What I Did on My Staycation: Easy Things to Do Now

I’m back from my staycation and I did what I vowed NOT to do: I frittered away my time.

Since I didn’t take my own advice to make a list of what I hoped to accomplish, it was easy to let the weeks slide by.

Still, there’s a lot to be said for goofing off. And, it wasn’t a total bust.

Ikebana Lessons

During my staycation, I continued to practice ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), taking a three-day class in Vancouver, BC.

If you’d like to try your hand at ikebana, this video featuring the Sangestsu School of Ikebana (it starts slow, but is full of practical advice) will teach you some basics. You can also purchase an accompanying book, Sangetsu School of Ikebana, to learn more.

There are many schools of ikebana, each with its own philosophy and techniques. You can find ikebana classes by googling “Ikebana classes in my area.”

Whether you choose to arrange flowers in the ikebana style or in your own way, fresh flowers are a compelling presence, uplifting the mood of your home.

A few flower arranging tips I’ve learned:

• Flowers have a natural front and back. Before you put flowers in a vase, examine each flower and display its best side.
• Snip flowers and branches under water–they will stay fresher longer.
• Arrange flowers simply, as they exist in nature.

To teach the grandkids to appreciate flowers, have them make arrangements. Provide flowers and a vase and let them create. Here, Miss T, at five years old, makes an arrangement with cuttings from the garden.

If you have no vases, kids can make mini ones by painting spice jars and filling them with a few flowers.

Grandma’s Game Time

One way I frittered away my time during my staycation was by playing word games. I love Scrabble, but not Scrabble Go because I prefer to play alone.

I found a free word game app called Classic Words that plays like Scrabble. Set to the hardest level, sometimes I beat the computer; sometimes the computer beats me (mostly I win). There are ads, but they are unobtrusive.

Another game I’m loving is Quartiles, which comes with a paid subscription to Apple News. There are five sets of words to make from 20 word parts–it’s a real challenge. Then of course, there are The New York Times games, including the newest, Connections.

I tell myself that playing games helps to keep my mind exercised and alert.

Staycation Project: Cleaning the Closet

During an earlier staycation, I actually repackaged and relabeled 90 herb and spice jars for my spice cabinet. Now THAT was a project!

This staycation, I tackled something a little simpler: my clothes closet.

I weeded out any clothes that are no longer flattering to send to Goodwill. I saved some of the higher-end ones for possible sale on Poshmark (although I haven’t actually ever tried this).

For this closet project, I started by buying velvet hangers. Previously mine were a mismatched set of plastic, wire, and wood.

The velvet hangers are thin, allowing more clothes to fit in the closet. And the velvet provides enough grip so clothes don’t slip off the hangers.

I also bought velvet hanger clips to hang skirts and pants. These also compress space because the clips sit on the hanger bar, lower than the top of the hangers. You could use regular wooden clamp-type clothespins, which would be cheaper.

Yesterday, I discovered an app called Stylebook ($4.99). You photograph your clothes and work out mix and match combinations.

I am still learning to use the app but it seems like a useful way to inventory and organize your closet digitally. It’s fun to see your own clothes in this format!

Reviews say it becomes tedious to take photos of everything you own. I can see that. However, I think it would be a good tool for putting together a travel wardrobe.

Planning a Vacation

This fall, Steve and I are spending nearly a month in Japan, starting in Tokyo, and working our way south to Fukuoka and Nagasaki. Japan is getting overcrowded with tourists, so we are looking for towns and cities off the beaten path.

Part of my staycation time was focused on planning for this Japan trip.

Vacation Planning Research

• Steve brings home travel books from the library first; then we purchase the ones we like best. I need to own the books so I can take a highlighter to them.
• I also do online research and save any travel tips, where-to-go ideas, and restaurant suggestions to my private Pinterest page to review later, as I plan our itinerary.
• YouTube is an excellent source to get a “feel” for a place, although so many travel videos are done by amateur travelers on a first-time visit.
• I also get ideas from Instagram reels. Instagram continues to feed me Japan content because the algorithm has caught on to my travel interest. I bookmark the most useful ones for reference later.
• On Facebook, I belong to a Japan travel group, where I can learn, ask questions, and share my own past experiences.

How I Make a Travel Plan

• I print out my computer calendar and begin sizing what I want to do with the days we have, and plotting the activities into the calendar. This is the point where reality sets in and you may have to cut back on a too-ambitious itinerary.
• To check on transit times, I use Rome2Rio, a website that gives you options for the time it takes to travel from one point to another by plane, train, bus, ferry, or car. It covers the world. There’s also an app version.
• I look for any special events during the time we will be visiting. I love spectacles, but sometimes, attending a special event may take away from other sightseeing options; you have to find the right balance. The other reason to check for events is that hotels may be booked up. This is what we are finding in Nagasaki–no room at any inn, nor in surrounding areas.

A Few More Staycation Activities

So that’s what I did during my staycation. I am also trying to learn Japanese katakana characters (I know I can use Google translate!), toying with an online Japanese speaking program, and tending to our garden.

I hope you’re having a wonderful summer!

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Next week, we’ll be back with ideas for things to do with and for the grandkids. Don’t forget to sign up for my email newsletter. Every Wednesday, I’ll give you a new idea for an activity or insight to nurture the little ones in your life.