• The mini-staycation

    Posted on August 3rd, 2010 Saver Queen 7 comments

    For the civic holiday, I was lucky enough to have my sister come to Guelph for an extended stay.  Originally we had planned to go to Prince Edward County, but then changed our minds and decided to have kind of a “staycation” instead. Yes, this is in addition to my real vacation-staycation which is commencing this Friday.

    This weekend was, I think, what real long weekends should be.  Sometimes, lengthy conversations on a balcony with a bottle of wine, or staying in your pajamas all day can be perfect staycation activities, and we did a little of this. But we also did some exploring.

    Noteworthy discoveries included The Arboretum.

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    I could not believe that this remarkable source of beauty has existed right under my nose - a 5 minute drive away - without me knowing about it. There are luscious gardens of every type and beautiful nature trails. The collection of dwarf trees made me feel like I was in Alice in Wonderland. The Japanese garden would be a perfect place for meditating, and the butterfly garden and natural bird bathing area would be an ideal spot for sitting and simply taking in nature. It was stunning and practically deserted!

    Other fun trips included St. Jacobs - the market as well as the antiques warehouse. I was well acquainted with the market but never knew the antiques market was so good.  Hundreds of booths, each with their own style, and the items were always well laid-out and displayed.  My kind of antiquing!

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    We ate really, really well.  Amongst the delicious dishes we prepared included a feast of local produce and meats - steaks, corn, mushrooms, amazing cheeses. My favourites included my sister’s caramelized onion dip, and a ratatouille made with all sorts of fresh, local vegetables. Oh yes, and plenty of local beers and wines.

    One thing we did to enhance the free, relaxed feeling of being on vacation was pool our money into a single “vacation fund” so we could freely spend without worrying about who bought what. As a result, we were able to just draw money out of the vacation fund without worrying or thinking about it , and that made it even more fun. It’s a tip I’d strongly recommend.

    Staying at home meant that we didn’t have to spend time driving, and we eat and drink as much as we wanted!

    There is so much amazing food, natural beauty and fun discoveries to be made right in our own cities and towns.  What did you get up to this long weekend?

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    7 responses to “The mini-staycation”

    1. Christina August 4th, 2010 at 09:18

      I didn’t realize you were from Guelph. I am as well. I really appreciate The Arboretum but have never got to experience the St. Jacobs market although I’ve heard rave reviews and your pictures look awesome!

    2. jolie August 4th, 2010 at 12:37

      What a lovely variety of fresh food at the farmer’s market! I’m envious. sounds like you had a lovely staycation with your sister.

    3. Maddy August 5th, 2010 at 11:59

      “Staycastion”… grrr. :p

      Vocabulary-issues notwithstanding, it sounds like you had an excellent weekend! I’m so glad to hear that! :D

    4. Catherine August 6th, 2010 at 19:02

      Your staycation sounds like it was just what the Dr. ordered. Being with your twin sister sharing long talks, laughs, outings, good food and libations - what more could you ask for?
      I agree wholeheartedly about pooling the $$. When my girlfriends (5 of us) rented a house in France for 15 days we did the same. When the money ran out - we all threw in the same amount to top it up. One person was the keeper of the purse. No hassles.
      My long weekend was spent with our grandson having his vacation. My, he is busy. Wish I could bottle his energy. What a magic little boy. His Mom and Dad had their only mini holiday going to Niagara taking in the sites and the Shaw Festival production of ‘Harvey’. A good time was had by all.
      This weekend? Lots of R & R….3 books from the library….and many zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz’s.
      Enjoy your next vacation!

    5. The Witch August 8th, 2010 at 16:33

      Have really enjoyed your blog for quite some time.
      Love the stay vacation which I’m planning on doing this year also because we spent too much money on the Gazebo project. Which I’m OK with.
      You have a twin sister and so does Grunge Queen.
      I think you may like her blog site.
      It must be nice to know Gail, I have heard that you did a great job planning the picnic.
      Good for you!!

    6. Kiwi gal August 16th, 2010 at 03:40

      Hi there

      I stumbled upon your blog last week and just had to write to say how much I love it!

      If you were a bloke and lived in New Zealand, I think I would want to marry you - you think so much like me!

      It is so nice to find there are other people in the world who aspire to be frugal and sustainable and yet embrace all the wonderful things that life has to offer at the same time.

      Like you, I am a huge foodie who makes most things from scratch. And I also love to fossick and ferret out bargains of all sorts and recycle and re-use stuff. I love all things crafty and can sniff out a store sale and garage sale (what you call yard sales)at 50 paces.

      Please keep sharing your experiences and wisdom with the world - there are many of us out here who have the same values, thoughts and feelings as you and who are greatly inspired by your words.

      Leigh
      from Wellington, New Zealand

    7. Saver Queen August 19th, 2010 at 15:26

      Thanks for the comments, everyone!
      Nice to have you as a reader, Kiwi Gal!! I love meeting (virtually) kindred spirits! And thank you for your support!

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