Hello pretties,
Staycations, what a fun way to get some rest and relaxation while enjoying your hometown. I posted on Instagram about my Labor Day getaway, so today I’m sharing more about a hidden gem – Hotel Indigo here in The A. Take a peek…
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Travel Insurance – Let’s Go
Image: personal – Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado, CA
Hello pretties,
Travel is still on the agenda. I know you are thinking it is September 1 and summer is coming to an end and thus your travel adventures. Fear not, there are lots of places to see even as the weather changes and as the holiday season approaches. However, before you start packing, let’s talk travel insurance…
5 Reasons You Need Travel Insurance
1. Once you spend the bucks and the time to get that coveted passport, you guard it with your life. But what happens if your wallet and passport are stolen while you are snapping pictures at Stonehenge.
2. The Farmer’s Almanac said the weather was going to be great, but Hurricane So and So did not get the memo and you have to evacuate that lovely resort.
3. You told your cousin you did not want to rent that cute convertible to travel the curvy roads on the Amalfi Coast. But, Noooo and bam, you hit a guardrail.
4. Trying new foods is always fun when traveling but your stomach is doing somersaults and the room is spinning, you need to visit “el hospital”.
5. Mama said that cheap flight was too good to be true. She was right – Fly Cheaper Airlines is now bankrupt.
Image – personal – Coronado, CA
Yes there are many more scenarios where travel insurance will save your rumpus, but I especially recommend it for any international travel. The prices and coverage varies depending upon the carrier. The cheapest might not provide the level of coverage you need. Conversely, do not overbuy either! Make sure you read the fine print.
Do you consider travel insurance when vacay planning and have you purchased it? Happy Travels!
Linking with these lovely bloggers.
Beach Ready – 3 Must Haves
Hello pretties,
Beach! Isn’t that what Summer is all about. Sand, sun, and blue water – thank you light reflection! But pretties, let’s keep it real simple with three must haves for some much needed R&R – big ol’ floppy hat, cute tote, and simple flip flops. Here are nine handpicked easy peasy pieces, take a peek…
Yes, you are now ready to sit back and enjoy some time off with this trio of goodies. No matter how your melanin is popping, block out some of those sun rays with a big hat and yes girl, everyone looks good in a big hat and stylish sunnies. A good size tote is perfect for carrying a good book and we love sand but not in our toes, so a simple pair of flip flops is just the ticket.
I am counting down to laying back, listening to some bouncing waves, while reading a page turner and sipping on a mojito. What are your favorite beach accessories!
Linking with these lovely bloggers.
5 Places To Stay – Let’s Go
Hello pretties,
July is my month with birthdays and vacation, it is time to hit the road. Where to stay is a big part of vacation planning and besides airfare is your second biggest decision. As a confessed hotel snob, I am always on the hunt for a cute place to stay. But hotels are not your only option. Here five options for your next getaway…
Alternatives To Hotels
Bed and Breakfasts or B&Bs are small homes that have been converted for guests. With this experience you get a cozy place to stay and you can mix and mingle with other guests at meals or in common areas like a yard or patio.
Recreational Vehicles or RVs is basically a house on wheels. They include many of the comforts and convenience of home like a kitchen, bed, and a bathroom. RV’s come in many shapes and sizes from the tow version that hooks up to your truck or SUV to massive coaches.
Vacation rentals are a nice home away from home. You get the full run of the house including kitchen, living/sleeping spaces, laundry facilities and sometimes extras like a hot tub, grill, pool table, and games like PlayStation 2/ X-Box or vintage arcade games. You can also rent a condominium with similar accommodations.
Capsule hotels a small room for one person. Expect usually a bed or mattress, radio, and TV. This is a no frills, inexpensive option. Rent more than one for the family.
Villa a big estate usually tucked away in the countryside of your destination. You will typically have a well appointed kitchen, living/dining areas, multiple bedrooms and a swimming pool, patio, or garden. Some villas also come with a service staff.
There are good alternatives to hotel stays in the full range of pricing from cheap to luxury. If you’re not feeling adventurous, TripAdvisor is a good resource for lodging. Which one would you try for your next vacation?
Linking with these lovely bloggers.
Saving Coins For Vacation – Let’s Go
Personal photo – Carnival Breeze- Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Hello pretties,
Saving coins for vacation is always on the agenda because you never know when a fabulous deal could pop up! So, finding this app was right on-time. Summer is just about 20 days away so you have plenty of time to save up for a summer vacay. Qapital is an app that helps you save for anything. Here is how it works…
Download the app from iTunes or Google Play
What do you want to save for?
Name the goal – plane tickets, luggage, or passport fees for example and the saving amount
How will you save? I chose the round-up method
The amount you spend is rounded up to the next $1.00
So fun to see that money adding up
In the above example, the goal is $100 for Souvenir and then you can see my actual goal, round up of a purchase and amount saved! This is a no-brainer and totally free. Just tie to your account and the app does the work. There is a built in fail-safe so you do not overdraw your account and best of all it is FDIC insured, just like with your bank. I thought the round-up method was the easiest way to save, but Qapital offers other methods as well. You can withdraw your money at any time via the app with no fees. This app just rocks and I will have a nice piece of change for summer vacation.
Would you use an app like this to save money?
Linking with these lovely bloggers.
**This post is not sponsored, I’m just psyched about this app! An update, I now have $12 saved up!
Another update: I have saved for multiple trips using this app!
Hopper App – Let’s Go
Hello pretties,
Hopper is one more app to add to your smartphone. Y’all know I love to travel but I have to get my coins in order. I do not want to spend all my money on just the flight cause sightseeing, eating, and shopping are always a part of the vacay plans. So in steps Hopper. This app is the bomb, it not only lets you book the flight via your phone, but tells you when it is the best time to buy your ticket.
This cute little bunny pops up on your phone
Your flight predication displays – Wait or Buy
Hopper gives the details on future flight prices
If you decide to buy, you can pick the airline and then book the flight
Sadly, all the airlines don’t supply flight details
Hopper is a cool app that I have been using for a few weeks now to plan for some upcoming trips. This is an easy way to watch multiple trips and get information for most airlines, except of course my hometown favorite Delta. But to secure a good deal, I would definitely fly a different airline. It is a free app and there are no hidden fees with booking your flight. And don’t worry, the site is secure and you can select seats and check bags all in the app. Look for it on iTunes and Google Play.
Do you use an app for flight deals?
Enjoy Cinco de Mayo today!
Linking with these lovely bloggers.
**This is not a sponsored post, I just like this app!
Epic Hong Kong – Part II
Hello pretties,
Epic Hong Kong China, continuing my last post with more pictures of life and times in this far east locale. I think I have close to 300 pictures! These are some of the city sights as well as some of the tourist spots…take peek ( may load slowly).
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Hong Kong All Kinds Of Epic – Let’s Go
Hello pretties,
Hong Kong for Spring Break 2016, EPIC! I had no plans for visiting this unique destination, but a deal popped up on a Thursday, booked the flight on Friday, booked the hotel on Saturday, and flew out on Wednesday. YOLO! When these travel deals pop-up honey, you gotta jump on em’. I am going to share more on how to snag deals in a future post! Part One of the trip highlights, take a peek…(sorry for the slow load)!
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TripAdvisor – 3 Ways I Use It To Pick A Hotel
Hi Pretties,
TripAdvisor is my travel boo! When I start feeling that travel bug coming on, my first step in travel planning is consulting the boo! If you have not used TripAdvisor, it is an online travel resource for all things travel – transportation, lodging, dining, and attractions. Today I want to share with y’all the three ways to use this information-rich site to find the perfect hotel room!
Join The Fun
First things first, create your own account on the site so you can interact with travelers from all over the world!
Hotels
I am a hotel snob, period. On family trips, we would stay at nice hotels and my folks would let us order room service. I got spoiled early. So now I get giddy if the room has a big, comfy bed, with those fabulous mattresses, is well decorated in modern trends but not overly done and is decked out with all the fancy amenities. I am very particular about where I lay my head. So before I even pick a flight, I start researching hotels. But how do you know the hotel in the pictures on the website is the real deal? That is where TripAdvisor comes in – you can see a ranking of nearly all the hotels in a given area. So if you were visiting The A, you would enter Atlanta, Georgia and click on hotels in Atlanta.
And, like magic, up pops a huge hotel list with 3 things that you want to look at more closely – hotel rating, hotel reviews, and hotel ranking.
Anatomy of the Hotel Listing
The hotel rating is based on a bubble system represented by the green bubbles, the more bubbles the better
The hotel reviews should again be a big number, the higher the number the more guest reviews
The ranking should be a lower number, a hotel in the top 25 is a better choice
Now, take those data points(yeah, nerdy diva here) and use those to select your hotel. For the bubbles, look at 4 or more and remember more bubbles doesn’t always mean a higher price. A really cute boutique hotel (my favorite) could have 5 bubbles and a very reasonable price per night. Read the reviews, but start with the not so positive reviews. Sometimes people have legitimate issues with the room or hotel service, but a lot of people are jerks. Look for themes, are a lot of reviewers complaining about the same topic i.e., couldn’t get extra towels, room not cleaned, etc., then maybe pass because that could mean the hotel does have some issues. The ranking is my favorite, but a low ranking such as #1 could and usually does mean a higher price. But consider with that price will come a fantastic hotel stay. Narrow your choices down and you can book right from the site. Easy peasy right!
Join TripAdvisor and start leaving reviews on your travel experiences, your flight, the hotel, restaurants, and the attractions. It is a big help to other travelers! And check out my reviews too!
Have you used TripAdvisor? Happy April 1st!
Linking with these lovely bloggers.
5 Ways To Save For Travel – Let’s Go
Hello,
It is cold right now and traveling might not be top of mind, but it is always travel season. One of things that folks say most often is “I can’t afford to travel.” I get it, travel is not cheap and can be very expensive with flights, hotels, food, new clothes, souvenirs, etc. it adds up. But you can travel, just by developing new habits to help you save money.
Save Away
1. If you can’t see it, you can’t spend it! Open a savings account with an on-line bank. Yeah I know interest rates are between .75% and 2.00% but you’ll be squirreling away money for your travels. Start with $50 a month and by year’s end you will have saved over $600 to spend on your travels. It’s worth it
2. I love my Caramel Macchiato, but real talk, it is on the pricey side. Skip the fancy coffee everyday and save it for a cup of espresso on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées or a sweet red in Napa
3. If you are drinking the H2O which I know you are, ditch those plastic bottles and invest in a metal bottle. Let’s do the math – water is like $1.00 a bottle on the low end, 1 bottle a day/per month = $30X12=$360 a year on dang water. Filling your own bottle with tap water could build a fat savings for fun travel
4. Couponing is all the rage right now. Start clipping coupons from newspapers, online sites, and mobile sites. The trick to couponing, coupon what you actually use day-to-day. It is not a deal if you wind up not using the product. Keep those coupons organized so you use them efficiently on your next shopping trip
5. Get an extra gig! You have talents and gifts, let them work for you! I’m in HR and I can write resumes/cover letters or provide interview tips. Not sure how to best use your talents, start here. Yes folks will pay $5 for all kinds of expertise
You can travel! Every amount you save can go towards transportation, accommodations, or sightseeing. Tell me how you save money for travel!
Linking with these lovely bloggers.