Challenging Myself Again!!!

[Butterflyrose]

After taking a luxurious vacation in Jamaica last month, I'm planning a staycation next week. Monday-Saturday! The challenge I've set for myself will be to use no more than $100(can I tell you it'll be a REAL challenge!!!) to have some enjoyable days of FUN in my city or nearby cities. Can I do it...stay within this budget??? I LOVE challenges and setting goals, so I'm UP for the challenge! I can do it, I can do it, I can do it. Yes, I Can!

DISCLAIMER: I'll be reporting my expenses for the week of my staycation. Note: gas is NOT included in this amount. Nor shopping for Christmas gifts in July! The one hundred dollars is strictly "fun money." Dining out/take out will be included in $100 budget. Coming in under budget would be fantastic!

~Traveling Nearby~Butterflyrose

[imalefty]

Hi Butterflyrose! Really enjoy your challenges. You most likely know these hints- museums can be free or low cost;buying ready made sandwiches at a grocery store is usually cheaper than restaurants;walks in a park can be enjoyable;people watching is fun & free;crocheting on a park bench can attract new friends. Have a wonderful week and please post your experience! imalefty

[Butterflyrose]

Hi imalefty! Thank you for your response. I do have fun challenging myself. People watching is one that I'll add to my list...never made a concerted effort to do that! Thanks for the suggestion! Enjoy your week too and I'll be sure to post my experience. And you're so right, people are attracted to you while crocheting!(((HUGS)))~Butterflyrose~

[Butterflyrose]

Today I plan to make a tentative itinerary for my staycation. With God's help, I'll make the final decisions for each day as they unfold. Looking forward to the days ahead!!!

~With a grateful heart~Butterflyrose

[Butterflyrose]

Completed my itinerary for my staycation this morning! By having plans made for each day leads to being prepared for the days ahead. Fun-filled days, here I come!

[imalefty]

Thinking of you while doing the Monday vacuuming. Hope you and the weather are both fine!

[Butterflyrose]

Thinking of you while doing the Monday vacuuming. Hope you and the weather are both fine!

Awww...imalefty! Thanks so much! Yes, I am well and the weather is gorgeous. Wishing the same for you!(((HUGS)))~Butterflyrose~

[Butterflyrose]

Day 1:My Staycation...

Having my bedroom in accordance with a stay-at-home vacation, I awakened early to get my bedroom in tip-top shape. Ambience is everything! It feels and looks like I'm on vacation. Just a few finishing touches are needed to complete the look. A bit later, I prepared myself a breakfast that was so delicious...hot link, omelet, pineapple slices, sour dough toast and coffee. I cut the crown of the pineapple off to plant later. Never tried growing a pineapple...will be another first! Later, it was time to go run an errand in prep for my staycation and then on to Walmart. I can't "staycation" without having more than enough food to enjoy while vacationing at home, now could I?LOL At Walmart Supercenter, I leisurely strolled the aisles looking for "Christmas in July" purchases, gifts for some unknown people. I didn't find those "special lil' gifts, but the search will continue on another day. There was so much to see, "window shopping" at Walmart without having to rush to the next store was so relaxing...like being on vacation. That was the plan! I went to the arts/crafts and there was yarn galore, kits for creating crafts including lots of paper crafts. What a fantastic area! After roaming the different departments for a while, my older daughter and I went to the grocery department. Picking and choosing what suited our palettes this week of staycation! I invited her to join me on my staycation week. More fun with a lovely daughter! I ate plantains for the first time in Jamaica, so I thought I'd try preparing a plantain myself. Just need to goggle a recipe! If you haven't realized it by now, I do enjoy food, you could say I'm a foodie! And trying new foods is exciting for me! I recently started making guacamole, so I bought more avocados too! After shopping, we headed home. My daughter stopped by Dollar General(for more grocery items) and Five Below. I waited and relaxed in the car for her. My younger daughter called me on our way home to say that she was making her delicious spaghetti and meat sauce. So I just prepared a garden salad/added cucumbers and garlic toast for a scrumptious dinner meal. Later in the evening, I began to write in my traveler's notebook about my ventures on the first day of my staycation. Unbelievable, what a difference it makes when I slowed down the pace to do these activities. Experiencing life from a different perspective! What a great first day on staycation!

~With a grateful heart~Butterflyrose

[Butterflyrose]

My Staycation: Day 2

Monday's breakfast was so delicious that I repeated that menu: hot link, egg(instead of omelet), pineapple slices and coffee minus the sour dough toast. Great start to my day! This was the day to visit the nursery for plants. My older daughter and I wanted to go the older nursery in my area, but just as she thought, it was no longer in business. After riding past the empty building, we headed to the new nursery in our area. I found the tomato plants that I wanted and to my surprise, right next to them were okra plants. I love okra! So, I bought two of each plant. The flowers were beautiful and there was greenery: living plants everywhere I looked! Once we left the nursery, my daughter decided to stop for lunch. She asked me," Do you want a sundae?" Of course I said, "Yes!" Then, she asked, "Do you want a sandwich?" Again, my response was "Yes!" She handed me coupons for the sundae and filet 'o fish sandwich. Cost, you ask? FREE! What a great gift that was for me...remember I'm a foodie! Going to the nursery is always a relaxing venture...being in nature. Awww... And need I say anymore about the food!

Monday's Expenses: $.40 for cucumber seeds
Tuesday's Expenses: $6.50 for 4 veggie plants(50% off)
Lunch was FREE!

~Having Fun~Butterflyrose

[imalefty]

Hi Butterflyrose! I am so enjoying your notes on your staycation. Isn't it amazing what we find/see when we slow down and really look? I don't think we realize how hurried we are on a daily basis. How lucky to find okra plants. I like okra as well. Hope each day brings you more joys! imalefty ��