Archive for July, 2011
Staycation Part 9
I have been talking about staycationing for the last nine days! I have been on a staycation myself and I have truly learned to enjoy 
this type of vacation! It is economical, easy, relaxing, and I actually feel more rested; like I truly have had a vacation! I have learned a lot about my own community and county and now I have ideas that will continue into future weekends, family days, and time off work.
I hope I have sparked some interest in you for doing a staycation. I have also found that investing money in my outdoor spaces: balcony, deck, patio, porch, and yard, to make them cozy, restful, and beautiful, is an investment in my own happiness! I am happier at home and truly feel like it is a haven to come home to and escape the stress of life. I flop into my Mexican hammock and take a siesta!
As you can tell, I am very excited about staycationing, as I am on one myself right now! I have discovered new things to do this summer that I wished I would have done before with the kids. We have had some great vacations, but I could have saved a lot of money and also had much enjoyment. So, as we have explored many things to do right at home, I hope you are not working on your staycation!
Something fun that we did just yesterday was to go to a zoo! It had been several years since we were there. Chances are, there is probably a zoo within a reasonable drive from your home. We enjoyed watching the animals and the shows. My boys always have liked the monkey house–they are so interesting to watch! Another hit is the reptile house! I like the big cats and the giraffes the best. When we got back home, I needed a rest after all the walking! As I laid in my arc hammock stand, it reminded me of Noah’s Ark, and I imaged all those tons of animals, large and small, fitting into that great ark! I rocked my self to sleep like I was in my own ark!
Do you enjoy cooking? Perhaps you have a recipe that looked great but you know that new recipes can take extra time to prepare and get the necessary ingredients, etc so you just make the same old, familiar dishes. I have been enjoying trying to learn to cook better on the grill! I am trying to become a “grill master”!
Or, you may have another recipe on your mind. I have been making vegetables on the grill, potatoes, zucchini, and squash, by mixing them with olive oil, dill weed, garlic salt, and pepper. Then I put them directly on the grill. Delicious! My kids even love them and it’s a great way for them to eat their veggies! I do lose a few slices to the grill, though, so I am going to get a grill basket! There are many recipes for the grill I want to try. Take your favorite cookbook out to your comfortable, quilted hammock, prop your head on a soft hammock pillow, and flag a few recipes to try this week!
While we are exploring some great things we can do near our homes, I should mention museums! I bet you will discover there is a 
museum in your town that you never knew about! Research at the library or online. It happened to me. There is a small museum two miles away that is quite interesting displaying my small town’s history.
There may even be some you do realize are there but you are always too busy! Now is that time! Take a day trip, then go to a restaurant near it for lunch! Maybe a new one you have never tried. Are you getting some great ideas for your stacation? I hope so! I am actually enjoying my own staycation as I am blogging this very moment, under the trees, in my key West hammock chair!
While I am discussing exercise, I’d like to mention biking. It is a low impact sport and actually, if you pedal in higher gears, good for 
knees. Once you purchase the bike, you are set. the thing I like about biking is that, even if it is hot, you make a slight breeze just moving, that’s helps to cool you.
If you researched, you may be lucky enough to find bike trails nearby that you didn’t realize were there! It is a great way to explore nature and get some fresh air. It can be a great family activity, also, that can foster a love for the outdoors and activity in your children that they will keep a lifetime! I thoroughly enjoy it and the way it makes me feel and you might too! I like to go early in the morning in the summer when it is hot, then I enjoy sipping lemonade and reading in my Pawleys Island rope hammock! Maybe you may want to visit your local bike shop this week?
As we are exploring staycationing, it’s a great time to mention exercise. The health benefits are endless, not to mention the great feeling you get from it! When we move our bodies in any way, we release chemicals called endorphins. These are the “feel good” chemicals that are an added benefit of exercise! Now, you may have been wanting to star,t but never take the time. How about this week?
Don’t worry, you can start slow and work on your progress. You may have a great habit in progress by the the time you start back to work and want to continue it. Also, you do not need to join a gym! Walking is free! Just a walk around the block, if it that is all you can do, is a start! Make it a daily routine this week. This doesn’t have to be like work. Make it fun! Explore! You may notice things you never see as you drive by in your car. Then you can take a nice little nap in one of your Pawleys Island hammocks!
My local library’s reading program this summer involves going to local parks. There are parks that are basically a few miles away from my house that I never knew were there! It helps everyone in the family to have the physical activity and it brings out the “kid” in all of us, even the adults, as we explore nature. It’s so great to just get outdoors and enjoy the beauty we often take for granted as we rush here and there, caught up in the hustle and bustle of life.
One day, we each brought a camping chair, the Algoma Hammocks butterfly chair, and ate a picnic lunch out in the park! The library may have information on this. Then just a short trip back home! Fun with no hassle! There are often beautiful places nearby we didn’t even know about! You may be surprised if you searched for parks in your area.
Do you like to read? Visit your local bookstore or, for a free read, the library, to pick out a book for your enjoyment during your 
staycation. They also have books on CD or down-loadable books to check out if you prefer to listen rather than read. Maybe you feel like you never have time to, but now you will because this week is all about you and working is not allowed!
Do you have children who like to read or that you would like to encourage to read? Many libraries have a summer reading program. They offer incentives for minutes the child reads and programs for all ages to enjoy. Our library has a drawing for prizes for each level of minutes read. This reminds us to read in my house and is good for the kids to read with you. Also, children are never too young or too old to be read to. Pile in a great, big Brazilian hammock and spend quality time reading!
Is money a little tight this year? Is the cost of gas, teetering around $4/gallon, keeping you home? Or, possibly, you are one of those people who feel like vacations are nice, but they can also involve a lot of work to prepare for! You would just like the enjoyment of relaxing in your own home. In another word: “staycation” The Wikipedia defines a staycation as a period of time in which an individual or family stays and relaxes at home, or vacations in their own country, possibly taking day trips to area attractions.
I am going to be talking about many things we can do at home or near our homes that will be very enjoyable, yet also, inexpensive. So go grab a tablet, a pen, a cold beverage, and kick up your feet in your hammock. Now can you start writing down some ideas for things you would like to nearby but just never get around to. Many of us live near tourist ares where people come from miles around, yet we take this for granted. If your house needs cleaned, go take a couple hours to get it in shape now. There will be no work allowed! This is a vacation!
Don’t forget your hammock accessories as you head of to the campground or on your backpacking trip. The most important for me while camping are the hammock tree straps. This is how I hang my travel hammock, i.e, bed. They are so easy to use. Just strap them around the trees and in a matter of minutes, you are finished. The best part is that they do cause any permanent tree damage, and being somewhat of a “tree hugger” myself, I like this.
Another beneficial item when camping, that I bring, because it barely takes up any space, is the hammock protective sleeve. I cover my hammock up during the day in case it rains. Then I still have a dry bed that night without having to take it down.
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