Staying In Tips & Essentials

Today, I have am coming to you with a post on my personal staying in tips and essentials. I was contacted by someone from Leesa, a mattress company with a program that donates one mattress for every ten they sell, and asked to share how I spend the perfect night (or day) in!

I may have mentioned this before, but once I read something on Facebook that said there is only one place in the entire 48 continental United States that is over 100 miles from a McDonald's. That place is a flat plain in the middle of South Dakota.

That place is also where I live.

I'm not sad about being so far from a McDonald's. I'm mostly sad about being that far from the nearest Starbucks, Target, or non-questionable Chinese restaurant. Or bookstore, let's be real.

This coupled with the fact that I live 17 miles out of town can definitely lead to a lot of days and nights spent in. Especially during months like this past January when we got so much snow. I spent at least half of the month snowed in or being dug out of snowbanks because I was suffering from cabin fever and tried a little too hard to get to work some days.

Basically, I'm kind of an expert on this.

My days in are usually spent on the couch, rather than in bed. This is simply because of how near it is to a TV. Our antennae picks up ELEVEN channels now! If I can scrounge up the money for an additional TV, I would totally move this party to my bed because it is considerably warmer in there than it is in the living room.

Here are my ESSENTIALS for staying in:

1. First, obviously you will need the ideal comfortable place to laze about. Perhaps your bed? Or other place you can comfortably spend a long period of time. Preferably with lots of space around it to hold everything you could possibly need within your reach.

Like I said, I spend my days in on the couch. It's near the TV (and all the video game systems <3). It's near the fireplace when it's too cold out, which it seems to always be too cold in South Dakota. I've got a side table and the wall by the couch has a deep ledge on it, perfect for holding my books, remotes, mugs, and whatever else I could possibly want.

2. Next, you definitely need fluffy pillows and blankets. I usually have my Yoshi Pillow Pet and a fleece Legend of Zelda throw blanket to snuggle with. If that's not enough, I have an additional big fluffy blanket and a Snuggie within arm's reach as well!

3. A warm cup of coffee is definitely a necessity as well. Or tea, if that's how you roll. Or something else if you're into cold beverages.

Usually I have a water bottle. Sometimes a cup of coffee, but usually I make one and forget about it while I'm waiting for it to cool off. Or sometimes my cat comes along and ruins it like the jerk he is. I like things that are spill proof. Especially in the vicinity of my precious books.

4. SNACKS! I love snacks. I should avoid having them near to the couch though because I am such a mindless eater, which is something that I wish to stop doing so much.

That being said, I usually seem to have some kind of potato chips or something similar nearby when I'm lounging about for the day. :)

5. A book, OBVIOUSLY!! Gotta bring in the bookish aspect to this post!

Within arm's reach right now, I have:

A stack of magazines, which is not technically a book, but still reading material.

Now I Rise by Kiersten White

The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

Then you should also have a laptop/writing material because if you finish a book, you gotta get your review written or started or at least write down some notes!

And now, here are my TIPS for staying in:

My biggest piece of advice is that you should definitely get everything done that you need to get done before you sit down. Nothing ruins a good time like knowing that you have to get up and do something.

For example, right now I know that I need to get up and finish cleaning my laundry room, but I made the huge mistake of sitting down and getting comfy and now I don't want to get up.

The only other real piece of advice I can offer is to bring everything you might want with you when you sit down so you don't have to keep getting up and going to fetch things. That is a huge drag.

When I sit down, I like to not have to get up, like, ever. 

So yeah, basically that is how I spend my days/nights in! How do you spend yours? What are some of your essentials for spending a day in?