New mortgage. Expensive renovation. Replaced flooring. Landscaping. Gas prices. Airport security. Cancelled flights. Luggage fees. Screaming kids on the plane... Yikes! Kinda makes you want to just stay home, doesn't it?! But what if you really need to get away from it all? Take a STAYcation! Think about it. You have this gorgeous house you have toiled to make your own, in a neighborhood you love, with a garden rich in color or the balcony you love to grill on... why not create paradise at home. That's what couples and singles are doing statewide, making the best out of the best. Here are some ways to plan the perfect STAYcation.

1. Unplug the phone, avoid e-mail, and ignore the mail for the week. Explore all the places in your city you haven't gotten around to. Whether it's an exhibition at the museum, a new tapas bar downtown, or a hiking trail you keep meaning to jog, there are DAYcation activities all around you waiting for you to jump in.

2. Plan a STAYcation with friends, alternating homes for a sleepover weekend. Perhaps you can chill some champagne, marinate some ahi tuna or a nice filet mignon, and assemble a decadent cheese platter. Allow your friends to be treated like royalty on their STAYcation by placing a nice bubble bath in the guest bathroom and a chocolate mint on their pillow. Adorn the shelves with light reading and board games, and the fridge with tropical fruits and sorbets for a midnight snack. Use the china, crystal, and silver. Casablanca lilies in the guest bedroom will perfume it for the duration of their stay. Be creative. Soon it will be your turn to be lavished in their home.

3. House-sit for a vacationing friend. Do yoga, swim, and read in their garden. Engage in a craft project you have been thinking about, as if it were a summer camp activity. Discover their neighborhood and utilize all the amenities surrounding you. Cook on their Wolf range after visiting a neighborhood farmers' market. You will feel the change of scenery and discover new and refreshing things, even if only a couple miles from home.

4. Pitch a tent and camp out in your own back yard. Invite friends. Grill camp food. Make s'mores. Tell ghost stories. Look at the stars. Smell the grass. Feel refreshed. Wake up with the sun and drink instant coffee. It will be the worst-tasting getaway feeling you've ever loved!

5. If you drive every day, try a new mode. Take a train, bus, or shuttle somewhere you have wanted to visit and make an adventure of it. Look at people's faces and imagine their history. Experience public transportation in all its glory, because a different view of your hometown hang can be had just by getting there via unique means. Bring a camera. Pretend you are a tourist just discovering the city where you live. See new things you would never notice from behind the wheel. Make a photo album of your special DAYcation. A few days like this and you will feel as if you really have "gotten away from it all."

There are so many reasons why you might be inclined to skip your vacation this year, but don't! There are twice as many hidden little gems right in your own back yard!