It’s easy to just do the same stuff all the time. Where we live is truly beautiful but we are here most of the year and even the splendour of paradise fades if you let it. We try to do special and different things during our stay-cation to make up for a ‘proper holiday’.
If you're saving money on not going away, you might be able to splash out on a few treats as well.
Awesome Ideas for Your Holiday At Home
Explore a new place. There is always somewhere new that you’ve never been to or haven’t bee to for a long time. Go check it out!
Do something new. That thing that you drive past every week and think “we should do that one time”. Stay-cation is a perfect time to try it out. This year we hired a kayak. It was amazing and the kids loved it.
Have a treat day out. Our favourite is the water park near us. We go once a year and it’s always a special (but expensive) occasion.
Do something different. Take dinner to the beach, go to a different park, a different restaurant. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, just something you don’t normally do. A different time, a different place.
Eat ice cream. Wherever you are you can eat ice-cream. Ice cream is always a special treat!
Go to the beach. If you don’t live close enough to the beach, how about a river or out door pool? My friend who lives in London even managed to find a "beach lake" to take her little boy to.
Have a movie night. You’re on holiday right?
Stay up late. It’s the holidays. You can always find an excuse to stay up late in Spain (or wherever you live). Friends around for dinner, street party, going our for the day. Let go of routine and let holidays take over.
Special dinners and food. Try some new and exciting recipes. This summer has been the summer of Galen’s vindaloo. It’s now officially our favourite dinner. (Move over spag bol!)
Lazy mornings. I’d love to say sleep in late but we’re talking kids here. But you can have a lazy morning with breakfast in bed, reading books
and decadence all around!
Pic Nic. Pack a pic nic lunch or dinner. Or even a breakfast!
Bike ride, long walk, roller skating. All those things you wish you had time for at the weekend but never actually get around to. Now is your chance!
Stay_cation Ideas. Us at the water park, our annual trip. We left the twins at nursery as they're too little but they'll be big enough next year!
Stay Safe in the Sun
The summer is amazing fun but it is easy for children to get dehydrated or sun burnt. Remember to follow these simple rules to keep your children safe in the sun, to drink lots of water and to keep your baby safe in the sun.
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You see, you don’t have to even leave home to enjoy a holiday!
When we get home from our amazing day at the water park, we sit down to look at the few photos we took. They are not great works of art. A few family snap shots. They are family memories that we will cherish of our summer holidays, even though we didn't actually go on holiday.
Original article and pictures take https://snotty-noses.com/blog/2015/08/18/stay-cation-ideas/ site
web about what it's really like to take Amtrak for long trips, so I want to give you the most accurate and true depiction.
Johnny and I decided to get a roomette for the first and longest leg of our travel on the California Zephyr. We had the small room from Emeryville (the Amtrak station right outside of San Francisco) to Chicago for two days and two nights. After a seven-hour stop in Chicago, we rode the remaining 17 hours of our journey to NYC in coach seats. In total, our tickets for two people came out to $772. Not bad considering we were traveling for three and a half days and our meals were included with the roomette.
To get all the details on what it's like to sleep, eat, and basically live in an Amtrak train while chugging across America, keep reading. There are lots of interesting details that will take you by surprise.
Original article and pictures take http://www.popsugar.com/node/40685768 site
Ahoy! A pirate ship is about to unload a band of rowdy scallywags right into your backyard. Sure, you invited them, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to sit patiently and wait for a piece of cake. Perhaps some pirate party games are just what you need to keep them from pillaging the dessert table before you’re ready.
Walk the Plank
The first thing you will need to play walk the plank is, of course, a plank. You can build your own by nailing a long plank of wood to smaller blocks of wood and standing it on the ground like a table (you only want the plank to be a few inches off of the ground, so use sturdy, but short blocks of wood). Once you have a plank, position it over a blue tarp or blanket to represent the ocean. Another fun idea is to place it over a baby pool.
To play the game, line up your party guests and have them walk across the plank. The idea is to make it across without falling into the water. Any player who falls off of the plank is out.
continue reading below our video
Players who cross the plank successfully must do it again – this time backwards. Increase the difficulty each time, such as crossing sideways, on one foot and while blindfolded.
Cannon Ball Pop
To play this game you will need several black balloons. Make a slip of paper for each balloon. On half of
the papers write something indicating a winner, such as, “Collect Ye Treasure.” On the other half, write something referring to a loser, like, “Walk the Plank!” Fold the papers and insert them into the balloons before inflating. Scatter all of the balloons around the play area.
Gather the pirates and tell them that they are under attack and must detonate the cannonballs before they reach their ship. Players will then stomp or sit on the balloons to pop them. A player who gets a winning message collects his prize and is out of the game. Players who get a losing message keep trying. The game continues until every pirate wins a treasure.
Forbidden Pirate Word
At the start of the party, give each guest 10 gold coins. Choose a pirate word to be the forbidden word of the day. Since kids will be talking like pirates, some ideas for forbidden words include pirate, ship, matey and arrrrrrrr. For the first 30 minutes, kids simply continue with the party activities as planned, but when one kid catches another saying the forbidden word, the offending player must surrender one of his coins to his captor. When time us up, the pirate with the most coins wins.
Find the Crocodile
This game is especially fun for fans of Peter Pan, or the Disney animated program, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, who will recall that Tick-Tock the crocodile swallowed Captain's Hook's hand, and has been hunting him ever since. Luckily for Hook, the croc also swallowed a ticking clock, so the Captain always hears him coming.
Send one player out of the room. This player is Captain Hook. Set a ticking kitchen timer for two minutes and tie it to a stuffed crocodile. Have the rest of the players hide the ticking crocodile. Bring Captain Hook back into the room. If he can find the crocodile before the timer goes off, he wins a prize. If the timer goes off first, however, he is "eaten by the croc" and out of the game. Play enough rounds so that everyone has a turn to be Captain Hook.
Cannon Ball Toss
Gather your pirates in the backyard. Pair them up and have them stand face-to-face with their partners. Give a black water balloon to each set of pirates. Players that stand across from each other must toss the balloon back and forth until one of them drops it or breaks it, and is out of the game. The winning players from each pair then challenge each other, until only one player remains.
To increase difficulty as the game progresses, you can have players take a step back after each toss, stand on one foot while playing or try and play while blindfolded.
Build a Pirate Ship
With a large box, some craft paint, fabric for a flag and a few embellishments, kids can create and decorate their very own pirate ship. Once complete, this makes a great prop for not only pirate playtime, but pirate photos as well.
Buried Treasure
Fill two sandboxes with sand and then bury plenty of trinkets like fake jewels, gold coins, and stickers. Divide your pirates into two teams. Give each team a treasure chest (or bucket) and have them dig for the buried treasures. When time is up, empty the treasures and count the loot. The team with the most booty wins.
Bomb the Pirate Ship
For this game, you’ll need two large cardboard boxes. Kids can decorate them to look like pirate ships if they want. Place the ships a couple of feet away from each other. Divide guests into two teams and have each one gather at a pirate ship. When you signal the start of the game, each pirate crew will bomb the other ship with cannonballs. You can purchase a large amount of soft play balls, such as the kind used in ball pits or you can make your own cannonballs out of things like crumpled up newspaper or aluminum foil.
When time is up, count how many cannonballs are in each box. The team that landed the most in the opposing ship wins.
Peg Legged Treasure Chest Relay
This race is played like a three-legged race. Add pirate accessories to make it more exciting. Have two members from each team put on a pirate hat, vest, and eye patch and then race, with two of their legs tied together, to a pile of treasure. They must put as much treasure as they can into their hats and race back. When they return, they empty their hats into a large treasure chest and hand off the accessories to next set of players. The first team to fill their treasure chest wins.
Pirate Ship Race
To play this game you will need two small, toy pirate ships and a baby pool. Fill the pool with water and place the ships on one side of the ship. Players must blow their ships across the pool. The first ship to reach the other side wins. If the ships don’t float well, you can place them on small rafts.
Another idea for pirate ship racing is to build two pirate ships out of cardboard boxes. Divide guests into two teams. Have one player from each team sit inside of the pirate ship. Another player from each team must push their teammate, in the ship, around an obstacle course and back. The players then switch off to the next set of pirates from their team. The race continues in this relay-style until one team has had all of their players complete the course.
Pirate Hook Relay Race
For this game, each team will need a pirate hook. The first player for each team wears the hook and runs to a pile of mesh, chocolate-coin-filled bags. Players must hook the bags and bring them back to their teams. The remaining players in line must also put on the hook and do the same. The first team to retrieve all of their coins wins.
Cannonball Volley
Divide players into two teams and have them stand on either side of a volleyball net (or imaginary line). Give each team a bucket of black water balloons and a large sheet or beach towel (you can even paint pirate flags on them). The serving team places their balloons in their flag and launches them over the net. The opposing team tries to catch them and volley them back. Play continues, switching serving sides, until everyone is wet and laughing.
Original article and pictures take http://kidsparties.about.com/od/partygamesandactivities/a/Pirate-Party-Games-For-Kids.htm site
11 Reasons We Want to Move Into This Tiny Beach House Immediately
Courtesy of Windermere Real Estate
Being on the water is everything, so it doesn't get much better than this tiny beach house located on gorgeous Tyee Beach on Washington state's Camano Island.
The compact-but-charming bungalow, which was previously on the market for $424,500, offers 335 square feet of living space on a .34 acre lot. The house was originally constructed in 1940, and is one of the last original fishing cabins on Tyee. However, its
most recent owners have gutted and renovated the place, so inside, it's virtually brand-new. The home features a master bathroom, full kitchen, two huge decks, and three sets of French doors—perfect for letting the outdoors in. So, it's official: We want to move in, and here's why: Courtesy of Zillow
Wouldn't it be nice to downsize and live a simpler life on the water's edge?
2. Even though it's a tiny house, the bathroom is nothing short of a master.
Courtesy of Zillow
Just look at that giant soaking tub.
3. It's an hour away from Seattle, making it the perfect vacation home.
Courtesy of Zillow
Think of all the vacation rental income opportunities, too.
4. Look at that patio.
Courtesy of Zillow
5. And also that beach.
Original article and pictures take http://www.countryliving.com/real-estate/a35675/11-reasons-we-want-to-move-into-this-beach-house-immediately/ site
1. Stain comes in oil or water-based products. Oil stains have longer drying times, which will come in handy if you’re working on larger projects like floors, paneling and doors. Water
based stains are low odor and fast drying which will allow you to stain and finish within 24 hours.
2. Oak is the easiest wood to stain. Pine make look great, but can often stain unevenly (especially due to the knots).
3. Use a pre-stain conditioner that’s water-based. It’s gonna be like your $5 insurance policy. Use a foam brush to apply a thin coat and let it dry about 3-4 minutes before applying your stain. Give it a light sanding before staining, too.
4. Apply a liberal amount of stain in sections and wipe with a rag. Remember the longer you leave on stain, the darker it will get.
5. Always stir your stain before staining since some of the color pigments can settle at the bottom of the can. And never shake your stain!
6. Sand before you stain and always sand in the direction of the grain with a light 180 grit sandpaper. Oh, and never sand after you stain either!
7. Apply a top coat after you stain your wood. A water-based polycrylic is best! And yes, you can use a water-based top coat even if you’re using an oil-based stain.
8. Don’t apply stain too thickly. Leaving extra stain on top of your project will just peel off later. Instead use multiple coats to achieve a darker look.
9. You can use a foam brush to apply your stain before you wipe off, but do not use a foam brush for your finishing coat!
10. Looking for a stain and finish in one step? Try the new Minwax Express Colors! It’s like a cream that you can wipe off quickly with a rag and you’re good to go. It comes in 4 colors and 4 wood tones. Love the finished look! Or you can use Minwax Polyshades which is the stain and polyurethane in one step in liquid form.
Now of course there are a bunch of other stains and polyurethanes on the market, but Minwax just happens to be my favorite! Plenty of color options and it’s just a name I trust!
Original article and pictures take http://howtonestforless.com/2012/07/18/staining-101/ site
10 Must-Follow Rules For Making a Small Space Beautiful
Roger Davies
Who could be lucky enough to live there?" That was Janet Korff's thought 25 years ago when a wrong turn led her down the wooded driveway of the cottage she now calls home. "At the time, I would have never guessed that one day I would be that person," she says. But a quarter-century later, the house unexpectedly hit the market, she and her husband, Larry, made an offer, and Janet suddenly found herself back down that same driveway—her driveway.
Built in 1890, the quaint Redlands, California, home was originally the gardener's residence on a large estate and had long gone unoccupied. "The house itself was unlivable," she says. "The other interested buyers wanted to tear down the property." But despite the home's neglected state, she couldn't resist those roses enveloping the house.
As soon as the "sold" sign hit the flower-filled
front yard, the Korffs began to sow seeds of change in the small home. "It took us six weeks of working around the clock," recalls Janet. "But when we moved in, it felt so good to have done every bit of it, save some electrical work, ourselves." Here, find out how Janet cultivated every single inch of her precious 970-square-foot home. Original article and pictures take http://www.countryliving.com/home-design/g3091/late-bloomer/ site
