Five Star Family

The Mouse calls Canadian Residents

2011-10-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

I was just browsing the Disney Cruise website (one of my next five star family vacations....I hope), and noticed they currently have a special running for Canadian residents (not very often this happens) for 25% off select Mexican Riviera Sailings in 2012. If you are dreaming of spending a week with Mickey on the high seas this is your chance. Now, to be honest I have never been aboard a Disney Cruise Ship *hint*hint* dear husband, but I know folks who have and say it is the best cruise line ever (for kids and adults) A little birdie even told me that Disney allows you to bring your own alcohol on board for use in your room (since in my world, alcohol and family vacations go hand in hand). A little money saving tip to avoid the pricey bar bill at the end of the sailing (but please don't take my word for it, check Disney policy prior to sailing).

A $200 deposit is all it takes to secure your week of family fun next spring. Happy Sailing!! And say hi to Mickey for me.

Disney Cruise - Canadian Residents Special

Babies and Vacations

2011-05-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

Thinking back to our first vacation with a baby makes me cringe. Our son was 4 months old with colic that seemed like it would never end. We were in Vegas, not really by choice, but for a family wedding. While our friends and family were out dining and having fun, we were in our hotel room with a screaming baby, ordering room service...again!. Those 4 days were some of the longest days in my life, and certainly NOT a vacation. Nothing is worse than sitting in a 400 sq ft hotel room, laying silently on the bed waiting for your baby to fall asleep. But looking back that trip taught us so much and changed the way we travel with our kids. It opened the door to a new way of travelling, that once you try is hard to go back.

Fast forward 12 months later....another wedding, this time in Mexico. Our son was now 15 months old and into everything. On this trip we were travelling with my 9 week old nephew and friends with their 6 week old daughter (everything required for a vacation nightmare). But this vacation was different; instead of each couple sequestered to their hotel room for naps and bedtime, we spent our evenings laughing with cocktails by the pool, waves lapping at the shore. All the babies were soundly asleep and we could relax, unwind and enjoy our vacation in the company of great friends and family. Now before you rush to judge...NO we were not leaving our babies alone in hotel rooms. We were in our own private, gated villa. We had a pool, a maid and all the comforts of home. Each couple had their own private room and full bathroom overlooking the white sand and blue sea of the Mayan Riviera. The maid did our laundry, sterilized bottles (heck, she even sterilized breast pumps for the new mothers). She made us breakfast every morning, served under the giant palapa surrounding the pool. While my son splashed in the pool with my husband, my brother relaxed in a hammock, his baby sleeping on his chest in the ocean breeze. It was as close to perfect as you could get on vacation (with 3 babies).

This vacation changed the way we travel, especially with small children. I am always surprised to learn that more families do not travel this way. You only need to remember 4 letters; VRBO. Vacation Rentals by Owner ( www.vrbo.com ), a website where people rent out their vacation homes. Whether you need a 2 week luxury rental in Hawaii, a weekend rental in Whistler, or a bare bones cabin in the middle of the forest, this is the place to go. The real estate boom of recent years has seen a huge increase of folks owning second properties and they want to rent these out. Often at rates that are hard to believe, especially when you are traveling with more than one family. This is my first secret to having a five star family vacation on a budget.
** Oh and I fogot to mention this was for less than $125 per night (per couple) **

Five Star Vacations on a Budget....Yes you can!

2011-05-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Suburbia..... yes, if you are like me then you know the drill; kids, laundry, housework, commutes and PTA meetings. So when the time comes for that long awaited family vacation who says you need to pack the kids up and head to a motel 6 (not that there's anything wrong with that). My passion has been to create five star family vacation experiences on a working family budget. Stay at the Westin for the price of a Best Western, or better yet the Four Seasons. Sure it takes a little work to find these deals, and you will have to travel outside of peak seasons, but in the end you too can have a 5 star family vacation experience for less money than you ever dreamed possible.

Disney World in a 4000 sq ft luxury home with a private pool for 10 people for less than $200 per night? Yes!! Stay in a brand new 4 star hotel blocks from Disneyland for $35 per night? Yes!! We've done it and believe me once you get a taste for the good life it's hard to go back. Champagne for the adults and gifts for the kids on check in at the Ritz Carlton? Yes, and for less than $200 per night. Free kid's club so you can spend your days lounging by the pool at the Four Seasons? Yes!!

The only downside is not only do you get a taste for how the other half lives, but so will your kids (but hey, all the more incentive for them to get that MBA or PHD and support you in your old age).

My friends and family have inspired me to create this blog and share my secrets of how to have luxury family vacations on a working family wage. Why should the rich have all the fun?