Million Miles Mama's Tips for Stretching Your Holiday Dollars

I used to get paid the bucks (not necessarily the big bucks) to work miracles for my corporate employers. Most of these miracles involve putting together a big corporate-wide strategy for a campaign, get huge results, and work on a little to non-existent budget. Wow.

So, how do I go about creating miracles? Well...lots of prayers, indeed, my friends, it takes lots of prayers. But aside from the prayers and waiting for it to start raining buckets of much needed revenue to pull off any campaign, I had to call upon the help of...creativity. That's it.

Creativity. Thinking Out of the Box...you call it what it is.

I will not share details on what to make or how to go about making your holiday gifts, but I will give you some tips on how to get started. Think of this as an exercise in creativity...


First of all...

1) Make a list of people you are giving gifts to this year.

I want to encourage your holiday giving spirit, but in order to be efficient with gift-giving and to save on your energy and expenses, I have to say...enough is enough on giving gifts to those who never give you a gift back or gives you gifts that shows they just don't care. Which brings us to...

2) Make the Gifts Personal

With a tight budget, it really is about "it is the thought, that counts."

3) Make it Clever

What do you mean, you might be asking. I'm sure if you stretch your creativity a bit, you may come up with something clever. So...I'll drop you a Million Miles example:

How about personal baked cookies with a likeness of your friend's face on it! Better yet, Gingerbread cookies with your friend's face on it, accompanying it with a note saying something corny, but sweet like, "Our friendship gets sweeter with every bite."

Overall cost: $5 for ingredients. Packaging of 5 cookies: $2 Wow. Inexpensive, but it definitely shows you put a lot of thought and work into the gift.

4) Make a Show of Giving!

Ever wonder why one perfume costs more than the other or why one lotion is better than the other? It has a lot to do with marketing and packaging.

We can certainly use the same strategy corporate marketers like myself use in creating a luxury-feel to a gift. Be creative, use colors, use small to large packaging, use creative crafts to make your gift stand out.

Here's another Million Miles tip:

Put your gift in a reusable package - for instance, cookies - put your cookies in cellophane, nicely wrapped in brightly-colored chiffon neck scarves, tied with a bright rhinestone hairclip or brooch.

Then invite all your girlfriends out for hot chocolate or coffee holiday get together.


Wouldn't you like to get invited to a holiday get together like that? Now about those invitations...you can really have some fun with that, too....


In the meantime, happy holidays and happy creating....

Kailin

First Time Air Travel with a Toddler/Preschooler

If this is the first time you've ever flown anywhere with your toddler/preschooler, then you really have to prepare early to make the experience as smooth and pleasant for everyone. Yes...and to keep your sanity.

I find that there are a few things that I've found over the miles through trial and error to help me when I travel with my 2-year-old. Because of my love of travel, because I used to have a corporate international management job for major hotel companies, and because I air commute between homes in two states, I've literally accumulated over a million miles of travel in the last 9 years. Travel hasn't ceased since having my daughter London. She's been on every flight I've taken for the last 2 years and have gone on over 30 flights and 2 cruises. So, at age 2, she is a travel pro!

Here's the rundown on my tried and true picks and tips for air travel with a tot:

1) Get an all-in-one stroller and car seat.

- I love the Sit-N-Stroll

(Simple to use and very compact, this car seat literally turns into a stroller. I've received lots of compliments from taxi drivers to celebrities in Beverly Hills about how "transformer-like" this stroller/car seat is. Instead of 2 baby travel contraption to lug around, you just have 1, and it is easy to push, smooth, and doubles as a luggage cart for small luggage. ) If you plan on driving a car or being in a car at your destination, then this beats lugging around a car seat.

A Note on Cares Flight Belt - I have one, and I use it for my daughter while inflight. It is very comfortable, light, and easy to use. I just started using this for the last 3 flights, and my daughter was fine with it. The best thing about it is it is FAA-approved, the bad thing is...it is expensive.

2) A Goody Bag or Backpack for your little one. This serves an obvious purpose - entertainment for your toddler/preschooler and distraction.

- Pack small toys (familiar and new ones), small and light books, activity books with coloring activities or a doodle board.

3) DVD player and comfortable Headphones - For particularly long flights and trips.

I like dvd players that includes a car mount so it works on the plane and in the car. Make sure the dvd player has a stand or closes up so you can also use it anywhere else...hotel room, doctor's office. I use mine everywhere I know there is going to be a long wait...including restaurants.

4) Snacks and special diet foods, if necessary.

5) Extra diapers (day's worth and 1 or 2 more in case of flight delays.)

6) Extra clothing for you and your little one, especially a light sweater for in-flight wear.

7) Easy-to-take off shoes (for going through Security Checks quickly.)

8) See-through ziplock bag for you to put cell phones, keys, and small pocket objects so you have everything in 1 place going through the Security Check. Take out your ziplock bag and place small pocket objects in it, and seal right before you place the bag through the Security Check conveyor belt.

9) Antibacterial Wet-wipes (to clean your little one's hands, to wipe up spills, to clean off airplane seat trays and wipe headrests.)

I also find that reading a children's book about airplanes and the airport, playing with a toy airplane, and looking at airplane photos days before the flight has helped my little one feel at ease about travel.

So, with some preparation and patience...you may find air travel with a toddler/preschooler pleasant and even fun.

Good luck and Safe Travels!