It’s no secret, getting away with kids can be so much work (and luggage) that it’s easier to just stay home, and getting away for a romantic weekend with your beloved can be twice that much work. The simple (and affordable) answer is a romantic staycation. You won’t even need a babysitter.

Getting Ready

Do you have a guest room? If so, you are already halfway there. Most of us have a rarely used guest room that is kept (mostly) free of the junk that piles up during everyday life. (Except the closet – that is usually filled with off-season and special occasion clothing.) Take an hour to make sure the sheets are fresh, not musty, dust or vacuum if needed, and clear away anything the two of you might not want to see when you spend the night in the room (photos of your in-laws or parents, perhaps). Don’t forget to dust the top of the ceiling fan blades if there is any chance you will use it. Having bits of dust showering down is very, very far from romantic.

Now that you have removed what you don’t want (dust, must, mementos), it’s time to add what you do want. This could be as simple as a photo from your wedding or as elaborate as redecorating the room, although that is neither fast nor cheap. Fresh linens, a vase of flowers, and maybe laying out a robe the way they do in hotel pictures is simple and fast, especially if you pick flowers from your yard. Bonus points for putting chocolates on the pillow and if the robe (or nightie) is a new gift.

If you don’t have a guest room, then you will need to do all the same work to your own bedroom. For most of us, that’s a room that gets messed up every single day, making it harder to get everything ready over the course of a few days. It also makes it harder for the whole thing to be a surprise. But it is doable.

Now, you are all set to spend a night away…in your own home.