February 4, 2013

Je T’iame Hotel

by Michelle

My hubby and I love to travel and discover the wonders of the world.  If we could go anywhere we wanted, we would visit New Zealand and Paris, unfortunately we don’t have the budget to explore as much as we’d like.  To save money, we vacation at Je t’aime Hotel, our French cottage of love… right in the comfort and luxury of our own home!   A STAYCATION is a great way for us to explore our town, visit local attractions, local “dives,” and spend quality time together.  So stop your daily routine, pack your luggage, go on a pleasurable adventure together, and get ready to make memories.

This is seriously so easy to put together and really is much fun.  To make your staycation enjoyable, plan ahead of time and focus on details that will make your staycation memorable and easy.  A few ideas that we focused on are:

THE BUDGET

Set a budget, how much money do you want to spend?  If you plan on including your kids in your vacation, let them get involved in this discussion.

THE HOTEL

What do you enjoy most about going to a hotel?  What type of service makes you feel relaxed and pampered?   How can you recreate this experience at home?

DINING OUT or IN

This might be the perfect excuse to try that new place you’ve been talking about or going to your favorite spot.  If you want to be budget friendly serve breakfast in bed or have a picnic for lunch or romantic dinner over candlelight.  For a flirty dinner idea, check out The Couple’s Cafe, the two of you will be kissing your way to dessert in no time! The ticket is to present your meals in a fun and tempting way!

THE “CAR TRIP”

Imagine all the time you’ll be spending in the car , so get prepared.  Gather games, books, music, etc. that will keep you entertained during your mini road trips.  Are you stumped and need a great road trip idea?  Take a peek at The Road Trip Date, you’ll find so many cute printables and ideas that will make your road trip amazing!

THINKING LIKE A TOURIST

What do you look forward to the most when you’re on a vacation? Whatever you enjoying doing, make sure you include it in your staycation plans!  Get your camera ready, for all the fun moments that will come your way!

Need a little help coming up with ideas?  Here’s a little list to get you started…

Fall and Winter Ideas

On The Town: Ice skating, museums, sledding/snow tubing, bowling, make a snow man, pick pumpkins, play in the leaves, check out Christmas lights, check out the zoo animals, snuggle up by the campfire, live entertainment, bundle up and go for a stroll, snow-shoeing, horse drawn buggy ride, make-out under the stars, horseback riding, volunteer, skiing, paint pottery, attend a sporting event, mini-golfing, car ride to spot all the changing leaves, rock-climbing, or go hot tubbing.

At Home: Cinema at home, make dinner, make a gingerbread house, arts and crafts, karaoke, pumpkin carving contest, snuggle by the fire, take silly pictures and scrapbook them, make a yummy desert, have a game night, or grill s’mores.

For more ideas on how to think like a tourist, check out Tourist in Your Home Town.

THE PLAN

Now that you’ve collected all of your ideas, it’s time to make a plan.  Schedule the days’ events, make a list of the local places you’d like to visit, activities and events you’d like to attend, and make sure to get input from everyone so you all have a good time.  Don’t forget to schedule in intimate time between the two of you. If kids are in on the plans,  come up with a fun activity to keep them entertained while the two of you enjoy each other.  Make a grocery list, prepare food ahead of time, mark the calendar, prepare items needed for your staycation, make reservations, and pack your clothes accordingly.   Remember you are making memories that will last a life time… so make sure you enjoy every moment!

Now that your creative juices are flowing, are you ready to create your Je T’iame experience at home?  

Aren’t these lovely?  Go grab your darling Je T’iame Hotel printables by Leah Aldous.  Print them onto whatever color cardstock you think would be cute.   I love this girl, I have to brag about her for a moment.  She is ah-mazingly talented and is just magical!!!  Go check her out like right now, I’ll still be here waiting.

Now you may be wondering, what do I do with these adorable printables? These are a few of my suggestions:

• Hotel Keys: Present each member with a room key upon arriving at the hotel.
• Do Not Disturb Signs: Remember this trip is just as much about having fun as it is about enjoying quality time together as a couple.  Sleep in or think of something else creative to do, *wink, wink!
• Treats at Check-In: Place the little welcome note next to a candy or cookie in their hotel bedrooms.
• Housekeeping: Leave a little mint along with the little welcome note on their pillow once the room has been refreshed.  Stick the Je T’iame logo on water bottles, sparkling cider, soda cans, popcorn sacks, treat bags, etc.
• Daily Newspaper: Drop off a newspaper or children’s book right outside the door first thing in the morning along with a menu showcasing the meals and the activity log for the day.  If you’re feeling like you’ve got a bit of extra time create a selection of what is available for meals or activities and let them choose what they want.
• Continental Breakfast: Serve cereal in candy jars, use a pitcher for milk and juice, warm water sitting in a tea kettle, set out plates, wrap silverware in napkins, fresh fruit in a trifle dish, muffins set on a cupcake holder,  hot cereal or cocoa packets placed in single serving sized mugs, etc.  These creative ideas will make breakfast a hit!
• Room Service: One of the days, allow family members to “call the front desk” and order dessert in their rooms, breakfast in bed, or a movie on the laptop served with bags of popcorn.
• Luggage: Packing bags for everyone will make the mornings run soooo much smoother and kids will especially love picking their clothes out of the suitcase.  Check in bags as they arrive at the hotel and let room service take care of delivering the bags to their rooms.

These printables add that special touch and a little extra love to your hotel at home.

Stop delaying the vacation of your dreams because you don’t have money or time off of work.  Create your {almost} dream vacation right at home.  Get everyone on board and make memories together that will last a lifetime.

P.S. I’m thinking summer would be a perfect time to vacation in a bungalow in New Zealand, who’s going with me???  (Now you know what I’ve got cooking for my first summer post.  New Zealand, I’m coming for you!!!)