A Disney Vacation In a Box

So, I had such a fun time creating my own Destination Date Nights and then planning a Japan staycation for my friend, that I decided to do it again. We were meant to go to Walt Disney World in 2020, and then again in 2021, but with Covid, and then all the terrible laws and government since then, we postponed and then outright cancelled our vacation. Our friend was going to meet us down there. 

A bit of a behind the scenes pic

The disappointment from us all has been understandable, and we'll eventually get back down there for this trip, but for now that's not happening. Since we aren't able to take that trip, and she had never been, I decided that she should still get to have that Disney magic at home, whenever she felt the need.

Every staycation needs a backdrop, in my opinion, and to make this one extra special, I planned a two-step backdrop. At some point, I plan to do a Disney party, focusing on the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, so I figured I'd use the castle backdrop anyway. I purchased the one above on Amazon, set it up in the backyard, put on our (subtle) Disney gear, posed in front of it, and then took a bunch of photos. One of them was good enough to keep, and then I edited, cropped, and uploaded that one to make a new background. 

Other backdrops you might like: 

• nighttime castle and World Showcase Lagoon
• nighttime castle with stars
• daytime Disneyland castle
• Christmas on Main Street
• Halloween on Main Street
• It's A Small World
• Spaceship Earth, or you can design your own with a public domain pic on Zazzle (get up to 60% off your first purchase with my link). I use the seller Canadapromo for all my tapestries. They aren't as heavy and they are machine washable. 
• Don't forget the clamps to hang your background!

While I waited for my background to be printed, I put together the rest of the staycation. I wanted this to be an "experience", so there was a story and a layering system to everything in the box, meaning she would have to experience the trip in the way intended. Here we go:

Disney is more than just a castle, so I picked three of my favorite attractions and got the prints made of them. These help set the atmosphere. "Some people are just happy to be at the parks, surrounded by all the sights and sounds." 

"Jump on the monorail to City Hall and get your Birthday button, then head to your meet and greet with all the princesses." Some of our favorite things and must-dos were on the list to start off this staycation. If it's your birthday, anniversary, first trip, or whatever, a free button from City Hall is always fun. I tried to come up with a way to do a meet and greet that wasn't super cheesy, and knowing that I was going to include an actual birthday card, this pop-up card was an easy choice. 

I knew she would be spending her birthday with her mom and grandma, and souvenirs are always fun. Mouse ears are the ultimate souvenir, so I ordered 3 different princess ear headbands for them to all get in on the fun: Anna, Ariel, Belle. 

Of course, my visit is never complete without treats. Ya'll know I have a churro budget, and when she and I went to Disneyland a few years ago, I had 4 in 3 days, and Dole Whip, and popcorn, and some other things I probably didn't need. She loves sweets as well, so I wanted her to be able to enjoy her own churros at home, Mickey (and Donald) ice creams, and then I tossed in some Mickey cups I found at Party City to be used for sodas, adult beverages, or mini popcorn buckets. (Here are some similar ones on Amazon.) 

Parades and rides are hard to replicate at home, but luckily, there are people who film all the things, so I made YouTube playlist of some of the best rides and entertainment, then I included this at-home VR headset that you put your phone in, start your video, and then wear it like goggles. Stroll down Main Street, browse shops, watch a parade, ride Space Mountain. You name it, you can find someone who's filmed it on YouTube.

And, of course, no trip to the Magic Kingdom is complete without fireworks. Sure, they could watch fireworks on YouTube as well, and I included a link to a few, but what about fireworks at home in your house?! A company called Uncle Milton made a whole line of fireworks simulation toys about a decade ago. They were discontinued, but I found a bunch on ebay. This one is the fireworks light show launcher, which gives you all the best parts of fireworks. It makes the fireworks launch sound and projects static fireworks wherever you point it.

I wanted one for myself, and then I found out they had a Pixar version, so I bought both versions. They were used, but they worked perfectly and was the cherry on top of my staycation box. I sent her the Pixar one, which also projects Disney characters in the "sky" with the fireworks, and kept the generic one for myself and future party planning. (I wish I had thought to look on ebay when I wanted this for the end of a Weasley Wizard Wheezes themed Harry Potter party.)

This whole staycation fit into an extra large FedEx box (approximately: 11-7/8" x 10-3/4" x 11"), which is not huge, but a lot of items fit inside, and more would have fit if I hadn't wanted to layer things in a specific way. You, obviously, don't have to include as many things I as I did, or you can include more if your budget allows. 

Who would you send a staycation in-a-box to and where would you send them?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated should you make any purchases through those links. Your purchases allow me to keep this blog running, so thanks in advance.

5 Tips for An Awesome Summer Staycation

After all we've been through the last couple of years, travel is still unattainable for many, because gas prices are stupid high and so is airfare. Plane routes are being cut still, as Covid cases are still prevalent in many industries, and there just aren't enough pilots, flight attendants, aircraft crew to ramp up flights even a little. If you are looking at another summer at home, a staycation might be the best answer right now.

Yes, we've been staycationing for 2+ years now, but there are plenty of ways to still make it special. Here are 5 of my favorite creative ways to do it:

 

1. Create a spread (or get takeaway from your favorite food truck(s) if you’re feeling lazy)

Take a blanket from home, and picnic in your favorite park…or one you’ve never visited before. This is a great way to get outside to enjoy the fresh air and sun. You can see people safely, from a distance. After you eat, you can lounge or take a stroll. Maybe bring a game or two and make it a fun outing.

 

2. Have a romantic travel date

Just because you can’t travel, doesn’t mean you can’t travel. Huh? We have done theme date nights. One week we ordered a whole afternoon tea spread and set it all up in the living room and ate it while we watched a West End play on YouTube. You can now pay to watch Broadway Shows and also productions from The Globe.

 

You can decorate in your theme, you can use Window Swap or Earth Cam for live atmosphere, you can get a backdrop for cheap and set it up to “be” at your destination. Cook food from your chosen travel destination or order delivery. Make it special. (I have lots of examples. Just search Destination Date Night on the right and you'll find a whole list.)

 

3. Go on a scavenger hunt

This is a perfect activity for social distancing. You and your significant other or group of friends sign up for a city scavenger hunt (you can be in more than one team if you want). You solve clues to get to different interesting things in your city and learn things along the way. You never have to go inside anywhere and it helps you work together. Try Stray Boots or Urban Adventure Quest.

 

4. See free art

Just because museums aren’t open doesn’t mean you don’t have access to awesome art in your city. Many downtown, and even suburban, areas have a city art project that works with local artists to create amazing sculptures and murals. Look up info on where to start, map out a course, then go take pictures, talk about the pieces, find street artists on Instagram. It’s a fantastic way to see your city, enjoy art from your community, and celebrate how great it is that art is so accessible. Post pictures with artist links on your social media pages and help other people discover it, too!

 

5. Take a walking tour

I love my city of Portland, Oregon. It’s beautiful. There’s something new around every corner. I haven’t seen it all yet! If you want to see more of your own city – highly recommended – then look for free self-guided walking tours, or just get out there and wander. There’s no wrong way to do it. Bring your phone to take pictures. Wear a fun outfit. Pretend you’re a tourist. Need somewhere to start? Try GPS My City.

I hope you've found a new idea for your summer, because we're all disappointed in a lot of things right now. What is your favorite thing to do on a staycation?

Celebrating in Amsterdam at Home

A few weeks ago, we decided to "travel" to Amsterdam on our Destination Date Night in order to celebrate King's Day, the day when the Dutch throw a big party for their king's birthday. People wear a ton of orange and cram onto boats and the waterfront and drink a lot, because that's how most of the world parties. I also wanted an excuse to eat a lot of waffles.

If you want to know more about King's Day, you can see my post here, but we learned as we ate and had a two-person dance party to enjoy our own little celebration. My table was set with a yellow tablecloth, because I don't have an orange one (even though I thought I did) and adding extra orange may have been a bit much. I also used this watering can as a vase and added the must-have tulips that Holland is known for. It has been a bit that I included our sticker passport books, but we've been utilizing them. I also know that The Netherlands sound like a great place to just go and walk and enjoy the city, which is the perfect vacation destination for us. As such, I snagged a Monocle Guide to plan a future trip.

It's been a bit since I had a cocktail with my dinner, but I found a recipe for a version of a drink I like (French 75) called the Dutch 75. It uses vodka, champagne, and lemon, which I garnished with some fresh mint. It was a nice, refreshing cocktail, which would also pair well with a brunch menu.

Cheers! Eric went with a color theme and enjoyed a nice Bundaberg ginger beer. Other traditional Dutch beverages focus on gin, beer, and coffee (which we also had with our dessert waffles). 

Look at this great waterside view. We did our part to put on as much orange as we own, which was not a lot, but we did our best.

And now for the waffles. Yes, we could have gone really traditional, but #1 I didn't want to have the same thing we had for Norway, #2 I didn't want to go all the way across town to get it, and #3 I didn't want to figure out how to make a bunch of new, weird foods. Also, there's a Dutch waffle food cart nearby, so I decided to just go for all of it. 

Here you have the Chicken BLT with sriracha aioli, I chose the Black Forest which had ham, bacon, gouda, maple butter, plus I added spinach for some greens.

While we ate, we talked about Amsterdam and had on videos of past King's Day celebrations in the background. This was a fun way to feel like we were in the middle of the action and also gave us a wonderful view up and down the river front. 

This last year was a weird one for places that are known for big festivals and parties, but they try to make do. I found a video of 2021 that was a party mix by DJ Martin Garrix done on the top of A'dam Tower. You got awesome skyline views and excellent party music. In normal years, you would be able to see lots of these music events with thousands of other people. 

While we bopped to jams, we stuffed our faces with our dessert waffles and had some coffee...in orange mugs! On the left is the Smaaken waffle: brie, spiced apples, bacon, and maple butter. On the right is The Elvis: bacon, peanut butter, bacon, and honey. 

Obligatory visit to a windmill and a field of tulips. We actually were going to go to the Wooden Tulip Festival this year near us, but because of the timed tickets, the price for two people didn't really make sense. It wasn't much less than for an entire family pass, so I decided this was a good compromise.

Don't forget to get your passport stamped!

Party down, guys!

You may not want to throw a King's Day celebration at home, or maybe you do, but that doesn't mean you can't also enjoy an Amsterdam staycation. Here are some things you do to make it special:

• Add some backgrounds
• windmill and tulips
• waterfront buildings
• Orange tablecloth (or another color you prefer)
• Rustic milk can to use as a vase
• Tulips to fill it with
• Amsterdam travel guide
• Passport books
• Bike for decor (biking is a popular way to get around the city)
• Stroopwafels
• A Holland table flag or a flag of the Netherlands
• A great YouTube play list - King's Day videos I watched
• Martin Garrix DJ set
• King's Day 2018
• King's Day on the water
• Dutch copper wine glasses
• Women's Dutch hat
• Dutch Blitz game

There are so many ways you can make this staycation fun and special, whether you go for beer tasting or virtually strolling through some tulip fields, or even go for a "walking" tour from your couch. You can view more of my staycation vids and photos when they happen on my Instagram. All of my staycation stories are in my Covid Travel highlight. They have music!

Have you ever wanted to go to a big festival?

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I may be compensated should you choose to make any purchases through them. This allows me to keep this blog running for you. Thanks in advance!

Our Polynesian Cruise Staycation

I'm back with another destination date night, though this destination is on the "open seas". As with regular vacations, things don't always go as planned, and so goes staycations as well. I had a great big plan for our last one, but my items weren't going to get here in time, so instead we put it off and did a cruise instead. Summer is quickly ebbing away and I wanted to take advantage of one of the last warm days. 

I've been reflecting back on some of our past vacations and put two of them together to create a fun staycation. Cruising is going to take a while to come back. They will tell you that you can start booking cruises now, but please don't do it, unless you can rebook, because until there's an actual vaccine for COVID, you're not going to want to get on a cruise ship. There can't be any social distancing on a ship, unless you don't plan to do any of the things that make ships fun: shows, games, casino, buffets, etc.

Because of this, I decided we would take a cruise to some tropical locale, have some delicious Polynesian-inspired food, while listening to the sounds of the waves and birds singing and sipping on a tropical drink. 

I went all blue for this set-up and with traditional leis made of shells and nuts that I received at various Hawaiian press meet-ups I've gone to. I had a bag of frozen dragonfruit in the freezer for smoothies that I blended up with bananas and coconut milk to make this gorgeous drink. I'd also suggest either some pineapple to the blender, and you could sub Malibu rum for the coconut milk if you want a cocktail. 

We tried fresh dragonfruit for the first time when we were in Hawaii, and we've never gotten the same experience, even when we've gotten it from the Asian market. They cost 4 times as much and have only a small fraction of the flavor. This was a great substitute though and had a lovely color. I added some smoothie size bamboo straws. 

Eric is always excited when we're on vacation. LOL! To keep the feeling going, I jumped on UberEats to find an authentic Hawaiian restaurant (not the quick-service place that's close that we usually go to). That way we would have a different experience than we usually do. 

I ordered two appetizers: Spam musubu (basically a sushi, but with Spam and egg instead of raw fish or other regular fillings) and this gorgeous pickled cucumber and onion salad. Both were awesome. For our main, I asked if Eric wanted chicken or pork. We aren't huge fans of Kaluha pork, so we got Shoyu chicken instead, with a huge side of macaroni salad. This was my bad, because when it asked what side I wanted, I picked mac salad, thinking that was in addition to rice, and also ordered a side of mac salad. You never get enough. That was definitely not a problem this time. Ha! 

I got these gorgeous gold speckled plates through Target online. The ones from my last staycation post are the same, but pink instead of blue. I wish they had other colors. I totally would have bought more. They are by Opalhouse. 

Here we are on the lido deck, enjoying the salty sea breeze, endless ocean, and this weird bird on the ship for some reason. I know he's there because I put him there. I felt we needed an actual bird to go with the sounds of birds. He gave us some good views and ambiance. 

For dessert - there has to be dessert on vacation - I picked up the closest thing I could find to malasadas. Malasadas are doughnuts with different fillings. When in Hawaii, we walked 8 miles to go to Leonards and got a dozen to take back with us to our timeshare. We got normal custard fillings, but also delicious fruit fillings, too. The closest thing to this locally is a place called Beard Papa at our Uwajimaya Asian grocery store. They are giant cream puffs and sell vanilla custard and chocolate filled and then a rotating flavor. 

When I stopped by, the 3rd mystery flavor was Dulce de Leche. It was pretty much vanilla custard inside with caramel on top. I wouldn't say no to it again, but these are fairly messy to eat with your hands, so I suggest either a lot of napkins or a fork, even if you feel like a nerd. 

While eating dessert, we took a tour of the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii via vloggers Perfect Little Planet. We didn't rent a car when we visited Honolulu, and we were only there for a week, so we had to choose what we wanted to do and what we could skip. We didn't want to spend an entire day at the Center and maybe still not see it all, so we skipped that and went to the Dole Plantation instead. There is quite a lot to see and do...and eat. 

This date night wasn't as involved as our others, but we had much of the decorations already, and it was still a great escape from the world and its worries, and we were able to soak up some of the last warm times in the evening. We even "took" the dog. I think this probably ended up costing around $80, which is less than our others, but will definitely even out in the long run, since our next staycation will be more costly than usual. I can't wait.

If you'd like to recreate a Polynesian cruise, or just a trip to Hawaii, here are some things you can do to make it happen:

• Polynesian playlist on YouTube - here's mine
• Bamboo smoothie straws
• Cruise background
• Tropical background
• Leaf crowns
• Hawaiian nut lei
• Projector/laptop stand (I use this to keep my laptop off the table. It is adjustable and can move wherever.)
• Coconut tiki mugs
• Topical flower garlands
• Chocolate covered macadamia nuts
• Hawaiian cookbook

Learn some Hawaiian words, practice the hula by watching videos, try out the ukulele, play bingo, watch a luau (there's one on my playlist). Make this a fun night that doesn't have to stop at dinner. Make it a whole day where you cook together, do a ton of activities, plan a trip, and enjoy each other as a family or a couple. 

If you want to follow along or see more pics/vids of my "trips", follow me on Instagram.

Where are you looking forward to traveling when it's safe to do so?

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I may be compensated should you choose to make any purchases through them. This allows me to keep this blog running for you. 

Our Chicago Staycation

As you know, we're still not really traveling. We have a road trip planned, but only because it looked like things were getting better and then as quickly as that came, it went back to being horrible again. So, yes, we will be going on that trip, but that's probably it for the near future. For now, we're continuing our Destination Date Night series. 

We've been wanting to visit Chicago for quite some time, and we've done a few virtual tours during the pandemic to help feel like we're going somewhere and to support tour guides who are out of work for the time being. One was a haunted history of Lincoln Park and another was a cool haunted river tour. (Can you tell we like haunted stories?) So, while we're waiting until we can really visit Chicago, this was the next best thing.

I chose a great evening view of the Chicago River, because I knew that would be a big part of our "trip". I liked that we could see the skyline. I also chose a background with the Buckingham Fountain, a landmark of Millennium Park that isn't The Bean (Cloud Gate) that is part of everyone's photos. I thought this was a more interesting and unique view and didn't make me think of Anish Kapoor and how he's the jerk of the art world. If you don't know this story, please take some time to read about it when you're done here. 

A lot of my backdrop had a blue color, so I went full out and added a bight blue tablecloth to my table then added some Chicago mainstays: 

• Ferris wheel, first built in 1892, and now an iconic part of Navy Pier (a different wheel was built for this). This was America's answer to the Eiffel Tower. 
• The Chicago flag. I didn't actually know that cities within states had their own flags, but the Chicago flag is pretty good looking.
• The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. This was a fun one, since I love the Wienermobile and once looked into touring with it. Oscar Mayer moved from Germany to Detroit and then to Chicago where he started his famous deli brand. I figured I needed a mini version of the mobile, and all orders come with a Wienermobile whistle, which is what you see in the mums.

I also just threw out a jar of flowers that complemented the rest of the things.

I decided to order the things I would definitely eat when I visit Chicago, that I can actually get here at a Chicagoan restaurant.  

The first was a deep dish Chicago pizza with sausage, pepperoni, and mushrooms. Generally, we get thin crust or regular pizza, as I find that deep dish is too filling. Because of that, I only ordered a personal size to share. 

Next, I ordered a giant calzone. Okay, I didn't have an option to order a size, but this was way more than 2 normal people can eat.

Chicago has tons of microbreweries now, so I know I would have stopped into one of those places and gotten a taster of some of those and tried some delish bar foods. 

Beer and pizza are great together. 

While we ate, we took a long, leisurely stroll along the waterfront. The video we watched was taken during Covid, so we had pretty unobstructed views of everything and that was nice. Then we moved onto dessert, because of course we saved room for that.

Make way for...cheesecake. Yes, none of these things we've eaten were anything super special, but it is what that region of the country is known for and easily found nearby where we live, and (bonus) was offered by delivery. It wasn't life changing or super exciting, but it was nice and chill and we ended up with leftovers, too.

As we wrapped up dessert, we watched some videos of the must-eat foods and must-do things in Chicago. 

Cheers to a Chicago staycation. If you want to have your own, you totally can. Here are some ways to make it special:

• A backdrop of the Chicago river/skyline
• One of Buckingham Fountain
• Chicago Bean/Cloud Gate statue
• Chicago flag
• Ferris wheel
• This is the wooden one I got, but it's pretty bad for splinters, so this one might be better
• And you don't have to put this one together at all
• Wienermobile
• I also like this one from Funko
• Or this beanie one
• Beer tasting tray
• This one has funky glasses, but nowhere to mark which beer is which
• Chicago Bears merch, like this jersey
• Or Cubs merch, like this hat
• Plan your trip like a local with the Not For Tourists Guide
• A YouTube playlist - this is mine that you can use

I won't be making a follow-up post to this, because I have this 48-hour guide for you. Our next date will take us down under with a visit to Australia. 

I hope you enjoyed this and are planning a fun staycation for yourself/your family. If so, let me know in the comments and/or tag me in any of your social media posts so I can see where  you went!

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I may be compensated should you choose to make any purchases through them. This allows me to keep this blog running for you. 

Why You Should Be Staycationing Now

A lot of the country is seeing rising Covid numbers and many states/cities are locking down or partially locking down again, including Portland/Oregon. Yes, we're all sick of staying in our houses (I mean, not me, but I am a complete introvert), because we haven't seen friends or family in person for months, but there are people out there ruining it for everyone and making this last longer, so plan yourself a relaxing staycation and try to unwind and de-stress. 

If you've been following along, you know we try to do a mini staycation every few weeks. We're doing one this weekend, probably as you're reading this. Plan one, or several. your mental health will thank you.

How To Get Through Lockdown with Your Sanity

With everything happening in the world amid the Covid-19 pandemic and everything shutting down or with reduced access/hours, it can be hard to think about travel at all. While you can't get out and see the world like you want to, it doesn't mean you can't plan for your next trip while you're stuck in the house catching up on every show ever made that you have access to.

Learn a new language

Eventually, you're going to travel again, and when you do, you want to be prepared. This is the perfect time to learn a new language for that dream vacation you plan to take at some point. Check out this list of apps that you could be using right now to learn to speak another language or brush up on one you might have forgotten a bit of.  

Get some new travel goodies

I'll be working on some travel product reviews in the coming weeks. Since your trips are being postponed right now, you aren't spending money there. Sure, you're going to want to save most of that for your next trip(s), but if you've been hoping to get some new gadgets, goodies, clothing or whatnot to make them better, this is the time to do it and also support some smaller businesses. 

Stock your travel bag

I'm using this time to test out a ton of new items, but also to put all that best stuff in my bag for my upcoming trips. Get travel-ready by putting together a complete toiletry bag with all your necessities. This is also the time to get a few extra things you enjoy, like some fantastic undies that you can keep in your carry-on. This is especially important if you hate packing or you're prone to forgetting crucial things, like socks or a toothbrush.

Book things for late summer/early fall travel

You're going to be seeing some really low prices for things like airfare, vacation packages, and cruises, but you want to be careful before you decide to jump on those, because there's no telling how long this travel ban and lockdowns will last. If you already have travel plans that are going to fall through (I have at least one trip that isn't going to be happening), know that airlines and hotels are doing their best to allow you to change your plans with ease. Don't screw yourself by making new plans that might fall through, too.

Make a plan for your next vacation

While you're stuck at home, it's a great time to let yourself think about future trips and plan your next one really well. I mean, it's not like you have much else to do besides your piles of laundry and dishes. Get online and really dig into your chosen destination. You can figure out what you want to do the most and ask friends on social media for their best tips and suggestions. It'll really help you figure out a budget, too. Make a plan for how you will save money to pay for your amazing trip.

Purchase gift cards for future you

Future you is going to travel. If you've got money that you want to spend on travel, but you can't right now, because nobody can, put that money into gift cards for things like hotels, airlines, Airbnb, Disney or whatever. You'll be supporting travel businesses and will be setting yourself up for easier travel later in the year.

Virtually tour some museums

A lot of museums and zoos and aquariums and some National Parks are giving virtual tours and streaming right now. If you've really got cabin fever, this is a great way to get a little out of your head and enjoy the world from your couch. There are also a bunch of other cool things you can learn about online, concerts you can watch, and even learn to cook with a Michelin-star chef! Along with learning a new language, you can inject some international flavor into your life and feel like you're on a mini vacay.

Take a rad staycation

You kind of don't have a choice in the matter now. You can sit on your butt and be sad about life and your state-imposed exile, or you can make the most of it by making your time at home into a staycation. Get out in your yard and watch a movie on a screen or sheet, order take-out for a picnic, throw a mini destination party with your family, break out your tent and camp outside, or even book a few nights into an Airbnb, because they still want your business.

Take a photo walk

Getting outside and taking a walk or a bike ride isn't out of the question. In fact, you'll still be socially responsible while also getting fresh air and exercise. Bring along your camera or snap some with your phone and rediscover your town.

All of these are more fun than just sitting on your couch and complaining about all the things you can't do. What are you most looking forward to during your time of Social Distancing?