This post brought to you by IHG Rewards Club. The content and opinions expressed below are that of https://www.mommyshangout.com/.

Summer vacations are upon us, and if you haven’t made plans for your vacation, yet, don’t worry! You still have some time. We actually just booked a last minute getaway for next weekend! We are taking my Mother in law to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg! We actually visited last year, but after she had seen all our photos and heard all the fun we had now she wants to go! The kids loved our time there last year and very excited on going back! Plus who don’t love a good road trip!

The truth is you can also save lots of money if you plan just right, because hotels and other vacation locations are offering discounts to entice people to spend some money with them this summer.

Below are some helpful tips on how to save money during the summer and still have a great vacation.

Plan something within your state or close by:

You can drive to the location instead of booking airfare, and if it isn’t too far of a drive, you can save on gas money. This also gives you flexibility on when to travel because you aren’t stuck with airfare cancellation costs if you need to change your plans.

Use reservation sites:

 Many reservation sites are offering discounts if you use them or go with a certain line of hotels for your stay. For example, IHG® is a global company with 9 hotel brands, over 4,800 hotels and nearly 674,000 rooms in nearly 100 countries around the world. They pride themselves in being a leader of hospitality and their new rewards promotion is just another display of their practiced guest welcoming and generosity! They are currently offering points for booking with them through shareforever.ihg.com

If you choose their hotels, you can earn 500 points for your next IHG hotel stay from May 1, 2015 – September 2, 2015, as well as earn another 500 points for that same hotel stay to share with another member. You can also save those points for yourself, if you’d like. In addition, you can earn any where from 68,500 to 115,500 “Share Forever” bonus points, and then another maximum of 58,500 bonus points to share with someone or keep for yourself. That’s a lot of points for future vacations just by using one line of hotels, so be sure to Register Now!

 

Plan an itinerary:

If you know where you will eat, what sites you will visit, and how long you will stay at each place, you can not only save money by not spontaneously spending it, but you will also save time and get more from your vacation. When you plan this itinerary, you can also plan if you will walk, drive, or use public transportation to get places, which means you can make a schedule in advance and buy any passes you might need, saving ore money on last minute tickets and fares.

 

Plan your spending:

When you plan your itinerary, plan how much you will spend at each attraction and place to eat. Put the money in envelopes and don’t go over that cash budget unless absolutely necessary.

 

Enter to Win!

IHG Share Forever Summer Rewards Program

Stay Connected:

Be sure to follow the IHG Rewards Club and join the conversation with #ShareForever on Twitter and Instagram today!

School will be out for summer break soon and it’s time to plan a family vacation for you and your kids. Planning an annual summer vacation for your family is a great way to bond with your children and create some life long family memories. Here are some tips for making your family vacation this summer worry free.

Schedule your time off work ASAP

Summer time is a popular time for employees to request time off. Depending on your role at work, others requested time off can affect whether or not your request will be approved. Put in your request as far in advance as your employer will allow and avoid any possible scheduling conflicts with your coworkers.

Hire senior home care for your parents

If you are a member of the sandwich generation and not only caring for your kids, but caring for your parents as well, you will need to hire a caregiver to take over your duties. Find an agency like HomeHero who has caregivers you can trust and will work with your family’s budget to make hiring senior home care affordable.

Don’t forget your furry friends

Your beloved family pets may not be able to join you on your trip. If you do not have a friend or family member that can care for your pets while you are away DogVacay is a great option. DogVacay offers home pet sitters near you. Browse their pet sitter profiles and find the perfect pet sitter. Your pet will get to be in a loving and cage-free environment while you‘re away.

Book you flights

Summer travel can become costly with airlines raising their fare rates during the popular summer months. Always book your flights on a Tuesday! An awesome airline industry secret to take advantage of is their Tuesday sales. Tuesday’s airlines will steeply discount their fare rates every Tuesday.

Following the tips on our list will take away all the worries and responsibilities of back home and allow you to enjoy your family vacation this summer.

 

 

 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Visit Gulf County. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’m sure I am not alone when I say WELCOME SPRING! With all the cold temps and snow winter brought to many this year, spring actually seems to be way overdue. That also means it’s time to start thinking about spring break and summer vacations! Like most people, I am still deciding on that perfect location. So far, the only requirement my family has requested was something that is fun and adventurous for everyone! So, I have been doing a lot of research and asking other parents for advice. The truth is planning vacations for the family is not as easy as it used to be since the older kids are now demanding teenagers! They want something action packed! So, I am trying to find something that entertains them while also allowing me some relaxing down time! That’s why I was happy to discover the Gulf County Adventure Guide! This wonderful Guide highlights locals to help visitors explore Gulf County. The guide tells stories, offers insider tips, and connects you with their friends. I can tell just by reading that Gulf County, Florida makes it easy to live in the moment! There seems to be adventures around every corner that will be sure to satisfy everyone including my demanding teens. With actives like snorkeling, horseback riding, hiking, camping, and even seawater safaris what more could you want?! Personally, there are so many things that I would love to do! My top 5 choices would be…

Enjoy a different beach every day while also doing a horseback ride on the beach! Wouldn’t that be so much fun! Let’s face it no summer vacation is complete without visiting the beach!

See the Dolphins! I have always loved Dolphins so when I read that a family saw a pod of dolphins playing and chasing a school of fish I knew this would be something that our family would love! The family reported that the dolphins were so close to shore; they could see them from the deck!

Snorkeling and Paddleboarding I have never went snorkeling but it has always been on my to-do list. I think the kids would really enjoy it so this would make the perfect family adventures.

Visit St. Joseph Peninsula State Park it is reported that you will see Lots of wildlife all of the time like deer, bobcat, squirrels, raccoons and owls! My kids would love this especially my oldest who is a true animal lover

And of course, last but not least is to enjoy all the fresh seafood and food. So, I guess its safe to say that Gulf County, Florida has been added to our list. Now I just have to get the kids to look everything over and see if this is something that they are looking for. I really don’t see why they wouldn’t want to go! I mean it is packed with fun, sun, beaches, great food and of course it’s family and pet friendly if we did decided to take our dog Marley!

Be Sure to check out all the photos below!

Enter to Win:

 From now till 4-13-2015 Ten lucky winners will win a $50 gift card to have an adventure of your own in your local town! So be sure to enter for your chance now and be sure to share this great giveaway with your family and friends!

Be sure to follow GCFL on these social networks to keep up with all the latest news and updates. Twitter|Facebook|Instagram|Pinterest.   Better yet join in on the conversation using #GCFLnofilter   Have you ever visited Gulf County, Florida? I would love to hear all about it in the comments below!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puerto Rico, The All-Star Island. All opinions are 100% mine.

As many of you know, my Father-In-Law passed away unexpectedly a week ago Saturday. It was a total shock for our family to say the least. We had so many plans this year, and the biggest one was to finally take a week-long vacation with my husband’s parents, sister, nieces, and nephews before our oldest kids decided that they would rather go on vacation with their friends instead. With 7 kids which includes 3 that will soon to be graduating in a couple of years, we knew that this was one of the last chances we had to make sure we could get everyone together. I had just started the planning process right before my father in law went into the hospital for surgery. The truth is we didn’t even agree on a destination yet.

With this recent loss, it’s it has put a lot of things in perspective for my family. The things that we often take for granted can be gone in the blink of an eye. We never imagined that we would now be planning our family vacation without one of the main people that the vacation was actually based around. At first, I didn’t know if I even wanted to keep planning a vacation but after doing some soul searching, I know this is something that we still have to do. Plus, I really think that it will be good for everyone, especially my mother in law.

So now, I am in the process of planning an extra-special trip for my family, so we can make memories that can last a lifetime. That is why I am looking at that Puerto Rico!

We all know that Puerto Rico is a 5-star vacation destination filled with world-class attractions. Whether you’re a golfer, foodie, the adventure type, or a beach bum, Puerto Rico has everything that you want in a nice relaxing vacation. So, I decided to start doing more research. I was happy to see that Puerto Rico Tourism recently partnered with popular travel review site Trip Advisor to transform real traveler 5-star reviews into stunningly beautiful short films narrated by Puerto Rican stars. These reviews will make anyone want to See Puerto Rico and Live your own 5-star vacation story in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico has 270 miles of coastline and featured in the Top 10 beaches from Travel Channel — including Flamenco Beach in Culebra, often cited as one of the best beaches in the world. So that will still allow my family to enjoy “beach time” while also seeing new and beautiful scenes. You can also visit the only rainforest under US national park service, El Yunque, and climb to the clouds. History Buffs like my husband and mother in law, can enjoy old world charm of San Juan and of course, foodies like myself can experience the delicacies of Puerto Rican gastronomy and its famous Rums. (did someone say Rum) And the best part is no passports are required!

So, now I would like to hear from readers who have actually went to Puerto Rico or are thinking about it? Please share your experience! And if you are like me and still looking for a different scene for your next vacation make sure to follow @PRTourismCo on Twitter and Like SeePuertoRico.com on Facebook

San Francisco brings in visitors from all over the world – and with good reason. It’s known as one of the most beautiful cities; teeming with culture and sights around every corner. While it has a reputation as being a bit expensive, it doesn’t necessarily have to be. Here’s how to have a perfect family holiday in San Francisco, on a budget.

Explore the landscape

San Francisco and California in general, is well known for its rich, diverse landscape. The undulating hills and crashing waves of the coast are made for taking pictures. A perfect way to spend an afternoon is picnicking in Golden Gate Park.

Covering over 1,000 acres, the park is host to a Japanese Tea garden, art museum, botanical gardens as well as all manner of trails and monuments. Of course it’s immaculately groomed, so no matter which area your family visits, it’s sure to be beautiful. It’s a calming, and free, introduction to what San Francisco has to offer.

Explore the water

No visit to San Francisco is complete without a visit to the fisherman’s wharf. One of the most popular tourist destinations, there always seems to be something going on there. Whether it’s an impromptu concert or a tour on a submarine, all members of the family are sure to find something they enjoy.

After a jaunt through fisherman’s wharf, head over to the aquarium of the bay – here you can see rich and diverse marine life from the San Francisco bay area. There are over 50 kinds of sharks, and even an exhibit where you can touch several different types of animals. It’s the best kind of activity for the kids – one that’s both fun and educational. After you’re done, don’t forget to check out the sea lions lounging around outside of the aquarium. It’s an amazing opportunity to witness how big they actually are in person.

There is so much more to do and see in this diverse city, the whole family is bound to have fun. It’s the perfect place to make memories you’ll share years down the road.