How to Budget for an Affordable Family Vacation {Simply a Tip}

Summer is the time for vacations, whether it’s visiting family or just getting away for a weekend. The only problem: vacations can be expensive, from gas for the car to flights, hotels, and every meal at a restaurant.

Chicago Healers Practitioner Julie Casserly, MBA urges vacationers to “Position yourself to be lucky to spend the amount of money you actually have for a vacation, instead of going into debt and later on having to pay for past choices. No one likes having what I call a ‘spending hangover;’ it takes all the fun out of going on vacation in the first place.

• Last Minute Deals – In a world where there are so many things to do, most of the travel websites will have last minute trips at a deep discount, particularly in economic environment. Decide a budget and search online for an all-inclusive trip for the long weekend that falls into that number. The exciting part is that you are leaving yourself open to trying a new adventure or a new place.
• Look At The End, First - Decide priorities for a vacation and what amount to spend, and then build a plan out from there.
• Choose the Day – Choose to travel on cheaper air fare days, say Tuesday – Saturday
• Name Your Price – Rent a car, hotel, or airfare through priceline.com where customers can name a price. Sometimes it can be 30% less expensive.
• Pack the Snacks – If a road trip in the works, pack a cooler!!! No need to spend extra money on those high cost, high calorie snacks and fast food meals.
• One Stop Shopping – Buy in bulk; get airfare, hotel, and car from one vendor.
• Locals Know Best – Interact with the locals to learn the best restaurants and tours, where the prices won’t be spiked just for tourists.
• Set the Plan and Open an Account – Plan for future trips: set financial intentions by opening up a separate savings account that is ONLY to be used for vacations. Set a plan for how much to spend each year on vacations and be sure to put aside an appropriate amount per paycheck that will allow for this later in the year.

Casserly explains further saying “It’s all about what free cash you have to be able to afford a vacation and about what is right for you and your family, there is no right or wrong, it’s about what you have chosen as your financial priorities and making sure that you create a positive energy flow from your spending (spending on a cash basis) and not a negative energy flow (spending with debt).”

a simple photography tip {6 ways to take a better photo}

These are a few tips to help you take better pictures of your family and friends.  You don't need a fancy camera to be able to do these things...that's what so great about it!  Try it...Post on your blog and link back here...we would love to see them!

1. Get down on their level. Hold your camera at the subjects eye level to capture the power of magnetic gazes and mesmerizing smiles. For kids and pets, that means getting down on their level to take the picture. They don't have to look directly into the camera, the eye level angle by itself will create a personal and inviting feeling.

2. Move in Close. To create impactful images, move in close and fill your picture with the subject. Move a few steps closer or use the zoom until the subject fills the viewfinder. You will eliminate background distractions and show off the details of your subject. For small objects, use the camera's marco or 'flower' mode to get sharp close-up pictures.

3. Use a plain background. Before taking a picture, check the background behind your subject. Look out for trees and poles sprouting out of your subject's head. A cluttered background will be distracting while a plain background will emphasize your subject.

4. Move it from the middle. Bring your picture to life simply by placing your subject off-center. Imagine a tic-tac-toe grid in your viewfinder. Now place your subject at one of the intersections of lines. Since most camera's focus on whatever in the middle, remember to lock the focus on your subject before re-framing your shot.

5. Watch the light. Great light makes great pictures. Study the effects of light in your pictures. For the people pictures chose the soft lighting of cloudy days. Avoid overhead sunlight that casts harsh shadows across faces. For scenic pictures, use the long shadows and color of early and late daylight. (I think this photo could be lightened a little bit as well...LOL) But just look at how the light is even on the overall picture.

6. Use Natural light - don't use those on board flashes :: turn them off and go find a window with gorgeous light coming in.  I took this with my front door open and the light shining right in. It was perfect.

kid friendly sandwiches

What child wouldn't eat a sandwich that looked like this? I thought these were fun and a great way to get your kids to eat! Check out the tutorial here.

Halloween Safety Tips & Giveaway

We are all gearing up for another year of Halloween parties, costumes, and trick-or-treating!

But have you thought of ways to keep your kiddies safe as they venture out for a fun night of candy collecting??

Safety experts have teamed up to develop some safety tips for parents and drivers that we get to share with you to help you be prepared!!

Keeping Kids Safe on Halloween

Halloween is an exciting holiday for children, but they can be vulnerable to injury on this night. To ensure trick-or-treaters stay safe, Safe Kids recommends that children:

Always trick-or-treat with an adult until age 10

Only trick-or-treat in familiar areas that are well lit

Cross streets at corners, using traffic signals & crosswalks

Look left, right and left again when crossing; always walk, don’t run, when crossing streets

Make eye contact with drivers and watch for cars that are turning or backing up

Walk on sidewalks or paths; if there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible

Never dart out into the street or cross in between parked cars

Wear light-colored, flame-retardant, costumes decorated with retro-reflective tape or stickers

Wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes to prevent trips & falls

Carry a flashlight or glow stick to increase visibility to drivers

Wear face paint and makeup; a mask can restrict a child’s vision

Driving Safely on Halloween

Drivers need to do their part to keep trick-or-treaters safe from harm. FedEx reminds motorists to be extra careful this Halloween and recommends that drivers:

Be especially alert in residential neighborhoods

Drive more slowly and anticipate heavy pedestrian traffic on and near the road

Be sure to drive with your full headlights on so you can spot children from greater distances

Take extra time to actively look for kids at intersections, on medians & on curbs

Remember that costumes can limit children’s visibility & they may not be able to see your vehicle

Enter and exit driveways and alleys slowly & carefully

Remember that children are excited on this night & may move in unpredictable ways

Remember that popular trick-or-treating hours are during the typical rush-hour period, between 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Reduce any distractions inside your car so you can concentrate on the road & pedestrians

WIN YOUR OWN KIT!! We are giving away 3 safety kits to 4 Families!! They include items that help keep your kids visible to drivers - Reflective trick-or-treat bag, Blinky light, Reflector tag (can attach to zippers), Reflective shoe laces, Reflective wristband and Safety tip sheet!!


To enter, comment what your kids will be dressed like.

For a second comment, list the safety tip that you learned or plan to use on Sunday night (or whenever your town is trick-or-treating!).

Comment again if you blog this giveaway, tweet it, or post about it on Facebook:)

This is a TODAY ONLY giveaway:) So go ahead and comment now!! And we'll be picking a winner Thursday night at 10pm in an effort to get those families their kits to use on Sunday!!
Also those randomly chosen will have to respond to their email ASAP so they can get this by Halloween:)

Blu's Birthday Club

I don't know about you, but I LOVE getting great deals and specials just for signing up for newsletters or birthday clubs.  I recently was informed of the new Blu's Birthday Club at Little Twig and just had to share...

Little Twig offers organic bath and body care related products and accessories for your little ones.  They have fun kid friendly scents (Happy Tangerine and Calming Lavender) and even offer an Extra Mild Unscented baby wash, bubble bath, baby powder, diaper cream and bodymilk for those little ones with sensitivities!!!

HERE IS HOW TO SIGN UP:
1. email busybee@littletwig.com
2. subject line: BIRTHDAY CLUB

3. Include the following info: child(s) birthday, photo of your child(s), and your shipping address.


Your child will receive a 25% discount* on your birthday shopping spree. They will also receive a free gift from Little Twig with your order!

*Discount cannot be combined with other discounts and is only valid for one-time use. Coupon code must be entered at the time of checkout.  Discount will be applied during checkout before shipping/handling.
 

Trading Cradles

If you are a new parent in America, you will probably spend more than $10,000 on your baby in the first year alone. By the end of that year your baby will have probably outgrown everything three times. The stroller, the crib, the car seat, the wardrobe and much more will find their way into your closet and start to collect dust.

Trading Cradles is to help parents sell or give away that great stuff. After all, it is worth thousands of dollars to somebody! This service has three core pillars that will help parents and kids all over the world.

Make it Easy.

Selling stuff is fast and hassle free. Write a 250-character (Twitter-like) ad, post 1 image and in 30 seconds your stuff is ready to sell. Buying is easy. No registration, lightning fast browsing and immediate direct contact with the sellers.

Make it Free.

The site was designed to help parents save money by offering a great service! Parents can put ads on tradingcradles.com for no cost. And, unlike other sites, they don’t charge parents when transactions occur. They simply connect buyers and sellers, in their cities.

Keep it Safe.

Safety is one of the most important characteristics of any site that deals with little ones. Their parental team approves every ad before making it available on the site.

No matter how much money you might have, every baby deserves a safe car seat, a comfy crib, and a happy new life! At Trading Cradles, it is their mission to make sure no babies are left behind.

Check out their services at tradingcradles.com. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

I potty trained my child in 3 days...

...yep, it's true.

Thanks to the 3 Day Potty Training Method by Lora Jensen, my 3 year old was fully potty trained in 3 days. I am now counting this as my #1 parenting tip. You can read our success story on my personal blog here.

We have featured the 3 Day Potty Training Method here on SIMPLE once before. I was so pleased with the program, that I asked Lora if we could feature her program again.

If you are anything like me, potty training is a dreaded task. I WAS NOT looking forward to it, hence the reason I didn't even ATTEMPT it until my child was 3! And although it was A LOT of work, I can honestly say the the whole experience was really fun. It gave me a wonderful opportunity to nurture and have fun with my little boy as we tackled this milestone in his life.

Through Lora's program, you will learn to guide your child through the potty training process. She teaches you how to gently potty train your child without "forcing the issue", yet help them cultivate the desire to get to the toilet when their body tells them "it's time!" Even the STUBBORN ones!

With the 3 Day Potty Training Method, you get an eBook that's a quick read (only about 50 pages), printable potty charts and stickers, and lifetime access to their online helpdesk! I used the helpdesk several times - they were always prompt in their response and gave me tips that WORKED!

GET YOUR OWN!! Head over the 3 Day Potty Training Method website, and download the program for just $24. They even offer a version for your iphone or Blackberry. Your child could be diaper free 3 days from now!

WIN YOUR OWN!! We've got TWO eBooks to give away! (a $24 value each) To enter, visit the 3 Day Potty Training Method website, then comment here telling us something you learned about the program.

For additional entries: (make additional comment for each)

• "Like" SIMPLE on Facebook
• Become a new follower of SIMPLE (add yourself on our sidebar)
  
• Blog about this giveaway linking back to SIMPLE and 3 Day Potty Training
  
• Tweet this giveaway

Winners will be randomly selected and announced 6/24/10. Good luck!

Motor Oil Matters & Jiffy Lube GC

Did you know more than 54 percent of customers who take their vehicles for service and repair are women?

And that using a high-quality motor oil in the right grade can help maximize fuel economy?

So we women need to be informed and ready to talk "car talk" when we take care of our vehicles. I am fortunate to have a husband who takes good care of our cars, so I don't usually have to don't worry about what type of oil to use.... but I've stood in a motor oil aisle before staring at all the choices... LOL!!

There is a website, MotorOilMatters.org, that can help us women be informed about what oil to use and how to keep our vehicles run efficiently:) My favorite parts of the website is Choosing the Right Oil and 7 question interactive quiz that tested my oil knowledge! Let's just say some of the terms were totally NEW to me:)

After reading through the site, I am ready to get my own oil changed and better care for our beloved minivan! And you will be, too!!

WIN YOUR OWN!! We have a $35 Jiffy Lube gift card (which will cover an oil change) for a SIMPLE reader compliments of MyBlogSpark, MotorOilMatters.org and Jiffy Lube! Visit MotorOilMatters.org and take the quiz and share the results OR share a fact you learned:)

For more entries:

• Become a fan of SIMPLE on Facebook
• Blog about this giveaway and leave the link
• Tweet this giveaway
• Become or be a follower of SIMPLE
  

This giveaway ends June 25th:)

***The gift card, information and giveaway have all been provided to me by Shell
Lubricants and motoroilmatters.org through MyBlogSpark.

Valentine's Day Tax Discount

Are your taxes done????

I am soo thankful that my husband gladly takes over that BIG job each year!! WHen I saw this offer from H&R Block, I figured there would be more SIMPLE readers who'd love to have some "help" with their taxes this year with a well-known tax firm and at a BARGAIN price!!!

As a Valentine treat, starting on Friday, February 12th through Sunday, February 14 th, taxpayers are invited to register to use any H&R Block At Home online product for only $14.00. That is a 50% discount off H&R Block At Home Deluxe and 70% off H&R Block At Home Premium.

If you register February 12th – 14th, you will receive the full menu of advanced features that H&R Block At Home Basic, Deluxe and Premium offer, such as (from their website):

• Audit support from a live tax professional


• Import last year’s tax data from TurboTax or TaxCut


• Automatic import of data from your employer and financial provider


• Tailored guidance for your personal situation or occupation


• Easy-to-use tax calculator

You can register here: http://hrblock.com/cmpgn/valentine/index.html

*I have not personally used this service, but was contacted to share the great savings and hopes my husband takes advantge of this offer to save him some time this tax season!

Huge Sale! 40% UpperCase Living Designs!

Remember this review where I got to show off my beautiful custom made wall decal from UpperCase Living?

Well I couldn't pass up the opportunity to tell you about a HUGE sale they're having. They are offering 40% off of over 200 designs, with free shipping on orders over $50.

Head over to Lynette's UpperCase Living website for all the details. You're sure to find something you can't live without! And if you need help or have questions, be sure to contact Lynette (her info is on the site) because she is incredibly helpful and creative!

Sale ends Monday 1/4/10 at midnight.

BJs Review and Giveaway

We all need groceries!!! During the holidays with parties and visits with family, it seems like we go through more groceries than normal:)

To help with the holiday season, I was offered an opportunity to shop at BJs Wholesale Club and a $25 gift card* to get me started!!! I was excited about the task since I LOVE sales, good deals and coupons. And I was very interested in learning more about BJs!

I begin my adventure I started by getting a 60-day free membership. Since we live at least 1.5 hours from a BJs, I didn't participate in their special new-member paid offer for $45, which included a $10 coupon, an extra two months of membership, 2 books full of coupons off everyday items and 2 membership cards. What I did like about the offer was that it was completely refundable, if you were not satisfied with your experience at anytime you could cancel and get the full $45 back!! That is IMPRESSIVE!

Did I mention BJs likes coupons!! Besides offering their own coupons regularly through mailings, at customer service and when you become a member, BJs also accepts manufacturer's coupons (like the ones in the newspaper)!! And you can use both types on the same item (AKA... stack them)!! And BJs also has items that offer rebates! So there are many ways to save at BJs!

Let me share my experience..... I am planning to do A LOT of baking this Christmas, so I went into BJs looking for some basic ingredients. If I had been looking for treats and party foods already made I would have been in party-host heaven..... but since I was looking for the basics (like flour and sugar) I was disappointed!!

I also had trouble comparing prices because of the bigger sizes:) I did find some items (like soymilk and some electronics) very competivitely priced compared to the local stores I shop. Other items seemed overpriced to me... it wasn't until I was walking out that I remembered that on most of the items that I would purchase at BJs I would have manuacturer's coupons and maybe even a BJs coupon. So the Cheerios that I saw would have actually only been a little over a $1 with the newspaper coupon and the BJs member coupon (which was $3 off.... wow)!!

I did walk out with a Christmas present for my parents! The item was a brand-name that we trust and BJs was offering a good price for it plus a rebate. When leaving I realized that I didn't receive information about the rebate and I went to the customer service desk. They also couldn't find the information I needed!! So they immediately gave me the rebate in cash... so BJs got an "A +" for the customer service I received!!!!

Get your Own!! You can get your own 60-day Free Trial Membership at BJs. But you'll have to choose whether you'll take the free membership or paid-special. Click here to locate your nearest club - http://www.bjs.com/general/locator/index.

Win your Own!! MyBlogSpark is giving a SIMPLE reader a BJs Saving Soultions pack which includes a $25 gift card, coupons, and special BJs offers from the BJs Journal:) To enter, answer this question as a comment, "What items would you love to stock-up on at BJ’s?"

Extra Entries:
•Be or become a Follower of SIMPLE
•Be or become a fan of SIMPLE on Facebook
•Blog about this giveaway, linking back to both SIMPLE and BJs (leave the URL)
•Tweet this giveaway, include us in the tweet @simplereviews

Giveaway ends December 18th with a winner randomly chosen!! Good Luck :)





* BJ´s Wholesale Club and General Mills provided me with the free trial membership, complimentary gift card, coupons and information through MyBlogSpark.

Have an Eek-O-Friendly Halloween

Back in the day, Halloween was different. It was a time to create, be imaginative, and it was a low-budget holiday. I still remember the countless decorations and costumes that were made out of old sheets and cardboard, not bought. The treats were homemade and trick or treating was done on foot. We used old pillowcases as candy bags! Back then, Halloween was green and it didn't even phase us. It was fun. Now, almost $6 billion a year is spent on costumes, candy, decor and other accessories, most of which are made from unhealthy, unsustainable materials, by people who may not be paid living wages or treated fairly. Most of the stuff - what isn't consumed - winds up in landfills. It is time to get back to basics - having good clean fun!

Environmentally minded businesses are increasingly finding one another to join together and strengthen the message. GreenHalloween is a non-profit, grassroots initiative striving to create healthier, eco-friendlier holidays - starting with Halloween. The mother and daughter team has come up with 25 Green Halloween tips to help with planning and reducing the cleanup. Here are some of their tips (to read all of their great tips and ideas, go to http://www.greenhalloween.org/):

• Apply the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to all of your holiday choices: costumes, décor, goodies, etc. Of the 3 R’s, reducing is the best for the Earth, our wallets and, in regard to food, our waistlines. Rent, borrow, make or acquire used, when possible, to avoid buying new, especially disposables.
• Consider your costumes. The truth is, many store-bought costumes and accessories contain toxic chemicals that not only are a potential hazard to your child, but also to the environment and the people who helped to make them. Choose fabrics such as cotton, wool and silk or make costumes yourself from materials you know to be safe.
• Trim your trick-or-treats. Hand out less candy. Preferably your goodies of choice are healthy and/or Earth-friendly, but even if they’re not, handing out just one (rather than the conventional handful) of something is better for kids, better for the planet and better for your bank account.
• Choose eek-o-décor. Say ‘no’ to disposables and instead, re-use or re-purpose items you already own. Look also for items from nature and don’t forget to decorate with food (consumable décor). If you must use disposables, look for products that are reusable and recyclable items like Kids Konserve Party Pak.
• Instead of buying a goodie bag use your Kids Konserve Reusable Lunch Sack or Kids Konserve Drawstring Bag.
• Make your own face paints – the recipe can be found in the book, Celebrate Green!
  Invitations – use e-invitations or make your own from reused, recycled or tree-free sources.
• Start small and build your confidence. Start simply by having (and using) a recycle bin at your party or by going bottled water-free. You can green up each of your next celebrations a little bit at a time until celebrating green-style becomes old hat. Small things add up to big things.
• Don’t drive to trick or treat. Encourage your neighbors to go green and then go door-to-door near you. It’s good for you and the planet and builds community.

For many schools, Halloween kicks off the 1st Classroom Party for the new school year. Signups are posted and the party planning is under way, thanks to all the parent and PTA involvement. Who is bringing the paper products? Let Kids Konserve help you keep the trash out of the bash with our Party Pak.

Kids Konserve has parties in the Bag!

SIMPLY A COUPON!! Kids Konserve would like to offer a 15% coupon code valid through the end of October: halloween

Can you bTrendie? Yes you can!

A few weeks ago I was introduced by a friend to a really unique and fun site called

bTrendie

The name alone caught my interest and I immediately loved it.

bTrendie is not your typical product site.
You not only get to view great mom items... win a few on occasion but also get incredible discounts! Forget 10% off... how about 35-50% off?

bTrendie each week will bring you new deals on the latest and hottest mom products around.

The photo to the right is an item I got for Caleb. Its a book retailed for $30.00... I got it for $10! Caleb loves it.

In order to take advantage of this though you have to have an invitation code.

Go to http://www.btrendie.com/ and use the invite code "DREA" (it may be case sensitive.. if so try Drea) and you are in.
Feel free to share this with your friends while the invite is still available.
So hurry and spread the word. ITS FREE through me! :)

I will have a button on my side bar for as long as the invite is open. In case you miss this post :)Let me know if you join and how you like it.

I just checked out whats going on this week... and they have two great giveaways (all you have to do is click a button to enter them.. no comments or anything needed, or posting). They also have an incredible deal going for PEANUT SHELL pouch slings.. over 60 % off!!

Are you earning your Swagbucks?

Almost a month ago I signed up for SWAGBUCKS. When I 1st heard of about this site I thought it was a total joke... until I started using it.

Swagbucks is basically a system similar to google... except! You earn while you browse.

I downloaded the swagbook search tool to use on my browser (for firefox)... Any time I needed to find something online I typed in a few keywords and hit enter. It then would take me to the sites I needed to find. Swagbucks also allows you to search for images and more just like any search engine.

The difference? You earn bucks for it!

The swagbucks will come up occasionally as you use their site. You collect them any time you search... or shop via swagbucks.

I have just over 40 swagbucks... all from searching. 

GET YOUR OWN: Sign up for free and get your own swagbucks account. Its very user friendly and you can start earning free cash today. 

A New Trick for YOUR Keys!

PUT YOUR CAR KEYS BESIDE YOUR BED AT NIGHT

Of course this only works if you have a car alarm system in your car, right?

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this:

It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar rapist won't stick around... After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there ...... This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

P.S. This would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. For the elderly...suggest that they carry their car keys outside on case they fall (perhaps around their neck on a necklace). Activating the alarm to notify someone of a problem.

Please pass this on even IF you've read it before.

It's a reminder and it might save your life....or someone you love.