How to Have a Weekend Staycation

Your Perfect Staycation:

1. Make a Reservation Someplace New. For our staycation weekend, Brandon suggested that we visit The Guenther House for an early breakfast. We’d never been to the southern style restaurant, located along the San Antonio River. Having something to look forward to, like brunch or dinner at a trendy spot, is a great way to ensure that you’re experiencing something new in your city. On this particular morning, it was a perfect temperature so we ate outside and made sure to try the dishes that the restaurant was famous for (like their giant cinnamon roll and homemade biscuits).

2. Plan An Outdoor Activity. Whether you want to plan a pool date, like we did here in this post, or you’re going to a park for a hike, there’s something to be said about spending some time outside. If it’s too hot wherever you are, we recommend early mornings or later in the evening after it’s cooled down. Brandon and I loved this afternoon at the pool and we’ve recently been spending more and more time at our very own neighborhood pool. You automatically feel like you’re vacationing if you’ve got a lemonade in hand, poolside.

3. Create a Movie Night. Probably one of the most classic dates you can have: dinner and a movie. Instead of spending money on another meal out, keep with the theme of “staycation” and create a movie night at home like we did here. Cook a nice meal, open a bottle of wine, and buy your favorite movie snacks or make your own delicious snack mix. Hop on over to Red Box and get something that you’re both dying to see. There’s nothing better than a night in!

4. Make home feel like heaven. We are huge believers that your home should feel like a haven to you, especially after the end of a long day or week. Our personal belief is that decor and ambiance truly matter when creating a home. For any couple, the master bedroom should feel like the nicest hotel you’ve ever stayed at (only better, because all of your things are there!). Invest in some quality bedding that suits both of you, light candles, bring in fresh flowers, and create an overall ambiance that makes you feel relaxed and refreshed every time you step foot in that room. SOURCE for bedding.

Resources for Your Staycation:

Meals for Two:

Brandon and I don’t pretend to know a lot about cooking but we do cook at home a fair amount. However, this is a lifestyle blog in addition to fashion and we love that we can give you guys variety in our content. In planning a staycation, it will undoubtedly involve a meal at the house. We’ve rounded up some great, new recipes that are specifically built to feed two. That way, you don’t have a ton of leftovers to clean up at the end of your evening.

I love this website because she has a whole category of recipes built for two portions. This is a chicken parmesan meal that can be made in 25 minutes total. These days, we’re all about an easy, home cooked meal with minimal prep and minimal clean up. Brandon is a huge fan of chicken parmesan and I know that a classic meal like this would probably be okay with any guy.

SOURCE for the recipe

It’s no surprise that I’m including a dessert for two in addition to the meal. I absolutely love to bake and have the biggest sweet tooth! Molten lava cakes are impressive. What’s more exciting than cutting into the middle of the cake and watching delicious chocolate come spilling out of the center? This dessert looks really difficult but it’s actually quite simple to make. Again, there’s 25 minutes prep + bake time, making it easy for you to whip this up as an after-dinner treat. You can thank me later 🙂

SOURCE for the recipe

Our Last Three Tips:

When we think about why we like to travel, a few things of common ground come to mind. Everyone likes a new experience or the ability to do something they haven’t done before. Typically, that’s why you travel somewhere; you want to go to a new place, experience a new culture, or try new things. Additionally, most people enjoy the amenities that come with travel: a clean hotel room, eating out, maybe even a spa day. If you’re craving a vacation but can’t afford the time or money that it may take, here are our three last tips to make it feel like you’ve hopped on a plane to somewhere new.

1. Give yourself a new experience: This can be something as small as trying out that new restaurant (as mentioned in #1 above), or going to a music festival in town, playing Top Golf for the first time, or venturing downtown for exploration.

2. Clean the house beforehand: I think we can all agree that the hotel maid service is one feature that we all love about travel. To replicate this at home, clean your house before you officially begin the staycation. Tidy up, make the bed, put the dishes away, and make your home feel as clean as a hotel room would be. This ensures that you’re not going to turn your staycation into a cleaning weekend and allows you to just enjoy your surroundings without distractions.

3. Get out of your “bubble” : We all have a neighborhood bubble. Brandon and I are out in the suburbs of San Antonio and don’t get downtown very often. For our staycation, we made sure to leave our little bubble and go to new parts of town that we don’t always frequent. It feels like a different city when you can explore a new area of town!

We’d love to know any tips or tricks you have for creating a staycation weekend! Leave a comment below and let us know what works for you!