Winter Long Weekends & Microcations

On average, Americans get two weeks of vacation time and most only take a portion of that, and some don’t take any at all. First of all, that time is owed to you, so you need to take it, especially if you don’t want to burn out. We all need time to recharge, but we don’t always have the time to take a full two weeks, or even one. I love a long vacation, but then knowing I spent all my vacation time in one go is a big bummer. No more recharging for me, right?

Well, more and more people are taking long weekend trips (3-4 days) and microcations (average 4 days) in order to get away. It’s known that getting away, even for this short amount of time can be good for your health and sanity. We all want that, don’t we? Even a short getaway is better than no getaway, and it really helps us feel better about ourselves and relax, plus it makes your vacation days last longer if you aren’t using them all at once, and you can look forward to more than one trip per year.

Imagine taking 3-4 mini vacations a year rather than one big one. The daunting idea of coming to a humongous pile of work waiting for you becomes a more manageable little pile of work that doesn’t make you long to go back on vacation and never come back. You don’t feel guilty taking 1 or 2 days off a work week and hotels are even cheaper Sunday-Thursday nights, so you’re saving money too!

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So, where should you go?

Here are some perfect budget destinations for Winter, which gives you some time to plan, pack, and book:

Las Vegas: Three days is the perfect visit to Sin City, especially if you don’t leave The Strip. If you do, you can easily find lots of free and cheap ideas to fill your time. You don’t even need to gamble.

Catalina Island, CA: Maybe you don’t have time to fly to the Bahamas (which is also a great winter destination), but you can get a bit of that feel with lovely California weather.

Panama: Got time to get out of the country, but not that much time? Hit up Panama where you can swim, snorkel, see some historical sites, explore the rainforest, go sailing. You name it, you can find it there.

Puerto Rico: Technically, still in the U.S., plus there’s great weather and white beaches and it’s practically empty during this time of year.

Montego Bay, Jamaica: While the flights aren’t super cheap, the hotel rates are, so if you find a great rate on airfare, this is the perfect winter getaway.

Spain: Take yourself for a short trip to Europe, where the weather is awesome, the exchange rates are great, and you can spend your days sipping drinks on the beach, admiring historical buildings and eating your weight it delicious tapas.

So, now you know where you're going and since you won't be there that long, you don't have to take that much either. That means your budget trip just go more budget-friendly. Need help with your packing list? Check out my post here or see my IG post above. I'll be posting another packing post soon, with how I'm packing for 4 days in Arizona - for 2 people - in a small carry-on and a tote for the plane. 

You'll still want to check out the travel advisories and restrictions for trips out of the country and think about getting travel insurance or what you might do if you get sick while away from home. Or you can start planning for next winter when we'll undoubtedly be able to travel more freely. If you do plan to travel now, please consider getting vaccinated (if you haven't already) and boostered. I want everyone to be as safe as possible for themselves and everyone around them. 

What are your favorite winter destinations?

The 2021 (Mostly Virtual) Yule Ball

With Covid still rearing its ugly head in the form of new variants and people still being irresponsible, this year PDXpelliarmus, a chapter of Fandom Forward (formerly Harry Potter Alliance) decided to keep everyone safe and go virtual for a second year for our annual Yule Ball. Last year's was a big success and this year we did it up even bigger, with workshops and book discussions, a tea party, and a pop-up dance party.

This dress has a cape!

If you've missed my previous Yull Ball posts, check out 2019's pictures, 2018's, and 2017's. This is always a great event that raises a large amount of money for charity. This year we raised money for Color Outside the Lines, a non-profit that brings art and other creative activities to foster kids. While Fandom Forward has decided to become more inclusive of other fandoms, our chapter - PDXpelliarmus - has tried to focus on Harry Potter, the fandom that brought us all together, and continue spreading the good message that we, the fans, are book 8 and the fandom belongs to us. We don't condone The Author Who Must Not Be Named's views on trans rights, because trans rights are human rights. Also, imagine how much better Harry's life would have been with art and music in the years before he went to Hogwarts.

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I wanted to really bring in the Yule Ball feel with the silvers, whites, and blues. I ordered a customized backdrop through Zazzle, which I think I will do in the future for any other ones I want, because it was exactly what I wanted, including the larger size, and was faster than the others I've ordered, even from American sellers. I combined a few different kinds of glass pieces with twinkle lights to simulate the castle ice sculptures. I also got a clear glass owl to look like ice from a seller on Etsy. Unfortunately, it came in many pieces, but I put it back together with hot glue. I figured I only needed it for this anyway and it wouldn't be noticeable. 

I added some silver and white picks to a pot of herbs and also hung silver sparkly pine cones from my light fixture instead of the more traditional floating candles. A friend sent me a light-up Hogwarts, my tiered tea server is white and silver, and I have several silver tablecloths from when I did a Yule Ball birthday party. I also purchased these super cute Madam Puddifoot plates from Litjoy Crate. Unfortunately, they are sold out, but I highly recommend buying any of their magical goods. 

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Here's the finished set-up, with a tea service from a local patisserie. We weren't able to work with any bakeries or tea shops to create a menu for us like we have in the past, because everyone is stretched thin and stressed out this year, and we completely understand. For this reason, I created a DIY feast menu for folx, if they wanted to really do Yule Ball up right at home. It links to recipes I've used in the past for my own Harry Potter parties. (Eric was the Hufflepuff House ghost, for those of you wondering.)

On Saturday night, our resident DJ, DJ Switch, spun us some nerdy tunes and we all had a dance party in our own homes over Zoom.  This is always a great time and I can't wait for next year when we're back in person.

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That said, we did have a pop-up dance party on Sunday night to end our awesome weekend. It was very small, but that didn't make it any less fun. It was very cold and rainy, but we had hot Butterbeer, excellent music, and we danced our hearts out to keep warm and enjoy being with other people. We even had this awesome little cauldron tree. 

So, that was another part of my birthday weekend that I wanted to share with you. I hope you enjoyed it. I also hope you're all having a great December and holiday season. 

How are you celebrating the end of 2021?

Immersing Ourselves in Van Gogh

It's my birthday weekend! As part of my gift, we went to see the Beyond Van Gogh exhibit and a friend joined us. If you are even a little interested in art, this is a must-see. The exhibit puts you right into the artwork and shows you a different way to experience it. 

I thought I'd bring you a little bit of this exhibit, because Eric thought it was going to be something completely different than it was, but he still had a great time.

Gotta take advantage of a photo op! 

You start your visit with a trip through Vincent's life that includes excerpts from letters to his brother and friends. 

Once you have gotten through that part, you find yourself in a room that comes to life with colors and shapes and at one point a self-portrait of Van Gogh. I didn't get my camera in time to get it full on the wall, but here he is, sliding down the wall.

 

Don't be afraid like others to spend more or less time in here. It's a small space and at one point I saw people looking at each other like "should we leave?" Because what you really want to see is in the next room anyway.

Floor-to-ceiling screens along the walls and in the middle of the room, projecting Van Gogh's works 15 feet high. 

You're taken through his art pieces as he went through life and the transitions are simply amazing. It's artwork in itself, especially the one that gets you to Starry Night.

 

Take time to really view his self portraits. You'll see moving backgrounds, smoke curling out of pipes, blinking eyes, and more. 

Don't worry about where to stand once you're inside, because wherever you are, you'll be able to see everything, as long as you're willing to look around. That doesn't mean that roaming is discouraged. In fact, we had several small children in the room while we were there and I thought this was great. Traditional museums can be stuffy and boring, but this exhibit wasn't quiet or uninteresting and I can just imagine the memories of running through Van Gogh they'll have later.

You won't be surprised to find that there's also a gift shop at the end, where you can buy lenticular prints and magnets, 3D pop-up flowers, regular prints, shirts, patches, and more. I loved these large reproduction paintings. 

This was a great birthday activity and I hope they do this with more artists. It's beautiful and a great alternative to a regular museum. I think it's a great way to get people more interested in art. This is also why I love street art. 

The exhibit will take you about an hour to complete, from entry to reading to a full rotation of the art and life of Vincent in the main hall. Of course, you're welcome to stay as long as you want. Your visit is only limited by your timed ticket. This also makes a great gift if it's coming to your (or your recipient's) town.

Have you ever been to an interactive or immersive art experience?