Staycation in Style: Make the Most of Your Summer Family Time

Summer is officially here!

     You probably have a lot of plans for your family. They might be plans for some low-key, quality time at home, or they might be plans for an incredible summer get away. If your family is like mine, no matter how many plans you make, at some point you still wind up at home on a weeknight with "nothing to do." Why not take advantage of all the interesting things to do in your community? You can staycation in style with these helpful tips.

     Ruth Soukup gives us 25 Awesome Staycation Ideas in her blog post on Living Well Spending Less (livingwellspendingless.com). One thing I learned from her post is to set some ground rules for your famliy before you head out on the town. These rules might include "no cell phones," "no cooking/cleaning/laundry," "no TV/movies/video games," or "no worrying," These rules help to keep your family time focused on what's really important: Family!

     In her post on My Kids Adventures (mykidsadventures.com), Debra Eckerling gives us 26 Staycation Ideas to Rejuvenate Your Family. She lists activities from A to Z that you can try with your familiy in just about any community. One of my favorite activities from her list is exploring your own neighorhood. You could take a walk to a part of town you don't normally visit, or drive around while letting your kids navigate. Another great idea from Debra's list is checking into a local hotel. Your kids will love the change of pace, swimming in the hotel pool, and all the other perks a hotel has to offer. Take the opportunity to try a new restaurant or simply order pizza to your room. A short get away will be a blast for your kids, and easy on your schedule. 

     Each of these lists has lots of other great ideas. Get creative, and make the most of your summer family time!