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 staycation includes baking some tasty desserts, hot chocolate, an indoor picnic and playing computer and/or video games with my boyfriend.
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Chips, dip and Food Network!
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Hmmm, it would be sleeping in, enjoying a couple of cups of coffee while watching tv (and maybe a mimosa if we’re being honest). A short run whenever I’m ready to get off the couch. Then perhaps some baking of some sort, movies, web surfing… This is sounding like a good idea.
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My perfect day in – coffee, long walk with the dog & boyfriend, some excellent TV on DVD – we recently wrapped up Deadwood and before that The Wire. Something like that for a mini-marathon. Delicious pizza delivery & a bottle of sparkling wine for dinner!
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My perfect staycation would start with my one year old sleeping in until the double digits (HA!) Then bloody mary’s and brunch with her and the hubby, then finishing all the knitting and sewing projects I start, but have never finished. OR…going to the movie theater and watching back to back to back movies, with a large cherry coke and nachos with the fake cheese. OR…picking out a deliciously complex meal and spending all day slowly piecing it together. OR…OK, I have to stop now. This is killing me!
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Staycation in my hometown, NYC:
Sleep in
breakfast at Madeline Patisserie (macarons and ham/swiss croissant!)
book shopping/browsing at the strand bookstore
stop into fish’s eddy for non-cheesy nyc-themed xmas gifts
read in the park
head to epistrophe wine bar for wine/light dinner
see the tim burton exhibit at MoMa
cupcakes from crumbs
voila! my perfect staycation!
love, sam
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Baby gone to grandparents, or neighbors, or friends. Doesn’t matter. The whole day. Husband must go the whole day without mentioning or trying to get “lovin'”, but if I mention it, be ready to go. Everything bagels with cream cheese for breakfast, shopping and getting projects done around the house with Glee soundtrack playing in the background until lunch. Publix subs and dirty potato chips for lunch. Nap. Playing video games until dinner. Sushi, sushi and more sushi. Snuggling and watching movies until bedtime. The end. 🙂
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My perfect day at home would consist of pjs, my husband, my dog, my couch, good food and all three Lord of the Rings in hi def.
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A week off work, snuggling in bed with my husband and kitties, and constant pajamas sounds great to me! Or, if it is summer, several days just laying by the pool, with absolutely no to-do list.
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I think a breakfast of strong coffee, thick bacon and fresh waffles would be a good start. With straberry compote. Grand Marnier strawberry compote. And a movie with a great soundtrack like Wings of Desire–the original or the American version–would be an apt accompaniment.
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My perfect staycation would involve cocktails, movies, my hubbie and a couch.
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A good book. Snuggling with hubby. Ponytail. My little red-head singing in the background . . . ahhh.
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My perfect staycation:
Sleeping in until 11am with a latte upon wake up.
A house cleaner taking care of my messy house.
A masseuse on call.
A hot-tub soak.
2 bottles of wine.
A good book.
Several girly movies.
Unlimited cell phone minutes… no wait…
Visits from far-away friends, even better!
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A perfect day: cold and snowy outside, warm and toasty inside, bread baking in the oven, a big pot of vegetable soup simmering on the burner, hubby safe and sound at home with me, and Maddie (our dog)curled up beside me on the couch, knitting in my hands, and great movie on the screen…oh, and a glass of wine on the table beside me….perfect….
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a trip to the playground with my kiddoes. A book, some knitting and the time to knit, and a few good movies in the DVD player! And a cup of tea.
Whoa, I am a nerd.
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Sleep in, stay in pajamas for the duration of the day. Have brunch: bacon, eggs and cheese – in any combination…and mimosas. Play with nieces for two hours exactly, return them to sister. Watch a Weeds marathon (I’m up to Season 4, I think). Take a walk around the block to taste the weather for a bit then scoot back into my apartment. Eat some type of steak-based dinner with wine and pecan pie for dessert. Luxuriate in a hot bath surrounded by lit candles and a little Regina Spektor.
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My staycation would consist of everything that is bad for you and rots your teeth/brain.
A bad reality TV marathon, Skittles and Starburts in abundance. Perhaps something microwaved and non distinct for dinner. I’m thinking it would involve cheese. Oh, and my boyfriend.
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At this time of year, it’s hot chocolate for the kids, mulled wine for the parents, a wood burning fire and Elf on the TV.
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The perfect staycation this time of year would absolutely include a fire in the fireplace, being surrounded by the people you love, hot soup, and too much snow for anyone to leave the house.
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My staycation would be lying in bed all day with my boyfriend, watching episode after episode of Lost, and eating cheese-it party mix. Which coincidently is also the perfect hangover cure as well.
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My perfect (winter) day at home would start out getting up just a little early so we could let the cleaning lady in while we went out to brunch at one of the places I love but are too crowded to go to during the weekend. Then he’d go to work, and I’d stay at home under lots of blankets with the puppy, reading, drinking tea, finding a bad movie on cable, and puttering in the kitchen. When the boy gets home, it’s wine and takeout and wine and the chocolate cake he’s brought home and sparkling wine, emptying the DVR, and going to sleep knowing I might have another day at home tomorrow, too.
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Reading a good book and sipping hot cocoa while my insufferably adorable beagle is curled up in a blanket next to me. Add some snow or rain, and – perfect!
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Ultimate staycation must involve copious amounts of chilled red wine, homemade steak nachos, and a good chunk of time to force my boyfriend to watch the entire LOST series to get him caught up for Feb.!
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I would go to my parents’ house to rummage through their kitchen cabinets for food, then settle in with any good cable shows they have DVR’d – True Blood, Weeds, Big Love, etc.
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OOOhhh this is easy…a perfect day at home is lounging about in sweatpants and catching up on all the guilty pleasure shows backed up in my DVR. Glee, anyone?
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I told Heather last week that I would give the xbox to my ‘lil bros for xmas; I’ve got one already and it’s awesome!
Staycation? Man, Dog, and Booze.
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Staycation Schedule: (1) Wake up earlier than usual to fully enjoy the day, (2) assemble all favorite foods interpersed with tiresome vegetable to ease digestion, (3) read sinfully decadent novels that have nothing to do with current research, and finally (4) magically erase all guilt resulting from the staycation.
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My perfect staycation?
1. Flannel PJs
2. Hot chocolate (and someone to make it for me)
3. BOOKS!
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The perfect staycation for me would be a snow day where I’m curled up on the couch with a bottle of wine watching old movies.
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Daydreaming of the perfect staycation~ a cozy pair of jammies, breakfast made for me, then I would love to watch all my favorite Christmas movies with my husband, he’s been in Egypt since June. The kids would be at Grandma’s, and we would have a glorious lazy day!
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Perfect day at home involves hours of excellent television and a new lace knitting project. Oh when will I have time for that again?
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My perfect day would start with a babysitter whisking away my demanding child. After that, nachos and raspberry lemonade and a stupid movie marathon, until it’s late enough to start drinking.
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My “ultimate staycation” would require pajamas, slippers, and comfort food all day long… My husband and I would call in to work, keep the kids home from daycare, and play all day… Puzzles, board games, movies, and storytime would be interrupted only long enough to eat tall stacks of chocolate chip pancakes, nachos, or pizza… A family nap would definitely be in the cards as well!
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My perfect day at home is pretty simple….opening the window for the ocean breeze, snuggling and a couple good books to read! Throw in some dark chocolate and good wine and I’m set.
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Ahhh, the perfect Staycation would include: A King Size, lots of pillows and smooshy comforters… The Remote, a few DVD’s (Tin Cup and Sound of Music come to mind) Ordering “In,” and don’t forget the Bailey’s!!
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Hmm. Staycation — two varieties. 1) Visit my home town as if I don’t live here. Go to new restaurant for brunch (yes, sleep in), explore art galleries and museums by foot, stop in at whatever little cafes look tasty, enjoy dinner out, followed by a movie and take a cab home.
2) Stay totally in — a waaay staycation? Get take out brunch from the fabulous cafe around the corner and eat it in bed with hubby while watching on-demand movies. Take the dog for a walk and maybe pick up lunch from the other cafe that’s farther away. Then home for a snuggle on the couch with a book and tea. Order dinner in from the local delivery service (we have a choice of restaurants with this), including dessert. Watch a movie or two. Go to bed late, knowing that I can sleep in again.
Can I start this all off with delivered pizza and a movie on Friday night? I thought so.
It would be fun to have an xbox and explore the gaming options too. It would all be new!
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Perfect day at home – in bed with iphone, laptop and remote…maybe some snacks and a Netflix movie that only I want to watch or a Project Runway or Top Model marathon on TV…aaahhhh…
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I would have to start off with mimosa fixins (Most staycation involve getting trashed classily) in the fridge and a stocked pantry to aid in my cooking desires after browsing some food porn blogs. I could tackle caramel sauce fears or try to make some macarons for the first time. Then I would settle in for an Alias marathon or maybe 30Rock, a latte mug of cream of tomato soup and a giant ox of goldfish crackers for lunch. If I started to feel like a bum, I would just put on some pants and stroll down the street for a latte and some thrift shopping.
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My idea of the perfect staycation would be time spent with my family, whether it be inside or outside. Or I could go for a day of lounging around, reading, writing, watching tv/movies, with not a care in the world!
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My perfect day at home would include Tex-Mex take-out, frosty margaritas, a nice long bubble bath with a pile of magazines, and – of course – my brand new XBox! 😉
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I am lucky enough to live in the shadow of the Grand Teton National Park, so my ideal staycation consists of: a trip into the park, snapping photos of wildlife, coming home to grill a tasty dinner, and movies with the hubby. Lovely day!
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My perfect day starts with some pancakes for breakfast while watching the sports recap for the week on ESPN. Setting up my Christmas tree with my gaudy 1940’s style decorations, complete with old-school screw-in gaudy C7 lightbulbs. After the tree is set, a fire with a good book. As night sets in, a good beer and a good movie. As drunkiness sets in, a good sleep.
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My perfect day? It begins with a cup of coffee and me in the kitchen fixin’ something good to go in the oven for dinner…. Mid-morning, I burrow into our couch for a good 2-3 hour read/internet wandering session. This may or may not involve some ridiculously frivolous purchases, including a Russian-doll measuring cup set. By one o’clock, the first football game is on (so this is a Saturday or Sunday) and the mister is reading me ridiculous stats about players I have never heard of. I spoil him with a few minutes of patiently watching youtube clips. Throughout the day, friends pile in to watch the game, chitchat, do laundry, pick our noses, etc. Dinner is easy-peasy, and we fill our bellies with yummy food, wine, and sweets. People head out after the game is over, and I cuddle/doze off with mister on the couch. Perfect Sunday.
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I lived the perfect staycation this past summer! We stayed at my in-laws’ cabin (30 minutes from our apartment) in the Appalachian Mountains. I picked blackberries, started fires (you know, intentionally), went on hikes, had to abstain from the internet until we got into town…it was MARVELOUS!
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Perfect day cuddled up ignoring the blizzard in Michigan = chili cooking on the stove, Big Bang Theory on hulu.com followed by a NCIS marathon on USA. Pepper in some catching up on blogs, Real Simple magazine and cookie baking for good measure.
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Hmm… german pancakes for breakfast, coffee (with an extra kick hidden inside), hot fire going in the wood stove, snow falling outside, nice knitting project, my honey sitting with me on the couch playing video games 🙂
My sister visiting from out of town with more friends coming over later for Turkey and all the fixings….
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in yoga pants all day, but no yoga. brunch at our fav brunch place in the east village. then, relaxing. music and books. wine and a movie.
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My perfect staycation would be a day completely devoted to my boys. I would love to wake up, drink coffee and cocoa then have a lovely brunch. Followed by an entire day of video gaming. They would love this because they both love, love, love video games. We don’t have an Xbox so this would be perfect for us. I am thinking me, my boys, Xbox, popcorn and a day spent together hanging out.
Thank you for the opportunity.
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A glorious lazy breakfast — pancakes, eggs, bacon, and plenty of coffee. Next a fun trip to the dog park or a run around the lake… maybe both? We’d definitely get the massages we’ve been meaning to get for a while, and we’d take some wine or hot cocoa — depending on the weather — outside while we hang out on our porchswing. We’d end the day by taking advantage of one of the best things Austin has to offer: Alamo Drafthouse. There they would serve me a nice dinner and beer while I watched a new release. Whatever ended up happening, we wouldn’t even cast a glance at our “to do” list.
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Ok, I’m sure there’s a ton of brilliant ideas in the 245 comments before mine, but my idea of a perfect day at home would be to wake up to my husband bringing me breakfast in bed (which would include bacon, hash browns, & coffee), followed by reading for an hour or so (also in bed, also with coffee!), then some leisurely playing games downstairs with my 5yo & 2 yo daughters. Lunch would be grilled cheese sandwiches, followed by Naps For All! More hanging out and playing in the afternoon, maybe with an easy-to-clean-up craft. Supper would be Chinese or pizza delivered (along with good beer for the grown-ups), bedtime would go smoothly, and hubby and I would curl up on the couch together to watch a movie for the evening… with the fireplace going and a glass of wine (and some popcorn) to hand.
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