Space is a commodity and with airlines charging for checked bags, taking up too much space can be costly.
I almost exclusively travel with just a carry on bag. I roll my clothes, coordinate my outfits and preach about staying organized on the road with Ziploc bags. But given a little extra space, these are the 5 little luxuries I will definitely squeeze in.
1. Slippers. Just tiny, soft little ballet slippers. After a full day of walking, there's nothing more comforting on my feet than a cozy little pair of slippers.
2. Noise cancelling headphones. Tiny ear buds will do, but good headphones can really help tune out the travel chaos.
3. LBD. Just a sheath dress. Black and classic, in case your business lunch turns formal.
4. A hat. Could be a knit toque or a fun straw hat based on your destination. Could also be a lifesaver if you have a really bad hair day or an unexpected delay.
5. A book. I know you can read on your iPad or Kindle but, a real book still feels like "vacation" to me. A little luxury, easily tucked into the front pocket of your suitcase. It's a conversation starter, a de-stresser and a gift you can exchange with another reader.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Monday, August 17, 2015
Why I said yes to this souvenir
Normally, I skip the souvenirs. 'Collect memories, not things', I say. But this last time, in Jamaica, I said yes and whipped open my wallet.
My son CJ is 9 years old. We were heading up to our hotel room to call it a night, in this fancy all-inclusive resort in Jamaica when he stopped me at the door. We were just past the local crafters who were packing up their wares and getting ready to head home.
CJ squeezed my hand and pulled me to a halt. "Buy something!" he whispered.
I whispered back. "I don't need anything."
He insisted, "Mom, buy something."
I leaned in and asked him, "why, honey? Is there something you want?'
"Mom, that (elderly) man has been sitting in the hot sun all day and I don't think ANYBODY has bought ANYTHING from him. Mom, can you PLEASE give him something."
Enough said.
The man asked $7 for the puppy carving. I gave him $10. He said, 'bless you." I choked back tears. I already know I'm blessed. And in that moment, I knew that I must be doing something right with my kids. Such good kids. And now we have this little carved puppy to remind me.
My son CJ is 9 years old. We were heading up to our hotel room to call it a night, in this fancy all-inclusive resort in Jamaica when he stopped me at the door. We were just past the local crafters who were packing up their wares and getting ready to head home.
CJ squeezed my hand and pulled me to a halt. "Buy something!" he whispered.
I whispered back. "I don't need anything."
He insisted, "Mom, buy something."
I leaned in and asked him, "why, honey? Is there something you want?'
"Mom, that (elderly) man has been sitting in the hot sun all day and I don't think ANYBODY has bought ANYTHING from him. Mom, can you PLEASE give him something."
Enough said.
The man asked $7 for the puppy carving. I gave him $10. He said, 'bless you." I choked back tears. I already know I'm blessed. And in that moment, I knew that I must be doing something right with my kids. Such good kids. And now we have this little carved puppy to remind me.
Air Miles Discount Flights This Week
Each week there are new flights being sold off at discounts for gold and onyx collectors. This week, you can snag a flight to Phoenix or Palm Springs for about 2600 (gold) or 2100 (onyx) if you pick the right dates. (plus the taxes) Brandon is included in this week's sale.
Do note that prices already drop after September 16th, from high season to low. So there's savings for everyone there.
Also, I find Monday and Tuesdays are the best days to book these free flights. Seems new inventory comes on line each week. And, even if the flight you want isn't there one week, do check back often. I know it is ever changing.
Air Miles is a rewards program available to anyone 16 or older. Even if you don't believe your miles will ever add up, they will. It's worth collecting. It is one of the best tools Canadians have to subsidize travel.
If you are wanting to book with Air Miles for Feb 2016 travel, you will see that the NEW Westjet flights are already on-line for YBR, our Brandon airport.
Do note that prices already drop after September 16th, from high season to low. So there's savings for everyone there.
Also, I find Monday and Tuesdays are the best days to book these free flights. Seems new inventory comes on line each week. And, even if the flight you want isn't there one week, do check back often. I know it is ever changing.
Air Miles is a rewards program available to anyone 16 or older. Even if you don't believe your miles will ever add up, they will. It's worth collecting. It is one of the best tools Canadians have to subsidize travel.
If you are wanting to book with Air Miles for Feb 2016 travel, you will see that the NEW Westjet flights are already on-line for YBR, our Brandon airport.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Blue Jays vs Yankees?
If your idea of an epic sports trip is watching the Blue Jays vs the Boston Red Sox, you're in luck.
If your idea of an epic sports trip is watching the Blue Jays vs the NY Yankees, you're in luck.
If you're idea of EPIC is seeing all this in one weekend, you better sit down, take a deep breath and then find your credit card.
Will there be another year when the rivalries are this heated? Will the Jays be contenders next year?
Check out this schedule:
If your idea of an epic sports trip is watching the Blue Jays vs the NY Yankees, you're in luck.
If you're idea of EPIC is seeing all this in one weekend, you better sit down, take a deep breath and then find your credit card.
Will there be another year when the rivalries are this heated? Will the Jays be contenders next year?
Check out this schedule:
Now, since you're going to need some money for tickets and souvenirs, you might want to save $300 on flights, and instead of paying retail, cash in your Air Miles for the flight. (If you pay retail for the flights it's $420 if you book asap)
Cashing in your Air Miles will be at a very affordable rate of 1600 Air Miles and just $123 in taxes. You can put the savings towards tickets or the hotel.
A quick glance at Stub Hub says you can have game tickets for about $30 each. They won't be great seats, but you're in the building. (Also check Ticketmaster.ca for seats) So 3 games for about $100, plus flight tax, and hotel (split with a buddy) $300. Plus hot dogs ($11 each) and a few beers ($12 each) I'll estimate $650 for your epic weekend per person.
Worthy of the EPIC WEEKEND title, if you're a baseball fan.
Don't wait on any of this. as the pennant race heats up, so will ticket prices, hotels etc.
I've actually done this Blue Jays trip before and watched them play the Boston Red Sox, so if you have any questions, I have the personal experience to answer them. (We stayed at the Doubletree Hotel, a place we picked up off of Hotwire.) We had a great time, of course, there's something special about an MLB game that you just have to experience for yourself.
Vegas - Next Monday. Crazy Cheap!
Sometimes the last minute bargains are amazing! Here's one from Westjet, just in case you need one more quick getaway before back to school.
These deals have direct flights to/from Winnipeg. (I checked the Brandon prices and they are 3x as much in this case). It's definitely worth the drive to Winnipeg for this one.
$209 & taxes ($360 total per person) Gets you round trip flights and 3 nights hotel, tax etc. The Linq is centre strip, while the Tropicana is at the MGM/New York corner. Both are decent hotels. But if you want to splurge a bit on an amazing hotel, stay at the Cosmopolitan ($448 tax in) or the Aria ($505 tax in). Cromwell, Vdara and the Venetian are all similarly priced.
These are Canadian prices, and considering our low dollar vs the US, I would definitely recommend buying the package rather than booking a flight and paying at the hotel in US dollars. You would have to book a US package (like from Allegiant) for $275 or less to beat this deal. See why I called it amazing! The real value is in the superior Westjet service and reliability.
Prices are subject to change. Book on-line or give Selloffvacations.com a call ((204) 571-4570) and tell them you saw the deal on my blog.
These deals have direct flights to/from Winnipeg. (I checked the Brandon prices and they are 3x as much in this case). It's definitely worth the drive to Winnipeg for this one.
$209 & taxes ($360 total per person) Gets you round trip flights and 3 nights hotel, tax etc. The Linq is centre strip, while the Tropicana is at the MGM/New York corner. Both are decent hotels. But if you want to splurge a bit on an amazing hotel, stay at the Cosmopolitan ($448 tax in) or the Aria ($505 tax in). Cromwell, Vdara and the Venetian are all similarly priced.
These are Canadian prices, and considering our low dollar vs the US, I would definitely recommend buying the package rather than booking a flight and paying at the hotel in US dollars. You would have to book a US package (like from Allegiant) for $275 or less to beat this deal. See why I called it amazing! The real value is in the superior Westjet service and reliability.
Prices are subject to change. Book on-line or give Selloffvacations.com a call ((204) 571-4570) and tell them you saw the deal on my blog.
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Vegas pictures, just for fun
A dear friend of mine is planning a trip to Vegas soon, so I thought I'd share a few of my own pics to help show her around and fuel the excitement.
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| Street view of the M&M store |
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| Inside the colourful M&M store. Sure to make you smile. |
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| Gardens at Bellagio in springtime. |
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| Located in the Aria Hotel |
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| Salmon Vegas-style. |
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| Bellagio |
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| Indoor canals at the Venetian Hotel |
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| Candy stores all around |
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| Showgirl crosswalk |
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| Burgers from BURGR in Planet Hollywood Hotel |
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| Sunrise in Vegas... in case you miss it. |
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| Caesar's Palace sports book. Where you can go to bet on football etc. |
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| Concert venue at Caesar's Palace |
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| Rod Stewart on his walk about thru the crowd |
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| Rod Stewart on stage in 2013 |
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| Art installation at the shops at the Crystals Mall, at Aria |
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| The Chandelier lounge at the Cosmopolitan Hotel |
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| Pool at the Tropicana Hotel |
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| Room service Bellagio style |
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| View of the pools at Bellagio |
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| Me, Vegas-style |
Spend those Air Miles
The Safeway e-auction is back. To over simplify, it's a few weeks a year that Safeway and Air Miles team up to clear out some inventory. There are 2 ways to participate. 1) Group Buy.... meaning you must be quick on the draw (these sell out in minutes) and you are purchasing a specific item that is available in a mass quantity. 2) The auction items take bids for a set amount of time. (I think it's 24 hours) and you compete to win one item.
You must sign up to participate, and you must have an access code per action. The access codes are little square cards you are given at the Safeway checkout line when you buy participating products (like Campbell's Chunky Soup).
So, there are quite a few steps to this. Is it worth it? Maybe. Depends what you are in the market for. However, you need to do the math before even considering buying the gift cards (see example shown at bottom of page). You see, you can redeem Air Miles at the checkout at Safeway any time at all, at the rate of 95 miles per $10...therefore 950 Air Miles is equal to $100 in Safeway credit. Therefore, I can't see any reason other than over-excitement that someone would bid over 1000 Air Miles for a $100 gift card. What a waste.
They have in the past, and elude to in the fine print, that there will be travel items up for auction. If I remember correctly, there was a trip and a couple gift cards last time around. The Safeway e-auction has been around since 2011 I believe. I will post if something exciting pops up.
You must sign up to participate, and you must have an access code per action. The access codes are little square cards you are given at the Safeway checkout line when you buy participating products (like Campbell's Chunky Soup).
So, there are quite a few steps to this. Is it worth it? Maybe. Depends what you are in the market for. However, you need to do the math before even considering buying the gift cards (see example shown at bottom of page). You see, you can redeem Air Miles at the checkout at Safeway any time at all, at the rate of 95 miles per $10...therefore 950 Air Miles is equal to $100 in Safeway credit. Therefore, I can't see any reason other than over-excitement that someone would bid over 1000 Air Miles for a $100 gift card. What a waste.
They have in the past, and elude to in the fine print, that there will be travel items up for auction. If I remember correctly, there was a trip and a couple gift cards last time around. The Safeway e-auction has been around since 2011 I believe. I will post if something exciting pops up.
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