10 tips for getting away with great family travel deals.

It's getting to that time of the year when we start thinking about vacations. Because of our schedules and limited time and finances, I have to get creative when it comes to saving money. This allows us to be able to give our kids the chance to get away once in a while.



Alamo and Social Moms have teamed up because they want to know how families beat the rising cost of everything and what deals they use to make it happen!

Here are ten tips I use to get away:

1. Go on off season. We always go off season when we travel. Especially when we go to Florida. November is the best month to go in my opinion. It's not as hot and the lines are shorter.

2. Use company deals. The company my mom worked for offers special deals to their employees. They also have nice suites and cabins at very discounted prices, which is very cool!

3. Online coupons. I love using the internet for deals. Check different travel sites to find packages.

4. Booking a package. Booking your rental car and flight together will save you tons!

5. Save up points. If you belong to My Rewards or other point rewards programs, you can save them up and cash them in at resturaunts and other places to shop while on vacation.

6. Miles. Use your frequent miles-everyone should know about this!

7. City deals. We will be going to St. Louis this summer and by checking online, I discovered that you can get a city membership/pass to go to different attractions at discounted price-oh yeah!

8. Groupon. This is becoming very popular. Check to see if you can get a deal for the place/attraction you want to go to.

9. Stay close. Going to a neighboring city will save gas and time. Find out what attractions are near to where you live and enjoy a vacation near home. Sometimes, these are more relaxing then going far away.

10. Free tickets. Buy one get one free tickets save a fortune, like Adventureland or places like that. Look at your local supermarket to see if they carry them.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Alamo blogging program, for a gift card worth $25.

What if you were abducted?

What would your kids miss most about you if you were abducted by aliens?
When we started first seeing the commercials for Disney's new movie, Mars Needs Moms, I wondered if my kids would even notice I was gone. Then, I really started getting curious about what it was they would notice that I did for them. I always tell them that I do way too much for them and they could never survive without me (my husband included).

We started to make a game out of it, by having the kids not come and ask me to help them with anything that they might come across during the day. Boy, by the end of the day, they really realized how much they would miss me if I was gone-I would hope that a simple, I miss you cause I love you would fall in the equation.

Funny, that Social Moms and Disney would have a contest to do with what kids would miss if their mom was abducted by aliens. They are asking for moms to list ten things that their kids would miss if THEY were abducted.

Here are our top ten things your kids would miss most about you if you were abducted by aliens:

1. Making them after school snacks-it's not like I don't put fruit and Little Debbies in our cupboard and fridge for easy access.
2. Finding lost toys and other items-this is a big problem in our house. If it's not right in front of their nose, they can't seem to open drawers or lift anything to see.
3. Reading games- The littlest one cant fully read her games, so mom to the rescue.
4. Taking them to the store-dad could do it, but won't.
5. Cuddle with them before bedtime-awwwww!
6. Keeping fights at bay-they would kill each other if I wasn't here.
7. Helping with homework-or, should I say, DOING homework.
8. Hugs- That one was definitely just Emily. Maybe Jordon would miss them-maybe.
9. Feed the dogs-they would miss the dogs if they starved to death.
10. Make the best desserts-They love my cupcakes.

Do I have you thinking what your kids would miss? Ask them and see what they come up with!
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here

Simple changes

This year I wanted to change some things in my family's life to help make it better. I felt like we live a fast paced life and not the most healthy one either. I knew I had to do something when my son went as far as to have a teacher print out what healthy foods kids should eat. Oh boy what an eye opener! I knew I really didn't pay attention to our health, but I didn't know that my kids wanted to be healthier as well.

When I heard about Social Moms and Simply Orange wanting to know what simple changes people have been making in their lives, I had to get on board!

I didn't really want to make these New Year's Resolutions, just changing our way of life. Here are simple changes we made in our lives.

1. Change what we eat for breakfast. All of us either skip breakfast, or grab something fast. Usually, that meant a doughnut or fast food. Now, I make it a point to send the kids off with something nutritious, like an orange or oatmeal in a container that they can take with. On weekends, it's eggs and wheat toast.

2. Sit down for meals. Dinner was eaten in the living room in front of the tv. Now, we sit at the table, which allows us to spend time together to find out what the kids did at school.

3. Exercise. Another simple change was adding family exercising. Taking a walk together a couple of times a week allows us to spend time together and get in shape too!

4. Going on a budget. This may seem hard, but it was quite simple. Now, we have more money to spend on family night!

5. Be nicer. This is the most simple change you can do in your life. Being positive to others in your life can bring positive into your life. I've been trying to stop and take a breath before lashing out if I am in a bad mood. Not taking it out on others keeps you from feeling guilty later.

What simple changes would you make in your life if you could? Or, what changes have you made already? I would love to hear from you, or you can join Social Moms and list your own to win $25 Target card.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Simply Orange® blogging program. If I am one of the first 65 blogs received by SocialsMoms, I will receive a $25 Target gift card and a gift pack that includes a Simply Orange® cooler bag and logoed fleece."