As gas prices rise and prices in travel and expenses equally go up, vacations are getting harder to take. There are fewer opportunities to get away for a weekend or week to some exotic local. So why not take a vacation in your own house? This may seem odd at first but these are great ways to relax and gain a new appreciation for your world.
Do you have a guest room?
Change the sheets, light a scented candle and open a good bottle of wine. The change of room may seem a small thing, but our guest rooms are often nicer than our own bedrooms. We put a lot of effort into the comfort of visitors, so take advantage. With a few touches like flowers, music and low light you can create the feel of a first class hotel. Create a backyard no complaining zone.
I have two inexpensive adirondack chairs that have a simple stump table between them that I have declared a no complaint zone. On a nice evening take the time to enjoy a beverage and have a conversation that only concentrates on the positive. If you are alone curl up with a good book of poetry or classic fiction. The view is of my own yard but the attitude is of a miniature vacation, attitude is everything.Turn your bathroom into a spa.
Clean the room and then set the mood. What makes a spa a special place? That pampered feeling and an atmosphere that say “Relax”. So create the atmosphere by finding some relaxing music, I enjoy those environmental CD's that combine nature sounds with music. Lighting should be low, as in candles or a lamp with a shade, Candles can also add great aroma. There are a number of electric long handled massagers on the market so you can massage your back without a masseuse. (It is not the same, but not bad). Take a long bath and treat yourself to a tub facial or sugar body scrub. When you finish the bath don't just rush back to your life. Take time to do your nails or a facial mask or any of your favorite grooming techniques that get left out of everyday life.Floor picnic.
This does not have to involve slaving over a stove. There are so many wonderful packaged “Luxury” foods out there now that an expensive haute cuisine meal is affordable and easy. A bottle of tampenade and a loaf of crusty bread, good chocolate, an inexpensive California wine, cheese, put this all together for around $25.00 and it will feel much more expensive. Don't eat at the table though. Pull out that fancy tablecloth (the one you save for holidays) and spread it over a coffee table or in front of a fireplace on the floor. If you don't want to build a fire, line the fireplace with candles, you get the look without all the hassle. Take time to eat. When we go out and have an expensive meal we usually take time to enjoy it. Savor the food and spend the time. That is what makes it like a vacation.Camp in the back yard.
Do you remember as a kid how much fun it was to sleep in the backyard in the family tent? Recreate that in your own yard, put up the tent, pull out those sleeping bags. If your neighborhood does not allow a fire ring use a small grill to put a fire in and roast a couple marshmallows. The birds will sing and the grass will feel the same as traveling to a campground. As you lay in the tent you will forget that the house is right there. Use the time to reflect on favorite trips of the past.
Now, none of these ideas will be the same as a week in Hawaii, but with some planning they can go a long way to helping relive the stresses of modern life. Take the time and enjoy the small things.
