Planning Vacations

Before we even left the USA for our expat assignment, when begin to dream of the vacations we could take while we lived here! To organize ourselves we made a dream list. The idea of this is that we would hopefully stay focused and spend our money in the right areas! Here is our list: London, Ireland, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Prague, Amsterdam, Spain, Carsecone, Croatia, Istanbul, Dubai, Cologne, Dresden, Normandy, Nice, Italy, and Paris. Now obviously we can't go everywhere in 3 years but we really want to get the most bang for our buck! This is how we plan our European Vacations.

Each school break I like to pick two cities and make them compete for my money! I like to see which city ends up all around cheaper! I begin with the whole car vs. airplane debate! If we can drive it in 12hrs or less, than we do! Driving is always the cheapest solution for a family of 4 or more! If we are flying I start with German Wings, they tend to be the cheapest and easiest (with flights in and out of Stuttgart), and I will also try Ryan Air. Once I have their best price I began to search the major airlines. I pull them each up individually because I find that time and again that Expedia doesn’t offer enough date flexibility. So far I have always found a comparable rate on all major airlines. I have taken the comparable rate on the major airline because there is no hidden cost! On airlines like Ryan Air and German Wings, the extra fees can add up!

The next search I begin is for lodging! For lodging I use one of two paths. First is a hotel search. For a hotel search I go to expedia, type in my location, and my desires (rating, rooms, and breakfast). Than when the list comes up I filter through it finding hotels that match my needs. I than use Google to find the individual hotel sites. I don't use expendia at this point because they have a service fee added to that cheap hotel rate, the hotel site does not. Here I input my information and look for the price that is the best flexible rate. The best flexible rate is one that is a locked price but also fully cancelable till 4pm the day before your stay. This way I have a room, but haven't prepaid. If you like to prepay, than book the best flexible rate and 25 days before your stay book that advance savings rate! Now often times I might book 2 hotels for the same vacation using the best flexible rate. This allows be to book one really nice 4-5 star hotel and one 3-4 star hotel, that way as it gets closer I can choose how much I really want or have to spend.

If I don't want to do hotels stay and think a vacation home/rental would be better than I use that search engine Homeaway. This is a tremendous site that is available for worldwide use! Here is works the same type in where you want to go, and up pops a list that meet your requirements. Now on Homeaway I do like to filter through my results and how I do that is by reviews. I select I would like to see properties with the highest number of reviews. Then I read the reviews. Finally when it comes time to select a unit I type a very standard email off to the owners requesting a quote. If the owner response in a typical time frame than that is another good sign. The only negative with homeaway is the cash deposit upon booking! This can be a bit scary, so make sure you do your research!

Finally car rental...This is a bit harder! Cars are all generally expensive and if you want an automatic it can be more. Plus you really should plan out gas usage and insurance (Ireland, Italy, and France are a must in my book). If we are booking a car I often book in advance and than rebook the cheaper price a week or so before the vacation! I enjoy sixt, and europcar but find their prices to all be similar!

Finally the vacation that works out to be the best price wins, and off we go to enjoy and make memories!

Sites that I love:
http://www.homeaway.com/
http://www.ryanair.com/en
www.germanwings.com/
http://www.expedia.de/
http://www.europcar.co.uk/
http://www.sixt.de/
http://www.novotel.com/gb/home/index.shtml
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/ihg/hotels/us/en/reservation

7 days left

With 7 days of summer left it is officially time for back to school! While the kids get excited for shopping and friends, they are sad to see their summer freedoms fading! While I get excited for a little bit of freedom, and quiet, I also will miss relaxing mornings play games and reading! Plus it's easy to say that my husband is not looking forward to the 3 sleepy and moody people that will take over our house next week! It’s time to say goodbye to sleeping in, to lazy days, to the freibads (community pools) and biergartens( well, almost!

So, what do I (we) have to look forward to this fall? First and for most I am so excited to not be the new family! My kids are so happy that they aren't starting from scratch at ISS.  We aren't nervous for school, which makes life easier. We are happy to helping out at school, making new friends, and meeting teachers.

We are already planning amazing fall and winter vacations! (I will be writing this blog next week) We are so ready to travel more, December marks the half way point in our living in Germany and there is so much still to do! We are ready for fall activities like Volksfest (http://www.cannstatter-volksfest.de/). Yes, we even have the Dirndl now! I am personally anticipating the arrival of fall weather! I love when the nights cool, leaves fall, and sweatshirts go on!

Yes, summer is over. School is starting. We had some great times, but now it's time to make memories as 5th graders and has 3rd graders! It's time to embrace that backpacks, homework, and the joy that comes in each new season! Wish us luck….

What Summer really looks like when your a not so perfect expat mother!

Here is what I wrote 2 months ago as I looked forward to summer vacation...."This summer I know that I wanna do a book club with the kids...8 books in 8 weeks! This summer I want to teach the kids to cook something new each week, think easy pasta, salad, and grilled cheese! I want to teach them every state in the USA and some spelling. Over our 8 weeks off I want to go to the pool at least weekly. I want to have picnics. A whole lot of them. I am hoping for a week of Vacation Bible School, and Soccer camp for the kids. "


Ok, at this point in the blog it is important to admit "I am a mother who is not perfect." SHOCKER, right?  I love reading my, oh so optimistic blog on summer goals, but it's time to face the music and confess to my true summer progress. First off reading, while the kids have been independently reading like crazy, we have only finished 1 of the 8 books we wanted to read to them! I have 4 weeks left and 7 books, time for a new goal...finish 2 more books (I hope)!

Teaching them to cook! We have actively been in the kitchen during break, but sadly the only things my kids have learned to cook are desserts! They have baked cookies, made brownies, and whipped up their very own homemade peanut butter cups. We have not learned main dishes so over the next couple weeks I would love to still teach them one or two. I am thinking that we will learn grilled cheese this week.

The pool! Pools and German weather don't go hand and hand, so this can be a challenge! We have gone twice this summer on the days I viewed as warm enough, but we should really go again and soon! The kids love the pools, and it is such a simple day out! However, I will make no more promises in this category!

Yay for me because we have had multiple picnics. We had a great picnic during Lichter Fest with fresh lemonade, sausages, focaccia, and cheese. We have a ton of walking picnics as we explore the smaller cities, and one or two at home! I would love to plan a Sunday one in our favorite park or at the zoo, but we shall see what summer allows.

Our family has had success with soccer camp and with Vacation Bible School. These were two great weeks that out children loved! Two great weeks were they survived heat (33 Degrees), met new friends, and tried new things (Jell-O, and Curry)!

We have also had many other adventures over the last 5 weeks. We have visited Swabisch Hall, Wurzburg, and Pforzheim. We have been to a festival, attended a concert, played with friends in the park, cut flowers, had friends over, and gone to the library. We have had lazy days curled up watching movies and playing games, and we have had crazy days filled with beer garden fun!

Over the next couple weeks we will vacation with friends in the alb. We will celebrate Ethan's 10th birthday. We will have friends over. We will go back to school shopping and we will prepare the kids for summers end.

I think that at the end of summer the most important thing to remember, the best thing about summer is really the most simplistic....It's the flexibility of summer! So what I'm not perfect, I don't have to be it's summer, I can fly by the seat of my pants. I can follow the kids lead! I can enjoy living in the moment, living simple! My favorite thing about summer is the to do list I just don't have to do ;)