Last week I did something that I NEVER rarely do. I took 5 days off of work, with absolutely no plans. No grand vacation, nothing planned out for me. Just me, and a glorious week of nothingness. I usually don’t do well with such openness in my schedule, but I decided to relish in this moment, because I rarely get to enjoy such freedom. Instead of trying to create some last-minute travel plans, I decided to try something new: a staycation. At first, it was hard for my mind to understand that it can really be enjoyable to stay home. I mean, I sleep at home in my own bed 7 days a week, what’s so exciting about it just because I don’t have to go to work the next day?!?
I really thought about cancelling my vacation days, and saving them for when I actually have plans. Then a thought occurred. I DO have plans. I plan to do nothing! And with that, the staycation came to life….
I had to spend at least one day getting away, sleeping in someone else’s bed. So on Monday, I decided to have a last-minute girls-trip with my mom and daughter, packed up, and headed for a short trip down the turnpike to Philadelphia. I have a lot of financial obligations coming up in the next few months (daughter’s birthday, cousin’s wedding, summer vacation,etc) so I tried to plan a staycation that wouldn’t break the bank. Goal, not to spend more than $200.
So first stop, the Philadelphia Zoo. The proof, below…a giraffe…
The weather was a perfect 60 degrees… which could not have been better! And since it’s the off-season, the tickets were at a reduced price of $14….score! We completely exhausted ourselves looking a lions, rhinos, and turtles, and were ready to check ourselves into our hotel. I am a girl after a deal, so after much searching, I found a great deal on Hotels.com to the perfect kid-friendly hotel. For $127 a night, we stayed at the Omni Hotel at Independence Park. This four star hotel had everything that I was looking for: a great price, great location, and kid-friendly amenities. They even have a Omni Kids Program, where at check in, your child will receive a backpack full of cool goodies like a coloring book & crayons, a frisbee and a map of local finds.
After check in and a much needed nap, we decided to take a dip in the pool. Can you say ‘ahhhh’. That was the highlight of my relaxation! All that swimming worked up an appetite, and as a Jersey Girl with Southern longings, I was REALLY craving macaroni and cheese. I was beyond excited when I found a Groupon Now deal for Ms. Tootsie’s Restaurant for $30 worth of food and non-alcoholic drinks for only $20. Trust me, although I’m pretty good at spending money, I love saving it even more! So we put on our cute dinner clothes, and drove literally 7 minutes to the restaurant. Because it was a Monday night, parking was a breeze.
The restaurant has this cool, uptown vibe, but is still laid back and chill. I loved that our server’s name was Rae (also my daughter’s name) so anytime I was trying to tell my daughter something, she would come over running. But enough of that, let’s get to the food. I was craving their fish, and they did NOT disappoint. Feast your eyes on fried whiting, macaroni and cheese, and string beans:
Can you tell that my daughter enjoyed her corn bread?
We completely stuffed ourselves, and had to roll ourselves back to the hotel. Once in our PJs and ready to call it a night, the hotel delivered some milk and cookies for my daughter ( I won’t lie, I snuck a bite), as part of their complementary Omni Kids Program.
Rae enjoying her milk and cookies
After a great night’s sleep, we were ready to start day two of our girls trip staycay. Our trip to Philly wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the Please Touch Museum. Last year Rae got a membership to the museum for her birthday, so we try to use it out as much as possible.
All in all, I am so glad that I decided to take the trip, I’m glad that I spent a girls vaca with my two favorite girls, and I’m glad that I decided to take the time off of work, because dammit, I deserve it! This staycation was exactly what I needed. It was out of the house but only an hour away, and I spent less than $200, so I didn’t have to break the bank to do it!
Tags: family bonding, play time, travel
