I just returned from another vacation to Oceanside, California, and after staying at the incredible Seabird Resort, I had to do a Family Friday Vacation to Oceanside post. I promise you, this Hyatt hotel will not disappoint – I can’t wait to return myself. Check out all the pictures below – every spot was so […]

Recently, my husband and I were heading to Arizona for a wedding. Coincidently, I noticed that we had an 85K Marriott annual certificate expiring simultaneously, so I started to figure out how to use it for part of our stay in Arizona (we’d stay with my sister for the rest of the stay). We ended […]

Recently, I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City in Salt Lake City, Utah. The purpose of this trip was some family time with family from London, along with Alex’s family. My daughter, Lindsey’s husband, was in Salt Lake on business, so we made that our main base and naturally, wanted to stay at […]

Want to hear what we’ve been up to lately? We thought it would be fun to recap some of the cards we’ve opened and trips we’ve been booking! Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Listen on YouTube   In this episode, we’re taking you behind the scenes. We discuss exciting travels we’ve embarked on […]

Today, I had the option of two different Venture Mile redemptions for my trip to Italy next Fall. I have a multi-city trip planned starting in Rome, on to Lake Como, and finishing in Cinque Terre. In Rome and Lake Como, I will use Hyatt hotels for my stays, but there are no chain hotels […]

Our Friday family vacation to Punta Cana is a reader success story from Jess, who began her points and miles journey following our Jess! She took her adorable family of six to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic on points and miles. Here is her story:   Spring Break 2023 Family Vacation to Punta Cana […]

British Airways Avios are a great way to book flights because three transferable currencies transfer to them (AMEX, Ultimate Rewards, and Capital One). The other transferable currency, Citi ThankYou Points, transfers to Qatar Airways, which also uses Avios (and you can transfer Avios between Qatar and British Airways once you link them), so essentially, you […]

I’ve found a new place to position myself for flights to Europe. I had to find last-minute flights to Europe this summer and ended up positioning through the Calgary Airport. I was pleasantly surprised and hope to do it in the future. You might also consider it a place to position as it is not […]

The American Express® Gold Card is one of our favorite credit cards. The annual fee of $250 is covered if you use the benefits it gives you. But what can you do with American Express Membership Rewards?  Let’s take a random amount like 75K and go over some ideas about what to do with them. Be sure […]

Do you have some American Express Membership Rewards points and aren’t quite sure how to use them? Or have you heard about the program but aren’t sure how it works? If so, this episode is for you. Keep listening as we cover all things American Express Membership Rewards. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify […]

Once you are over the Chase 5/24, it is time to head off into the world of American Express Membership Rewards®. I recently transferred American Express points to British Airways to travel to London. It was easy to transfer my points and then book a ticket. American Express offers several credit cards that earn Membership […]

We get SO many questions about how to travel carry-on only. The three of us do this consistently, even for a 2-week trip. After my Florence fiasco and losing my luggage for three days in Greece, this is the ONLY way that I will travel. Here are our tips and tricks for traveling carry-on only. […]

As much as I love Turkish Airlines, it can be a pain to book a companion’s flight. We’ve been needing a post on booking for someone else with Turkish miles for a while – here it is. For most airlines, you can book a flight for another person without any problem or extra step. However, […]

Our latest reader success story to Spain using points/miles comes from Meghan. Here it is in her words: Our son is in a dual language program with Spanish.  We are trying to travel, at least once a year, to a Spanish-speaking country to help him build his real-life skills (especially since Mom & Dad aren’t […]

December in Montreal is a time when the city dons its holiday best, and the streets come alive with the spirit of the holiday season. Last December, our family had a magical (and freezing!) weekend adventure in Montreal. We visited a number of Christmas markets throughout the city and enjoyed many of the kid-friendly activities […]

Recently, we went out of town to watch our grandson’s soccer tournament. Luckily, we have credit card points so it made it an easy decision to tag along on Alex’s family trip to Idaho Falls. I can’t even imagine how much people spend when they use cash to go out of town for their children’s […]

Do you love the idea of nearly free travel but are afraid you can’t meet that minimum credit card spend of $2,000 -$5,000 to earn the welcome offer?  I am here to show you how to meet the minimum spend on credit cards.   It is simpler than you think! And you can listen to […]

Jess and I recently returned from an incredible stay on points at Impression Moxché by Secrets. We spent three nights and lived a life of luxury with beautiful accommodations (including an ocean-view room complete with a soaking tub on the balcony 🤯), all the food and drinks we could ever want, rooftop pools, and a […]

In this episode, Alex, Pam, and Jess share their recent adventures at two Secrets Resorts. These all-inclusive resorts can be booked with Hyatt Points and can be a great deal! Listen in as they break down their stays at two of them. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Listen on YouTube   Hey there, […]

It’s no secret that Hyatt is our favorite program to earn points for because of their outsized value. When you can stay at a luxury Hyatt for 40K points per night versus paying double or triple that for a Hilton, Marriott, or IHG hotel of the same caliber, it only makes sense. Many of our […]

The Grand Canyon is a massive natural wonder located in Arizona, USA. It is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River and is a popular destination for nature enthusiasts and tourists from around the world. Our Friday Family Vacation is to the Grand Canyon National Park.   How to Get to the Grand Canyon: […]