Super Eco

Photo credit: kjarrett, flickr

Vacations can be exhausting, can't they? All that planning, all that travel, all the overwrought nerves and strange hours and weird food ... All that money ... If you're ready to let yourself off that hook (and lighten your environmental footprint at the same time), try a staycation this year instead.

There are three ways to approach a staycation (or stay-at-home vacation):

1. Get away without traveling far from home.
2. Enjoy activities and see sights that you'd normally not indulge in.
3. Dig into projects that you'd normally not have time for.

There's no single recipe for staycation success. Some people like to break away, while others prefer to nest in. It's up to you to put together a blend of activities that suits you. But there are four rules you simply must follow if you want to break free from your usual routines:

1. Unplug. No fair checking email and messages. Keep the computer and cell turned off.
2. Get ready to "go"; get ready to "come home." Take care of routine chores—laundry, grocery shopping, bills—at the beginning and end of your staycation.
3. Schedule activities. You'll get sucked into your normal routine if you don't map out what's going to be special.
4. Relish! Eat dessert. Take photos. Send postcards. Buy (or make) souvenirs.

Stay tuned to Super Eco for tips on staycation ideas for families, singles, couples ... and more!