Plan your summer travel now

I don't think I have ever mentioned that I love to plan vacations. I scour over the internet looking for an awesome deal. It is never too early to start thinking about summer (considering that June 1st is tomorrow and in my book that is the official start of summer)! I thought for this blog I will post some of my tips for getting the best bang for your buck.

Everyone likes to save money and travel currently is pricey if you do not do your homework. (I use American Airlines and Costco Travel often- I don't work for them and I want my readers to check out deals on your own).

Act quickly for deals on air travel!

1. If you are planning on flying this summer it is best to buy tickets ASAP! 
I looked at airfare for Cancun, Mexico in August and I was shocked to see prices starting at $600. Flying is not cheap but driving there is not an option. The best days to book airfare are on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Many airlines release "deals" early on Tuesdays so jump on it. Be open with when you can fly. Peak days are usually the weekends so flying out early on a Tuesday is a better day and better deal. (Don't forget to use seat guru to check out which seat is the best option for you on the plane, you may be in for a surprise).

2. Sign up to receive emails from airlines. 
I know people do not like having junk fill your email account but you can set up a separate account simply for miscellaneous- travel, hotels, restaurants, clothing, etc...  When you receive emails you get the inside scoop on sales. If there are a few airlines that you really like or travel often with then sign up for their frequent flyer program (it is FREE). I have three accounts and I use them often. Yes, I travel often and they come in handy. Your next trip could be nearly free (you need to pay for taxes and security fees). You can keep your frequent flyer account by either flying, making purchases through their e-shops, hotels, or dining. I have American Airlines dining and every time I eat at participating restaurants I get 5 miles per dollar spent. This keeps my account active and I get bonus miles without flying. Score!!! I also use American Airlines travel to book hotel stays and I get bonus airlines for booking and staying, double score!!! In addition I used American Airlines travel to book a Mediterranean cruise and had a beautiful penthouse suite with on board credit. (I need to write a blog about this cruise).

3. Sign up to receive emails from hotels.
This week I signed up to receive emails from the Loews Hotel Coronado and I was alerted that they were having a 40% off sale. I could NOT pass this up! Any opportunity we get to be at the beach and spend quality time with my hubby and kiddo I am so happy. The sale began and I fell asleep before I had a chance to see if I could get a deal. So, Thursday at 4 am I happened to be awake so I booked us a 4 day 3 night getaway to Coronado Island for this August. If I did not sign up to receive emails from my favorite hotels then I would miss out on this steal.

4. Let your memberships work for you.
We have a Costco membership and 5 years ago I made one of the best travel decisions and I continue to use it. Costco Travel is wonderful! The agents are helpful and booking a vacation is easy. Our first experience using Costco Travel was booking a trip to one of our favorite places- Cancun! Since then we have used Costco Travel every year and we are never disappointed. The purchase price includes all of your taxes, airport transfers (from airport to hotel then hotel to airport), sometimes there are resort credits that can be used for just about anything at the hotel. All in all there are lots of savings here. Take advantage of your memberships there may be some hidden finds!

5. Buy travelers insurance!
I never travel without travelers insurance, EVER! Even if you are going somewhere for 4 days I say purchase it. I went to San Francisco in December for 4 days and I was thankful that I purchased it. I say it is better to be safe than sorry. We always purchase from Travel Guard and we have never had any problems. We have had instances that we had file a claim but like I said "it is better to be safe."  

6. Try park and fly.
Having your car parked in the blazing hot sun for a week in the month of August while you are enjoying your vacation? I have never had that happen to me. Nearly six years ago we came across a terrific park and fly at the Hilton LAX. We had our vehicle in a covered parking structure and valeted nonetheless! We stayed the night and the next morning we hopped onto the hotel shuttle and our worries were over. For around $100 you can stay the night and have your vehicle parked for 7 days. (Prices are subject to change but if you find a deal make sure to snag it because they are rare). Parking is usually $10 a day at a cheap outside parking near the airport, so why not stay the night, relax and leave the worries behind!! 

7. Check out your destination!
I ALWAYS do my homework before I book any trip. This means that I search and search for a few days to see if there are better deals out there and to see when is the best time to travel to that destination.  Summer can be the peak season to just about any location (maybe not the desert). If you are open to go just about any time of the year I say go in the Fall or Spring. Winter season in tropical or warm destinations are peak too. We went to Cancun in January and all of the snow birds (Europeans and Canadians) flocked the pristine white beaches. When you search your destination check out what is near the hotel, airport, shopping, excursions, spas, etc... If you want to be secluded from the world then it is good to know in advance. If you want to be in the center of the action then finding that out is critical. Take the time to call the hotel directly and ask any questions. They are always helpful and the concierge will go above and beyond to make sure that your travels are everything that you want them to be.

8. See what other travelers think.
I have begun to scoop out what other travelers think about hotels, dining, excursions, spas, rental car companies, etc.. So I can make a wise decision. If I am spending a few thousand dollars on a vacation I want to make sure it is everything I want it to be. There are many websites that publish a travelers review, including a rating scale, and informing you if that specific hotel in their opinion is best for families, romance, singles, etc...

These are my top 8 tips and they can be used not just for summer travel but for any time. See you at your next vacation!!

Summer travels

I love summer but what I do love more are vacations!! Our summer is coming together, not like last year but that's ok. (Last year we traveled to Cancun, Walt Disney World, Puerto Vallarta, and weekend trips to San Diego and Palm Springs). Next year we are traveling to Brazil so that means this year is bit more low key than our usual trips. We enjoy traveling with family, friends, and just the three of us. So this year we have a mix of fun coming up.

Next week we are headed to the Happiest Place on Earth for a few days and staying in Anaheim (wish we could stay at the Grand Californian Hotel, but it is pricey $$$). 

Beautiful Disneyland!

Next month we are off to Palm Springs for 4 days for relaxation, sun, shopping, and tanning. We are going with my family which means we get help with Kaden so Matt and I can go out to a fancy dinner. I am thinking of beef wellington! 

In August we go down to Coronado for another 4 days of pure bliss at one of my favorite places. Our friends are headed down too so it will be loads of fun. I hired my sister to watch K and our friend's two boys while we go out to dinner. We are beyond excited for our Mexican food fix at Miguel's, bike rides near the beach, Sea World, and the Zoo!! 

I still need to plan a getaway for Matt and I for our anniversary. September 7th will come up fast so I need to start booking something fast. I cannot decide on a location! Wherever we go it will be fantastic since it will be just the two of us. 

Thankful we can do trips like this! It took us a while to go anywhere when K was a baby. We love to travel and the "travel bug" hit us and has never left us!!

Getting out the crafts Chalkboard Edition

The heat is on in southern California and I have to find ways to channel my energy and down time (a mother of a two year old never has down time but for this blog I will say I have some quiet time). I enjoy crafts and when I get an opportunity to work on a craft then I bring out my creativity to its fullest potential. When I was 14, I wanted to make a small shelf near my bed so I could set my glasses on it at night (did not want to crush them). I went to Michael's Arts & Crafts and found an unfinished wood shelf, painted it white and stenciled it with a cute flower design. I need to find it and snap a photo of how far I have come since then. My grandma was very creative and I tell people that is where I got it from. She could envision something and she could make it. My goal is to be able to sew with the sewing machine I am borrowing. I need an instructor or I could teach myself. I can do it! Bring out your creative talents.

This week's craft is all about chalkboards! I know they are coming back and I wanted to make my own. Buying is easy but I wanted a specific color and it came together very well in the end. Pinterest has plenty of ideas to point you in the right direction but everything came together haphazardly. I was at Michael's and saw a beautiful unfinished border on clearance. I saw it and had a vision to turn it into a chalkboard and hang it in my laundry room. Talk about inspiration on isle 12!! I am not one to go to any home improvement store (they actually frighten me for some odd reason), but I needed plywood to complete my project. Here is what I did step by step. Have fun!

Purchased a thin piece of plywood from Lowe's (kindly asked the man to cut it to size). I tapped off the sides so I could paint the border teal (the piece of wood was a tiny bit too big for the opening).

Cute unfinished wood border, for me it was a piece of treasure (ha, not really but I thought it was a steal).

Ready set PAINT! I have never purchased spray paint let alone chalkboard spray paint. I sprayed it once (smooth side of the wood) and let it dry for a good 45 minutes then sprayed it again. [Note: If you don't have smooth wood make sure you sand it first then spray paint it two to three times]

Painting the cute border teal! I needed color in my laundry room and this would be perfect.

Everything was dry so I was ready to glue (Titebond wood glue does wonders)!

Brought out my Cricut to help me with the stenciling and then added my own handwriting! Voila the craft is complete! I am displaying my beautiful new piece of art in my laundry room. Thinking of adding some ribbon and hanging it from that.

 

Do you like crystal gel?!

Every girl likes to get manicures and pedicures. The latest trend is gel manicure. For as much as I like gel manicures I was finding myself heading to the nail salon every two weeks. Today I stumbled upon one of the greatest purchases this week. 

This kit was a steal at Costco for $29.99!! Now I can have gel manicures whenever I want from the comfort of my own home. Here is the final product and I am feeling accomplished. 

The color is light pink and perfect for the upcoming wedding I am coordinating. I didn't want to have bright pink nails. I have awesome looking nails but saving money. Can't get better than this!!