Category: Family Travel & Lifestyle
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Best Vacations for Animal-Loving Kids
If your kids are anything like mine, animals can instantly turn an ordinary day into an exciting adventure. A trip to the zoo becomes the highlight of the week. A dolphin sighting becomes the story they tell for months. And don’t even get me started on what happens when they get to pet a horse.…
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How We Budget for Travel With Two Little Kids
If you’ve ever looked at social media and wondered, “How are all these families traveling so much?” you’re not alone. As a travel advisor, I get asked this all the time. The assumption is usually that families who travel frequently are either wealthy or constantly putting vacations on credit cards. For our family, neither is…
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The Best Destinations for Moms Who Actually Want to Relax
If there’s one thing I’ve learned talking to moms, it’s this: Relaxation means something completely different depending on who you ask.Some moms dream of a beach chair, a frozen drink, and absolutely nothing on the schedule.Other moms (hi, it’s me) love relaxing too… but only for about a day. After that, I start wondering what…
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Why Some Vacations Feel Magical and Others Feel Stressful
Have you ever come home from a vacation feeling refreshed, happy, and full of amazing memories… while another trip leaves you wondering why you need a vacation from your vacation? The difference usually isn’t the destination.It’s the planning. I’ve learned this both as a travel advisor and as a mom traveling with toddlers, grandparents, siblings,…
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The Truth About Traveling During School Seasons
Our kids aren’t even in elementary school yet, and I already hear it all the time:“Just wait until school starts.”Usually it’s said after I talk about a trip we’ve taken, a cruise we’re planning, or one of our goals to see all 50 states and every continent.And honestly? They’re not wrong. Traveling with school-aged children…
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How To Travel More Without Being Rich
Hint: it’s not by going into debt. There’s this weird idea online that everyone traveling all the time is secretly rich. And honestly? Most of them aren’t.Some people are prioritizing travel over other things. Some are really strategic. Some are using points. Some are traveling off-season. Some are splitting costs with family. And yes… some…
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25 Cruise Items I Pack Every Time (And Actually Use)
I’ve taken enough cruises to know that the best packing lists aren’t the ones with 100 items you’ll never touch. They’re the lists built from experience—the things that solve problems before they become problems. Some of these items I’ve packed for years. Others were purchased after one cruise where I found myself saying, “Never again.”…
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The Vacation Upgrades that Are Actually Worth Paying For – And the Ones I Skip
Travel companies are really good at convincing you that every upgrade is essential. Priority boarding. Better views. Drink packages. Faster lines. Bigger rooms. Premium experiences.Before you know it, your $3,000 vacation has turned into a $5,000 vacation. The truth is that some upgrades genuinely make your trip better. Others simply make your wallet lighter. After…
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My Favorite Cruise Traditions to Start With Kids
One of my favorite things about traveling with children is creating traditions they look forward to year after year. Long after they forget the exact ports we visited or what ship we sailed on, they’ll remember the little rituals that made vacation feel special. Our family cruises aren’t built around checking off every activity on…
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Why Some Families Love Cruises – And Others Don’t
Full disclosure: We are absolutely the cruise-loving family. If cruises were a personality trait, they would probably be ours. My husband had never stepped foot on a cruise ship before our honeymoon. He wasn’t against cruising, but he definitely wasn’t convinced it was better than any other vacation. Then we sailed away from port, walked…