Vacation.
So you’ve experienced all the fun filled days of vacation, making memories with the family … now what?
Colors seem duller, whites dingier. Your head and back hurt equally, but disproportionate to your lingering sunburn. Home seems so ordinary compared to where you have just been.
Vacation hangover.
Here are 5 family vacation hangover cures sure to aid in your recovery:
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Fluff your Pillows
Don’t just make your bed, change your sheets and fluff your pillows before you leave – I’m talking home staging level here people. After being gone even just one night, the BEST feeling in the world is coming home to the comforts of your familiar bed. Fight the urge, change the sheets and fully make your bed the morning before leaving on vacation. When you hit the hay the night of your return, get ready for the “bed hug” feeling and sweet dreaming – without all the post vacation work. If you are feeling a little extra, you could even leave a little mint on the pillows.
2. Special Delivery
Schedule a grocery delivery service the day you return home. I can’t tell you how much of a lifesaver Shipt has been for me on the regular. Then add in the strong desire to be OFF of a plane or OUT of the car after a long road trip and the “don’t wants” of hauling all of the luggage inside as well. Scheduling a grocery delivery service with pantry and fridge staples to arrive shortly after you is a no-brainer!
3. Plan a Buffer Day
You know, that day post vacay that you do all the things you didn’t do while on vacay. Don’t put those things off because then they will just pile up (sometimes literally) and eventually have to be dealt with – and typically by Momma! Here are a few tips to make these laborious tasks (particularly laundry related) a little more manageable on your last “day off” ::
- Pack an extra, large, empty bag. Put all dirty clothes into this bag after they are worn. When you return home, all that needs to be done is 1. Open Dirty Clothes Bag 2. Dump Into Washer 3. Add Detergent 4. Unpack any clean/unworn clothes from suitcases.
- If you pack your children’s clothes via the popular “Ziploc Bag” method, and the lagniappe day(s) packed were not worn, simply place the whole outfit, bag and all, into their chest of drawers, and voila! Outfits for the next day or two are already picked out!
- Run the robot vacuum through each room AFTER you unpack the contents of that room. I mean, this just makes a whole lot of sense. Doing this will force you to not leave anything on the floor and save you chore time as well.
4. Indulge a Little
Plan a family favorite dinner the night you get back. Ration some of the coveted car candy as a post vacation dessert. Visited a destination known for a certain treat? Wait until you get home to dig into it, therefore prolonging the experience. Have your favorite bottle of wine or tasty beverage on hand for mom and dad to relax with and unwind.
5. Ease into Routine
So, you had tons of fun sightseeing, playing on the beach, or hiking in the mountains, but now it’s back to life, back to reality (Soul II Soul style). Instead of ripping the vacation band-aid off cold turkey, how about planning a small activity to bridge the gap between time away and everyday life? Buy tickets for the following weekend’s showing of a family friendly movie. Make a crafty memento to remember your trip. Book some Sky Zone time and have them jump it out. Schedule a couple’s massage. Planning a small activity to wean off of the fun and back into routine can help to ease the transition.
