"Get Away" at home ideas?

[Disney Darling]

We find our budget to be very tight right now but we've had several stressful situations these past few weeks. DH and I could really use some time away to recoup and reconnect as a couple. Unfortunately, we don't have the disposable income at this time to do so. It's unfortunate but I'm not going to go jeaporadize our living expenses or (worse) go into debt for just a few days away.

I like going away for the obvious. When you're home you just end up following the same ol' routine! You answer the phone when it rings, you clean up the dishes and mess with the laundry... DH gets comfortable in front of the t.v. and doesn't spend time with me like he would if we were away and I get stationed in front of the computer and people are free to stop by because our cars are in the driveway (we don't have a garage). Going away provides you with a housekeeper to make the bed and straighten up the bathroom, you don't have to cook and you don't have to drag anything out that needs to be put away later.

Again, going away (which is what I would LOVE to do) is just not in the cards but I would like to have a special weekend just because.

Do you all have any suggestions? Have you ever done this? What worked for you? What didn't work for you? We do not have little ones so we don't need to find a sitter.

Ideas, ideas, please.

 

[Juliegirl1]

What is your favorite getaway? Disney? Tropics? Ski Lodge?

First, unplug the phones.

For a Disney trip at home - play park music or Disney songs or movies. What hotel do you usually stay at? You could plan a Polynesian evening. Depending on the weather where you are, why don't you light some Tiki torches or candles and have a luau in the backyard. I know you can find recipes from O'hana or Kona and make those coriander wings or roasted meat and bread pudding for dinner. Drink LapuLapus or your favorite Disney drinks. Put out all your favorite Disney memorabilia to get into the mood and wear your Disney shirts.

Heck - this sounds like fun - guess what I am going to do this weekend!!!!

Anyway for a ski lodge - turn down the ac really cold, start a fire and drink hot cocoa or hot toddys. Watch movies about cold places.

For a tropics vaca - turn the heat up and wear your sexiest bikini and have tropical drinks - go "swimming" - if you don't have a pool - take a bath together. Have shish kabobs or seafood. Watch beach movies.

Have fun! Don't forget to put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door!

 

[toledo13]

Great idea! Tonight, I'm going to do all of the 'work' I need to right after dinner. Then DH is going to light our outdoor fireplace and we're going to roast marshmallows . Probably the last of the year. Then when we come inside, if there's still time I'll do some putting away of laundry-- , but if not, I'm not going to worry about it!!

 

[JandJ]

We were kind of "forced" to do this sort of thing for 2 nights in the middle of our honeymoon. We were married in Disney and set to leave on Sunday, drive to Ft. Lauderdale and spend the night at a hotel on the beach, then leave for our honeymoon cruise on Monday. Unfortunately, Hurricane Wilma had other ideas! Royal Car. switched us to a cruise departing Port Canaveral on Tuesday, but Disney wouldn't let us extend our stay and we couldn't find a decent hotel that had rooms. Since Port Canaveral is about 2.5 hours from our house, we decided to just drive home on Sunday and drive back on Tuesday. I was not happy about it - it was our honeymoon and we were home! So, we unplugged the phone, kept our cell phones turned off, didn't look at e-mail, didn't do laundry, we had our mail and newspaper on hold so we didn't even have to look at those, and the only people who saw us were our neighbors and we told them to pretend we weren't even there! We didn't cook - we went out for breakfast and ordered in "room service" Chinese and pizza. We even had a "do not disturb" sign that a friend had given me so we put that on the door - LOL! It was actually romantic, like we were hiding from our family and friends because we didn't tell them what happened until after our honeymoon. You could tell people you're going away for the weekend, they don't need to know where, and then you'll be left alone for a few days. You can get cheap decorations at a party store or Big Lots and decorate your bedroom like a place you want to visit. Have fun with it! Like the PP, it sounds like something my DH and I need to do again - soon!

 

[Disney Darling]

These are all great ideas!!

By all means, keep them coming.

 

[Wilsonfamily4]

I saw something on this on a morning news show this summer. They said it is becoming the rage because of the economy. One lady lived in New York and wanted to go to China. So she found a chinese garden, had chinese food, I can't remember the rest but it was really cool.

So I would just think about what you really want to be doing. Then go from there.

One of my favorite special thinsg I do is do my own fondue. I love the melting pot but my hubby will not go with me. So I do one for ourselves. I just use crockpots and then buy the stuff for fondue. I usually rent a fun movie and set a small table in the living room so we can sit on the floor with pillows and eat. It is fun.

Good Luck. Sounds like you need a getaway! Maybe park your car down the street and efinitely unplug the phone!

 

[Disney Darling]

This sounds like a great idea!! I don't have a coffee table. What do you use? Do they make low to the floor tables? I like the idea of pillows and relaxing on the floor. It's different.

 

[pjlla]

DH and I used to love to have carpet picnics. I would buy a stick of pepperoni, a big wedge of cheese, some grapes and crisp apples, liver pate and some crackers and a big bottle of wine. Spread a picnic blanket on the floor, light a few candles, turn on a good movie or just a CD, chill out, eat slowly and RELAX. I've even brought a picnic basket to a hotel once with all of this stuff so we could enjoy an evening away without actually having to go out! (Not exactly a Weight Watchers plan, but once in a while, who cares!)

Another time I recreated the restaurant meal we had the night we got engaged. It was a big splurge (lobster pie, wine, special dessert), but so worth it. We ate in the dining room on our good china (which we almost never use), and I left the dishes until the next day so I could fully relax. (Most of it I was able to make and clean up from ahead of time.)

My other suggestion would be to catch up on all of the housework before your special weekend (laundry, dishes, vacumming), so that you are not thinking about it. Turn off the phones and computer, rent a few movies, buy a few special foods and drinks (and maybe prep the meals in advance?), use paper plates so you don't have to worry about dishes, and just keep reminding yourself that you are "away". The world will still be there waiting for you on MOnday.......Have a great time.................P

 

[SnowWtch]

If we can't get away we usually will do a day trip somewhere. Go shopping usually to a SuperWalmart and Target and then eat a nice dinner somewhere. On our trips we always bring a summer sausage, cheese and crackers so we can do a little picnic in the room instead of a big dinner. In fact, we did a trial run at home for lunch yesterday so we could try a new brand of meat. It was fun.