How to Drop Everything and Travel Abroad

November 30, 2018 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

Have you always dreamed of traveling abroad to another country and spending more than a week engaging in the culture? For some people, this will always remain a dream.

After all, the average person has a career, a family and responsibilities. And you can’t just up and leave them…or can you? No matter what kind of situation you’re in, if you dream of dropping everything to work and travel abroad, then here are the best possible ways to make it all happen.

Get Your House in Order

Once you decide you want to leave the country for an extended period of time, you need to get your house in order. At https://www.liveable.com, they suggest using a storage facility to keep all your belongings safe while you’re away. Whether you pack up your stuff or leave it where it is, you have options for your home. [Read more…]

Five Stunning Locations For A Much-Needed Health Retreat

April 6, 2018 by Kathryn 1 Comment

Life can get stressful. In fact, it does get stressful and from time to time, we can find ourselves yelling a hearty “I need a break!” Well, I’m here to tell you that you do, and it’s a very well-deserved one at that! What I’m also here to tell you, however, is to consider setting aside the sunny beach holiday with all of its sandy towels and awkward sunburn, and swapping it in for a health retreat. A holiday focused on you, your well-being and your health is exactly what the body and mind need when the going gets tough. Wondering where to go? Check out my personal top five of the hundreds of locations you could choose from!

Istanbul, Turkey

While Istanbul is rife with spa resorts to enjoy, I actually suggest that you bypass the resorts completely and just enjoy Istanbul on your very own city break. Home to some of the world’s most hospitable people, you could find yourself completely refreshed just walking the streets enjoying some of the finest food and most exciting tourist destinations within the city. Of course, if you do want to opt for a spa resort or at least a luxurious hotel, you could try out the Titanic City Hotel, or maybe the luxurious Renaissance Polat Istanbul Hotel! [Read more…]

Tips for Traveling with 2 Under 2

February 23, 2018 by Kathryn 2 Comments

Traveling with kids is a challenge, and that’s especially true with two kids. When both are also under two years old…well, let’s just say challenging probably isn’t a strong enough word! Today Katelynn from Hampers and Hiccups is sharing her tips and tricks for making traveling with 2 under 2 just a little bit easier!

When I was pregnant with our second baby, my husband and I were considering taking a trip over to Wales, UK to see my aunt and her family before Sweet Girl turns 2. This would put us in the air with 2 under 2 for, oh, about a million hours. It’s a long trip from our home in Saskatchewan to their doorstep in Wrexham.

While we were still chewing this over, my father-in-law brought up the idea of taking the entire family down to Maricopa, Arizona. The timeline was the same as our dream trip! All these conversations were taking place before we even had a second baby, but I was sure we’d be able to do some traveling with a rambunctious toddler and a 6-month-old. So, we agreed to the Arizona trip and decided to save Wales for another year. When we head off, Sweet Girl will be 23 months old, and Pip 6 months old.

Now that Pip is born, and Christmas is over with, I’ve started focusing on our April trip to Maricopa. I was half-planning the whole time, but just in my head. Now I’m actually making lists. And holy moly is there lots to consider!

This will be our first real trip with kids. No more carry-on luggage only. We’ll be waiting at the baggage carousal with the rest of heavy packers. [Read more…]

5 Tips for Traveling with a Wheelchair

September 27, 2017 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

Traveling has plenty of perks, but it also requires a lot of preparation. And that’s all the more true if you are in a wheelchair. The unexpected can happen during trips, and some events you may not be prepared for. For wheelchair users, the challenge is even greater, so you always need to think ahead and anticipate.

You deserve to have a great time on your vacation! So, to make the trip more enjoyable for yourself and everyone else that’s coming along on your trip, check out some of the tips for traveling with a wheelchair.

[Read more…]

3 Reasons to Take Your iPad or Tablet on Your Next Family Vacation

May 30, 2017 by Kathryn 3 Comments

For many, there’s a new code of conduct while on the annual family vacation: no electronics! If your kids have their noses stuck to their smartphones, iPads or tablets, they will miss the world around them, and you’ll lose out on valuable family bonding time, which is usually the point of the vacation in the first place. It can be advantageous to bend this rule during the trip to and from your destination, however, and here are three reasons why you should still take your electronics with you when you travel.

1. Importance of Entertainment While Traveling

It does not matter if you travel by train, plane, or automobile; your children will become bored quickly. The excitement of traveling to the fun destination will wear off as the minutes tick by and the inevitable and repetitive “Are we there yet?” is enough to drive any parent to the brink of insanity. No matter how many times you tell your kids it will be X hours until you arrive at your destination, they will ask the question again.

[Read more…]

Plan the Perfect All-Inclusive Family Vacation this Winter with These 4 Tips

November 10, 2016 by Kathryn 32 Comments

I’ve always believed that travel provides endless enriching opportunities for both adults and children, so travel has always been a priority for my boys and me. From a simple road trip to an exotic cruise, we’ve had the chance to enjoy all kinds of adventures together. But one of my favourite travel getaways with my boys has always been a trip to an all-inclusive resort. I love the hassle-free experience of knowing all our food, drinks and entertainment are included with our stay, while still having ample opportunities to explore the local attractions on day trips and excursions.

But like any vacation, proper planning helps to turn a good vacation into a great one! And if you’re considering escaping the cold this winter on your own all-inclusive family getaway, these four tips will help ensure that your trip to one of the best all inclusive resorts is the best one ever!

Vacation with Friends

If you have close friends with kids, consider vacationing together as a group! Not only do extra people make the vacation more fun, but many resorts will offer a discount to larger groups. That means you save money, your kids have more friends to play with and you can plan extra activities like a ladies’ spa day or a big group breakfast get-together! Make sure to also check for special deals that allow kids to stay and eat for free to save even more money! [Read more…]

Eating Healthy With Kids While on the Road

June 21, 2016 by Kathryn 1 Comment

Summer is coming, along with summer vacations and travel. Traveling with kids is challenging whether you’re going for a day trip or a week-long vacation, and one of the major issues is what to feed the little ones while on the road. Here are six great tips for keeping your kids fed when you’re away from home.

Use Your Travel Cooler

This is an important tool to have in your arsenal. Choose a small personal-sized cooler if you have one or two children, but if you have three or more go for a full-sized cooler. Skip the loose ice cubes and keep your cooler cold and mess-free with commercial ice packs or frozen water bottles. You can keep dairy snacks and filled baby bottles cool all day, and chill fruits, veggies and dip for maximum enjoyment in the summer heat. For added cooling power, freeze juice boxes the night before your trip. They will melt slowly and help keep your cooler cold to boot.

Bring Your Gear

If you have infants or toddlers, you probably have special feeding gear that you always use at home. Instead of packing up everything from home, consider buying duplicates of favorite bowls, cups, and utensils for traveling. Other travel-friendly gear you may not have include spill-free snack cups you can use to serve dry cereal, chips, small berries, and other snacks to kids while in their car seats, and spill-proof cups. If you have older babies and toddlers, look for cups with straws as these are easier to drink from when your kids are held in a reclining position in a car seat. [Read more…]

Save Big Money on Your Next Vacation with Snazzy Traveler

January 12, 2015 by Kathryn 28 Comments

It’s no secret that I love to travel, and it’s something I’ve made a priority in my life ever since I was a child. But it’s also something that can get expensive very quickly so finding a new way to save money when I’m on a vacation is always exciting for me. Recently I found the best way yet to do that: the travel savings website Snazzy Traveler. With hundreds and maybe even thousands of websites online all claiming to offer the lowest prices for hotels and resorts, it’s hard to think that Snazzy Traveler could be much different. But in fact, the company’s unique approach to travel deals lets it offer hugely discounted prices you simply won’t find anywhere else.

The difference starts with the membership fee. The yearly $99 fee provides premium access to exclusive savings that are hundreds of dollars less than other companies. Paying money to use a travel savings website might seem odd at first, but one trip literally pays for the fee many times over. To make the service even better, all the taxes are included in the price so there’s no surprises when you decide to book your travel. [Read more…]