Staycation

All I ever wanted.

By Amy Crelly

Kirstie Douglass is a single Mom of three who lives in Auburn but travels frequently for work. Between road trips to meet with clients and colleagues and shuttling the kids around town (and beyond) for school and after-school activities, summer vacation offers her a welcome chance to actually enjoy staying at home. "The kids and I sat down and decided we're not going away on vacation this summer. Last year, it was just too much work and money, so we're not going through that again." While the state of the economy and factors such as rising fuel costs are influencing more and more families to plan on staycationing (vs. vacationing) this summer, finances aren't the only factor driving this trend.

Douglass recalls the conclusion she and her kids (ages 10-18) reached: "We all agreed we have much more fun just relaxing at home, going to the river, swimming in their grandparents' pool, watching movies, reading, riding our bikes or hanging out with friends." For busy modern families, time may be the most precious commodity they save by staycationing. "The less time we have to spend running around or waiting in lines, and the less stressed I am, the more quality time I get to spend with my family," says Douglass.

Here are some ways to make your staycation time special:

Remember you're on holiday: The change of scenery that comes with vacationing gives us an automatic break from routine, but when staycationing, you may need to remind yourself: This is your free time, and you want to use it in a way that will leave you feeling really refreshed, just like you would if you were going away. You might ask yourself now and then, "If I were off in Maui, would I be doing laundry? Would I channel surf on the couch? Would I check e-mail?" This might be enough to help you drop the dirty clothes and join the kids in the backyard for an hour or two in the hammock. Kirstie and her teenage daughter spent one staycation day at the river near their house. "There were a couple of new places we always wanted to explore. We brought a beach umbrella and chairs, a bunch of magazines and snacks. We could have been on a beach somewhere in Hawaii," she says, adding, "Honestly, we were that happy and relaxed."

Refresh: You know how neat and clean a hotel room is when you first enter, plop down your bags and watch the kids do that test-bounce on the bed? It's a good idea to do something similar for your house before your staycation begins. The idea is to create a space you can really relax in, where you won't be tempted to do work of any kind (or as little as possible, at least). Why not spend some of what you would have on travel or hotel accomodations to hire a cleaning service?

Fauxcation: Consider staying at a hotel close to home. Jason Adair, a Sacramento-area father of two, calls this the "Fauxcation." With no beds to make, no home repair projects in sight, and nothing calling to you from the home office, hotels offer a great escape for families who need to literally get away but don't want to log a lot of miles or spend a lot of money to do it. Years of traveling with his kids showed Adair that even budget motels offered a magical escape when seen from a kid's perspective.

Gocation: One of the great things about travel is how it makes you appreciate all the cool things close to home you never quite have time for during your regular routine. So, why not explore that stuff? Planning at least a few activities out of the house also really helps distinguish your staycation from just a week spent hanging around the house. You don't have to go far to play tourist in your own backyard. For suggestions on family-friendly things to do, visit SacramentoParent.com's Calendar page, and while you're there, check out our list of Places to Visit & Story Times.

Unplug: Technology is wonderful. So are "off" buttons. Don't waste precious vacation hours surfing TV channels or Internet sites, checking email or answering calls you don't really want to take. If the idea of unplugging completely sends you into spasms, try designating just a couple of days (and just a couple of hours on those days) for interfacing with the modern world, then get back to that downtime you've earned.

Splurge: Especially if you're staycationing in order to cut costs, it's important to treat yourself in some way, so that you don't feel deprived. Plan a date night at a fancy restaurant while the kids watch movies with a sitter. Schedule a massage or a pedicure. Take the family on a river rafting or rock climbing expedition. With the money you'll save eating most meals at home (not to mention the big bucks you'll save on gas), you can afford it.

No matter how spontaneous or structured you choose to make your staycation, whether you're making s'mores around the backyard fire pit or getting ready for a day trip to Lake Tahoe, and whether you have two days, two weeks or two months, the key to enjoying your staycation time lies in being able to relax and savor one moment at a time. "What you bring to the day is what makes it a vacation or not," says Douglass. "Vacationing is a state of mind."