Investing in Family: The Perfect Pajama Day

With school back in full swing and the approaching winter, now is the time for some of us to consider a day in our homes doing absolutely nothing. Shocking idea, isn't it? A day when the family is not piling into the minivan and rushing from one thing to the next. A day when you're not heading to the office and/or not managing the home. Rather, how about a day to simply be at home, relaxing with your family and, you know, spending some quality time together.

In this 24/7 society, having a true at-home day can seem like a lost cause before the sun even rises. Fear not! It is certainly possible to plan the perfect pajama day (what we call such a day in mi casa). Here are some tips to make sure your next day in goes off without a hitch.

Get Everyone One On Board

First rule of thumb for a day of relaxing at home: make sure everyone's on the same page. While spontaneity is nice, it's not always practical, especially in this day and age. So, some time before – a few days, perhaps – declare your upcoming pajama day to everyone involved. If you wanted to really get into the spirit, you could jot out a few posters proclaiming the upcoming slouch-fest (the kiddos might really like this, especially if they're on the younger side). Making sure the household is activity-free is one way to get your relaxation day off to the best start.

Plan Ahead

You don't want to make it to your pj-and-sweats day only to discover you're totally out of milk. Or coffee. Or whatever. In order to make it a day where you and yours can truly relax, you might want to stock up on those things you'll want or need in your home (for us, it would definitely be coffee and chocolate milk). Also, get an idea of what your meals might look like for the day. It could be cinnamon rolls from a tube for breakfast, PB&Js for lunch and a frozen pizza for dinner; or it could be a day full of homemade feasts. Whatever floats your family's boat, plan it a bit ahead of time so that you can spend all day truly inside without a last-minute trip to the pizzeria or drive-thru.

Also, you might want to decide what you won't do at home on your pj day. You could declare any work and chores off limits as well as any emailing or social networking. In the same vein, you might want to make sure your kiddos get any homework out of the way prior to the relaxing day. Your goal is to relax and spend time with family, not engage in the usual daily hustle and bustle.

Relax. Truly.

When the big day finally arrives, make it a point to just relax and do nothing. No working from home, no homework and, please, no waking up before dawn. The point of the day is to allow your body time to rest as well as spend some quality time with those you love. Need ideas to get you going? Play games, watch a movie or three, have a pampered or spa day (what dad, mom or Junior wouldn't want a massage?); whatever you can do together as a family at home is a possibility. You might also want to carve out a little individual time for the family in which each person can just do what he or she likes (reading, napping, watching a favorite show, etc.).

In today's fast-paced world, carving out a day to rest and connection with family can be a great treat and one that can come together with minimal effort for maximum benefits. I don't know about you, but I'm already planning my next one!

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