it happens every year. you wake up one day and realize it’s already the end of August, summer’s almost over and you and bae never took that romantic vacation you swore you were going to take. *face palm* if you ask me, a good baecation is a necessity. it allows you to have some one on one time without any distractions to really keep the spark in your relationship going. with the cost of travel steadily increasing, sometimes you have to get a bit crafty – in comes the stay-baecation! you can get the same (ok maybe not exactly the same) effect as a weekend trip by getting a nice hotel room in your own town, or the closest city, and bringing a goodie bag full of things to really make your night special. and it’ll cost a lot less than you think. i was able to give my guy a memorable birthday staycation in NYC for less than it would cost for a night out getting dinner and drinks. keep reading to find out how!

The Room

the key to any successful baecation starts with making sure you find a fab hotel. nothing ruins the mood more than yellow sheets and stained carpets – yuck! hotels in New York are super expensive, especially downtown. but if you go to the right place, even the most expensive hotels can be reasonable. i booked a room at the Frederick Hotel, a 4 star hotel in Tribeca. the usual price for a room here per weekend night is anywhere from $250-$400+ but i was able to get it for only $107! i found it on Hotwire.com. most people are super sleep on Hotwire. here’s how it works. you pick how many stars you want the hotel to have and the location. Hotwire then gives you 4 options for hotels.  based on whatever algorithm they use, one of hotels is randomly selected. the gag is, you won’t know which hotel you’re given until after you book. this might sound scary to some people, but you are given the names of the 4 hotels so you can do some research to see if you can live with any option. it’s worth the gamble for such low prices and the hotels all have the same rating.

PRO TIP: lots of hotels have deals towards the end of the summer so the last couple weeks in August are a great time to book a last minute room.

The Romance

rekindling the passion is usually an important part of a baecation, and that doesn’t change when you stay local. nothing says romance more than red roses, candles and lingerie. if you’ve been in a relationship for awhile then you probably have the lingerie covered. and if you’re like me, you probably have some candles too, but you can pick up a couple cheap ones for the occasion to set the mood. i would hit the Dollar Store since quality doesn’t really matter – as long as they stay lit you’re good! so that leaves the flowers. you can decorate an entire hotel room, including the bathroom with only half a dozen roses. i stopped by my local flower shop and got six beautiful roses for $12. the key is to take off most of the petals, but to leave some on 2-3 roses so that you’re left with small buds rather than full blooming flowers. you can decorate the bed with the rose petals and then use the leftover flowers on the side table, or on the counter in the bathroom for an added touch of romance. you can even sprinkle a couple random petals around if you feel you have enough (keep scrolling to get some decor inspo).

another way to get the romance going is with a sensual massage. to bring the massage to the next level you can add some essential oils to a carrier oil such as coconut or almond oil. if the room has a bathtub, you could also add a couple drops to a hot bath. i also added a couple drops into the melted candle wax (a good way to enhance your Dollar Store candles). these essential oils are great to get the love vibes going:

• Jasmine Oil: this is the one I brought with me (cost me $10). jasmine oil is considered an aphrodisiac. it causes feelings of happiness that will bring a lightness to the mood and is calming and uplifting. it dispels emotional blocks and can help your man stay up. *wink*
• Rose Oil: this ones pretty obvious. the aroma is very sensual and romantic. rose oil can stir the heart and bring out emotions of love. it can also improve circulation to keep the blood flowing.
• Peppermint Oil: peppermint oil has a cool, fresh scent that’s great for settling both the mind and body. it can also add a tingling effect that might be fun to try out in the bedroom (definintely make sure you use a carrier oil!).

there are plenty of others but these 3 are typically easy to find. you can get them from GNC. a little goes a long way so you can use them over and over again!

The Relaxation

vacation is all about pampering yourself so you can recharge and refresh and this should be no different. in order to make our little hotel stay feel luxurious, i brought some “spa treatments.” one of the things I brought were face masks from Harmons. you can get them for less than $2. these moisturizing masks leave your skin feeling soft and fresh. since most men don’t typically use face masks, he’ll particularly appreciate being pampered for a night, and it’ll be fun for you to share that experience.

alcohol is the perfect thing to help you forget about your stressful life back in the real world and really get into a vacation state of mind. the good thing about a staycation is that you don’t have to worry about keeping your liquids under 3oz. which means you can bring your own booze! hotel bars are usually pricey so it’s always best to get drunk in the room instead. plus you can bring your favorite bottle. champs for me of course!

since you don’t have to worry about catching a flight, you can really be creative about what you bring along. if there’s anything you like to do together when you have a chance, or any games you like to play, you should bring those along. it’s all about making you feel like you could be anywhere in the world.

what would you bring to your ultimate stay-baecation? comment below!

xO kirsten 🌸