-Finder has launced a new advertising campaign just for the staycationer with their “Spa-Cation” a new “stay-cation” alternative that’s almost as budget-friendly (no airfare or lodging required) but far more rejuvenating.

From the ancient mineral baths of the Dead Sea to the legendary Golden Door spa of California, great spas of the world have been coveted vacation destinations for centuries. But with so many luxurious day spas located nearby, there’s no reason you can’t pamper themselves and still remain close to home.

We all know that life can be stressful.  And our bodies and minds, without proper attention, end up taking the brunt of that stress.  That’s why with haute mud wraps to hot-stone massages,chakra realignments to miracle treatments that have you aging in reverse, there has never been a better time to take care of yourself (mind, body and spirit) and take a spa-cation!  Your body will thank-you!

So how’s your summer going?  If it is anything like the one here in Ohio, there is one word to sum it up, wet.  So are you looking something indoor to do during those wet summer showers?  

Since 1991, Regal theaters have been providing a service called “Free Family Film Festival”.  This program last nine weeks and it provides free movies for kids and parents on selected weekday mornings.  First-come, first served seated is limited to theater capacity.  This is a safe, fun and great way for kids to spend a rainy summer day indoors.

Tickets for the 2009 Free Family Film Festival are exclusively available at select theaters’ box offices on the day of the show.

You can go to the Regal’s website to learn more information about the Free family film festival.

Looking for staycation ideas?  I (now) have a book of them!  I am very proud to announce the release of  my book “101 Great Staycations”.

With summer fast approaching and our country deep in a recession, many families are wondering how to plan a memorable summer vacation while at the same time being very mindful of every dollar spent.  Many families are wondering if they can even take a vacation at all? The answer?  Plan a staycation!

A staycation is a unique way of combining the word stay (as in stay-at-home) and vacation.  Staycations involve taking in the sights and sounds of your hometown and local area all while trying to recreate the vacation-like experience.  The hardest part of  planning a staycation is finding those activities that provide the most fun for every dollar.  Another challenge of staycations, is finding something that your kids will actually enjoy doing.

“101 Great Staycations” easily conquers both of these inherent staycation challenges by providing over a 100 unique, fun and creative staycation ideas to help assist you in planning a fun and memorable staycation experience.

Each stayaction idea contains:

1) Background and Photo – a background synopsis of each idea accompanied by professionally photographed photos to help provide you with staycation inspiration

2) How to get started – this section provides detailed steps and instructions for each staycation so that you take the idea and run with it!

3) Additional activities – Within each staycation idea you’ll find an additional activities section that helps provide follow-up and ideas for variants on the main staycation.  If you take into account all these additional ideas, there are easily over 150 staycation ideas for you!

I also realize that staycations can occur in the summer, spring, winter and fall so I’ve grouped the staycation ideas into categories by season so you plan a staycation year round! We have staycation for summer, spring, fall and winter!

When you compare the cost of traditional travel versus a staycation, you’ll realize that taking a staycation can save you literally thousands of dollars IF you know how to properally plan and prepare.

This e-book which I’ve spent countless hours writing, proofing, editing and compiling can be yours today for only $12.95 but you must act TODAY because once summer is here I will be raising the price significantly due to higher demand.  This is a introductory price!

Purchase and download  a copy of “101 Great Staycations” today!

Happy Earth Day!

In celebration of Earth Day and school vacation week in Reading, Massachusetts, Wickedlocal.com has provided some “green” staycation ideas. 

1. Start a garden – Besides saving on your grocery bill, this is a great way to help reduce pollution.
2. Build Habitat – Make houses for birds
3. Walk or Bike – Find a bike trail or park and explore your town.
4. Take Transit – Use public transportation to local family friendly staycation destinations
5. Try a recycled craft – Use items that you would normally discard and turn them into unique creations.  Recycle old clothes into quilts or make your own new craft paper by tossing your old paper into a blender.
6. Energy scavenger hunt.  Use a kill-a-watt meter to test your appliances and electronics.  Encourage your kids to participate and help identify which items can be unplugged when not in use.
7. Explore your town – be a tourist in your home town.  Go spend time at the top tourist destinations for your local area.  Greenhouses, park and playgrounds are great options for enjoying the spring weather.

I’d encourage your to read Wickedlocal.com other thoughts on enjoying a green staycation.  You can do so here:

Green thoughts on vacation week – The Reading Advocate

Looking for a a great staycation idea?  Have a family game night!

Hasbro, the makers of great games such as GatorGolf, Guess Who, Sliders, Twister Hopscotch and Elefun are offering a $5.00 discount on any of these games.  That is up to $25 off if you purchased all five!

Click here to print off $5.00 coupons on Hasboro games.

$25 Off 5 Great Hasbro Games

I came home from work yesterday and asked my wife what her and the kids did that day and she replied

“Oh, we went to Bounce U.”

“What’s that?” I said.

“Bounce U?  Oh, it’s kind of like a huge indoor park for kids with the big bouncy toys, you know, like the ones parents rent for parites?”

“Right”

“Well the kids run around and jump for a few hours and they love it.  I like it because the kids are exhausted afterward and don’t mind taking their nap.”

“Great.  Sounds like fun.”

Of course, at this point, I was already thinking what a great staycation idea this would make.  And being that the company has lots of locations across the country, it’s perfect for a stay-at-home-vacation.  Take the kids to Bounce U!

You can visit their website for more information at http://www.bounceu.com :

This past weekend, I had another great staycation idea hit me and it came by way of my 5 year old.

“Daddy can you tape me?”

I have a 5 year old, who I am convinced will be in show business.  She loves it when I tape her as she stars in her own cooking show at our Little Tikes Kitchen or dancing around the living room in dress-up.  Well, after I finished video taping her she of course wanted to watch it.  After we finished watching these most recent outtakes, she decided it would be fun to look at some of the older tapes as well.  This turned out to be a wonderful trip down memory lane that our whole family, my wife included, enjoyed immensely.  It was fun watching our daughter when she was younger and also fun reminiscing about the people in our lives when those videos were taped.

As I sat there watching these home movies, I thought to myself, “This is a wonderful staycation idea!”  How much fun would it be during a staycation, to sit inside and watch some of these old videos? 

The idea grew the longer I sat there watching those tapes.  I thought about how much fun it would be to transfer these tapes from the MiniDV format to a more usable DVD. 

I stumbled to a site, ImToo which makes a “Easy DV to DVD” software application that makes it easy to transfer your old tapes to DVD.  All you have to have is a computer and a DVD burner.  Connect your Digital Camcorder to your computer, select the source and your settings and and click “Start Burn”  Come back in about 20 minutes and viola! You have your miniDV tape on a DVD!

You can download a free trial version of this program here and try it out for your self:
 
Easy DV to DVD