A staycation is the new vacation

If you love to try new foods when travelling abroad, make sure to plan some fun at-home dinner nights! Go to your local supermarket and stock up on fun ingredients that you might not cook with on the regular. Try your hand at sushi rolls, dumplings, wontons or all of the above! Enjoy a glass of wine, some relaxing music and enjoy the experience of making and eating your own creation.

If you like a good chat whilst having a munch, invite some friends over for dinner. Put your chef prowess to the test by challenging yourself to cook a three-course meal. If that sounds like a chore, ask your friends to cook a course each! One person can do the entree, one person can do dinner and one person can do dessert. Easy peasy – and delicious.

If you are an art buff, I highly recommend waltzing into your local art gallery. A lot of art galleries frequently change their showcases, so it is definitely worth checking out – even if you have already done so in the past. Take your time to appreciate the art and learn about the backstory of each piece as you go. If your local gallery offers free tours, take them up on it! This is a great way to get some extra knowledge and insight from someone who knows the ins and outs of the art world.

If you love to exercise in the great outdoors, whip out your laptop and google some local walks or hikes. New Zealand is well known for its wide range of beautiful treks, meaning you don’t have to go very far afield to experience something new. If you live near a beach, you can even go for a morning swim or an evening stroll along the sand. If you prefer two-wheeled transportation, drag your bike out of the shed and go for a tiki tour around the neighborhood. Fill up a backpack with picnic supplies and pedal to your local park for a relaxing afternoon in the sunshine. If you are looking for a more mellow way to enjoy the sunshine, have a go at swinging some golf clubs. If you’ve never golfed before, use this time to learn a new skill and work on your technique. There is no better time to learn a new sport than the present!

For those who love a relaxing holiday, it is important to find a way to pamper yourself in the comfort of your own home. Thankfully, I have pampering sessions down to a science. The first step is to turn on the hot water and pour yourself a nice relaxing bath. Next, you’ll want to drop in your favourite bath bomb and let it fizz and bubble whilst waiting for the tub to fill. You can even take this relaxation station to the next level by pouring yourself a cheeky glass of wine and turning on your favourite Netflix comfort show as you kick back. Once you’ve exited the tub, please note that relaxation time is still in session. If you are the nail painting type, painting your own nails can be a therapeutic task. Not to mention, it is a heck of a lot cheaper than getting them done professionally. If you are still feeling mentally fatigued, try meditation or reading a good book. Finding a way to relax is so important and often overlooked during the hectic work week. Aim to finish your staycation feeling mentally refreshed and ready to tackle everyday life once more.

If you are a movie buff, try bringing the cinema experience to your very own living room. Cook some microwave popcorn, turn off the lights and set up your couch with your coziest blankets and comfiest pillows. Go on a grocery trip beforehand and stock up on fizzy drink, lollies and chocolate to satisfy everyone’s cravings. Schedule a time to start the session and pop a movie up on the big screen. With very little effort, you’ll be able to create a unique movie-watching experience in the comfort of your own home. A trip to the cinema can become extremely expensive but at-home movies make a great budget-friendly option for film fanatics.

If you adore taking photos while you travel, now is a great time to whip out your camera out and put your creativity to the test. Make it your mission to photograph the beauty that is all around you. In New Zealand, we are lucky to have a lot of picturesque landscapes that are just waiting to be captured through your camera lens. Take this time to practice your editing skills too- there are so many creative ways to edit any photograph into an art piece. Simply jump on YouTube and you’ll find a bunch of tutorials on photoshop editing. You can also find photography tutorials or new techniques to try on your next outing. Let your creativity shine without boundaries!