With Labor Day approaching, you may be deciding if you want to go out for a three-day getaway or if you want to stay in and enjoy a few days relaxing at home. If you choose to getaway, I highly recommend checking out this post to help you prepare for your vacation and also give some pointers on using your getaway as a way to strengthen your marriage. But for those of you staying in, I thought I would share some tips on ways to turn your time at home into a staycation!

1) Eat Somewhere or Something You’ve Never Eaten!

Has there been a place in town you and your spouse have been wanting to try but never made it happen? Now is your chance! In order to make your staycation feel special, you should do things out of the ordinary. Depending on your budget, maybe think about a Brazilian steakhouse or a hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant. You could even visit restaurants that you have been before, but just buy appetizers or other dishes you haven’t had before. However you choose to do it, make it something novel and fun!

But maybe, you’d prefer to eat in. My husband and I love to cook new things together and while we get to create something tasty, we also get to spend time together doing something fun! You can use this as an opportunity to cook something fancy like steak and potatoes, or something fun like cheese and chocolate fondue (grab my favorite fondue kit here, as well as my favorite cheese fondue recipe here). Maybe let each of you choose a dish for two different meals. Or, you could split one meal into various parts and divide the responsibilities. For example, you could work on the main dish and your partner could make appetizers and sides! Whatever you choose to do, have fun with it!

2) Try a New Sport!

You don’t need to be overly athletic to try a new sport! It can be a great way to gain a new skill and create some memories with your spouse. Here are a few of my top suggestions of sports to try:

• Pickle ball is the latest up and coming sport. Think of it like tennis but with the court cut in half. Grab your own racquets here, and instructions on how to play here.
• Croquet has been around for what seems like forever, and it is a total classic! What is also nice about croquet is that it moves slow enough that you can hold a conversation. This croquet set from Amazon has all you will need!
• Maybe invite over another couple, or if you have kids at home, have them join you for a game of spike ball! Spike ball is one that is seen across parks and beaches across the nation. Grab your spike ball set here.

3) Make a Unique Sleeping Arrangement

There are so many things you can do to spice up sleeping in the same bedroom that you do every night in order to make this staycation a fun one. You could choose to stay in a hotel that has a fun pool or a delicious breakfast. Maybe choose a hotel with a location close to some new things you could do!

You could also spice up the sleeping arrangements at home. Set up a tent in your living room and pull out the sleeping pads (or even your own mattress) to still ensure that you get a good nights sleep. You could also build the ultimate blanket fort or set up fun new fairy lights in your bedroom.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure you still sleep comfortably. No one wants to be grumpy after a poor night’s sleep when trying to enjoy a staycation!

4) Explore Your City in a New Way

Sure, maybe you’ve driven or even walked around your city. But have you tried a scooter? Bike? What about a tandem bike?! There are so many fun options you can use to get to know your city better with your partner.

5) Buy a New Board Game/Movie

Perhaps you live in a city where there isn’t too much to do. That’s okay! You can still do something new and fun at home! Invest in a new board game, card game, or video game! I recently wrote a post with my favorite date ideas that cost less than $20 which included a list of my favorite games that are great for those on a budget, which you can find here. If you want to splurge a bit more on a game, some great options are:

• Pandemic (Ironic, I know. But it’s still a great one!)
• Catan
• Marvel Villanous
• Ticket To Ride
• Blokus

Renting a new movie or going out to see one is another way to take a normal weekend up a notch! Rent something you’ve always wanted to see! Maybe you and your partner have a hard time deciding on a movie together. Perhaps each of you can choose a movie and you can make time to watch both together!

Hopefully after reading this post, you feel better equipped to plan the staycation of your dreams! One that is both fun and enriching for your relationship. If you have any other ideas, please include them below! I’d love to hear them!

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