I used to be the first to book flights when long weekends hit. Laboracay? Checked in. Bikinis packed, out-of-office reply ready by Tuesday, and I’d already plotted where to eat by the time Friday came.
There was this low-key panic: If I wasn’t somewhere remote, unplugged, and sipping something with a pineapple slice, was I wasting the holiday?
But something shifted. Maybe it’s age. Maybe it’s the traffic. Maybe it’s the comfort of knowing that I don’t always have to leave home, especially now that I share it with someone dear to me.
A staycation that turns into a subtle reset
It started with one long weekend I couldn’t leave – deadlines, budget, whatever. I stayed put. My boyfriend had to work a few hours that weekend too, so we didn’t plan anything big.
No grand trip. No itinerary. Just quiet.
And surprisingly, I didn’t miss the chaos. I didn’t miss the airport. I didn’t even miss the ocean. I liked how we moved slowly: coffee at home, small tasks tackled together, and pockets of time where we’d go off and do our own thing. It wasn’t a vacation. It was a reset.
Now, even when he’s not around (or gaming in the other room), I’ve learned to lean into the stillness. I light a candle, open the windows, put on music, and let my space hold me, as I am.
The art of making a home feel new again
Now, I’ve turned my occasional #TeamBahay moments into a bit of a ritual. With simple acts that breathe life back into the space that holds me every day.
There’s a strange satisfaction in dusting off your own space and seeing it differently.
I don’t go full clean-freak. It’s more of a gentle refresh, like the kind of love that quietly refills the water jug without being asked. (He does that. I notice.)
It’s a drawer cleared. A couch moved. A moment reclaimed.
I built myself a system; a mini holiday break ritual. Three gentle lists that made me feel like I had my life together.
Each small thing reminds me I’m still here and home can hold joy too.
In case you’re staying in this holiday weekend, here’s my personal 3×25 reset checklist, which might be the gentle nudge you didn’t know you needed.
🧺 25 Things to Declutter
Say goodbye to guilt and unnecessary clutter
- Plastic bags stuffed inside more plastic bags
- Souvenirs I don’t even remember getting
- K-Pop albums from a phase I’ve moved on from
- Broken umbrellas
- Expired skincare products (RIP unused serum)
- Chargers and cords with no known gadgets
- Paper bags I swore I’d reuse (but never did)
- Old boarding passes and ticket stubs
- Dried-out pens and markers
- Clothes that no longer spark kwento
- Reusable containers with missing lids
- Manuals for appliances I no longer own
- Past event IDs and lanyards
- Boxes from online orders I already forgot about
- Single socks without a pair (aka emotional damage)
- Empty alcohol spray bottles
- Freebie tote bags I never use
- Keychains from old key sets
- Gift wrappers I’m too afraid to crumple
- Unused planners from January ambition
- Old receipts faded into oblivion
- Trinkets that just collect dust
- Dead batteries lurking in drawers
- Random fridge magnets from non-Filipino countries
- The guilt that comes with letting things go (let it go too!)
🧼 25 Things to Clean
The stuff I forget exists, until I clean it and suddenly feel like my life is together again
- Electric fan blades
- Tops of cabinets and shelves
- My laptop screen (yikes)
- Air fryer / oven toaster trays
- Shower curtain / liner
- Bathroom grout (I pretend not to see it)
- The inside of my bags
- Doorknobs and light switches
- The microwave (especially the ceiling part!)
- The “junk” drawer
- Remote controls
- Drain covers
- Under the bed (and under the sofa too)
- Pantry jars and containers
- Trash bins — yes, the bins themselves
- The window tracks
- Desk drawers
- Plant leaves (they get dusty too!)
- Washing machine filter
- That one cabinet I avoid opening
- Under-sink storage
- The fridge — especially expired condiments
- My work chair
- Reusable water bottles
- My phone case
🪑 25 Things to Rearrange
Sometimes all I need is a little shift in perspective
- Move the bed slightly to catch more sunlight
- Rotate dining chairs for a new ‘view’
- Shift couch angle to face a different direction
- Group candles and scents by mood
- Swap wall art between rooms
- Restyle the coffee table
- Change pillow covers for a mood shift
- Group books by color or genre
- Display souvenirs with intention
- Turn the shoe rack into a mini display shelf
- Add a mirror where light hits best
- Stack storage bins vertically instead of side by side
- Fold towels hotel-style
- Move indoor plants closer to sunlight
- Declutter the ref magnets and create a mood board instead
- Swap table runners or placemats
- Create a reading nook
- Convert a tray into a mini vanity corner
- Use woven baskets to ‘hide’ clutter
- Restyle shelves to include more personal items
- Reposition your work desk for better flow
- Add a scent diffuser near the entryway
- Use a lamp instead of the main light at night
- Make a ‘quiet corner’ with floor pillows
- Open the windows. Let the breeze in. Always.
So no, I didn’t fly to El Nido this Labor Day.
I didn’t post a sunset photo from Siargao.
But I did sip iced tea on my newly moved couch, crossed something off my to-do list, and gave myself a home I could breathe in; whether it’s just me, or the two of us, figuring out life one weekend at a time.
And maybe that’s the whole point:
Sometimes the best long weekends aren’t about escape.
They’re about coming home differently.
