If you had to cancel your travel plans this summer due to COVID-19, and are trying to make the best out of the last couple weeks of summer while vacationing at home and saving money – keep reading. With a bit of creativity and an open mind, spending your time off at home can still be just as fun and just as rewarding. Plus, you won’t have airfare or hotel bills to pay!

Turn Your House into a Hotel

You can enjoy the experience of staying in a hotel right at home. Indulge in hot chocolate at night with a fresh baked cookie, create a mini bar in your bedroom, and leave a folded luxurious robe and new pair of slippers out for yourself and enjoy a bubble bath. To add to the vacation resort feel, turn on the spa station on Pandora or find a relaxing music station on TV and keep it playing in the background. You can also buy tropical beach or spa scented candles or essential oils to increase the resort getaway feel, without ever leaving your house.

Around the World Theme Night Dinners

Convert your kitchen into a foreign destination with a themed dinner – a different one for every night of the week, if you so choose. Research the cuisine of each country you pick, play cultural music in the background, and serve drinks, appetizers, dinner and dessert all from the nationality of the day. To add to this idea, you might choose to get a bit competitive with other family members. Have each person make a certain dish, set a time limit, and vote on the best one!

Backyard Camping

Put up a tent in your backyard, and have a family camping experience equipped with sleeping bags, flashlights, cook on the grill, tell ghost stories, and make s’mores. You can also still have just as much fun with a living room camping experience with sleeping bags and flashlights too!

Hold a Yoga Retreat

This can also take place in your living room or outside in the backyard with yoga mats, infused water, and relaxing music. Search on YouTube or Google for simple poses and how-to videos to help guide you.

Watch a Broadway Show – Virtually

Broadway might be closed for the rest of 2020, however did you know that https://www.broadwayhd.com/ includes a free 7 day trial? There are also monthly and annual subscription service options if you want to watch them all!

Hold a Movie Marathon

Rent movies or create a line-up of ones you’ve wanted to see but haven’t had the time for. Stock up on popcorn and other movie theater style snacks. If the weather is nice, you could even hold an outdoor marathon using a projector and screen and watch from the backyard.

Get Creative

Reconnect with your inner child (or your actual children), and hold a drawing or painting class. You will probably need to order some supplies in advance (paint, canvas, drawing pencils). The most important thing to remember is to be creative. If the weather is nice, paint or draw outside! If your creations turn out better than you hoped – you’ll even have new artwork to display inside.

Go Outside

Visit a local park, beach, go for a bike ride – just get outdoors. If you plan to spend the day outside, bring supplies like sunscreen, snacks, water, and other necessities.

Learn a Skill

Was there ever something you have always wanted to learn but just never found the time? Maybe you’ve always wanted to focus more on baking or cake decorating, grow a garden, etc. See if you can find a local class during your staycation and make your dream a reality.

Assist a Charity

There are many charities and non-profit organizations who have been especially impacted by COVID-19 (think food pantries). Seek out one that’s local to you and spend the day volunteering. You’ll feel internally rewarded!

Travel Virtually

You might not be able to get on a plane and tour world landmarks or go on an island getaway right now, but you can travel virtually. If you’re a museum enthusiast, many museums around the globe also are featuring virtual online tours. Zoos, aquariums, and even theme parks have virtual experiences too – get out your laptop or tablet and start searching for the spots that interest you the most.

Article Source: TowerFCU.org