Staycation Essentials

I love staycations and usually take two per year, first around Thanksgiving and the second around Christmas and New Year's. I ended up not being able to take the full week off for Thanksgiving this year but in only a couple weeks I'll be off from the 21st until Jan 1st and you better believe I've already started counting down.

I know for a lot of people taking time off immediately means going away somewhere but don't knock staying local if you haven't tried it yet. I tend to approach staycations as a mix of unwinding but also making plans to explore nearby (which for me is usually the city) or to do things I often feel like I don't have time for. Although if you want to spend your staycation being a couch potato 24 hours, 7 days a week – I promise I won't judge that either!

Here are my essentials and some ideas for having a happy staycation: 

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash • The message on that board ☺

TV show to binge • I almost always start a new show during my staycations. Right now I'm bingeing The Last Kingdom and I have a feeling I'll finish before the holidays but others I'm considering are Bodyguard, Homecoming and The Good Place.

Venture out somewhere local but new to you • Even though I'm in New York every day, I still have lists of places and restaurants I want to check out. Or when I'm in the mood to take out my camera, I'll google popular photography spots in New Jersey or even closer to home. I've discovered some beautiful gardens less than 15 minutes from my apartment that way. Just because it's local, that doesn't mean there isn't something new for you to discover!

Pampering • I can't think of a better thing to do during a staycation than to take an afternoon (or day!) off to get a manicure, pedicure, massage or all three! Also if you're a fan of face masks, skincare products or bubble baths (personally, I'm trying the shower bombs from Lush), this is a great time to indulge in all the self-care and pampering you can.

Puzzles • I've recently rediscovered my love of jigsaw puzzle. They're just such a great way to turn off my brain and destress. I can totally picture myself spending a whole day at home alternating between watching TV, reading a book and working on a puzzle.

Read a book or two or three • This shouldn't be a surprise but no work means more time to read.

Ignore your usual routine • Of all the things on my list, I'd rank this as one of the most important. Staycations are a time to focus on you, relax and hopefully have fun too. So if your daily routine is to sleep early and wake up even earlier for work.. don't. Stay up late with a book, sleep in and spend an extra hour in bed. Do you and a little less adulting.

Make breakfast or lunch plans with a friend or yourself • Because of work, I'm usually meeting up with friends for dinner or waiting until Saturday to get brunch. But if you're off, meet a friend on their lunch break or better yet, check out your favorite breakfast spot on your own.

Go shopping • I love shopping but I can't think of anything I hate more than an overly crowded mall. Which is why if I do go, I tend to go on Saturday mornings as soon as the mall opens or if I'm off during the week, I'll go during then to avoid the crowds. Because as much as I love shopping online, I also love instant gratification.

Mini home project • If you like being somewhat productive even during your time off and I'll admit, I'm usually one of those people who do, this is a great time to do that project at home you've been putting off. For me that can be decluttering my closets, reorganizing my bookshelves, or heading to IKEA to get furniture you've been eyeing.

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So those are my essentials for a fun yet relaxing staycation!

What are some other things you'd add to the list?