Packing for family trip light mode

 

Belkin surge protector/power strip  this is perfect for traveling to protect your small devices and laptops and it also has a couple of usb ports its just you or a couple of people 

Anker 5 port charger this is what I always take for family travel  it has enough to charge all of our devices and I can have each port designated to a different type of charger so it’s ready to go when someone needs it

Malirona travel bag  this bag has traveled with us to Korea and Florida twice each  it’s cute and it is extremely durable with lots of pockets and a strap to keep it attached to your wheeled luggage  

Large collapsible travel duffle this duffle isn’t as good of quality but folds down to almost nothing and still has made it through multiple trips including road trips

Compression packing cubes these are perfect for packing and really do reduce the luggage space needed

Reusable travel luggage tags I can stretch these and remove them multiple times  they hold up through so much

Do you need to get your family to your destination lightly?  We are pretty good at that. And we didn’t end up needing anything when we got there. I even found out they wouldn’t provide enough paper towels and toilet paper at the condo so I packed some of that too. I got all of the floaties, tp, paper towels, beach towels, and toiletries for the whole family as well as our shoes and clothes between the three bags. Then coming back was lighter since we left some of the floaties and used our other paper towels and tp. 

The girls shared one small carry on roller, J had me to himself and C had his own. We each had a backpack personal bag with our chargers, stainless steel water bottles and snacks which meant they were almost empty on their or way back. And we all it all bottles in the checked luggage for the way back so nothing to deal with at TSA. Though 4 of us had pre check from previous trips. As a side note TSA NO LONGER tags other tickets on the same purchase trip as pre check so my husband and older son had to do regular TSA. The other kids and I took all of the bags through pre check so they would only have to deal with shoes and belts. With my husbands spinal cord injury that is hard enough. 

When we check bags to fly as a family the airlines are always amazed at how little we travel with but we are never short of anything. So it’s all in organization. 

Another little tip is that if you’re flying buy a roll of distinct ribbon at Walmart and tie it to each piece of luggage to make it easily identifiable at baggage claim  it has made this process so stress free.  

#ttavellight #usepackingcubes #tsaprecheck #organizedtravel

Don’t buy without a discount or cashback!

 

It’s only a couple bucks they say…..NOOOOOO

I always find SOME discount !

My 14 year of needed shoes so I shopped around and found good prices at Shoe Carnival. I’m a Perks member (it’s free) so I get free shipping to my home.  Btw, I know stores are changing a lot of policies so free shipping is getting harder to come by but I won’t but unless I can get it. Think about it. If the apparel you buy didn’t fit or the quality is lesser than you expect you just paid money to look at it. Nope!

Next, I always check coupon codes. RetailMeNot etc is a place to start. Nothing worked so I needed to decide if they were worth it. Well he needs them and with inflation a pair of tennis shoes at that price is good (sadly). Onto next step. 

Check out Rakuten for cash back.  Always!  They were only 2% so I checked out my Capital One  app for my Quicksilver card since I’d be paying with it anyways for the extra 1.5% cashback. And when I went to their offers they had 4% to shop through their app. So I doubled my credit card credit they will issue, later, to almost $3. 

$3.  Y’all need to learn to get a little more exited. $3 adds up. With inflation that’s what the cost of two loaves of bread went up and we eat that at least every week with 4 older kids in the house. 

👉👉👉get Capital One Quicksilver referral link  

#everydollarcounts  #moneysavingtips #capitolonesavings #finddiscounts

Sometimes procrastination pays off!

 

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. We paid $67.99 per ticket at the end of May 2023. We weren’t sure if we were going to go while we were there. I had already researched and found tickets on the website (a month prior) to be over $100/ticket for the timeframe. Then I checked my employee discount hub and they were around $95 each.  I was very much on the fence for that much for an amusement park.  

But the day we decided to go there was rain in the forecast, solid, for the rest of our trip and I didn’t want to get to do nothing. We had already spent 2 days solely on the beach. So I checked the Busch Gardens website once again that morning and the prices were down to $67.99. 

I will say it wasn’t really our cup of tea (mine and my husbands) but the kids had a good time and had been begging to go to Six Flags for a few years, so that’s out of their system. And it was different rides for them. I did enjoy the animals sprinkled throughout the park. 

And we had read about the free beer this summer so take advantage of that if you’re 21+. They do require a license so I didn’t get one. Even though I’m almost 50 they require a license. But my son and husband got theirs. It was a nice perk on a hot day. 

And the kids that rode the Iron Gwazi said it was the best ride. Outside of that the older kids rerode the Sheikra and the younger kids Tigris. 

Have fun this summer and keep this in mind to save money, possibly. 

#moneysavingtips #tampabayfun ##buschgardenstampabay

Best beachside eatery near Tampa

 

Went to eat @paradisegrille_fl  in Pass a Grille FL and got so much more than good food. FYI the buffalo shrimp is AWESOME!! The town is old seaside and extremely quaint.  The end of the island is just across the pass from Shell Key but the shells here were better and easier to find than Shell Key. Perfectly clear water and a beautiful sunset that people come for.  Go to this location and grab a great drink or some food and drinks and sit on a bench or picnic table to just people watch, watch the sunset, walk the beach or just enjoy the ambiance.  And the prices don’t bust a budget. Great place!! 

#paradisegrill #passagrille #floridasunsets #seashelllhuntjng #greatfoodinflorida #moneysavingtips

Great flight to Tampa so so car rental from Alamo

We had to fly out at 5:10. The Southwest Air staff were all super nice and the plane was clean. The flight was comfortable with the customary bag of snack mix and a drink on the flight to Tampa.  

The airfare was only $360 rountrip including Southwest’s early bird and Wanna Getaway Plus so we could get a credit to cancel and upgrade or change anytime. 

 We arrived on time and had our car from Alamo and out of the the airport in maybe 30 minutes including baggage claim.  We will see how the return of the Pacifica we rented goes on returning in the next several hours, but while pick up was smooth the vans all had damage and it makes you wonder if they’ll blame you for it. 

I used an employee discount program to rent for less than $500 for one week including unlimited miles. I used my Chase Freedom card to pay for the rental because it has automatic rental coverage and my auto owners covers us as well. Why pay extra?

Some were worse, as in plastic hanging.  But this one beeps at everything, slams on it’s brakes and the rear camera worked about 1/8 of the time. Good thing it was inexpensive. 

All in all inexpensive travel for a family of 6 adult priced anything!

All State Track kid #2

 

She got to stand on the first place podium her freshman year as an alternate for the girls 4x400 and as the 2nd place team in state. Her sister was a first place medalist in the girls 4x400 that year.  All the girls did so great that year and after the Covid break the year before it was tough for everyone. 

This year, now a junior, she was back in 8th place medaling in the girls 4x800 in the state.  She ran great and had a great time for herself and she’s hoping her senior year will be even better. We will be trying some incoming freshman out on the team as two left as seniors.  This team has gone to state for the past several years and only not placed one year. So we hope to keep that up. So proud of the grit!

The little things in life are the best

 I love these notes the kids have written over the years. Tooth fairy notes beat all. Literally her tooth fell in the heat vent under her window and she was was so upset. And J did. It like it when the tooth fairy missed his tooth for a little bit. And the toilet paper?  What mom doesn’t like leaving work to find a wad of toilet paper under her windshield wiper saying her kid had come by?  These are some of my favorite things. 

#favoritethings #goodmemories #lovemykids #itsthelittlethingsinlife