How to Bring the Vacation Home

(ARA) - Now that the holidays are over, you may find yourself thinking: "I need a vacation!" But if time off just doesn't fit into your winter schedule or budget, consider ways to create a vacation in your own home.

* Rent a travel film or your favorite flick shot in a drop-dead gorgeous location abroad. With a little online research and some prior planning, you can prepare some ethnically authentic foods to enjoy while you take your armchair journey to an exotic locale.

* Relive your favorite vacation. Pull out all those photos or home videos you haven't looked at since forever. Bring the whole family together to revisit the memories. Ask each person to share his or her favorite experience from the trip.

* Indulge in some vacation planning. Maybe you don't have the time or money to go anywhere right now, but with some preparation you almost certainly can fit a trip into your schedule and budget some time in 2007. Set a savings goal for yourself and put aside money every week towards your vacation. Cruise the Internet for ideas of locations that will fit into your budget.

* Create a "Vacation at Home" week for the entire family. Gather together to pick a "destination." Then, put each member of the family in charge of recreating a different aspect or attraction of that destination. For example, if your family chooses Mexico, Mom might be in charge of preparing a different Mexican dish for dinner every night. Dad's task could be decorating the house to resemble a Mexican villa or open-air market. Little Tommy could be responsible for researching and downloading authentic Mexican music. And Susie might organize a family fun day featuring games played in Mexico.

* Go grand and create a vacation room in your house by adding a scenic wall mural. Easy-to-hang wallpaper murals offer virtual windows to a wide range of exotic locales around the world -- from the quintessential tropical beach scene to the courtyard of a Tuscan country home. Home improvement giant Lowes carries a range of wallpaper murals from Environmental Graphics. To learn more or find a Lowes near you, visit www.Lowes.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content