Where you stay near Universal can completely change your trip — especially when you’re traveling with tweens and teens. Hotel choice affects:• how early you can get into the parks• how much walking you do• whether you need Express Pass• how exhausted everyone feels at the end of the day For families with older kids […]

Planning a Universal Studios trip with kids sounds exciting — until you start looking at flights. Between school schedules, limited flexibility, and Orlando airfare jumping up and down during peak travel times, flights are often the most stressful (and expensive) part of planning a Universal vacation for families. For us, getting to Orlando is usually […]

Planning a Universal trip with kids — especially tweens and teens — can feel overwhelming fast. Between flights, hotels, ticket options, Express Pass decisions, and now Epic Universe, it’s hard to know where to even start. This guide brings everything together in one place. Below you’ll find my complete Universal planning series, written specifically for […]

Planning a trip to Africa can feel overwhelming — especially when you’re doing it as a family. Between long-haul flights, safaris, multiple countries, visas, safety questions, and cost, most people assume a trip like this is out of reach. We thought the same thing at first. But with intentional planning and points and miles, we […]

Let’s be honest — Universal is expensive. When families start pricing out flights, hotels, and park tickets, it’s easy to feel like a Universal trip is completely out of reach. That’s exactly why I wanted to write this post. Because when you see the numbers side by side — what we actually paid vs what […]

Epic Universe is amazing — and if you have tweens or teens, this park is going to change how you plan a Universal trip. While Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure are already favorites for older kids, Epic Universe is being designed with immersive lands, thrill rides, and interactive experiences that speak directly to that […]

Universal Studios is not cheap — and when you’re traveling with tweens and teens, wandering around without a plan can completely ruin your day. Long lines.Missed rides.Kids melting down because you “walked past that ride already.” If you only have one day at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, having a clear plan matters more […]

Every once in a while, a program comes along that sounds almost too good to be true. Earn points on rent.Earn points on your mortgage.No fee. That’s exactly why Bilt gets so much attention. But like most things in personal finance, the headline is only part of the story. This post walks through what Bilt […]

There’s a lot of noise online about the “best” card or the “perfect” setup. But real families don’t live in perfect spreadsheets. We’re paying mortgages.Helping kids with college housing.Buying groceries.Trying to plan one meaningful trip a year — not fly every weekend. So instead of chasing one magical card, many families do better with a […]

Quick note before we start:I don’t have this card linked directly in this post. If you’d like my affiliate link (which supports my work at no extra cost to you), feel free to DM me on Instagram, and I’ll send it your way. I only share links when someone asks, and only if it truly […]