6 ideas for your summer staycation

1. Watch movies outdoors

Indulge your love of cinema by organizing movie nights in your backyard. Here’s what you'll need:

• An LED projector (you can easily find a new or used one online at an affordable price)
• A screen (use a light-coloured wall or tightly stretched bed sheet)
• Chairs, pillows, and blankets
• Be sure to remember the popcorn and treats!

Movie ideas for your impromptu drive-in: Jumanji, Up, Back to the Future, Indiana Jones, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Grease, Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain, The Intouchables, Toy Story, etc.

2. Camp out in your backyard

If you own a tent, trailer, or RV, you can improvise a camping trip at home. To avoid going back and forth indoors, bring out everything you need as if you were leaving:

• Blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, and mattresses
• Warm clothing
• Meals, drinks, and snacks
• Mosquito repellent and sunscreen
• Flashlights and magnifiers
• Lanterns and glow sticks
• Books, board games, or playing cards

Remember to take pictures! Have a good time with your family, that special someone, or even on your own. Toast marshmallows or grill sausages on the barbecue or in your fire pit, tell stories and legends, listen to music or sing classics while strumming your guitar, take a moonlight swim, or explore the yard with a flashlight—be creative!

3. Plant a garden

You don’t need a green thumb to grow a few fruits and vegetables. Since many varieties grow very well in pots, tubs, and even vertically, you don’t need a big yard to start a vegetable garden. Here are some good tips:

• Choose easy-to-grow plants such as lettuce, carrots, herbs, berries, beets, and cucumbers. Go to a garden centre to find out the best location for your garden based on the type of soil you have and how much sunlight your yard/patio gets.
• Choose quality potting soil and tubs made of untreated wood.
• If you’re going to plant directly in the ground, take a soil sample and have it analyzed at a garden centre. Sometimes compost is required to enrich soil.
• Remember to water your garden regularly!

Check out our Zen Gardening music playlist for guaranteed relaxation.

4. Maintain your pool

Taking good care of your pool is the best way to enjoy all the fun and pleasure of swimming until the end of the summer:

• Carefully inspect all pool components and make sure everything is in order. Is the fence safe? Is the cover in good condition?
• Take a water sample to measure hardness, alkalinity, and pH. Don’t wait until the water’s green or your eyes sting! Many pool retailers offer free water testing. You can also buy home test kits. CAA-Quebec’s Residential Advisory Services can help you if you have any questions.
• Install a water heater to extend the season or lighting to create the perfect ambiance!

Check out our Pool Day music playlist and dance the day away to these tropical rhythms!

5. Make your patio more homey

It’s nice to spend hot summer days outside. Here are a few tips for creating a comfy extra room on your patio or balcony or in a corner of your yard:

• Choose a place with a comfortable exposure to sun and wind.
• Opt for simple but cozy furniture: upholstered armchairs, a side table, an ottoman, and outdoor cushions.
• Install privacy panels if you share a balcony or your patio is too easily viewable.
• Surround yourself with greenery—bring your houseplants outside for a little extra sunshine.
• Lastly, put up string lights and lanterns that cast a soft glow at night (without attracting mosquitoes).

Discover our Evening on the Patio music playlist to create a cozy atmosphere of jazz and folk music.

6. Reorganize your shed

What with the gardening tools, tires, Christmas decorations, outdoor furniture, and sports equipment, the shed is often cluttered. Here’s how you can reorganize it efficiently:

• Group items by category and use the opportunity to sort and give away, sell, or throw out what you no longer need.
• Install strong hooks on the walls to hang your chairs or on the ceiling for your bicycles.
• Place tools and dangerous items (saws, propane tanks) up high and out of the reach of children.
• Keep the middle clear so you can circulate.
• Install a rigid wire mesh all around the base to keep animals out.

Check out our Reorganize Your Shed music playlist. It can give you the energy you need for the job!

And of course if you don’t have time to do everything during your vacation, you can always take advantage of your weekends off.