Family Vacation Travel Tips from the Mom on the Run More than one third of us are planning to take a family vacation, this year. The idea of a vacation sounds wonderful, but the whole process can be stressful. How do you pick the perfect destination? And then the hotel, the restaurants and excursions. January 31st is National Plan for Vacation Day – and that's the perfect opportunity to plan ahead, so you can minimize stress and maximize family memories. Like anything, planning reduces stress. It can help you save money, and time, and make the actual trip more relaxing. I like to use the "flexible dates" option when booking flights, then using a combination of Miles and no-frills seats, to save money. Home and apartment rentals instead of hotels are becoming much more popular in 2017. And, especially for me when my family includes growing boys, all-inclusive properties can make a lot of sense. Don't forget all-inclusives include cruises. Cruises also have the added benefit of built in excursion ideas, so you don't have to do all the homework. I'll be perfectly honest, my husband and I didn't think we were cruise people, and you know what? It's kind of perfect. There's always something to see, great food, you get to see a lot of places instead of just one destination, and your kids, depending on their ages can hang out safely on different parts of the ship. And it can be so economical! Carnival Cruise Line for example is offering some of its best prices of the year, with more than 15 different deals through January 31st. It's part of their say YES to FUN, promotion, and who doesn't want to do that? I you can take a three day or a fifteen day cruise, or anything in between to places like the Caribbean, Mexico and the Bahamas. And you may not want to even get off the ship! Carnival's brand new Vista which sails from Miami offers an IMAX theater and its own brewery onboard. There's also a unique experience called SkyRide, where you can pedal high above the ship and take in views like you’ve never seen before. You can get more info on some of the best prices of the year, and free upgrades at carnival.com There are a number of free ways to get the most out of your vacation. First-- wake up early. You can pack more in your day, and the lines are shorter at tourist hot spots Pack light-- save on baggage fees and skip the carousel. Wear your bulkiest clothes on plane and roll instead of laying flat your bagged items Talk to locals-- of all my travel memories, the ones that stick out the most are those created by getting to know local people and their culture. So educational and eye-opening! A local street party with food and music as absolutely the highlight of our trip to Turks and Caicos! And a last tip, because colds seem to happen when everything else is working out. There is a way to get better faster - Cold-EEZE lozenges are clinically proven to shorten your cold by almost half. And now Cold-EEZE has introduced Multi-Symptom lozenges, and gummies. They shorten your cold PLUS provide relief for cold & flu symptoms, including cough, congestion and sore throat. I use these all the time, and honestly, if I use these lozenges or gummies at the very first sign of a cold, I'm better within a day or two. Definitely worth packing, just in case! Wherever your vacation plans take you, safe travels!
