Vacations, Staycations, Daycations

Vacations - 35Vacations - 21Vacations - 36It's hard to believe that the end of summer is quickly coming our way, but one of the biggest trends right now is taking your vacation money and investing it in a vacation home or creating your own oasis at home.

Traveling, especially flying right now are just not the fun end exciting experience it used to be. My daughter and grandbabies just flew in to visit on Delta. Not only did Delta lose their luggage that of course they had to pay a fee to check, but when we got it their new bag had the handle ripped off of it and it was soaked. Delta claimed not their problem after I was on hold for 1 hour and have to drive back up to teh airport. Can you tell how much I love the airlines right now? Customer service is a thing of the past.

Instead of putting your valuable vacation time in the hands of an airline, think about doing a "Staycation" or "Daycation". Think of the improvements that you could have made to your own home that could be enjoyed for years to come instead of only enjoying for a few days. The cost for great items like outdoor heaters, spas, and even pools has dropped, and outdoor kitchens and fireplace components are available to consumers now as well as designers and builders.

Daycations are when you pack up the kids (or leave them at grandmas) and head to a local resort or destination for an overnight stay. The Gaylord Texan has had a calender full of fun events for families with their Summerfest program - fireworks, movies out by the pool, Jr. Chef Camp and room rates that make it a destination you can't afford not to take advantage of. My nephew and grandaughter are going to be taking part in the Jr Chef Camp on Saturday with Chef Joanne Bondy -check back for all of the details on the great time they'll be having. As a Lifestylist® it's really exciting to see how companies are starting to take into consideration more of what our lifestyles and needs are. Maybe some day the airlines will figure this out as well.