Why a staycation is the perfect romantic getaway

When couples think of romantic destinations where they can spend much-needed time together, places like Paris, Santorini, and Bali usually come to mind. Beautiful city skylines and beautiful island getaways make excellent backdrops for a romantic getaway since they create the perfect ambiance that helps couples focus on their relationship without a care in the world. 

Unfortunately, planning for a romantic getaway usually takes a lot of time to prepare and costs a lot of money. And, for a lot of couples, they simply don’t have the time or budget to make their dream couple’s vacation a reality. Luckily, couples can still create their perfect romantic getaway without having to travel far or break the bank by choosing to go on a staycation at home or in a nearby hotel. 

Staycation, which combines the words “stay” and “vacation”, has become increasingly popular not only for singles but for a lot of couples as well. For one thing, staycations give couples the freedom to spend their vacation days however they want without having to worry about following a schedule. It also gives them an incredible opportunity to strengthen and deepen their relationship. 

But how exactly can a staycation achieve this? First, let’s delve into the advantages of a romantic staycation and how it can transform your romantic life.

The Advantages

A romantic staycation carries many benefits, some of which may surprise you. Here are some of the advantages of having a romantic staycation at home or a hotel that’s close by:

Comfort and Convenience

Staycations allow you to bypass the stress and fatigue that often comes with traveling. If you’re living in Manila, for example, it’s easier to have a staycation in Pasay or at home because you don’t have to spend long hours in transit or to adjust to a new environment. Instead, you can enjoy the comfort and familiarity of your hometown, making it easier to relax and focus on each other.

Flexibility

Unlike a traditional vacation, where itineraries can be rigid and crowded with various activities, a staycation gives you the freedom to set your own pace. Want to have breakfast in bed at noon or watch movies until the early hours? With a staycation, you can.

Affordability

A staycation can be a more budget-friendly romantic getaway. It eliminates expenses like airfare, expensive meals, and tourist traps, freeing up your budget for other special treats like a fancy take-out dinner or even splurging on a high-end local hotel for a night.

Quality Time

Perhaps the most significant advantage of a staycation is the opportunity to spend quality, uninterrupted time together. Without the distractions and demands often associated with travel, you and your significant other can connect on a deeper level and strengthen your relationship even further.

A Bit of Planning Goes a Long Way

A romantic staycation may be a dream come true, but a bit of planning can take it to the next level. Here are some ideas you can try to turn up the romance level of your staycation to a hundred:

Setting the Mood

Create a romantic atmosphere to make your staycation feel special. This could be as simple as cleaning and decluttering your space, lighting scented candles, or setting up fairy lights for a cozy ambiance. Don’t forget to prepare a playlist of your favorite songs to set the mood.

Food and Drinks

One of the highlights of any vacation is trying new and exciting food. For your staycation, consider ordering from a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try or cooking a special meal together. Pair it with your favorite wine or try making homemade cocktails.

Disconnecting from Routine

To make your staycation truly feel like a romantic getaway, it’s important to disconnect from your regular routine. This means setting an out-of-office email, turning off message notifications, and putting off household chores. Make this time purely about enjoying each other’s company.

The Variety of Romantic Staycation Activities

To make the most of your romantic staycation, it’s a great idea to plan some activities that can enhance your experience and promote bonding. Whether you decide to stay at home or book a hotel room, there are plenty of enjoyable things you can do together. Here are some activities that you might consider to make your romantic staycation more memorable:

Cooking or Baking Together

If you’re at home, try cooking or baking a new recipe together. This not only allows you to enjoy a delicious meal or treat but it also gives you the chance to create shared memories.

Movie Marathon

Choose a series of movies or binge-watch a new series together. To make the experience even more romantic, you can create a cozy atmosphere with dimmed lights, comfortable pillows, and your favorite snacks. This can be done both at home or in a hotel, making it a versatile option.

Game Night

Whether you’re at home or in a hotel, setting up a game night can be a lot of fun. Bring out classic board games, card games, or even video games you both enjoy, and your time spent together will be filled with laughter and playful banter.

DIY Spa Day

You can transform your bathroom into the ultimate spa by simply placing scented candles on the bathroom counter and using aromatherapy sprays. You can even make bath time more romantic by adding some bath salts or throwing in a bath bomb in the tub. When the ambiance is set, you can enjoy a relaxing bath together, give each other massages, or try out new skincare products. This can be a special treat, particularly if you’re in a hotel with a beautiful bathtub.

In a world where we are constantly on the go, a staycation offers a refreshing change of pace. It’s a chance to slow down, appreciate the simple things, and focus on the one you love. With the right planning and mindset, a staycation can provide you with all the joy, relaxation, and romantic connections of a traditional vacation without the hassle.

Surprise Mom this May with 4 easy staycation treats – Shop groceries online

Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and there’s no better way to celebrate it than with a staycation at home. With MetroMart, you can easily order your groceries and create an unforgettable day for your mom. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Home Spa: Give Mom a Day of Rest and Relaxation

Make your mom feel pampered with a simple but effective home spa day. You can easily source the tools and ingredients you need from your groceries to put together a weekend self-care routine. For instance, you can use fresh cucumber slices to cool her eyes, create a lip scrub using Robinsons Brown Sugar with Carica Virgin Coconut Oil and Capilano Pure Honey from Robinsons Supermarket, and mix Dr. Teal’s Pure Epsom Salts from S&R and fragrant natural oils from Scentful Living for a foot soak. Set the ambiance with scented candles from Yankee Candle, relaxing music, and a cup of soothing tea like Isparta Rose and Pomegranate Flower teas from 8th Wave Wellness Bar.

Chef’s Specials: Let Mom Sleep In and Prepare Her Favorite Food

Moms are usually the first ones to get up and start the day. On Mother’s Day, why not let them sleep in and prepare their favorite meal or dessert for them instead? You can even show off your cooking or baking skills with a recipe they shared with you. For easier prep, you can try meal kits like Hello Fresh’s Eat Fresh Laksa Noodle Kit or Fearless Apron’s Toblerone Chocolate Fondue Kit.

Movie Marathon: Enjoy Some Quality Time with Mom

Sometimes all moms want is to relax and watch their favorite movies or TV shows. Spend some quality time together by watching a movie marathon or reading together. Don’t forget to snack on some new flavors of chips and snacks like Injeolmi Almonds at ASSI Mart, Popcorners popcorn chips in Sea Salt or White Cheddar flavors at AllDay Convenience Stores, or Aroma Black Summer Truffle & Parmesan Chips at Delidrop.

Blooms for Your Beloved: Brighten Your Mom’s Day with Beautiful Flowers

Sending a bouquet of flowers to express your love will always be a classic, and the different kinds and colors of flowers carry different meanings. You can order pre-made or custom bouquets from Designer Blooms, Nicole & Abby Flowers and Gifts, Holland Tulips, and RRGomez Flower Shop. Choose from pink carnations and roses to show love and gratitude, red carnations to show admiration, and daffodils to symbolize rebirth, new beginnings, and motherhood. Add in your mom’s favorite flowers too, of course.

Promo Codes: Get Discounts on Your MetroMart Order

As a new MetroMart user, you can use the promo code MOMSDAY to receive a ₱200 discount on your first order. The FUNMOM promo code also offers a ₱100 discount, and it’s valid for up to four redemptions.

For more updates on MetroMart, like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok at @metromartph. Order groceries online or download the app via https://bit.ly/DownloadNowMM

Celebrate 20 years of Harry Potter movie magic with Cartoon Network and HBO GO

It’s the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and fans can relive the movies on Cartoon Network and stream a four-part Wizarding World event on HBO GO

Break out your wands and ready your best spells, charms and potions as Cartoon Network and HBO GO mark the 20th anniversary of the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

For the very first time, the first four of the Harry Potter 8-movie series will air on Cartoon Network (Skycable Ch 43 SD/178 HD & Cignal Ch 74 SD/220 HD) every other weekend, starting with the one that started it all on Saturday, November 13 at 8pm. Mark these dates to follow the amazing tale of The Boy Who Lived and his battles against Voldemort:

  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, November 13
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, November 27
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, December 11
  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, December 25

All movies are also available to stream on HBO GO. The final four titles will debut on Cartoon Network in early 2022.

And if that’s not enough magic for you, check out the brand-new Wizarding World competition event, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament of Houses, which streams on Monday, November 29, exclusively on HBO GO.

The show, hosted by Academy Award®-winning actress Helen Mirren, continues the Wizarding World spirit showcasing ultimate fan glory on a never-before-seen scale. Featuring hundreds of trivia questions and special guest surprises, this unforgettable event of a lifetime will unveil which fans know the vast, intricately detailed universe like the back of their hand as they compete to take home the Tournament of Houses championship trophy.

Here’s what else fans can look forward to before the end of the year and remember to follow and share all the excitement on social media with #20YearsofMovieMagic.

Discover More Magic Online

Fans are also invited to visit HarryPotterMovie20.com, and unpack exclusive content from the most iconic moments of the movie that started this global theatrical phenomenon.

Reminisce on the most iconic moments from the first film, test your knowledge with a host of quizzes, catch a glimpse of the work behind the scenes and learn more about everyone’s favourite boy wizard and his friends, fantastic beasts, magical items and so much more. Packed with fascinating facts and features, the site will make you fall in love with the Wizarding World all over again!

Fans will also be able to see if they’ve got the skills to be a seeker by trying out the new “Catch the Snitch” Wizarding World Instagram filter.

Top Up Your Hogwarts Trunk

Also, don’t miss the chance to grab some can’t miss collectibles, together with toys, accessories and DIY kits to transform your home and bring the Wizarding World to life, in your own special way.

Filipinos can get ready for spellbinding adventures with Spin Master’s Wizarding World collection of wands, playsets and dolls. Playout all your Hogwarts dreams by collecting and connecting the Magical Minis Hogwarts Castle, Magical Mini dolls and playsets. Get sorted into your own Hogwarts house, with 15 phrases, and full facial movements from the talking Sorting Hat toy. Available online at Shopee and Lazada or retail stores Toy Kingdom and Toys “R” Us.

If you are looking for activities to spend with your loved ones, Mattel has launched its special edition Harry Potter Scrabble that includes the unique vocabulary from the Wizarding World as well as 36 Hogwarts cards that bring an even more magical spin to the game. These special edition sets won’t be available for long, so grab yours online at Shopee and Lazada or retail stores Toy Kingdom and Toys “R” Us.

About Wizarding World

In the years since Harry Potter was whisked from King’s Cross Station onto Platform nine and three quarters, his incredible adventures have left a unique and lasting mark on popular culture. Eight blockbuster Harry Potter films based on the original stories by J.K. Rowling have brought the magical stories to life and today, the Wizarding World is recognised as one of the world’s best-loved brands.

Representing a vast interconnected universe, it also includes two epic Fantastic Beasts films, (the third releasing in 2022), Harry Potter and The Cursed Child–the multi-award-winning stage-play, state-of-the-art video and mobile games from Portkey Games, innovative consumer products, thrilling live entertainment (including four theme park lands) and insightful exhibitions.

This expanding portfolio of Warner Bros. owned Wizarding World experiences also includes Harry Potter New York –a brand new flagship store, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London –The Making of Harry Potter, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo, and the Platform 9 3⁄4 retail shops.

The Wizarding World continues to evolve to provide Harry Potter fans with fresh and exciting ways to engage. For the worldwide fan community, and for generations to come, it welcomes everyone in to explore and discover the magic for themselves.

HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming to SKYcable subscribers on HBO GO for as low as Php99/month.

SKYcable subscribers can activate HBO GO via Lazada

Not yet on SKYcable? Subscribe now. Get your priority pass.

Details, video and images provided by HBO in a recent press release.