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9 Secrets For Scoring Cheap Flights

asp 3/9/2018

OMGOSH! OMGOSH! OMGOSH!  Roundtrip air to Paris for $249.00!!!   What a deal!!!  Yes it is!!  I get these deals in my inbox everyday.  And these are actual and real airfares, but is it the BEST flight for you?

There are several factors to consider.  Most of these fares are from a major hub.  How are you going to get to that hub?  Drive, train, purchase an additional airline ticket to the hub, use points to purchase an additional airline ticket?  So let’s add $150.00 to this  ticket.

Now, you’ve gotten to the hub.  If you checked a bag, don’t forget, you may have to retrieve your bag AND recheck it if you could not have it interlined to your final destination.  Purchasing two tickets most of the time requires two check ins and paying for checked bags twice.  Just to keep the math simple, we’ll say that’s another $50.00.  Let’s factor in the time and stress of arriving at the hub, going to baggage claim, waiting for your bag, going up to check it again, going through TSA again .. Lots of agains!  Oh!  you only allowed yourself 1 hour to do all of this?  Uh-oh,  you didn’t realize you booked your flight into LGA because it was the least expensive fare to NYC, but your flight to Paris is departing from JFK!  Well, that’s no problem !  We can just take a shuttle or cab to JFK!   Another $50.00.  We haven’t boarded our international leg yet, and we have already added at least $250.00 to our BARGAIN airfare.  Ooooooh!  You are taking your young children with you.  How sweet.  Well, let’s add on preassigned seats!  Family of four, preassigned seats, $100.00.

While I adore these airfares, they are not for everyone and unless you are traveling from a hub city you have to add on additional fees.   These fees include:

Additional transportation costs

Checked bag fees and look out for carry on fees for bags larger than a personal item (any bag that cannot fit under the seat).  Love this chart from Carry On Guy.

Seat assignment fees

Snack and meal fees

So how do you find a decent airfare?  Planning, flexibility, and paying attention to the details.

  1.  Be flexible with your dates.  This can mean adjusting your itinerary a day or so depending on fare availability.
  2. Be flexible with departure city.  Example: RDU vs GSO vs CLT;  Be flexible with arrival city.  Example: FLL vs MIA vs PBI
  3. Sign up for Secret Flying . Great site for error and mistake fares.
  4. Set up fare alerts with Google Flights, Hipmunk, Skyscanner and Kayak.  
  5. Clear your cookies and previous searches.  Everything you do on line is tracked.  Use Google Incognito every time you are searching airfares.
  6. Use points from Frequent Flyer programs or credit cards.  I don’t play the points/miles game as much as I used to, but use these guidelines if you do.  A) DO NOT WASTE your miles on short, domestic flights.  Use your miles to go as far as possible.  B) Use your miles for upgrades, not to purchase coach tickets.  Check out The Points Guy . This man is the guru of points and miles.  He and his team are very generous with their time and knowledge .
  7. Know yourself.  If you want a certain seat, cough up the money.  Traveling with children?  Pay the fee so you all will be seated together.  Not comfortable doing carry on only?  Pay the fee to check your bags.  No shame in checking a bag, but don’t bemoan the fact that there is a fee.
  8. Do a quick Google search on the airline.  How can these airlines offer these dirt cheap airfares?  To be honest, some of these airlines can’t and they are on the verge of bankruptcy.  Always purchase your ticket with a credit card NOT a debit card.  Use this rule for any travel related purchases.
  9. If you are eyeing a flight on a foreign carrier,  try booking your flight on their home country website.  Some travelers do this every time they book an international flight.  Personally, I have never done this.  Between the currency conversion and the foreign currency transaction fees on my credit card, I’m just a little nervous booking a ticket in this manner.  DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!

So now you can get busy and book that dream vacation!  With the money you save, you can splash out on an upgraded hotel or take that private tour 0f the tasting rooms in the Champagne region of France!

Let me know if you have any tricks or hacks for scoring inexpensive domestic or international flights.  I would love to here from you and add your ideas to our ever growing list.

Stayed tuned, next time we will do a very short write up about rental cars.  Just a hint, it is my LEAST favorite part of travel planning.

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Easy Rider Packs for the Florida Keys

My dear friend Melissa is a very busy gal these days.  As if moving to a new home wasn’t enough, she also drove to Philadelphia to rescue a furbaby!  During all of this she and her husband planned a vacation to the Florida Keys. February in the Florida Keys sure beats being in North Carolina during that time.   I thought no problem when she ask for my help putting together her capsule wardrobe for her trip.  But, here’s the kicker, they are renting a motorcycle in Miami to ride to Key West!  Well, I am all about carry on only no matter the length of your trip or destination, but this is a new one for me.  No matter, Global Girl can do this!

First of all, we have to take into consideration safety.  Then we have to consider the amount of space we have to pack everything and the length of her trip.  When we are done, Melissa is going to be packed light, tight, and stylish!

Since her riding attire will be her heaviest clothing, I recommend she wear them on the plane.  So her travel day outfit will consist of riding jeans, boots, thin (not cotton) socks, long sleeve shirt (not cotton) and leather riding jacket.  Also, a small cross body purse for her ID, credit cards, money, lipstick, phone, etc…

In her backpack or saddlebag she should use packing cubes to keep everything organized.  Because she will only have a small backpack to pack everything I suggest  slim packing cubes .Blue I have these exact slim packing cubes and it is amazing how much you can pack in one.

Packed Clothes  ****All tops should match all bottom***

  • 1 pair black leggings or long pants
  • 1 pair shorts
  • 2 short sleeve tops (not cotton) or 1 short sleeve top and 1 tank top
  • 1 lightweight dress or skirt/top to wear to restaurants or cocktail lounge
  • 1 light weight cardigan
  • 1 light weight fleece
  • 2 bras or 1 bra and 1 sports bra
  • 5 pair of panties
  • 2 bathing suits
  • 1 pair thin socks (not cotton)
  • Neck buff  or bandana to wear while riding (optional)
  • Beach cover up
  • Sleepwear
  • Flip flops
  • 1 other pair of shoes if you think you may need something else to wear at night or for walking around Key West

Cosmetic, Toiletries and Meds and First Aid

  • Tooth Brush and tooth paste
  • Deodorant
  • Lip Balm
  • Few individual packs of Aleive
  • Neosporin
  • Olay face wash/makeup remover wipes
  • Moisturizer
  • Sunscreen
  • Make up
  • Band Aids
  • Hair brush

Miscellaneous

  • Sunglasses
  • Dry bag
  • Hair ties

With smart packing in the packing cubes and a capsule wardrobe all of this should very easily fit in a backpack!

I didn’t list shampoo, conditioner or soap because all of this is supplied by the hotel and space is at minimum.

Florida has as many Walgreen’s as it does retirees, so she can just pick up more sunscreen there and anything else she may need.  You maybe wondering about beach towels.  Since space is at a minimum, I would pick up a couple of cheap ones once at Walgreen’s.

I’m sure you maybe wondering why I keep repeating “no cotton”.  Cotton is NOT a traveler’s friend.  It wrinkles, it’s heavy, it doesn’t keep you warm when it is cold and it doesn’t wick moisture or breath when you are hot.  It also retains moisture  and odors, and is very slow to dry.    Much better fabrics are synthetics that breath and merino wool is the best fabric of all.

Now I have Melissa all ready to enjoy her ride through the Keys.  Maybe when she returns, she will give us a “debriefing” on her packing success!

To find out more about Melissa and her rescue furbaby, Bella, checkout Forever Dreaming Farm and Sanctuary on Facebook.

 

 

 

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Vacation Planning Like a Boss (part one)

The most wonderful time of the year for me is vacation planning!  I love all the wonderful destinations that are available on this big planet and we have the opportunity to visit.  Some locations are relatively easy to plan while others require a little more in depth research and planning.  I don’t care where the destination is, I’m always ready to go!

So let’s just start with the basics.

Who is going?  Is this a romantic couples trip?  Solo trip?  Group? Family?

What type of trip?  New destination? Old favorite? Adventure? Relaxed? Cruise? Road trip? City escape?  Quick weekend getaway or extended international trip? Special interest or hobby?

So, you get the picture.  Lots of decisions to make to get the ball rolling.

How do you decide where to go?  Decision, decisions, decisions.   My main source of inspiration is Pinterest.  I have Pinterest boards for every corner on earth.  Anytime I see a something that peaks my interest, I pin it.  This is how I ended up going to Maine last year,  I saw a picture on Pinterest of a cafe in Camden that struck my fancy.Marriner's Grill Camden, Maine Best place to eat in the New England states

I also have an ever running Goggle Doc that I am continually adding ideas and links for future reference.  It has no rhyme or reason and is now about six pages.  It is fun to go back and read it to see what was on my mind two years ago or even just 6 months ago.  One day, if I am brave, I’ll share it here on Global Girl Around the World.

A major fail for me is Trello.  A colleague  suggested I try Trello to organize my travel thoughts and ideas.  I have tried and tried, but I just can’t get the hang of Trello.  If you use Trello and enjoy it, please let me know and help me figure out why I just can’t get on board.

Another way to choose your destination is using Google Flights.  Say you want to go to the Caribbean and lay on the beach for a week.  You can search Google Flights by region and find the island that has least expensive flights from your outbound airport.

Sometimes your destination is chosen for you.  If you have a business trip somewhere exotic or just strikes your fancy, tack on a vacation at the end.  Meeting in San Francisco?  Stay on a view days and do a southbound road trip on the Pacific Coast Highway.  A few years ago we had the opportunity to attend a destination wedding in Puerto Morales, Mexico.  Wonderful marriage celebration was also a great vacation.

Timing is everything.  High season for a destination means high crowds and high costs.  Consider going during shoulder and low seasons for fewer crowds and better rates.  The Mona Lisa still hangs in the Louvre whether you visit in March or July.  The aurora borealis will NOT appear during a full moon, so check your almanac or visit accuweather.com to check the phases of the moon. Can you believe some days during the summer the port of Venice, Italy has 17 cruise ships in port?  That makes the number of visitors in any city unbearable.  If you want to visit a location that is also a popular cruise ship port checkout Crew-port.com.  This a great tool to use when making your itinerary so you don’t end up trying to squeeze into St. Mark’s Basilica or Doge’s Palace with 10,000 other people at the same time.

Now that I have inspired you to start thinking about your next fabulous vacation, select your destination.  Next time we will hammer out how to find the best flights and accommodations.

Let me know where you are planning your next vacation or I can give you some suggestions.  I love telling people where to go!

Until next time, Happy Travels and don’t forget to SHARE! SHARE! SHARE!  with all your peeps on Face Book, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter!!!

 

 

 

What’s In Your Future? Setting Travel Goals For 2019

Ahhhh….Finally the house is quiet and most of the fallout from this holiday season has been cleaned up and put away.  Now it’s time to kick it into high gear and start planning for 2019.  I find resolutions pretty rough on your ego because once you start to backslide or break the resolution entirely, you feel like such a loser, and that is just not good for you or anyone else.  So, for the past few years I have set the same resolution for myself and I always achieve it.  My resolution is to NOT INTENTIONALLY STAB ANYONE WITH A KNIFE OR OTHER SHARP OBJECT.  So far, I have not stabbed anyone, therefore I am a winner and I’m feeling  pretty darn good about myself!!

I do believe in setting goals.  Some goals can be achieved in an afternoon.  Others may take a while longer.  Traveling is no different.  I did away with my bucket list because I found myself just checking boxes to say “been there, done that”.  The past couple of years I have set realistic (sort of) travel goals and this is much more rewarding and less defeating.  So I will list my 2019 goals out for you and that will give me more accountability.

  1. Visit one new National Park.  I am a huge supporter of National Parks.  If you are an American citizen, this is one of the many things that should fill you with pride about your country. If you have friends or family visiting from a foreign country, be a show off and take them to one of our beautiful national parks.  I am such a national park geek. I have a National Park Passport that I always have with me when I travel to get stamped.  You can also get stamps at national monuments,national seashores, etc….Also, if there is a National Park Lodge at the park, I have to stay at the park.  In my mind, it does not count going to the park unless I stay at the official lodge.

Previously, I have planned two separate trips to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park.  Both times the plans have fallen through because of weddings, the kitchen falling apart and taking all my travel funds to repair, the timing just never worked out.  So I’m trying to decide whether to try one more time to make it out west or maybe go to Florida and do Dry Tortugas National Park and Everglades National Park.

2. Try AirBNB  I have heard nothing but rave reviews from friends that have stayed in AirBNBs.  I even have a favorites list on my AirBNB  profile. I just need to pull the trigger and do it.  This AirBNB can be rented here

AirBNB in Wilmington, NC -Seaside Farmhouse.

 

3. If I come across an inexpensive airfare, just book it.  Usually, if I happen across a cheap airfare to somewhere I haven’t considered before,  I will start nosing around about hotels and other logistics.  This year, if I come across a cheap airfare to somewhere that looks appealing, I’m just going to throw caution to the wind and book it, then worry about hotels and everything else afterwards.  SPONTANEITY!

4. One week at an all inclusive resort on the beach.  I can’t believe it has been about five years since Mr. Global and I have been on a vacation to just sit on the beach and have someone wait on us.  I have a love/hate relationship with A/I resorts, but I do think it is time for an unplugged, relaxed and let someone else take care of the details kind of vacation.

5. Try a low cost carrier and book the bare bones fare.  This really intrigues me.  No seat assignment, last to board, no carry on, personal item only.  Chances are real good I’ll be doing this all by my lonesome.WOW air

6. Work on my photography skills.  Of all my wonderful travel memories, I have maybe a handful of decent photographs.

 

 

 

7. And my last goal is one I have already started planning.  I’m taking my first solo international vacation!! I’ve done international vacations but never solo.  I’ve been on international trips by myself, but they were work related.  This will be my first international leisure trip by myself.  Ten days in Scotland in October!  City sightseeing in Edinburgh and walking on the Isle of Skye!

I’m ready for 2019, so bring it on.  What about you?  Let me know what you have planned for 2019 or where your travels took you in 2018.

And don’t forget, starting in January, Global Girl  Around the World will start a step by step series for planning an unforgettable vacation!!

 

 

 

TOP 10 TRIP PLANNING RESOURCES

TOP 10 TRIP PLANNING RESOURCES

ASP  12/19/2018                           

So many places, so little vacation time! I think I’m one of the weird souls who enjoys planning my trips as much as going on the actual trip.  I have spent many late nights and hours scrolling through Pinterest and sitting at the dining room table with a map (and magnifying glass) trying to decide the perfect destination and itinerary.  With the internet, it is so easy to get information overload and often downright incorrect information.  So I am going to share with you my most trusted tried and true resources.

  1. Pinterest  I love Pinterest.  I could spend all day on Pinterest.  I get most of my travel ideas from Pinterest.  If there is a destination or activity that you have an interest, just search on Pinterest and bam, bam, bam, scroll away until you find the perfect location.  And you can start a board to save and organize all your ideas.  You can check out my Pinterest boards here.
  2. Google Flights  Sometimes I may not have a particular destination in mind, so I will pull up Google Flights and just look at the map to see what the airfares are to anywhere in the world from my departure point.  You can also search by country or region, set price points, dates, etc….  This is especially useful for Europe or Southeast Asia with so many low cost regional carriers. Earlier this fall, I found an airfare from Raleigh to London on American then London to Paris on a low cost carrier that was $350.00 less expensive than flying an all American itinerary  Raleigh-Heathrow-Paris.  A few caveats, but it is always worth it to check this out during your planning phase.
  3. TripAdvisor This is my go to for researching hotels.  I don’t use this to book hotels, but I do use TripAdvisor for hotel reviews and to read through the destination forums.
  4. The Man In Seat 61 This is the go to site for train travel anywhere and everywhere.  It also has information about ferries.  The amount of information here is amazing.
  5. Guidebooks:  The hard copies can become outdated quickly and are cumbersome to carry around during your travels, but I still use them for planning purposes.  I especially like Rick Steves for Europe and National Geographic for National Parks.  Moon Guides are also very good.  Lonely Planet is good for budget travel.
  6. Maps:  Paper maps rule! ‘Nough said.  If you are planning a detailed itinerary, you need a big map to spread out on the table or floor. This is also a great way to get the cat involved with your vacation plans!
  7. Rome2Rio This website is the best planning tool to find the best way to get from Point A to Point B whether they are 5 miles or 5000 miles apart.  Just plug in your travel points and instantly your will get trains, planes, automobiles, buses,ferries, caravan, covered wagon and any combination of these to get you to your destination.
  8. Budgeting tools:  Just google “vacation budget sheet” and you will have one million Excel documents and Google Sheets at your disposal.  I must admit, I always start a budget worksheet at the beginning of the planning stage, but this usually lasts about five minutes. For me, pen and paper are the way to go.
  9. US State Department and CDC If you are planning an international trip (this includes Canada, Mexico, and most Caribbean Islands) to check for travel advisories, necessary immunizations, documents and visas. Also, enroll in STEP (Safe Traveler Enrollment Program).   This lets the US Embassy know you are in a particular country and they can advise you of natural disasters, travel advisories, political unrest, terrorist attacks, anything that may impact your well being.  Always make sure your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your DEPARTURE date.  Many foreign countries make this a requirement for entry even though you have a valid passport.  I’m unsure why some foreign countries have this requirement.  Is this because they don’t want your passport to expire while you are visiting?  Or, they don’t want you to overstay your welcome?  If you know, please let me know.

10 Insure My Trip Insure My Trip allows you to enter all your information, then comes up with several options that best matches your needs needs and level of coverage you desire.  We ALWAYS get insurance for international trips.  The only time we purchased insurance for a domestic trip was our vacation to the Grand Canyon.  My husband’s logic on this was “clumsy wife plus deep canyon equals helicopter evacuation”!  Not trying to be preachy, but I will just give one bit of advice on this topic.  Never buy your trip insurance from the airline, tour operator, cruise line or any other vendor you are booking your travel.  The insurance covers them more than it does you.  Book your insurance independently.

So there you have it!  Ten resources to start planning the best vacation ever.  If you have any other resources you like to use, please share with us.  We’d love to hear from you!

The REAL Capitol of North Carolina

Recently I had the opportunity to visit Tryon Palace in New Bern.  This is a very easy day trip from Raleigh or can be a stop off going to and from the beautiful beaches of the Crystal Coast.  I left around 7:30 am and after a stop at Starbucks, I was in New Bern at 10:15.

First stop you have to make is the North Carolina History Center to purchase your admission.  The North Carolina History Center has  several exhibits and displays to view before heading over to the actual Palace. There is also a quick eight minute film that runs in a continuous loop about the history of Tryon Palace.  At the North Carolina History Center the staff called the shuttle to transport me the palace, but this was totally unnecessary as the Palace is only about two blocks away.  Tryon Palace was late opening due to a Television crew  filming all the beautiful Christmas decorations.  Since I had about an hour to kill I started at the Stanley  House that is located off the grounds of the Tryon Palace.  This is where I had the pleasure to meet two of the best tour guides ever!  When Alma realized I was from Raleigh, she made it a point to  advise me Raleigh was NOT the real capitol of North Carolina.   She and her partner Sherry, were so sweet to give me a private tour of the Stanley House. Well, it was private because I was the only one there, but I’m sure these two wonderful ladies make everyone feel as warm and welcome as they did me.  Alma also pointed me in the direction of the New Bern Historical Society and a brief walking tour within a few blocks of the palace.

Stanly House at Tyron Place, New Bern

When the gate of Tryon Palace opened, I was a little early for the first tour, so I decided walk around the gardens .  I was enjoying the gardens so much, I missed the next two tours.    The gardens are divided into different sections  but flow very nicely together.  Whichever garden I was in at the moment, that was my favorite.  Although I was there in the very late fall, there was so much beauty in the gardens.  I can only imagine this must be a preview of the magnificent display that  comes in the spring.

Formal gardens at Tryon Palace

 

I made my way back to the palace and waited about 10 minutes for the  next tour.  Tours can only be done with a guide and are on the hour and half hour.  You have an opportunity to tour most rooms of the Palace and a brief history of the use, furnishings and artwork.  A few of the furnishings are originals and most of the artwork is original.  My favorite room in the house was the Ball Room that overlooks the back lawn with views to the Trent River.  Here you will find the restored portraits of King George III and Queen Charlotte.

After the tour, it was kind of “don’t let the door hit you on the way out”.  Just a “enjoy the rest of your day,bah bah”.  There is much more to see including the kitchen, stables, a retail shop off to the side of the formal gardens.  Several people were just going to leave because they really didn’t realize there was so much more to see and do.  I was really disappointed about the attitude of the staff at the actual Palace and grounds after the warm hospitality of the staff at the Welcome Center and the Stanley House.

After meandering around for about an hour and one more visit to the formal gardens, I made the quick walk back to the Visitor’s Center.  Due to poor planning on my part, I didn’t make it back for a late lunch before Lawson’s Landing Cafe closed. I should have a grabbed a bite to eat at one of the many cafes or restaurants in the historical district. There is a boardwalk along the Trent River directly behind the Visitor’s Center that I was able to enjoy an afternoon walk in the sun.  This boardwalk is public and is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.  Just be sure to have some type of jacket with you because the breeze coming off the river is chilly.

This was a lovely way to spend a day and I am already planning a return trip to see the gardens in the spring.  I think for my return trip, I may stay overnight to do a walking tour of the historic downtown and try a few of the local cafes and restaurants.

Fun Fact: Charlotte is named for Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III. Hence, the name The Queen City.   Mecklenburg County is named for her birth home of Mecklenburg, a region/state in Germany.

When I plan a trip, I like to read novels and nonfiction about that destination.  Try these before your trip to Tryon Palace:

New Bern NC: Tryon Palace North Carolina

History Center & More

 

 

Also, if you would like Nicholas Sparks,

The Notebook

Logistics and Recap:

Total miles: 265 round trip

Weather: sunny skies with a comfortable temperature of 55F

What I Wore:  It is late fall and we are in North Carolina.  Chances are real good I will experience all seasons in one day!

Black Jeggings: easy peasy, great for car trips, easy and comfortable for siteseeing.

Black Merino Wool Turtleneck: Merino wool is the best thing ever!

Black, Cabernet, and Navy Merino Wool Cardigan: I repeat, Merino wool is the best thing EVER.

Black Chelsea Boots with thin merino wool socks.  I like wearing my Chelsea boots during my travels in the fall through early spring  because they are extreme comfortable and look more polished than tennis shoes.  Also, they are waterproof.

Lavender Puffer Jacket:  I started out the door with just my red Columbia Pardon My Trench coat, but at the last second, through my lavender puffer jacket in the back seat.  So glad I did.  My puffer proved to be the winner for this day.  The breezes off the river would have been too much for the thin Pardon My Trench.  During the middle of the day I just stuffed the puffer in my backpack and was fine in my turtleneck and cardigan.  Got to love merino wool! The perfect layering material with NO bulk.

Black Convertible Nylon Backpack/Purse:  Okay, I’m trying really hard to get on the backpack bandwagon.  I’ve had this a few months, but while I love the look and style of this backpack, I’m just not in love with this whole backpack as a purse idea.  Every time I need to get anything out of it, I have to take it off and set it down.  But, I do like the fact I can stuff a jacket, water bottle and a plethora of other items in it.

Have you been to New Bern and Tryon Palace?  Please leave a comment and we can compare notes!

 

Holiday Travels? Arrive as a Happy Elf not the Grinch!


asp 12/3/18
Who is traveling this holiday season?  Whether you are flying or driving , this is major stress time!  You are running around trying to finish shopping , baking, decorating, planning and  if you have used all your vacation days for traveling to exotic destinations, you still have to pull the nine to five!

  • Check the weather forecast for home AND your destination.
  • Only pack carry on.  No matter when you travel or the length of your trip, do carry on ONLY.  Hang out with me and you will learn all the tricks to achieve this grand accomplishment.
  • Check in for your flight on line and PRINT your boarding pass. How many times have you had to wait while someone is trying to get their boarding pass to come up on their phone?  What if the airline’s computer system is down?  What if you can’t connect to wifi?
  • Arrive at the airport extra early.  I repeat-Arrive at the airport EXTRA EARLY.   Take into account weather delays, people traveling with children,  passengers traveling for the first time.  Even with TSA PreCheck, everything is moving at the speed of a sloth.
  • DO NOT put wrapped gifts in your carry on.  TSA will make you unwrap them.   People behind you will not appreciate your beautiful, festive packaging nor will they squeal with delight at the sweater you bought on sale at Belk for your cousin’s child you see once a year.
  • If you are driving, pack the car and fill up the tank the night before you depart .  Most major meltdowns at our house occur in kitchen as we are heading out the door.  Also take care of any last minute errands the day before you travel.  Starbucks is the only stop you should have to make when you are heading out of town.
  • Don’t forget about your fur babies!  Make arrangements for their care while you are gone.  Also let the neighbors know you will be away.  We are so blessed with wonderful neighbors to take care of Eduardo and keep an eye on things while we are away.
  • Relax and take a much needed deep breath.  Remember Christmas is celebrated because Jesus Christ, our Savior is born.  That is what the holidays are really about!