How is it already August? I have no idea where 2021 has gone. Sadly, our upcoming trip to Wales was cancelled so now we are scrambling to plan another staycation. At this point, all I want to do is relax outside in the sunshine. James is opposed to international travel due to Covid while I would prefer to fly to Malta and sit on the beach. We have been going back and forth on what we should do and if we should even go somewhere for our four days off. Maple is booked in to the kennel, which means even if we stay home, we will still be able to relax.
Luckily, I have several things I can rely on if we do indeed decide to stay in East London. These range in price from free to a few hundred pounds. While I may find the following things relaxing, you might have something else you prefer. Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you suggest I should try.
Aromatherapy
Scentered is a fantastic eco-conscious company that uses your olfactory system to help adjust your health and wellbeing. With their products, you can sleep, de-stress, get happy, feel the love, and/or escape. As you can guess, I am looking to escape from my normal day-to-day work and life stress while on our mini-break. Scentered kindly sent me their ESCAPE travel set. It contained a beautiful candle and aromatherapy balm inside a lovely box. The set is small enough to pack in a suitcase or to use at home. It would also make a lovely gift for someone who also needs to get away from it all.
I have been using the balm on my wrists and neck on Fridays when I get home from work. Scentered’s balms come in two different sizes (regular and mini). The minis are perfect keep in your pocket or bag for a quick fix. The candle I have been saving as a back up for our trip because so many of our holiday plans have been cancelled this year. Good thing I did!
Both the balms and candles are refillable and Scentered packaging is recycling. If you love the planet and want to protect it, Scentered is a fabulous brand to support! They also have a range of gift sets that include face masks, dressing gowns, or weighted blankets. Not only do they create the balms and candles as a source of aromatherapy but you can also find the scents that fit your mood in body wash, shampoos and lotions. I encourage you to use Scentered products to transform the space you are in to take you away from the day-to-day stress.
Order takeaway from someplace different
At first, I was going to write “don’t cook” but you might find that fun and/or relaxing. If you are staying home for your holiday, why not go to a new restaurant or order takeaway from a place you haven’t tried yet? During lockdown, I tried to break up the monotony of cooking three meals a day while the pubs and restaurants were shut. We are not huge foodies and tend to cook all our meals even when things are “normal” (except take away once a week) but cooking was getting boring. To mix things up, I ordered a high tea from Cutter and Squidge. It included scones, cakes, brownies, and of course, tea! To compliment this, I also picked up fancy sandwiches from Marks and Spencer’s. As you can see, I even brought out a table cloth to give the meal a bit more ambiance.
Book with Urban
Once thing that I love but rarely indulge in is a relaxing massage. I tend to get sports massages quite a bit, which are not always pleasant. Urban is a way to have a massage therapist come to your home. Surprisingly, the price is not that much more that going to a clinic. It saves so much time and stress from not having to travel to and from your appointment. You can use my affiliate code RMOLLI1A to receive £30 off your treatment. Not only does Urban offer massages, but also physiotherapy, beauty and grooming, fitness, osteopathy, and hair services. You can plan an entire spa day at home using Urban. A manicure something I would do before an actual holiday anyways, so why not keep this part of the traveling ritual? With my skin allergies, I cannot paint my nails that often which means it is saved for special occasions. Urban offer a variety of massage and manicures so have a look and see what suits you best.
Cool off with a cocktail
We have had a few very hot weeks in London this summer which has left people scrambling to find a way to feel some relief. There are a few rooftop lidos in London, as well as outdoor pools. We happened to have a small kiddie pool for Maple (which she refuses to go into). With a cocktail in hand, I enjoy cooling my feet off when the weather gets to be too much. Of course, you could just make the same cocktails that you were meant to enjoy on your trip. Treat yourself to high quality spirits and new glasses. After all, you are saving lots of money by staying at home! Tickle your taste buds and be transported away.
Stay in a hotel
Get out of the house by staying somewhere else for the night. There is nothing like the clean sheets and uncluttered space of a hotel. Order room service, use all the free toiletries, and sleep until check out. Basically, just spend the entire day and night in bed. That sounds idyllic to me! If you feel adventurous, try booking a hotel you have never stayed in or in a part of town you haven’t been to in a while (if ever!).
Explore a new neighbourhood
Living in London, my husband and I tend to avoid travelling more than one hour to do something. Anything farther just seems like a big effort and now with Maple, we can’t leave her home alone for too long. Because of this time limit, we don’t go to neighbourhoods on the other side of town, or south of the river, very often (which is one of the reasons why I suggest booking a hotel somewhere you don’t often visit). We also don’t regularly visit London tourist attractions. When my family comes to visit, I am lucky enough to have a nudge to visit all the places I have been meaning to- Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Churchill War Rooms, Portobello Road, and Greenwich.
If you are interested in getting paid to visit these kind of places, there is a new app, called NaviSavi, that will reward you for visiting tourist attractions, restaurants, clubs, and more (just not shops). Use my affiliate code PTMOLLIE to register today and use your staycation time at home to explore. For each location you visit, you can upload up to four 10-30 second videos to showcase different aspects of the venue, such as the entrance, ambiance, food, and outdoor seating for which you will be paid $1 per video. The idea behind NaviSavi is to put truth into travel by allowing app users to show you exactly what a location looks like at the moment to let others decide if it is somewhere they want to go. NaviSavi also wants to support small businesses by allowing them to create a profile for free. Pretty cool, huh?
NaviSavi has a Scavenger Hunt feature that tells you what locations they need videos for. Upload videos for one of these and get paid $2 per video. This app is global so I recommend logging in wherever you are and trying to find those locations that pay a bit more while taking you outside your regular haunts. You might end up discovering a new favourite place! The scavenger hunt may not be completely relaxing but it will get you out somewhere new, which is one of the things that appeals to me when traveling. Without the usual time limit of work and other commitments, take advantage of your staycation to learn more about your city.
If you follow me on Instagram, you will soon see where we end up for our rescheduled staycation. I will hopefully be able to incorporate a few of the above tips to help make it a bit more enjoyable. It is frustrating not to be able to travel but I also accept it is for the greater good. If it helps keep Covid-19 from spreading, then it is absolute it worth it.
If you have a staycation planned, let me know what you did in the comments below. Did you Netflix and chill? Clean the house? Go to the cinema every day? I can’t wait to read all about it.
This post was sponsored by Scentered.
This post contains affiliate links from which I receive a small fee and does not cost the buyer anything additional.
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