Hello. Would you like a free Xbox? Yes, I thought you might.
I’m partnering with Xbox to do a giveaway around the theme of “staycations.” The idea is that we should stop waiting for some distant day when we have the time and money to “get away,” and start having fun now, right where we are. By playing video games, for example. Up for grabs is two packages for two winners. It’s $500 worth of good stuff:
-An Xbox console
-Three Family Fun Games
-A Gold Subscription to Xbox for a year
For more about the rules, read the italicized bits at the bottom of this post, but the gist is this: Leave a comment about your plan for your perfect day at home, and you’ll be entered to win. Here’s mine:
Snacks and Chick Flicks that Don’t Suck
The best days are days that don’t require pants. This is why I became a writer.
My perfect day at home is all about pajamas, movies, and snacks. As a woman, I prefer movies with women in them, and I particularly enjoy it when those women have speaking roles. (Hollywood, take note! Female audiences are fickle.) If you have a free day, allow me to lay out your gluttonous movie fest:
Breakfast with a plucky Reese Witherspoon. It’s hard to resist a smart movie about high school politics where Ferris Bueller plays the teacher. This movie pairs well with bite-sized waffles.
Bacon and He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. It’s in French, so get to it early while your synapses are still firing. Amelie aside, this is my favorite Audrey Tatou movie. I would prefer you not know anything else about it before you watch it. Please obtain a copy. And some bacon.
Make some hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows and settle in for a play. I’ll watch anything with Julianne Moore; the woman has excellent taste in scripts. (We’re all just going to pretend Safe never happened.) The Vanya on 42nd St. plot synopsis explains it all: “New York actors rehearse Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya” in a rundown theater.” It is arty.
Speaking of arty, have a little olive oil popcorn with your Parker Posey. I love House of Yes for its stilted, whip-smart dialogue. Plus, Tori Spelling in surprising turn as “not bad at playing that guy’s girlfriend.”
Olive oil popcorn and Maggie Gyllenhaal in heat. If you haven’t seen it, I don’t want to ruin it — though the movie poster pretty much says it all. Let’s just say Secretary is about power dynamics.
Sundae bar with fresh whipped cream, spicy hot caramel sauce, and slivered almonds, plus Kicking and Screaming. We’ve talked about this before. Noah Baumbach? Call me.
That’s my ultimate day at home. I’m beginning to wonder why I haven’t made this happen yet. Now your turn! Outline your day in comments, or tell me what would make your movie-day lineup if you were plotting a day like mine.
But wait! This is the contest fine print. Here’s how the giveaway works: You must be 18 or over to enter and live in the U.S. I’ll pick two commenters as potential winners (to be verified by ePrize). Please include your perfect day at home in your comment, and multiple entries will be disqualified. Comments will be open until tomorrow December 9, 2009 at 9 p.m. Eastern. Winners will be chosen randomly using Random.org, and announced on Friday, December 11. Good luck! Read the official rules here
Mighty Girl 
My perfect day at home would be spent catching up and vegging out : )
LikeLike
December staycation in NY? Snowstorm, christmas lights, roaring fire, sleepy kids, all day to bake, read and tackle one of the many awesome projects in my ‘to do’ folder … capped off with an evening of cooking, sipping wine and making plans with my better half.
LikeLike
My perfect staycation starts the night before, when I can go to sleep knowing I don’t want to wake up at 5:30am and that I can stay in bed for a little bit longer. Of course, once awake, I have enough time to do a bit of reading in bed. Then a nice long hot shower before heading out to meet up with a friend or two for lunch. Afterwards a trip to a book or crafts store is in order. The rest of the day would be taken up with more reading and some movie watching. It would be a nice balance between alone time and catching up with a couple of friends that I don’t get to see often.
LikeLike
My ideal day at home by myself would involve Oreo cookies, a cold glass of milk and the very latest episodes of my favorite trash TV reality shows on the DVR. I would sit back and enjoy a marathon of Project Runway, America’s Next Top Model, Top Chef, The Biggest Loser, and Dancing with the Stars.
LikeLike
My Ultimate Staycation would be to have already had my baby (I am 38 weeks along) and to just be baking cookies while my husband plays Xbox and the baby sleeps.
LikeLike
Tasty breakfast prepared by the fiance, extra-long nap by the toddler, quality snuggle time with both my boys, a movie or two, and something tasty delivered to our house for dinner. Other requirements: some silence, some books, some NYT Sunday Crosswords, some uproarious laughter, some wine, some time at the park, and some tea.
LikeLike
Definitely sleeping in, followed by some back issues of The New Yorker, coffee, and hot-out-of-the-oven, not-made-by-me muffins. A little sewing, a little blog reading, a little nap. Out for dinner and home for wine and chatting, the perfect music playing in the background.
LikeLike
My staycation would involve a diner breakfast, watching Buffy DVD’s, reading a good book, getting cozy and not worrying about the time. And yes, I would send the hubster to work and the kids to school. MY staycation!
LikeLike
My perfect staycation would include sleeping in (until past 7am), only smiles and cooperation from my two-year-old son, homemade cappucino and banana pancakes, window shopping online, doing something crafty, and reading a WHOLE book.
LikeLike
My perfect staycation involves large bowls of peppermint ice cream with chocolate sauce and really good laugh-out-loud movies. And tacos – maybe ice cream first and then tacos! I am so crazy.
LikeLike
Oooh! For this time of year, my staycation would include all of the following: a breakfast of leftover pecan pie washed down with half a bottle of red wine (left over from the previous night’s dinner party); a steaming bath, during which I may fall back asleep (see above re: wine); freshly-shaven legs, lotion, clean pajamas, and hours upon hours of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the series). Apply fresh wine liberally throughout the day.
LikeLike
Perfect staycations happen around our house fairly often during the holidays– every Friday night from Thanksgiving until Christmas finds me in the car with the two kids (all clothed in pjs– no coats or shoes allowed)touring neighborhood holiday light displays. We call it Pajama Friday and it’s not just our staycation- it’s our special holiday tradition (tradeee-shuuuuuuun, tradishun!).
LikeLike
My ultimate staycation would be hanging out at home with the family watching good movies with all the housework done and the laundry put away. I am pretty sure if the laundry was put away in the correct places, there would be a choir of angels singing somewhere….
LikeLike
The perfect day would start with sleeping in with my husband and the dog, followed with tea/coffe, coffeecake and reading the paper. then onto a marathon session with video games and movies, while eating sandwiches from an awesome cheese shop near by. followed with more movies and a good bottle of wine and a home cooked dinner. now if only my husband and i would have the same days off from work together!
LikeLike
I would stay in the kitchen all day, cooking and eating whatever I wanted. Someone else would have cleaned the rest of my house so I could enjoy kicking my feet up and playing card games with my husband over bottles of wine. I’m pregnant, so the wine will have to wait, but the rest may be doable.
LikeLike
I’m such a geek. Dream staycation involves soup of the stew variety, beers, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Or all the episodes of Firefly with a screening of Serenity afterwards. And my duvet cover and yoga pants and muppet socks.
I would like to go home now.
LikeLike
I need little else than a bottomless plate of Bacon-Cheddar fries and someone to rub my feet.
LikeLike
Perfect day is a day full of a good tv show on dvd. We can hole up for 6 discs of lost or battlestar galactica…. this is generally complemented with loads of unhealthy food, and cuddle time with the pup
LikeLike
Best staycation ever: king-sized bed with great bedding, me and boyfriend in our underwear playing video games and watching Dr. Who. Yep, that’s it.
LikeLike
sleeping in as along as i want to on a summer day. jogging with the dog. watching movies on the couch while eating ice cream.
LikeLike
Pie for breakfast, bourbon for happy hour on the porch. The end.
LikeLike
For staycation I would have a day with yoga, kayaking and then a movie with a good friend here in my city.
LikeLike
Getting ready for a great cocktail party in the evening. Looking forward to spending time with great friends. Spending the day making new recipes and testing new cocktails.
LikeLike
This is not creative in any way, but it’s the first thing that came to mind and thus probably the most honest. I’d like to stay home and watch the extended editions of all three Lord of the Rings films, order pizza and breadsticks and drink good wine. I am a nerd.
LikeLike
Hot tea, toast, and the Washington Post. Yoga. A few hours with a good book. Lunch at the bagel shop around the corner. A viewing of The New World. At least one nap (open windows, warm breeze). Something good on the grill and in the glasses. A circle of family and friends in the backyard, telling stories and tossing a frisbee to a well-behaved dog. S’mores. And a deep, deep sleep (line-dried sheets, rain on the roof).
LikeLike
my perfect day at home would involve 3 things:
1. a couch
2. an xbox
3. bonbons
LikeLike
A perfect staycation would involve pie for breakfast – preferably strawberry rhubarb. Then I’d move the TV into my bedroom for a marathon of either martial arts movies (House of Flying Daggers, Hero, and Curse of the Golden Flower are a few favs) or True Blood. More pie would be consumed, and then somebody would come over and do my laundry.
LikeLike
Empty house, ipod full of This American Life, and no unwashed laundry.
That is all.
LikeLike
my perfect day at home would consist of pajamas, delicious carb laden comfort foods (mashed potatoes and brownies anyone? not together though, unless that’s your thing) and watching all available seasons of 30 rock or it’s always sunny in philadelphia. since the semester is over in a little over one week, this will soon become a reality. and there’s nothing like morphing into a useless lump while laughing your head off after reading obscure masturbatory theories with no real world application. the next day, you’ll want to engage in anything active, just to make sure you’re still alive! win win.
LikeLike
Clean house, good book, roaring fire, chai tea and a free day to enjoy them all!
LikeLike
A perfect day requires no less than a roaring fire, Mexican hot chocolate (you don’t know love if you don’t know this), and – since we’re focusing on films – the following: Zoolander (“what is this, a school for ants?!”); Pretty Woman (the REAL hooker with a heart of gold); the Brothers Bloom (have you seen this? it’s made of amazing); and something scary to round out a wintry evening… maybe The Orphanage (it’s Spanish, also awesome).
LikeLike
A cold and very raindy day where we (husband, two kids and I) watch movies all day with hot chocolate and popcorn. Kids go to sleep early and we switch to wine while watching more movies or the Travel channel.
LikeLike
My perfect day involves boyfriend + pj’s and a yummy breakfast! Followed by movies and some video game playing. Xbox game playing would be super sweeet!!
LikeLike
My perfect day at home would start with the alarm clock turned off and sleeping in until at least 8am (never thought that would be sleeping in, but with kids, it is). I’d lounge around, watch Today show, drink coffee. After a shower, I’d read and maybe write a bit. Throw in an afternoon workout, and then takeout chinese and a movie before bed. Perfect.
LikeLike
Perfect staycation… there’s just too many options! With the weather being a balmy 23 degrees out here, I would have to say inside with a never ending supply of peppermint mochas, a huge roaring fire, brie cheese, fruit, a lengthy novel and my fiance to sit with and stare at the snow beginning to fall knowing that we’re warm and toasty inside!
LikeLike
Bottomless bowls of movie theater butter microwave popcorn and a Weeds (the show) marathon.
LikeLike
Homemade pizza, bottle of red wine and a cribbage tournament. Winner gets to pick which season of West Wing finishes the evening.
LikeLike
It needs to be a rainy, cool day. All of my roommates need to be at work. Then, after sleeping int, oatmeal with chocolate chips in bed, then a face mask while catching up on 30 Rock, a long shower. PJs on the couch with a tub of hummus, with episode of “How I Met Your Mother.” Then, before everyone gets home from work, Breathless while eating tomato soup and toast.
Perfection.
LikeLike
Perfect day at home would be hot chocolate with a splash of brandy and a good book with a luxurious nap on the couch in the middle the afternoon with the orangey flecks of sunshine on my closed eyes!
LikeLike
Sleep in a little. Watch a movie while eating breakfast. Fart around on the computer or play videos games. Get a giant burger and fries to go, and watch another movie. Maybe go for a walk after lunch. Take out sushi and another movie for dinner.
LikeLike
My ideal perfect day of my dreams?
I would send my husband and kids off to the zoo first thing in the morning, so I knew they were having a good day – I would not be able to enjoy myself if I were worrying about them.
I would take a bath as long as I wanted, with a book, candles, a fizzy drink.
I’d curl up on the sofa in front of a guilty pleasure movie, like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes with a crochet project.
I’d stop for lunch – make myself a gruyere and cheddar grilled cheese on sourdough with tomato/basil soup.
I’d head out to the park down the street with a sketchpad and pencils and draw for a while. Then I’d head home and spend the afternoon playing wii – mostly boxing, and maybe mario kart.
Hopefully then my kids and husband would be home and we would order out Thai.
That would be an awesome day.
LikeLike
Hmm … sleeping late, a shower with hot water that lasts for the whole time, my favorite fleece pants and slippers, a nice croissant and chai for breakfast, being able to catch up on everything I have on my Tivo, a nap, and having a lovely homecooked dinner – that I didn’t cook.
Oh, and no guilt over the whole thing.
That last part is important!
LikeLike