Lauren B. Stevens

Cyber Security 101: 5 Tips for Keeping Your Kids Safe Online

2017/07 By Lauren B. Stevens 1 Comment

Today’s blog is a guest post contribution by Joanna Sommer, Senior Editor of InformedMag.

The rise of the internet and increased use of personal devices, even amongst children and teenagers, has created a very different landscape for parents. Even young parents are unlikely to have experienced the level of technology exposure that their children have today.

Today, most children have their own devices, including cell phones, tablets and laptops. This makes it more difficult for parents to monitor internet use and makes it more important than ever to teach your children about how to use the internet safely.

Begin with one device.

As your children get older, it is likely that they will ask to use the internet for school projects, to find something they saw on TV, or even to play online games. There are plenty of educational tools on the internet – so it is possible that you may even be the one to first introduce them to it.

At whichever point you allow them to go online, it is advisable to limit internet use to one family computer. This enables you to set up site blocking and review their online history to make sure that your rules are being respected. As they adopt safe online practices and become increasingly comfortable with the internet, you can incorporate their own devices as well.

Internet use is a privilege, not a right.

As your children begin to start to use the internet, it is important that they respect it as a tool that they only have access to by your permission. Especially in the beginning, they should ask your permission to go online.

Even with site blocking in place, you may want to restrict them to certain children-friendly sites in the beginning. Review their online history to make sure that they are adhering to your rules.

Have established guidelines for proper conduct.

Type of your internet use guidelines and post them by the computer so that your stance is clear. You may want to include some of the following items:

Express that permission is required before accessing the internet
Establish a time limit for use per day
List whichever sites are off limits (for young children these may include social media networks, for example)
State that they should never provide any personal information (full name, address, payment information) without your approval
State that they may not create a username and password for any site without your approval
State that they need your permission to enter any website that has a posted age limit
If your child is allowed to use an instant messaging service, establish guidelines around who they are allowed to talk to (classmates only, for example)

Be open about your concerns.

The internet is a great tool and source of information and should be treated as such. You do not need to scare your children away from it, but it can be helpful to have a frank conversation about what your concerns are. This may be as simple as explaining that there is content on the internet that is not suitable for young children. As they get older, you can be more specific about the nature of the content that you feel should be avoided. This will enable your children to identify what is and is not appropriate without relying on a site blocker.

Invest in internet safety software.

With the amount that children do use the internet in today’s world, and the number of devices that they have access to as they get older, it is impossible to monitor everything on your own. This is where internet safety software comes in.

Parental control software, such as Net Nanny, enables you to utilize filters to block unwanted content, such as sites related to porn, violence or hate. Full spectrum versions analyze page visits in real time, so if your child accidentally (or purposefully) stumbles upon a site with unwanted content, it will be blocked. You might also consider purchasing a ‘clean router’ to replace your usual internet router. This enables your parental control software to monitor all of the internet-using devices in the house.

Conclusion

By establishing proper use etiquette, and monitoring for adherence, from the beginning of your children’s internet use, you will establish good use habits and best safe principals that will keep your children safe. By being clear about your guidelines and concerns, and utilizing monitoring software, you can keep your children safer online.

About the author

Joanna is the Senior Editor for InformedMag and is passionate about security and tech. She has been working in the home safety and security field for 5 years. Joanna loves to travel and enjoys going to hot yoga and Barre classes. She is dedicated to creating articles that both educate and help people make informed purchasing decisions.

11 Activities To Tire Your Kids And Have Them Begging for Bedtime

2017/05 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

I’m happy to have Sharon Picone, founder of Sleep Metro, guest posting on the blog today!

Active play is a parent’s best friend. It develops kids’ physical fitness, confidence and motor skills, ensuring a good night’s sleep for kids—and parents! Any of these ten activities will have your kids quickly falling asleep.

Pro tip: Always follow active play with a calmer activity (like reading or a warm bath) to prepare kids for bed.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Walking

Driving saves time, but walking tires your children. It’s great exercise, it may be adapted to little legs, and doesn’t need special equipment. Model healthy habits and togetherness by walking as a family. Harness the competitive urges of older kids with games like Pokemon Go or Fitbit.

Water Sports

Swimming, whether in the pool, beach or river, is a great energy burner. Ensure an adult is always supervising! No pool? Turn on the sprinkler! Set your kids loose with water balloons. Younger kids enjoy exploring depth and volume by pouring water from one container to another.

Seasonal Activities

Encourage your kids to play outside with seasonal activities. It ensures that they receive vitamin D that is essential to sleep. Visit the beach in summer. See baby animals at the farm or zoo in spring. Go hiking in fall, and ice-skating or sledding in winter.

Sports

Schools, recreation centers and community centers have team sports for all ages. Don’t want to invest in uniforms? Join forces with other Moms with children of the same age as your kids. Meet at the local park one afternoon a week for a friendly game.

Equipment Play

Balls, cycles, hop-scotch, elastics, hula hoops and skipping ropes don’t require charging after use—but your kids will. Set up an obstacle course with the aforementioned items. As children master one set of skills, challenge them with countless variations. Search on Youtube for tips to take play to the next level.

INDOOR ACTIVITIES

Gymnastics and an Obstacle Course in Your Garage

Park your car in the driveway and clear space in your garage for a gymnastics extravaganza. Lay a mattress on the floor and encourage your kids to practice forward rolls, backwards rolls, cartwheels, handstands and tumbling. Older kids can try somersaults.
Arrange items as an obstacle course: use pillows, jump ropes, chairs, paper cups (for kids to zig zag in and out of), balls and small tables (to crawl under).

Create a Maze

Using painters tape or flag tape at different levels across a hallway, create a maze that forces kids to squeeze through or slither under the tape and let your kids work their bodies and imaginations.8. Indoor Playgrounds

8. Indoor Playgrounds

If the weather’s bad and space at home is limited, visit a mall or restaurant with an indoor playground. To ensure your kids get the most out of their visit, come up with a challenging obstacle course over the play equipment and time them.

9. The Floor is Lava

When your kids can’t play outside, make your house the playground. Set cushions on the floor, and let your kids jump from one to the other. Combine with tag to expend more energy, or simply let kids enjoy navigating your house without touching the floor.

Scavenger Hunts

Malls and supermarkets are great places to burn energy in bad weather. Turn shopping into a scavenger hunt by getting older kids to find items on your list.

Dance and Musical Chairs

Turn up the stereo and let your kids get down. If your kids need guidance, try The Wiggles for little ones. Older kids can spend hours rehearsing dance routines found online. Pro tip: Search music videos for appropriate content and ideas.

An old favorite from when I was a kid is a game called “musical chairs.” It was especially popular at kids’ parties. Set up chairs in a large circle. Be sure to have one chair less than the number of kids. So for 10 kids, you’ll set up only 9 chairs. Play music and then suddenly turn it off. Remove a chair after each round until you have only 2 kids and one chair. The last kid standing is out. This game is best with a larger number of kids and is guaranteed to tire them.

Sharon Picone is the founder of Sleep Metro, an online review and informational site that provides savvy, no-nonsense tips for the best sleep possible that’s beneficial to both health and wellbeing. Through in-depth reviews, the site also guides readers to make informed decisions when choosing mattresses and sleep-related products. Sharon lives in Florida with her husband and 5 beautiful cats.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Military Families

2017/05 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

I’ve shared, many times, that the main reason I began this blog was to have a creative outlet and a place to hone my writing skills — little did I know that I’d be here, just over four years later! This blog allowed me to carve out a writing career, so that I could be at home with my son in his early years. My little guy is poised to start Kindergarten in the fall, and I’m poised to increase the hours I work, transitioning back to full time.

I’ve known for years that I have a book in me, and I spent quite a bit of time tossing around three possibilities. The more I began writing and publishing personal pieces, the clearer my path became, and I’ve been slowly working towards a book since 2015. While I don’t have a single chapter written, I’ve spent the last two years earning a living writing, amassing bylines and continuing to make slow, sloth-like moves towards a book. I settled on a 5-year plan, which has become clearer and more achievable over time.

I should back up and say that my book idea became crystal clear at the beginning of 2015, when I was fortunate enough to stumble upon a call for submissions from Chicken Soup for the Soul. I wrote my heart out, submitted, and waited. And then I waited some more. Just when it seemed they’d never end up publishing the book, I received an email that rewarded 1 1/2 years of patience and planning — my essay, “Like a Dandelion”, was selected for publication in the upcoming Chicken Soup for the Soul: Military Families (available in bookstores May 9)!

What I didn’t know was that the book went into a holding pattern, shortly after the call for submissions. Amy Newmark, Chicken Soup for the Soul editor and publisher, had decided to partner with the USO for this publishing project, and they spent a year fine-tuning both the submissions and the publishing details.

The pieces began falling into place when I received my email acceptance, as my 2017 goal card had listed “get published in 2 military magazines”. Having my essay, about growing up as an Air Force brat, published in Chicken Soup for the Soul far surpassed my 2017 goal! As soon as I heard, I knew that I needed to get the ball rolling, beginning the slow process of building a platform for the book I’ve been planning and plotting since 2015. I contacted a military brat website, who has graciously agreed to published the essays I submit to them, so I’ll have a direct connection with “my people”. You see, the book that makes the most sense for me to write right now, the book that I’m incredibly passionate about, centers around Third Culture Kids, using my experiences to give a voice to an overlooked American subculture some 15 million strong: military dependents.

I won’t go too much more in depth, except to say that I am unbelievably honored and proud to have my story published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Military Families! This is but the first of many essays and stories from me, hoping to shed light upon a silent population that most Americans don’t understand. Our experiences are as unique as the countries in which we’ve lived, and our stories are as rich as the cultures in which we’ve been immersed.

How are military kids like dandelions? @AmyNewmark shares stories from our newest book with @the_USO on our podcast https://t.co/oGA4azHTgt pic.twitter.com/F0kltHYCeo

— ChickenSoup4theSoul (@ChickenSoupSoul) May 9, 2017

Want to hear a little more about my story? Amy Newmark discusses “Like a Dandelion” in the podcast linked above.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Military Families is available in bookstores and online TODAY! The USO receives $.60 of each book purchased, so grab a copy, support the USO, and read the rich collection of stories written by active duty military members, sp0uses, children and USO volunteers!

This post contains an affiliate link to Amazon, in which I receive a small portion for each book sold (at no additional cost to you).

Maximizing Marketplace Savings with Groupon and eBay

2017/04 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

The last time I worked with Groupon, I was at the end of our cloth diaper days, but still thinking with cloth savings in mind. I like to get crafty and creative in my savings (without feeling like I’m skimping), so I shared how people could pair Groupon deals with unexpected cloth diaper retailers, to generate cost savings beyond going reusable with diapering. When Groupon reached out to me recently, I decided to go way back in my consumer history.

I’ve been using Groupon for over 10 years, and I was a much more frequent user when I lived in Baltimore (and had no children). In my pre-child days, I used Groupon to take a chance on new restaurants, try a new spa, or take advantage of wine tastings and beer flights. While I still use Groupon for an occasional restaurant, spa or salon outing, Groupon Coupons are more tailored to my everyday online shopping needs (almost all of my shopping is done online these days).

While I was astounded when I calculated how long I’ve been using Groupon, I’m even more surprised to see how long I’ve been using eBay. I was an early user, grabbing deals and steals before shipping became expensive, and have been a member of eBay since…2001! In those sixteen years, I’ve done a lot of buying and selling, as my 100% rating with 314 feedback comments attest.

eBay helped me make extra money, while unloading unused items stored in boxes in dark closets — keeping me afloat during a period of unemployment after graduating with my undergraduate degree. eBay saw me through graduate school, where I purchased my texts, in addition to every Hemingway book to be found (I had this crazy notion of becoming a Hemingway scholar). When I was single and decorating my first home, I found fun knick-knacks and collectibles to add some personality and style to my digs. I’ve purchased shoes (I wear a hard-to-find-size), sold items to raise money for my wedding, purchased items from France for my husband, and even went across an ocean to find a replacement stuffed animal for my son. And because my household combined with my husband’s, I can add a pair of Robert Downey Jr.’s shoes, and a bronze mold of Robin Williams face, to the list of unusual items that we’ve found on the global marketplace known as eBay. (Don’t drink and eBay, my friends. Just don’t.)

So, while I’ve known about Groupon and eBay for ages, I had no idea that they could compliment each other so well. Yes, my friends, Groupon offers coupons for eBay. From 20% off, to $10 off, free shipping and valet listing, there is definitely something for everyone. I’ve always been amazed by the deals and steals I find on eBay, and the fact that I can use Groupon Coupons to increase those savings? Unbelievable.

The next time you find yourself about the click the Buy It Now or Place Bid button, remember to check Groupon’s eBay coupons before checking out!

* This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Groupon; all opinions expressed are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

4 Cost-Related Considerations to Make Before Going on a Family Vacation

2017/02 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

Family vacations create a lifetime of memories, laughter and, of course, tons of photos preserving the time spent together. If you don’t want to have your experience hampered with financial burden, or regret from poor planning, you’ll want to keep the following four considerations in mind:

Method of Travel

When we weighed our travel options for our recent trip to Disney, we not only did a cost comparison, but took the time of year and our son’s age (the fact that he’s still in a car seat) into consideration.

Traveling in February, weather was a serious concern, and my husband pushed for us to consider taking the train or driving down ourselves. I’m glad we didn’t fly, as my in-laws’ original flight was canceled due to a storm, and they ended-up arriving a day-and-a-half later than expected.

Trains are the best mode of transportation, if you have the time and the budget, as you don’t have the long advance check-in time, the journey from parking to terminal, the hassle of paying for each bag you take along, and the fuzzy aftereffects of pressurized cabins (and the higher likelihood of catching colds). I also prefer trains because of the ample leg room, the ability to wander in the aisles, adjustable seats, snack carts, and free Wi-Fi, among numerous other perks. I’ve actually chosen to take the train, in lieu of flying, for job interviews because there is far less hassle involved in travel.

That being said, your travel method deserves a significant amount of consideration when planning a trip; if you make a poor choice, it could potentially cause hours worth of headaches, and cause you to pay more than necessary (hello hidden baggage fees – been there, done that).

Accommodation Options

Thanks to websites like Airbnb, you have more choices than ever when considering accommodations! Our son does not do well staying in the same room as us, and we end up sleep deprived as a result, so we typically opt for suites with separate rooms. We’re planning a trip to England in the next year or so, and we’ll likely decide an apartment is better for us because of the cost and flexibility it offers us (not to mention a separate room for our son to sleep).

Trip Length

The length of your trip is another factor that impacts heavily on plans. For example, weekend getaways are easy with school-aged children, as you don’t have to plan around school. However, you may find that it’s not economical to travel too far away from home unless you stay in the destination for at least a week (we did Disney in 6 days – two driving, four in parks – I don’t recommend it!).

As you weigh the pros and cons associated with trips of differing lengths, don’t forget potential extra expenses that might be necessary if you decide on a longer stay; you might need to hire a pet sitter or get someone to water your flowers while you’re gone (unless you only have cacti and air plants, in that case, you’re good).

Your Overall Budget

This is where things can get a little tricky, and I suggest padding your budget for the unexpected. Spend time pondering how much you can afford to spend on the entire trip, and decide if there’s flexibility in that figure or if it’s firm.

If cost is a definite concern, keep in mind that the location you choose as your destination can greatly impact how much you spend. Insurance agents are your greatest allies when it comes to traveling, not only in terms of car rental and costs of living in different areas, but in the event the unplanned happens before or during your vacation — thank goodness my in-laws had purchased travel insurance!

These are only a few of the expense-related things you should consider when planning your family trip. The more you plan in advance, the less likely you’ll encounter unpleasant surprises and hidden costs. Bon voyage and safe travels!

How to Save on Disney Souvenirs and Keepsakes

2017/01 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

Disney souvenirs can derail even the most carefully planned budgets, especially when parks and attractions are offering spinning light up wands and other ilk that, to a 4 year old, seem to be the “best ever” keepsake, but will be cast aside within a day or two (or when the battery dies). One of the most obvious souvenirs from a Disney trip is character plush, but these can run a pretty penny, even if you purchase them outside of the parks.

$Disney souvenirs can derail even the most carefully planned budgets. But, if you plan ahead and you'll be able to grab keepsakes at a fraction of the cost.$

Souvenirs & Keepsakes

Again, almost everything I read says to plan ahead in the souvenir department, especially if you have young children. I happen to think this is a brilliant idea, but I’m not ruling out any souvenir purchases while in the park — my son always does pressed pennies when we travel, which is a great, inexpensive souvenir option. With that in mind, I was able to grab a few Disney plush in advance of our Disney trip (thus saving a considerable amount of money on stuffed animals likely to be cast aside within a year). We plan to dole one out each day of the trip, with the Monster Mickey perfectly themed for our Hollywood Studios day (hello Pixar!).

Again, Swap.com came to my rescue, and I was able to grab an 18″ Mickey Mouse, Goofy & Pluto, and a Monster Mickey for $16. Yes, $16.

I can’t believe how lucky I was to grab these, as they were all in new condition, and arrived to us bagged! If my kiddo decides he’s not a Disney plush kind of kiddo, we’re only out $16, as opposed to $50.

Autograph book

Not knowing what my son would prefer, I grabbed both an autograph book and pins for trading. Instead of a traditional Disney autograph book, I went with the recommendation of many — the Junior Encyclopedia of Animated Characters. Not only will my little guy have an autographed book full of Disney characters, but I plan on pulling it out to entertain him while waiting in attraction lines at the park. I added a pack of retractable Sharpie markers to bring with us, for a total of $20.49.

Pin trading

I made my own little starter set for Disney pin trading, should my son prefer that to autographs (who knows with a 4 year-old?). I purchased a Mickey lanyard and a lot of 25 pins to get started, spending $17.09.

$Disney souvenirs can derail even the most carefully planned budgets. But, if you plan ahead and you'll be able to grab keepsakes at a fraction of the cost.$

Keepsake coin purse

Since I know my kiddo is going to go nuts for pressed pennies from the parks, I got him this fun, inexpensive Mickey coin purse to hold onto his souvenir pennies. I know how easy they get misplaced (he likes to pull them out from his treasure box from time to time, spreading them out all over the floor), so the coin purse is a fun way to keep all those pennies safe. I got the Mickey plush coin purse on Amazon for $3.99, including taxes and shipping (we have Prime).

If you’re keeping track, the total spent is $57.57, which leaves $42.43 of my kiddo’s $100 in Christmas money left to spend (or not) in the parks. As for the pressed pennies, my little guy has an oversized piggy bank that has been accruing change and dollar bills since he was born — we’ll fish out plenty of quarters and pennies for him to bring along to the parks.

Disney pros — what are your favorite picks for Disney souvenirs?

*This post contains affiliate links.

More Ways to Save Money On Your Disney Park Experience

2017/01 By Lauren B. Stevens Leave a Comment

After my initial panic about planning a[n unbudgeted] Walt Disney World trip in a month, and reading everything I could get my hands on about Disney (thanks for sharing your Pinterest board, Amy, and your packing list, Jen), I figured out how to do Disney on a dime. But, what about all of the little, additional things that tend to add up? Well, my friends, that’s where I’m currently at with my Disney planning.

Almost everything you read about Disney World warns against tackling the parks without a plan. With just a month until we leave, the planning part was causing me the most stress. Not only did I need to figure out how to do this trip without breaking the bank, I need to plan for our time in the parks and for, well, the unplannable.

Let’s tackle some of the easiest things first.

Photos

Now, you can spend the money to purchase the Disney Memory Maker — $169 or $149 if purchased in advance — or you can save that money for a nice meal while at the parks by taking your own photos. I absolutely love photography, and especially hate posed photos, so this is a no-brainer for me. I have a decent camera — a Nikon D3100 — so there’s no reason for me not to take our own photos throughout the trip.

While I can shoot in auto mode and still grab great pics, I really want to up my photography game to get the most out of my camera and the best shots I can to preserve memories of this trip. I’ll fully admit that I’ve had this camera for 6 years or so, and have not taken the time to really learn about all of the features and functions. With a few weeks to prepare, I’m using the book many Disney guides recommend — Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson. And while I can easily buy this book from Amazon for $15, I’m looking to save on potentially unnecessary expenditures. I was pleased to find that my library system had a copy, and I’m currently working my way through it — for free. I’ll come back to the public library momentarily.

Photography gear

My camera case is bulky, and definitely not something I’d want to bring into the parks, but I still want some protection for the camera I spent I pretty penny for years ago (it was around $800 when I purchased it). A brief look at camera cases, slings and backpacks on Amazon — and how expensive they are — made me look for another option.

Photo via Camera Coats on Etsy

I came across Camera Coats on Etsy, the perfect solution for my camera-protection dilemma. For $35 you can get a padded camera coat, which slips over the housing to protect when not in use; you can also add a matching padded strap and lens case, in one of their many fun patterns. In an effort to cut costs, I just purchased the housing cover, or “coat”, and will get an inexpensive padded cover for my strap. So, for $35, you have a stylish, protective cover for your camera, and the ability to use it over and over (I don’t know about you, but I likely wouldn’t have used one of those expensive camera slings after the park because I already have a camera bag). Oh, and because of my Ebates extension, I was able to receive 1% back on my purchase in the form of an electronic rebate – score!

Travel guides

So much can be found online these days, and I didn’t even venture into Disney travel guides until I’d already spent hours perusing different Disney travel sites. I will, however, say that the Birnbaum’s Official Disney Guide that I got from the library (another $20 saved), concisely summarizes everything that I spent hours surfing the Internet to learn. It’s handy, and I definitely recommend grabbing a copy, or getting one through your library, to help cut your Disney planning time down drastically.

I will say that I’m still contemplating purchasing one of the two hidden Mickey guides available on the market — Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets or The Hidden Mickeys of Walt Disney World — as a way to occupy my little guy while waiting in long attraction lines.

Park clothing

So, here’s the thing. We’ve not indoctrinated our son with all things Disney (we’re more of a Disney-Pixar family), and I rarely, if ever, buy graphic or character clothing for my son. That being said, I thought it would be fun for the kiddo to have an all-Disney wardrobe for our vacation in the parks. Granted, this is a completely unnecessary expense — I know that kids will have tons of fun no matter what they’re wearing — but I have a little secret to share: Swap.com

I’ve consigned through Swap.com — was able to sell all of my maternity clothing and a box of my son’s outgrown clothing — and I’ve been purchasing from the site for almost two years now. I love consignment sales, and I love the fact that I don’t have to wait for twice-yearly sales to purchase clothing and other items for my son (he recently went through a pant size in two months – Swap saved me a lot of $$!).

I’m almost embarrassed to admit this, but I was able to purchase the clothing you see above — 3 short-sleeve tees, 2 long-sleeve tees, a Mickey windbreaker and a Toy Story sweatshirt — all like-new and brand-new licensed Disney clothing — for the grand total of $31.70. Yep.

Because of the time of year we’re going, weather can be warm or chilly, and even both in the same day, so I’m packing a variety of different clothing for the trip. I have my own Swap.com order of clothing arriving any day now — I purchased a Gap denim jacket, two pairs of nice capris, a Tinkerbell tee, a Mickey Mouse hoodie and a Mickey Mouse tee for my husband — for $48. So, that’s Disney clothing for the entire family, for under $100 – not bad, eh?

You can save 20% off of your first Swap.com order & get FREE shipping when you shop with my referral link

Well, what about souvenirs and keepsakes, you ask? That’s a topic for another post, but I rest assured, I have some amazing money-saving tips there, too!

This post contains affiliate links.

Disney On a Dime? It’s Possible!

2017/01 By Lauren B. Stevens 7 Comments

I started planning our trip to Disney about a week ago, and worried that our rushed trip would seriously affect being able to do Disney on the cheap. After reading every Disney blog I could, and doing hours of research, I’ve been able to plan to do Disney on a dime — it is possible!

Looking to do Disney on a dime? Check out how I'm saving on everything from hotels to park tickets, despite planning our trip only weeks out.

Ebates

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times — you need to shop with Ebates. It’s free to open an account, and you can get electronic rebates (money back) on most of your online purchases. I’m racking up tons of rebates shopping for this trip, so go open your account now!

I highly recommend the Chrome/browser extension, as I was delighted to get $26 back from booking our hotel (I hadn’t checked Ebates because I assumed there wouldn’t be a rebate offered). Thanks to my browser extension, a pop-up let me know that I could save 4.5% on our hotel — cha-ching!

Travel

We opted to drive down because trying to figure out a car seat situation was a hassle (especially since our hotel does not offer airport shuttle service). By driving, we have no limitations on what we pack (well, you know what I mean), which means I can do grocery shopping at home, where I know prices, and get all of the things we need for snacks and meals on the go. Realistically, I know my husband will probably want to stop somewhere for a meal or two on the way down, but we aren’t tied to fast food in our travels.

I used a trip cost calculator — Gas Buddy — which estimates that our fuel cost for this trip will be $126. I’m not sure how much I trust that, but we’ll go with that figure for now!

Hotel

I’m fortunate enough to get a friends and family discount for a large hotel chain, which really helped cut our lodging expense. As I said in my previous blog, booking a Disney trip four weeks out means that most of the Disney resorts are booked. If we wanted to stay on property, we’d be looking at a nightly rate starting at $600+, which would be a budget-crusher.

You can use your Ebates account to receive up to 10% back on travel and lodging (flights and hotel), if you book through a site such as Expedia or Travelocity, but at this point in the game it was slim pickins. We actually got a much better hotel rate — avg $145 per night — through F&F, and were more than happy to pay an additional $10 per night (it would have been around $137/night) to get a two-bedroom suite. Our little guy typically stays awake if we share the same hotel room, and even a suite with a pull out couch, so it’s better for all of us to have two separate bedrooms for our stay.

Thanks to my handy Ebates Chrome extension, we receive 4.5% cash back for our hotel stay. This was a nice surprise, since I would never have thought to check Ebates for a rebate, but the extension let me know that there was cash back available – score!

Park Tickets

For all of my research, park tickets were going to be our largest expense, and discounts are scarce, at best. We’ve only planned 3 days in the parks, but when I went to order our tickets, I made sure to explore all of our ticketing options. Imagine my surprise to find that purchasing 4-day tickets was cheaper than purchasing tickets for 3 days!

To save on costs, we opted not to choose the Park Hopper option, as we’d probably not use it with a 4 year old. The ticket cost, for two adults and one child, would be $852 — that’s one park per day, for three days. However, Disney is currently offering a 4-Park Magic deal; for two adults and one child, one park per day, for four days, comes to $817! Yep, it’s cheaper. While we likely won’t use that additional day, it’s nice to know that we can pop into a park when we arrive, should we feel up to it.

Oh, but that’s not all. When I went to pay, a pop-up appeared with an offer of a $200 statement credit if I opened a Disney credit card. Huh?

Upon further exploration, Disney Visa cardholders receive Character Experiences at each of the parks, in private locations just for cardmembers. In addition, cardholders receive 10% off of dining at the parks, and 10% off of merchandise purchases of $50 or more (at the parks). Yep, I got the card, it really wouldn’t make sense not to. Thus, our 4-park tickets, after taxes and fees, ends up being $670!

**WARNING** If you suspect you will be unable to pay your Disney card balance upon your return, or within a month or so, do not open an account. The interest rate is high, and you will not end up with any savings if you don’t pay your balance quickly.

Hotel: $655

Fuel: $126

Park Tickets: $670

TOTAL: $1,451

I’m happy to say that I’m no longer in panic mode (like I was a week ago), and I’m pretty pleased with the savings I’ve amassed planning this trip [on the fly]. You definitely can do Disney on a dime AND you can even do it with last minute planning!

Check out even More Ways to Save On Your Disney Park Experience

Disney On the Fly? Oh, My!

2017/01 By Lauren B. Stevens 2 Comments

This time last year, my father-in-law found out that the nagging case of pneumonia and bronchitis, from which he’d been suffering for a couple of months, was something far, far worse; he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

After a year of cancer-related illnesses and complications, rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, and a couple of experimental therapies and clinical trials thrown in for good measure, my father-in-law received news that a.) the cancer was finally responding to treatment, and b.) he was cleared for travel by his doctor.

A huge Disney fan, my father-in-law expressed the desire to make one last Disney trip — sooner rather than later — and wanted us to come along so that he could experience it through the eyes of our four-year-old son. For two days, it seemed that we would be able to share a timeshare that was being gifted to him by friend, which meant the financial burden of the trip would [simply] be travel, park tickets and meals. Then the timeshare fell through, with dates being snatched-up in a matter of hours.

To be honest, Disney’s never really been on my radar — I’m more of a Universal Studios kind of gal — but my husband has always maintained that it is a childhood rite of passage (somehow I survived without that trip, but…). While my husband and I had talked about taking our kiddo on a trip to Disney…someday, we had not planned to do so this soon — I now know why people plan so far in advance. I. Am. Overwhelmed.

I have spent the better part of this week, trying to find ways to cut costs on this trip, as we’d not budgeted for it, as well as educate myself on all things Disney. Seriously folks, three weeks to plan? And try to cut costs? Someone please hold me.

A quick glance at Disney resorts proved two things: 1.) there’s a reason why people plan far in advance – rooms are pretty booked-up three weeks out, and 2.) unless we want to pay, at minimum, upwards of $600+ a night for hotels, we have to find something off-property.

This, my friends, is where you come in — I need your help! We’ve booked our hotel (staying a mile off-property at a hotel where I get a friends and family discount — it has two bedrooms, so we scored — check!), we’ve not yet purchased our park tickets (my head is spinning just from the choices), and [I think] we’ve decided to drive (save me now!), because trying to figure out how to travel with a car seat (plane, shuttle, taxi, Uber, etc.) is just something I can’t figure out [and would rather focus my mental energies elsewhere]. But honestly, I really don’t want to spend 15 hours in the car (save me now!)!

So, friends, how the heck to I make this trip magical, while staying off-property and trying not to break the bank (if that’s even a possibility)? Here are my questions, for those of you experienced Walt Disney World travelers:

What do I pack? To wear? For days in the parks?

How to survive the car ride? Do I make up a travel pack with activities for the ride? What do I put into it?

What to take into the park? We’ll pack lunches to save some money, but how does that work, exactly? What gear is absolutely essential to pack in a bag for a day in the park? What kind of bag works best? Gah!

6 Reasons to Switch to Glass Storage

2016/11 By Lauren B. Stevens 1 Comment

Maybe you’ve been contemplating it for a while, or maybe it just never crossed your mind; whatever the case may be, it’s definitely time to switch to glass storage containers [if you’ve not already done so]!

It began with a party

My slow conversion to glass began when I registered for wedding gifts. I’d long used Rubbermaid plastic containers, but without a dishwasher, plastic food containers were difficult to clean well (and tended to stain too easily). I registered for two sets of Pyrex and have never looked back! (My husband teases me about my Pyrex, but when he’s looking for something in the fridge, everything is stacked nicely and organized!)

And then Mason jar salads became a ‘thing’

When the Mason jar salad craze took effect, I bought a case of the glass jars and loved how easy it was for me to grab a salad when hunger struck. I got into a routine of buying, washing, prepping and packing my salads on Sundays, which allowed me to easily grab a salad throughout the week. The Mason jar containers also made it easy to use little dressing (I’m a viniagrette kinda gal), making mixing a breeze in the self-contained…container. But, as with most things, once I get out of a routine, it’s difficult for me to get back into it.

For about a year, I had a case of Mason jars stored in a cupboard collecting dust, until we bought our new home and installed a chest freezer. Having the additional freezer space has been a dream, and my cooking life has never been easier. I try to make one soup every week or two, and make them in large batches so that I can freeze portions for another meal.

Compelling reasons to switch to glass storage

Because I abhor plastic, I began looking into alternate containers for freezing, coming across stainless steel and glass. Amidst my research, I came across compelling reasons to use glass, for both refrigeration and freezing, from the Glass Packaging Institute:

Glass is nonporous and impermeable. This means no staining and more importantly, no stink.
Glass has almost a zero rate of chemical interactions, which means your food and/ or spices stay as fresh as the day you packed them.
No worries about BPA or other chemicals leaching into your food.
Glass is 100% recyclable. One. Hundred. Percent. Recyclable. It’s a sustainable packaging product with an indefinite life.
80% of glass that is recovered is made into new glass products.
A glass container can go from your recycling bin to the store shelf in as little as 30 days.

Armed with this information, my eureka moment hit — I remembered my case of unused Mason jars — I didn’t have to invest money into new containers! Not only do I now freeze soups in the containers, but I use the containers for easy refrigerated food storage. While our refrigerator looks big on the outside, the two-door model really doesn’t hold much in the refrigerator portion. Instead of awkward containers in varying sizes, I now save space by using Pyrex and Mason jars for leftovers — if you have OCD when it comes to fridge organization, you’ll love using Mason jars for easy, orderly food storage (and be happy to have ditched the cling wrap)!

My love of glass is now spilling over into other areas, as I continue to decorate and organize our home. I’ve always loved seeing bathrooms with clean lines and apothecary jars for storage. My master bathroom, while small, has been my longest ‘project’ to-date, and the only room we’ve painted so far. And while our color scheme is not light and breezy — it’s goldenrod and grey — I’m happy with the way it’s coming along. The only thing I’ve yet to sort out is storage. Anyone out there a storage expert?

World Market stackable square glass jars

Under the sink storage has ALWAYS been difficult for me to master, and I’m getting tired of rummaging for cotton balls, acetone, face wash and the like. So, I’ve added a small utility cart to my already small bathroom, and have been purchasing glass jars for storing items. I geeked-out when I discovered the glass jars above from World Market — they’re perfect for what I’m planning to use them for, easily organized because of their shape, come in an array of sizes and totally affordable! Even better, World Market gave me a referral link, so you can save $10 off of your purchase of $50!

Another great option are the Vardagen jars from IKEA. I picked up a few of the smallest jars for $1.99, and one of the large jars for $5.99 (currently housing all of my nail polishes). These will also be perfect for organization in my larger bathroom.

If all goes well with our little master bathroom (or my little master experiment), and I’m happy with the result, I plan to expand glass storage to our large bathroom, which features a walk-in linen closet. At the moment, I have pretty fabric bins holding everything from cold medicine to band-aids, which means I have to take the containers down from the shelves and rummage through to find what I’m looking for. My plan is to have glass containers lining the shelves, making it easy to see what’s-what.

Everything’s better in glass

No, really, everything’s better in glass. I remember when beverage manufacturers began using plastic bottles for individual soda servings (sometime when I was in high school); the switch from glass bottles to plastic ended any enjoyment I got from an occasional soda. These days, I drink seltzer water by the liter, and it’s always a special treat to buy Perrier or Voss in glass bottles. And of course, there’s nothing like enjoying a nice cold beverage in a beautiful glass (I like leaded crystal the best).

So tell me, my fellow fans of glass, how do you use glass containers around your home?

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