It doesn't matter who you are - single, young, parents, empty nesters, young at heart, or anything else. A good Away Weekend @ Home needs creativity and a little pre-planning. The most important thing to remember is that "away" really means disconnecting from your daily routine in order to make your days stuck at home more special.
What helps me make my weekends special are these key components:
Theme with Pre-planning
Food
Music
Activities
Movie or TV Show
Theme with Pre-planning - should be considered first. This is what you make your weekend day or entire weekend revolve around. It can be something or somewhere you are interested in. A good first try would be something you already have stuff in your home, to keep costs down. That is why for my first weekend I chose to have a French theme. The only extra items I needed to purchase was food. Pre-planning is key though, so you aren't spending your time at the grocery store or spending time shopping for some extra things during your 'away time'. If you pre-plan your weekend in advance, you can scout out some cheap things on eBay, Etsy, local stories, etc., to make your weekend experience even more elevated.
Food - Keep this aligned with your theme. Everyone has to eat, so let's make this important. If you're not doing a destination, rethink what would best represent the theme. My husband has always and still does love the Batman franchise. Since that is a television show, we tried to remember what dishes would or could be inspired by it. For example, my husband remembers what dessert he was eating during one of the movies his family watched together. For my Pan Am Inspired Weekend, I used a few entrees of what would be similar on an airplane. It's all about enhancing your dining experience. Don't be afraid of getting a few items from a Dollar Store to keep it affordable!
Music - The ambiance of music can always set the tone of any experience. Thanks to today's technology, you can be transported anywhere at a low or no cost. Planning ahead by having a pre-made playlist will help with the convenience of the weekend to keep you engaged.
Activities - Maybe you already have a game in your closet that would be relevant to your getaway's theme. Pinterest and Google are other great alternatives. You don't have to spend money on this segment. Having questionnaires of who knows each other better would be another way to interact. Find some games that would be played at an event like a Disney themed Bridal shower. Playing pretend is another great idea. For my Disney Inspired Weekend, I had made my husband and I watch POV of the rides from Youtube that we watched close to our big screen television. Yes, I also currently have the software to edit it, which is another activity we can do together, but that point is we are collaborating to create something together. The key to any activity is interacting with the one(s) who are home with you to build on the relationship.
Movie or TV Show - I put this last because, like me, many of you probably turn the TV as soon as your workday has ended. We already watch so much on the streaming platforms that we need to be more creative. But I also understand during a 10 hour period, it can be hard to fill all those hours. Try watching something you haven't seen before that goes along with the theme of your getaway.
The most important thing to remember during your getaway is to have a little bit of imagination and fun! No matter what your age, we are never too old to go back to yesterday. It's about making your daily routine a little more special while you spend your days at home!
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