Top Ten "Rules" to a Romantic Staycation

To many people the summer season means getting away with your significant other for perhaps a long weekend or a whole week to relax, recuperate and revisit some of the things that made you fall in love. But if you're like most the rising costs of just about everything from gas to groceries can have you wishing you'd never put one toe out of bed in the morning. What used to be nothing more than a unique way to spend your vacation time by whiling away the hours in your own backyard has now become a new American standard.

It's called the 'staycation' and it's being embraced by young couples, families and anyone who finds their wallets affected by the ever-surging price of today's way of life. Instead of a three-day trip to a theme park resort or a week at a favorite beach millions of people are checking out the local scene and saving their pennies for something like...oh... food and shelter. But if you're used to relaxing by the pool with your loved one and sipping exotic drinks with little umbrellas you may be wondering what could possibly be romantic about your own turf.

Plenty! Here are ten 'rules' to having a romantic staycation.

First you need to set your budget for your 'staycation'. If you're used to taking a vacation every year then you must have an idea how much you can spend. Instead of blowing all that money on your gas-guzzler and a pricey resort, use some of your city's resources and you may even save a buck or two.

Two - tell everyone you're on vacation. You're not at home, you're not available to walk their dog, fetch their mail or hold their hand at the dentist - you are on vacation and cannot be reached unless someone is on fire. End of story.

Three - make your staycation rules. Unless you've taken this time off from work to specifically clean that grout, re-sod the lawn or learn how to change the oil in your car on your own you're going to need to wipe them off your list. Make a list of things you CAN'T do. This is supposed to be a romantic staycation and by last count painting the guest room was not romantic.

Four - Where do you want to go? Discuss where you'd want to go if money were no object, go there in your mind... and then go to the nearest party store. Don't have one? The internet does and it's always open. Say you want to go to Hawaii. Take a part of your budget and apply it to your location. Pick up some tiki torches and line your back patio with them. Get some flower leis, a few grass skirts and someone at the party store with an imagination to help you out. Buy mass quantities of those ready-to-blend frozen drinks and you've got yourself Oahu in your backyard! Do a little research on any locale and you're bound to find a plethora of ideas to turn your home into a faraway land.

Five - Pick out your couples entertainment. Get a bunch of games for couples or two players only. Go to the video store TOGETHER and select movies that you BOTH like. Get some news ones, but don't forget the oldies but goodies. If there's a movie that you saw when you began dating - get it and relive some of those magic moments.

Six - Dinner and dancing night. Or more than one night - depends on the couple. Make reservations at a restaurant you've been dying to go to. Get dressed up like you're going out on your first date - like you're really actively trying to impress. A guy who is really slick will duck out and get flowers and then ring the doorbell as though it were a real date. If you're the type that likes to kick up their heels then hit the dance floor after dinner and make it a late night.

Seven - Dinner and dancing night, part deux. Maybe you're particularly strapped for cash and can't have a night out on the town. No worries! Set up your own dining room as a small bistro and order in. A simple tablecloth on a card table and some pretty candles will do the trick in a pinch. You're still going to need to put on the dog but you don't have to worry about taking a taxi home in this scenario, and you're a LOT closer to putting on something more comfortable if Le Romantique is in your own house. Don't forget to turn down the lights, sweet darlin' and dance the night away!

Eight - Don't forget to relax. Part of any good vacation is the part where you get to kick back and do nothing. Now watching your loved one do nothing is probably about as fun as watching paint dry but remember - no painting is allowed (see rule three). This is the part of the romantic staycation where you and your loved one actually stay away from each other. Set aside some time to do whatever you want. Read a book you've been meaning to get to or take a crack at that new (or old) hobby. As long as whatever you doing doesn't break any of the previous rules and occurs during the designated time for it feel free to go nuts!

Nine - Explore your city. Plan a day in the city you live in, or nearby. Hit the museums, the parks and historical sites that you've never seen. Discover things you've never even known about where you live or revisit some of your favorite places.

Ten - Ok, so paint the guest room. Almost everyone has a list of things they want to do in their home and you know you're going to feel guilty when you head back to work after spending a week at home and nothing on that list got done. Take a look at that list and find ONE thing that you, as a couple, can do in one day (two days if you've got a whole week) and tackle it together. Try to avoid things that only one of you knows a lot about so you are both coming at it on the same level - you'll avoid (some) arguments this way. Nothing puts the kibosh on romance like 'You're doing it wrong'.

At the end of your staycation you should find yourself relaxed, refreshed and hopefully still in love. Remember that the romantic part of your Romantic Staycation is to spend quality time together doing the things that you love to do as a couple and maybe inventing some new things. The staycation part of your Romantic Staycation is to relax as though you're away from home at your favorite resort. And if you start to get on each other's nerves just replay rule eight a few more times!