Staycation in Winter Break

           Winter break, we're so excited because we've planned to go on a road trip to San Francisco. As I checked the weather on each states that we have to drive through, I noticed that it will be snowy on most of the roads in the west coast. Since we already experienced a nightmare last time driving in snowy mountains, we came up with Plan B, New York! We have relatives in the Big Apple and it will be a third of a drive as compared to west coast trip. I have planned our itinerary on each day but as the week got closer, I once again checked the forecast and unfortunately it will be a rainy weather on those days that we planned to be there. Florida was Plan C but there were storms and tornados along the way too. So our last resort....STAYCATION!

          I've never really done this before especially on a week time off. But due to uncontrollable circumstances, I figured that I'd like to give it a try. I hate to admit it, but I enjoyed having not to go anywhere for a change. I guess it's good to do this long staycation at least once a year.

So here are the pros of having a staycation:

1. Accommodation is free!

           Best part, we're at the comfort of our own home. We slept on our own bed, there's living room , kitchen, and big space. We have all the necessities that we need whenever we want it.

2. Food

          My kids always love to eat home cook food. So this time, I cooked all their favorite dishes and even try some recipes that I haven't made before. And because of the holidays, we didn't have to worry on left over getting wasted if we leave from vacation.

Our surf and turf menu for Christmas Eve! Yum!!!

3.  Packing

          No packing hassle this time. I didn't need to rush doing the laundry before leaving and after coming from vacation.

4.  Schedule

          During this staycation, we pretty much slept and woke up as late as we can. There's no rush to do anything! Tell me when was the last time you've experienced that? Almost never, especially if you're a working mom. Everyday has to be on schedule!
           This time, kids had the luxury of doing whatever they want like playing with their new toys, watching TV, playing minecraft, doing arts and crafts or simply googly mooglying!

Oooh what's in Santa's bag?

5. Leisure

          Our activities were based on our mood whether we want to go out or just stay home. If the weather is bad then we just do a movie marathon on TV or play board games at home. If the weather is nice, we go out to watch movie in the theatre, shop, eat out or do some outdoor activities. We had parties with friends and families, watched Star Wars and Alvin and the Chipmunks movies and went for ice skating.

Late snack at Buffalo Wild Wings after Star Wars movie

Abby's flute performance in a party

6.  Mission organization

          I had time to organize a lot of things in our house. I was able to clean at my own time and sort the girl's closet (that's a big thing!). As they say, your house has to be in order for the New Year!

7.  Plan for next year

         I finally had my 2016 calendar. I made phone calls to schedule dentist and doctor's appointment for next year. PLUS, I had ample time to plan our vacations for spring and summer break. Although, I must say, I'm so fickle minded that everytime I check the computer, I kept on changing my vacation plans.

8. Save money

       I had saved lots of $$ for staying at home especially that we had lots of other expenses during the holidays.

9. Quality time

        Since there was no rush to finish sightseeing, I was able to spend quality time with my kids. We talked about a lot of things and did a lot of mother-daughter activities. I also had the chance to spend QT time with my hubby.

10.  Relaxing

         This is, by far, the most relaxing vacation I've ever been. We always say that we need a vacation after a long vacation. This time, I was separated from the world and all I think of for the whole week is how to spend enjoy my family in our home sweet home!

          The only thing that was missing in my "pros" is workout. Yes, if you're at home, you have lots of time to do exercise. It was holiday, we ate a lot and put in lots of pounds. But you know what, that's why there's always a "New Year's Resolution"! That means diet and workout starts on January 1st! Good excuse isn't it?

          So next time you have few days off and can't decide where to go, STAYCATION is always the most awesome and affordable way to spend time with your family.

        It has been a wonderful 2015 for our family and we were very grateful for all our blessings. We've travelled a lot and was able to manage our busy schedule while staying in good health. For the coming year 2016, we plan to continue our travel adventure with our family and hope to explore more places that we've never been. Thank you all for reading and supporting my blog and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

Subscribe to my blog on www.shine-travels.blogspot.com and connect with me on Facebook or Pinterest  if you want to get ideas on Awesome and Affordable Family Vacations. You can also check out my website www.shine-travels.com to book a discounted vacation on Westgate Resorts.