Travel

Do You Pack Light For Vacation?

Are you planning on traveling this summer for vacation? I’ll be heading up to the east coast to see my granddaughter again. It’s hard to believe she will be 4 months old by then.

Ocean City, MDWe’re going to spend a few days at Ocean City, MD. My son was there on business a couple of weeks ago and took this picture on his way back home.

I plan on packing light. This is a summer vacation and I’m more concerned about having fun (and playing with my granddaughter) than having a perfect outfit for every occasion.

How many times have you thrown extra clothing into the suitcase just in case you may need it?  …

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Planning for Your Vacation

July and August are big vacation months. I know I’m looking forward to taking my vacation at the end of this month.  But before I go there is a lot of planning to do ahead of time to make sure everything goes smooth.

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The main thing people want during a vacation is to have some fun or relaxation and not worry about what could go wrong. So a great offence is the best defense.  Think about what could go wrong now and plan to prevent it as much as possible.

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Here is a list of some of the common worries and what actions to take before leaving on your trip.  Below I have listed several websites and articles for more information.

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Do you worry about:

  1. Forgetting to pack something?
    • Make a list of all the clothes, toiletries, and other items each person in your family will need for each day of your trip. Don’t forget to put both day and evening clothes. Many items should be listed more than once. Make a master-list for each person. This will be your packing list. From this list you can make a shopping list if you still need some items. 
  2. Will the planned activates go as planned?
    • Hopefully they will but a little planning ahead of time could make all the difference.  Check online for the times and day the place is open before you leave for your trip. You don’t want to show up on a Tuesday only to find out that is the one day that tourist spot is closed. Also be sure to check out entry fees (amount, cash, or charge) and possible coupons. Many coupons are available online only and those few extra dollars per person can really add up the savings.
  3. If you are driving will you find your destination without getting lost?
    • GPS systems work great but are not perfect. Whether you have one in your car or phone it’s probably a good idea to have a hard copy backup. That means using Mapquest, Google Maps, or another map service to route out your driving. I print out directions and a map for each point A to point B I’m going to. Then I clearly label the top of the paper with the “From” location and the “To” location plus the date I will be driving it. This goes in my travel planner and has saved time, stress, and gas money on many trips.

Take the worry out of the vacation by taking care of the little things before hand. That will free up your time during the vacation to have fun and/or relaxation.

Here are some sites to help you with packing checklists.  Just remember to pack light. Most airlines not only charge for luggage they will charge extra over a certain weight. The key is to stick with the basics and be willing to wash out some clothes at night in the bathroom sink if necessary.

http://www.vacation-lists.com/

http://traveltheworldguide.com/what-pack-for-vacation/

If traveling with children has you worried about them getting bored or anxious during the trip check out the links in this blog post. There are lots of easy travel games and ideas to keep them busy for a long time.

http://organizebythemonth.com/are-we-there-yet-travel-games/

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

 

 

 

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Tips for Labor Day Celebrations

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Labor Day is a celebration of the American Worker. Despite all the economical and political dishevel (I won’t even begin to go there!) American’s need to step back and recognize how every worker, whether paid or volunteer, from Main Street to Wall Street, is what makes this country run. Like a fine machine we all are important and need to work together to make this country run at it’s best.

Okay, now I’ll get off my high horse and give you some information you can use to help make this Labor Day a celebration. Not everyone gets the day off (firemen, police, retail store workers, etc.) so if you run into any of these people working be sure to thank them for helping this country run.

I’m leaving town to visit my son so I have been using my “Travel Planner”.  If you are traveling this weekend I suggest you read the following article and blog posts to help make the traveling more organized.

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/make_travel_easier_with_a_travel_planner

http://organizebythemonth.com/traveling-by-car/

http://organizebythemonth.com/are-we-there-yet-travel-games/

 

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Here are some sites that have information and ideas on how to celebrate Labor Day.

http://www.dol.gov/opa/aboutdol/laborday.htm

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/labor-day/

http://labor-day-weekend.com/

http://dailyholiday.info/labor-day

 

Have a safe and fun holiday weekend.

Janice

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“Are We There Yet?” Travel Games

If you have traveled by car with children then you have probably heard those dreaded but famous words; “Are we there yet?”. When my children were young it didn’t take them long before they grew bored with the things they had brought to entertain themselves on the trip. This was a time before most hand held video games and Ipods.

So, to help pass the time we would play travel games like who could go through the alphabet first by watching the billboards and road signs. The words had to start with the letter they were on and only the person who saw it first could move on to the next letter. This kept them busy for a little while.

Here are several sites that have lots of games for traveling. You can print out the game sheets and instructions. Keep them in a pocket folder ready to go when the children pop the question. Have pencils and/or crayons in a ziplock bag or pencil box. You will also want either a clipboard, children’s lap drawing board, or some other hard surface for them to write on. With a variety of games in the pocket folder you can keep them busy for hours.

http://www.momsminivan.com/

http://familyfun.go.com/family-travel/road-trips/feature/famf48cargames/

http://travelgameideas.com/index.htm

http://travelwithkids.about.com/cs/printgames/a/gamesprint.htm

http://fun.familyeducation.com/games/travel-games/45743.html

Happy Traveling

Janice

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http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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