Holidays at Home - The Two Week Marker.

Welcome back to the Holiday at Home series! If you are using this blog series to help you plan your vacation, then I hope that by now you are really looking forward to some rest and recuperation based in the comfort of your own home.  

This is a good time to say that from the very beginning that this series has been created for adults on their own, or with partners. I feel children's holidays have a lot of air time and I hope in this series to give the adults some TLC!

I hope that after the last blog post you have been able to make all the bookings that you need to with your holistic therapists, personal trainers and hairdressers and have been able to craft out a plan to make you feel special and relaxed, as well as restored and energized. 

As promised, this blog we are going to look at the two week marker.

With two weeks to go before our Holiday at Home I would advise that you sit down with a glass of something nice and take an evening to surf the web. Personally I find web-surfing time consuming, so I will dedicate an evening to it if I am planning something big, (there is no point kidding myself that it will only take a second!). With two weeks to go there is a lot to think about as far as time off. Look at your diary and see what kind of time you are about to enjoy and plan your days around the theme. Here are a few ideas to get your mind and body well looked after during your vacation. 

Exhibitions
Many museums will run special exhibitions that you may be interested in seeing. If you have found yourself on the train gazing at posters during your commute, then make a list of the ones that are near you and that you want to see. Then you can look them up two weeks before your vacation and see if they are still open. I often find that if I take the time to pre-book my tickets at the museums in London I can get great deals on the prices. Also, I can plan to go either in the mid-morning lull when it is a bit quieter, or I will plan to go with a friend. I never like seeing more than one thing a day simply as I find it too tiring to take in loads of new information and fresh scenes, and I would advise that if you are planing things like art trips, make sure you stick to one a day! 

Be A Tourist
Find out if there is a walking tour that you can take around your local town or city. With a couple of weeks to go you will be able to join ones that are already planned, or you can get in touch with the people who run them and they can maybe organize one for you based on your interests. These are often a great way to see places that are often missed, meet up with new people, or have a private view at art collections. Most tour groups now offer great walks for people in wheelchairs, so all can enjoy what the cities have to offer. 

Feed Your Soul

Have a surf around and see where your local Farmer's Markets are and when they will be on. They often publish lists of producers that will be attending, entertainment and if there will be street food to enjoy. It's great to meet all the people that produce the food that you are about to enjoy and get a sense of connection with the guys who make your milk, as well as their cows! It's great to have a wonder around and try new flavors and ask the stall holders how best to use their wares. 

Crafty
I love going to small art and craft shows. These are often advertised on the web, but also look out for them in the back of craft magazines and the local newspapers. Also, take time out to spend a day with a local crafts person who is willing to show you new skills! Workshops are a great way to relax, get inspired and try new techniques. If you are into dressmaking, gardening, flower arranging, book binding, knitting, bread making ... just about anything really ... take time for a few laughs and spend a day enjoying yourself. 

Gigs, movies and concerts. 
No Holiday at Home is planned without a trip to the movies for me! I love seeing the trailers on-line and getting excited about the next releases. Get a list of local gigs, concerts and cinema viewing times so you can plan evenings out, or enjoy the newest DVD releases at home. 

Friends and Family
As you surf the net, don't forget to ask yourself if you want to share your time with people or if you need to recharge alone. Email those you want to be with and send them links to what you have found that may interest them and get booking in the diary. It's o.k to recharge your batteries alone! I often mix and match days during my vacation with lunches and shows with friends and family and then a day pottering away in the garden on my own, enjoying the flowers and getting back to an equilibrium. 

Back to the diary! 
Now you have your diary pretty much well planned. Each day will be fresh and new, you may be out enjoying yourself with energetic people in the city or relaxing in the garden or local park recharging the inner batteries. Either way, let your diary or wall planner guide you. Without this planning your Holiday at Home will just end up being a long list of housework duties and you will not be blessing yourself or your home. 

With two weeks to go you should be really excited about all that you have planned! With treatments and classes already penciled in, tickets booked, journeys planned and gardens to enjoy, you will be getting ready for the final blog post; The One Week Marker! 

Next time we will be looking at the one week to go stage: Getting your vacation wardrobe together, putting work away, and the finishing touches to your plans. 

I hope you are enjoying the posts as you plan how to rebalance your body and your soul through your Holiday at Home.