Holiday at Home: How to Make Your Backyard Feel Like a Getaway!

As everyone who’s ever had to stay put well knows, some of the best holidays to be had, are those taken at home! So, forget the hours of travel, accommodation costs, strange beds, uncomfortable pillows, and poor parking, and enjoy your best break ever right in your own backyard. But before you do, prepare for it (and allow yourself a budget to do so) because it won’t come to anything like the cost of a holiday away from home. Once you’re ready, draw up your activity list, then sit back, and enjoy! Use our prep and activity lists below to get started:

Staycation Prep

Make your home and environment as stress-free as possible by:

•      mowing your lawn

•      clearing the clutter

•      cleaning your most looked-out-of window

•      changing your sheets

•      polishing the coffee table.

•      arranging a vase of flowers

•      taking down any ‘to-do’ lists

•       making lots of ice

•      set up a hammock or outdoor daybed

Stock up on holiday treats such as:

•      glossy magazines

•      a box of chocolates or chocky biscuits

•      cafe-style breakfast ingredients (pancake mix, ready-to-bake croissants, bagels, cream cheese)

•      a movie streaming subscription

•      easie-peesie meal ingredients (such as pizza bases, deli salads, cold cuts, barbecue food)

•      ground coffee

Beautify your bathroom with:

•      a new pot plant

•      both bomb

•      face mask

•      a new body lotion, or find a travel sized kit from places like Mecca

Book ahead for a personal treat:

•      an hour at the local spa

•      a massage

•      the best breakfast table at your cafe

•      an activity

Holiday Plans

Make every moment memorable, with a laid-back holiday plan, including several of the following:

•      long lie-ins

•      an order-in breakfast-in-bed of pancakes or waffles

•      indulgent baths or extra-long showers

•      bucks fizz and croissant breakfasts on the patio –  bucks fizz is a half and half mix of champagne (or sparkling grape juice) and orange juice

•      a pampering face mask

•      daily walks to somewhere different (the beach, a suburb you haven’t explored, a park you don’t usually go to, the botanic gardens, a community garden)

•      coffee and catch-up – brew your coffee, and each day, phone a different friend or family member while you put your feet up

•      afternoon movie marathons

•      head to an exhibition

•      hop on a local tourist bus – the commentary will tell you more about home than you ever knew!

•      evening barbie (keep it simple) – and why not invite a friend or neighbour?

•      check out Facebook Events for your region, and choose one to go to

•      go on a local walking tour

•      head to the zoo or animal park

•      hire a bike for an hour

•      dig out your old photo albums and take a trip down memory lane

•      go on a slow train trip

•      take yourself to some open homes and see how others live!

•      attend a performance

•      sign up for a cooking class

•      take a virtual walking tour

•      attend a wine- or whisky-tasting event

•      watch live webcams of your favourite animals

•      go people watching with live webcams from around the world

•      schedule happy hour with a cocktail of mixed juices and lots of crushed ice

•      eat dinner in front of the tv

•      brew hot chocolate and drink it in bed

•       head to bed early with a good book

•       stream international concerts or festivals online

•      take a scenic drive with no set destination

A holiday at home can be your best break ever – it just takes a little planning, saying ‘yes’ to indulgence, and a willingness to explore your own backyard!