7 Tips for a Successful Staycation

There is nothing quite like a relaxing vacation – especially after a cold, long winter. What is it about being cooped up inside during the cold months that makes me itch to get out of the house and travel? Spring break is already done for the year here, but with the return of some spring-time cold weather (boo!) I’m eager for a getaway.

With kids in school and busy jobs that keep us tied to home most of the time, planning a decent vacation can sometimes seem a daunting task. Not to mention the COST of traveling with a family of seven! We’re fans of summer-time road trips to far-away destinations, but we can’t afford to spend that much time on our vacations most of the time. And who wants to wait ALL year for the next vacation?

According to Dictionary.com, a STAYCATION is “a vacation spent at home or near home, doing enjoyable activities or visiting local attractions.” It’s a relatively new term, but the idea is timeless!

Staycations can be a great way to save money on family travel. You also “save” on post-vacation recuperation time when you can avoid the wear and tear of travel. Staycations are also great because you can plan a ton or nothing at all and still have a blast.

That’s why we’re such fans of staycations!

7 Tips for planning a successful staycation

Treat your staycation like a “real” vacation. And it IS a real vacation…just without the cost and time of traveling somewhere. Make sure that you put yourself in full vacation mode. In other words, put your feet up and relax…or do whatever it takes to unwind. You’ll feel the difference when you do.

Act like a tourist. There’s something so enjoyable about sightseeing in your own hometown. Look at sites and attractions from an outsider’s eyes. Not only will you have fun while you’re doing it, but you might just discover something new!

Take advantage of the extra time. Since staycations are vacations without the travel time, put that extra time to good use. You can check in to your hotel early to take a nap before heading out for some night-time fun on the town or use that time to explore a new museum or see a show. (I’m not the only person out there who loves napping on vacation, am I?)

Enjoy the off-season. When you take a staycation, you can pick the perfect time and avoid the typical tourist crowds. Not only will venues be less crowded, but you can often get better prices when you’re there on the off-season.

Unplug! That’s right. This is nothing new for anyone, but it’s worth repeating. Make your staycation even more powerful by unplugging and making real face-to-face connections. Yes, Instagram and Facebook and even email will be there when you get back (you can even post “latergrams” if you’re eager to share pictures of your fun staycation. It’s ok to delay!

Try something new. Eat out at a restaurant you’ve never been to before. Try a new show. You might just find a few new favorites that you can visit for a future date night or family activity.

Plan ahead and search for deals. Sign up for a few of the local deal sites (like Groupon or CityDeals) and take advantage of coupons and specials (especially for off-season times).

Have I convinced you that it’s time for a staycation? Well, you’re in luck, because Radisson Hotels want to get you started on the perfect getaway! Bonus: as great as staycations are, heading out of town is pretty amazing too. Where would YOU go if you won Radisson’s #TakeMeThereSweepstakes 5-day trip for two?

I chose the Radisson Hotel in Melbourne so that I can dip my toes in the water and enjoy a peaceful day or two in the sand.

When you tweet a postcard of a location you’d like to visit, you’re entered to win a prizes from Radisson (details here) but you ALSO receive a 10% off e-certificate just for sharing. So basically, EVERY tweet is a winner.

Speaking of winning, I’m going to make this #TakeMeThereSweepstakes even more fun. When you tweet your entry from the sweepstakes page, you can come back here, share your postcard and be entered to win $40 paypal or Amazon cash from me! This giveaway will end 4/22/2016 at 11:59 pm ET and a winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Good luck!

Please note: this giveaway requires that you have a social media account (Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest) to enter. I apologize in advance for my readers that do not use social media.

Tip: to grab the url of a social share on twitter or facebook, just click on the timestamp and copy the link in the search bar at the top of your page. It should look like this: https://twitter.com/foodfunfamily/status/718835951489937408

PS – although this post is sponsored by Radisson Hotels, this giveaway is self-funded by me.

© 2016, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.

About Lolli

Lolli has written 3741 post in this blog.

I became a mom in 1996, and in 2005 I had my fifth. Yes, 5 kids. In 2007, this blog was born (my 6th baby that will never grow up) and I've been sharing recipes, photography tricks, parenting tips, and everything in between. (Formerly Better in Bulk)

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