Staycation Really IS a Thing! - How to Staycation

I used to be like so many other people when I heard the term "staycation".  Queue eye rolling and irritation.  It isn't a vacation if I am still at home!  It's simply a day off!  Then I learned the secret.  Nobody tells you the secret to the "staycation", but I am fixing to!

How to Staycation like a champ

1. Do something different.  Don't just sit on the couch and turn the tv on.  Locate things around you to do.  I know you LIVE there, but Tripadvisor the city/town you live in!  Just look at the things to do around the small town I am currently visiting!
   
   I know it seems weird to do this, but often times, tourists see your town in a much different way than you do.  As a result, tourists will often catch new things and even old things that you have never even heard of. 
   

   

   Even if you lived in some of the surrounding small towns,
   just look at all there is to do!

   
   

   
   

2.  Turn off your phone.  Turn it off.  Wait, not yet.  Wait until you finish reading this.  I know this seems silly, and if you just cannot turn it off in case of emergency then don't.  Just put it down.  Let your family know you are going on staycation and to only contact you in case of emergency.  Step away from the normal day to day activities, just like you would do if you had gone away.
   
3. Turn off or put away your computer too.  I mean it.  Facebook will still be there when you get done.  Put down your computer and enjoy your family and friends.  There isn't much to say about this.  I don't really have much to elaborate on.  Just shut it down and walk away.
    
4. Do something completely different.  Don't eat the same thing you always eat.  Don't sleep in the same place you always sleep.  Don't do the same things you always do.  Pretend like you are in a completely new place.
   
   Shop at a different grocery store.  Go into a Korean grocery store and ask them to help you put together the ingredients for a special dinner.  Ask them for a recipe that they would make at home.  Don't care for Korean?  Step into a German grocery, Indian, Mediterranean, etc.  Don't think you have those in your town?  Check the nearest city to you.  If it is less than 45 minutes away, make a visit. 
   
   Roll out sleeping bags in the back yard and set up candles all around.  Put up a couch cushion fort in the living room and cover it in sheets.  Tell stories and enjoy time with your family.
    

   

   Borrowed from Heroes Get Made

5.  You are saving money by staying home, so do something nice for yourself!  Go get a pedicure (yes, men too!), get a massage, have a special dinner out, or go shopping.  You don't have to spend a bunch of money, but do something nice for yourself.  It's really okay to spend a bit of money on a staycation.
   
   I hope I've helped you have a better staycation than you thought you could have.  Have any ideas of other ways to have a great staycation, share them in the comments!  I can't wait to hear what you think of my list!