Is there someone in your life who’s in desperate need of a vacation? If you’re not in the position to gift that special person a plane ticket to a remote island — not yet, anyway! ;) –, you can still pack them a goodie bag with awesome, summery gifts that will make them smile. Are you that special, vacation-deprived someone? Surprise yourself with something nice. #treatyoself
12+1 ideas on what to include in a staycationer’s goodie bag
- one (or two!) sheets of gold, metallic temporary tattoos — everyone’s crazy about them, and I say go with the flow, they’re fun and perfect for summer. Even if you are well over your teenage years and cannot get a proper tan — like me! :) They’re everywhere, but if you’re in for a bargain, you can get them from eBay.
- something that smells really nice, like this coconut shower cream from The Body Shop. This smell screams summer for me, probably from all the coconut-scented sunblock my mother lathered me with as a kid. :)
- something to read! I really love Coastliners from Joanne Harris (and I’m not calling it a ‘beach read’, since she so rightfully pointed out how degrading this term is to female writers). You could also buy some nice glossies or a puzzle/crosswords magazine. Yay for sudoku in the sun!
- a few packets or a whole box of good quality tea! Serve piping hot or chilled with sprigs of mint and some honey — yum. English Tea Shop makes amazing blends and I just love the packaging. My favourites for warm weather are Super Berries and Green Tea Tropical.
- bath salts! Even if the sea is far, far away, one can enjoy the salty water with the help of these. Again, pretty packaging helps and decorates your bathroom. :) The one on the picture is from Bomb Cosmetics.
- a blank journal — for thoughts, gratitude list, daily diary, drawings… If your friend likes stationery, this is a great gift. And suprise, this one is from IKEA!
- a scented candle — I’m a candle-girl all year around. From March until October, it’s the go to ‘ooh, we’re outside, candle-lit dinners, summer, yay!’ accessory, and from November until February it’s the ultimate Christmas cuddling staple. I never need an excuse to light one! :) Though I do switch the scents up. Orange-cinnamon for Winter, and flowery-seaside scents for Summer. Yankee Candle products have pretty containers as well.
- decorative seashells — just to put them on shelves or glue them on boxes. You can buy them in craft stores if there’s no seashore to collect them from. :)
- cute cupcake liners — I use these around the house for small stuff, like cotton balls or paperclips. Buy them here. :)
- a fun pair of sunglasses! — just check if they’re UV safe and you’re good to go. These cuties are from ASOS.
- a home-made book of coupons with rewards like ‘have an ice cream with me’ or ‘let’s watch the sunset together’. If you have special events planned, include the invitation for a movie night or to go and see a play together.
- a mixtape — if you’re not fan of CDs anymore (my first mixtape was an actual cassette, still have it!), you could do a YouTube playlist with really cheesy summer anthems. Ours was Lady from Mojo. :D
+1. If you’re going to give the care package in person, you can also include perishables: a bottle of elderflower cordial for a special lemonade, chocolate, biscuits, etc. :)
Get the most out of your summer, wherever you’re staying
Make sure summer doesn’t pass you by and leave you burned out by September with my simple summer planning strategy, the Summer Top 10 List. The list is perfect for balancing work and rest and also a great tool to keep your staycation plans in front of you so you actually make them a reality this year.
Click here to get your printable Summer Top 10 List
Now it’s your turn!
What else would you put in a summer gift box? Let me know in the comments!
