5 ways to beat the post-holiday blues at home

Our wonderful holiday to Calella de Palafrugell just seems like a distant memory and the post holiday blues have really set in. I'm sure I'm not alone in experiencing this feeling of sadness when you return from a wonderful trip away. 

I have been trying to cheer myself though and have a few ideas for you if you're also struggling with the holiday blues and have some suggestions for bringing some holiday sunshine into your home.

1 - Make Sangria

Ah Sangria! Can you imagine drinking this in the winter because I can't! Sangria and sunshine go hand in hand and it is the perfect drink to enjoy at home and reminisce about your holidays from your garden. We picked up this beautiful drinks dispenser for less than £10 from TK Maxx and filled it with homemade sangria and it certainly helped to wash away the holiday blues.

2 - Recreate Your Holiday Fragrance

Nothing can evoke a strong reaction like a certain scent and whilst we were picking up our other bits and bobs from TK Maxx I could not pass the candle section and choose something that reminded me of happy times abroad. I selected this particular candle as it contains Peppermint, Grapefruit, Lavender & Pine - all scents I associate with staying at Camping La Siesta. Now every time I light the candle I immediately relax. It's strange how something so small can transport you to another time and put a smile on your face. 

3 - Drink Espressos in the Sunshine

My husband doesn't do things by halves. Having never touched a cup of coffee in his life, he decided on holiday to end a meal with an Espresso. Talk about all or nothing! Anyway, ever since then we have been hooked and daily espressos are pretty much part of our routine now. Very continental! On a bright day we now love sitting in our front garden in the sunshine and enjoying a cup of the strong stuff. Close our eyes and it almost feels as if we are sitting in Italy or France. 

I have created us our own Espresso tray which I LOVE. The tray itself was a bargain at £3 in the sale, the Espresso jug is big enough for 3 cups and again a bargain at £12.99 and our Le Creuset Espresso mugs were only £4.99 each - all from TK Maxx. The tray looks lovely sitting on our kitchen bench. If you're going to spend time making yourself a decent cup of coffee, I highly recommend checking out local favourites Ouseburn Coffee (find them in Fenwick Food Hall or shop online) and buying proper coffee beans. Steve bought me my coffee grinder for Christmas last year from amazon (oh the romance!). I realise grinding your own beans and making your own espresso is time consuming and a bit of a faff but I think that going to a little bit more effort is definitely worth it.

4 - Enjoy Tapas for dinner

You may remember that we enjoyed an epic brunch every day on holiday last month. We have recreated the food we enjoyed a couple of times now and food definitely reminds us of happy times and chases the holiday blues away. 

A selection of Tapas dishes from TK Maxx - £2-£3 each

We bought a selection of 5 tapas bowls from TK Maxx priced between £2-£3 each. I love how they are mismatched but still match if that makes sense. We also have a couple of wooden boards (also TK Maxx) which are perfect for serving cured meats and chorizo.

Our perfect tapas menu:-

• Chorizo
• Serano Ham
• Olives
• Melon
• Tomato bread
• Tomatoes
• Empanadas 

5 - Book another holiday

Finally, my number one way to beat the holiday blues is to book another holiday :D I booked a trip to Loch Ness pretty much straight away on our return from Spain and we have booked a child free holiday to Cuba next year. It's nice to have something to look forward to and does make me feel better. 

How do you beat the holiday blues? I'd love to hear your tips too. 

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post. Please see our Disclosure Policy for further details.